July Lawn & Landscape Tips

Wow, June, traditionally one of central Oklahoma’s wettest months really fell short! Many lawns and landscapes are showing heat and drought stress earlier than normal this year.  Now, we are headed into one of our hottest months and with more stress for your lawn and landscape on the horizon.  

How can you help your landscape not only survive, but thrive through July?  Let’s take a look:

Watering – The biggest determiner on your lawn and landscape thriving through the hottest and driest periods of the summer is practicing the best water techniques.  I know…we are repeating ourselves, but it is so important that we are going to keep saying it.

Best watering practices: 

• Water 1” to 1.5” per week. 

• Place the Hall|Stewart Rain Gauge in your lawn, give your lawn a good deep soaking and then check the gauge.  If you have ½” of water in the gauge you need to water 3 times per week.

• Water deep.  If you can get ¾-1” of water on your lawn without excessive runoff, water every 4 days.  Deep watering creates deep roots and a more drought tolerant lawn.

• Set your controller to water with back-to-back run times.  If a zone needs to run 30 minutes to get the correct amount of water, set it for 15 minutes and program two start times an hour or two apart.  Example:  4:00 AM & 5:00 AM.  This ‘Best Practice” will increase the amount of water that soaks into your lawn and reduce the amount of runoff.

• Water in the early morning.  Evaporation is at the lowest point in the pre-dawn hours and typically wind is at its lowest point.  Evening water promotes turf diseases, such as brown patch, and should be avoided.

• Daily watering does more harm than good.  Short daily watering results in shallow rooted turf and a lawn dependent on constant moisture to survive.

• Anytime we receive ½” of rain or more, don’t water for a few days.

• Aeration improves moisture absorption.

Watering Tip –

Most people don’t realize how long you need to run the sprinkler to get 1” to 1.5” moisture on your lawn in a week.  If your lawn and landscape are struggling, take time to place cans around the lawn to collect water.  Water your lawn as you normally do and then measure the amount of water in the containers. 

If you collected 1/3” to ½”, you are watering long enough for every other day watering. 

If you didn’t collect enough during a typical watering, increase the water time and continue watering every other day. 

The temptation is to start watering every day, but this creates a shallow rooted landscape that is more dependent on daily water. 

Deep watering every other day is the key to a lawn that will thrive in July.

We are a strong believer in the benefits of not catching your clippings when mowing as long as they are not noticeable. Heavy clippings always need to be cleared from the turf.

Mowing Tip -

One of the biggest differences between a good lawn and a great lawn in the heat of the year is not bagging the clippings.  Allowing finely mowed clippings to stay on the lawn returns moisture and nutrients to the soil.

This picture taken on Friday of a fescue lawn demonstrates that fescue is heat tolerant when best practices are followed:  deep watering every other day, mowing at 3” with no more than 1/3 cut off per time, and not bagging the clippings.

Mowing – For warm season turfs (Bermuda and zoysia) gradually raise the height of your mower.  Bermuda should be mowed between 1.5” to 2.5” during the summer heat.  Fescue, cool season turf, should be maintained at its maximum height, 3” to 3.5” now. The more leaf space you have the more drought resistant your lawn will be.  Mow often enough that you only remove 1/3” of the grass each time.  For healthy, irrigated, and fertilized Bermuda, if possible, mow every 4-5 days for the best lawn.  If you are mowing often enough and only removing 1/3 of the growth, don’t catch the clippings.  Grass leaves are mostly water and nitrogen and break down very quickly into the soil.  If your lawn has a brown cast to it after you mow, you are cutting below the leaves and into the stems.  Stems do not break down quickly and can lead to thatch build-up, so if this is the case, it is best to bag when mowing.

Mulch mowing is one of the most beneficial things you can do for your lawn. The key is mowing frequently enough that you are removing no more than 1/3 of the leaf blade.

The tropical type flowers of hardy hibiscus thrive in the heat of July.

Lantana and Coleus are heat loving annual summer color plants.

Limelight Hydrangea

Limelight Hydrangeas grace the July landscapes with large lime-white blooms.  

Brown Patch – One benefit of the dry air of July is less brown patch disease in fescue lawns.  Brown patch occurs when there is excessive moisture, high humidity, and/or high dew points when nighttime temperatures are in the 70s or more and daytime temperatures are in the 90s.  Brown patch is worse in areas with dense shade and/or low wind movement.  Anytime the leaf blades of your fescue stay wet for more than 6 hours at a time in the summer, brown patch is unavoidable.  

The temptation is to water fescue more frequently in the summer.  It is common for us to find fescue lawns with the irrigation set to run morning and night creating the perfect conditions for the disease to spread.  If you have heavy shade and/or low wind movement (most smaller backyards) water after sunrise and no more than every other day.  Resist the urge to water more.  Your fescue is not dying due to summer heat, it is struggling with brown patch.  

Black Eyed Susan is a favorite perennial during the month of July.

Sunpatiens do well through the summer heat in Full Sun to Part Shade.

Penta is another summer annual that enjoys Full Sun to Part Shade.

Brown Patch Disease will make you think your fescue lawn isn’t getting water, so you respond with more water, which makes the lawn look worse, so you water more…. This fescue lawn was extremely wet this week resulting in self-induced Brown Patch.

Fescue Tip –

The key to fescue surviving the summer is not watering more. 

The key is deep soaking every other day. 

Watering daily, or as some are known to do, watering twice per day, is one of the worse things for fescue in the summer heat. 

Keeping fescue wet will always promote Brown Patch disease.

Crape Myrtles respond to the heat of July with bold pinks, purples, whites, and reds.

Through the summer heat Caladiums and Inpatients will perform well in Full Shade to Part Sun.

Fertilizer – Because warm season grasses are actively growing, they need feeding during July.  The plan is to use fertilizer with a 3 to 1 to 1 of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), plus iron (Fe) for added color.  Most of our soil has plenty of phosphorus and potassium, but nitrogen needs to be replaced.  July is a great month for turf development and a thick, healthy growing lawn is the best defense against weeds. Do not fertilize fescue lawns now.  As a cool season grass, fertilizer in the heat of the summer on fescue will cause damage.

Bermuda lawns look their best in the heat of the year when they are properly fertilized, mowed and watered.

Periwinkle is one of the best annual color plants during the hottest periods of the summer.

Weed Control – If you are on a regular lawn care application program, and if your first application was made prior to mid-March, you shouldn’t be experiencing many summer annual weeds.  A common weed this time of year is nut sedge.  Nut sedge thrives in tight, wet soils.  Areas with poor drainage and overwatered turf are frequent trouble spots.   If you didn’t get an early pre-emergent, you most likely have a good crop of crabgrass now. Controlling weeds in the heat of the year often can cause more damage to the turf than is beneficial.  It is important that label instructions are always followed when spraying weeds.  Don’t over apply.  What is most important in July is developing a thick, healthy turf.  If you are too aggressive on weeds now you will have weak spots that are more susceptible to weeds in the future. 

Nutsedge

Shrub Pruning – Selective pruning and light shearing should be practiced during the summer heat. If possible, wait to do major pruning during the hottest periods of the summer.  Avoid any pruning or shearing on spring blooming plants because you will be removing flower buds and reducing the show next spring. 

Early July is your last chance to trim spring blooming plants such as azalea without reducing next spring’s blooms.

Turf areas that receive less than 4 hours of direct sunlight is considered Full Shade. Fescue is the best turf choice in Full Shade to Partial Shade areas.

Aphids

Bagworms

Bag worm

Bagworms continue to be the biggest insect issue currently. Not only are they attacking needle evergreens, but also deciduous trees and shrubs. Inspect your plants frequently.  

Aphids thrive in the hot weather resulting in an increase in activity the past couple of weeks. They are easy to spot. Look for glossy, wet looking leaves.  The leaves will be sticky and the underside will be covered with insects.

If you see more than an occasional grub when digging in your landscape, we recommend treatment. An occasional grub is good for the environment, but as with most insects, too many and they will cause damage to your lawn.

Insect Watch – The first step to healthy plants is inspecting them regularly and then treating as needed.  If you attempt to treat on a schedule, you will find that you often will miss the target pest.  These are the insects that are currently most active:

Bagworms – Common on needle evergreens (juniper, cedar, cypress, etc.).  If a plant is already stressed due to heat or draught, bagworms can kill the plant.  Inspect often and treat as needed.  

Aphids – Small sap-sucking insects that leave plants with a honeydew, sticky substance on leaves. Aphids are easy to spot.  If the leaves appear unusually glossy stop and look under the leaf and you will find insects hard at work.  Aphids thrive in hot, dry conditions. 

Spider Mites - They also gather on the underside of leaves but are very small and hard to see.  The first sign you may have spider mites is a plant with weak looking, yellowish leaves.  Take a white sheet of paper, place it below the leaf and lightly shake the leaf.  If you see small specs of red, yellow, and brown on the paper and they start moving around, it isn’t dust and dirt you are seeing, it is spider mites.

Grub Worms – If you have experienced grub damage in the past, or if you have noticed a lot of June bugs around your landscape, July through August is a good window to apply an application for control.  Grub worms are the larva form of the June bug.  June bugs have laid their eggs, and they are hatching now. Grubs are easiest to control when the new grub is small and feeding close to the surface in July and August.

Army Worms – Three summers ago was the big army worm plague and it still has many lawn enthusiast shaken.  Army worms are always present in our summer lawns and landscapes. When populations are normal you may never know they are there.  But, with the right conditions we can see an explosion to turf damaging levels in a matter of days.  We are more likely to have turf damaging population levels when we have a cool, wet late June and early July.  Army worm eggs and worms have a higher survival rate when there is abundant moisture and cooler temperatures.  The weather pattern so far this summer is not conducive for an army worm outbreak.  We will keep an eye on conditions and let you know if army worms become a problem.

Spider Mite activity will make a healthy plant look weak with yellowing, speckled leaves.

Place a white sheet of paper under a branch and gently shake the branch. If you see small specs on the paper that are moving around, you are seeing spider mites.

Army Worms start out green and mature to a greenish-brown. They have distinctive strips on each side of their bodies and an inverted “Y” on their head.

Lantana loves Full Sun but also performs well in Part Sun.

Tree Leaves – Expect some leaf drop on deciduous trees in the summer heat.  Some leaf drop is normal as the tree naturally adjusts to less moisture and more heat.  The fun fact about most trees is they have a secondary set of buds.  If they are stressed, they naturally drop leaves to survive, and then re-bud as they recover.

July, more than any other month, requires you to keep your eye on how your lawn and landscape are doing. 

Inspect regularly for insect activity. 

Make sure your landscape is getting the correct amount of moisture. 

And, mow frequently for the best curb appeal.

We want your lawn and landscape to not only survive this summer, we want it to thrive!

If you have any lawn or landscape concerns, needs, or questions, please give us a call.

Lorne Hall

Hall|Stewart Lawn + Landscape

(405)367-3873

Summer Blooming Trees

Well, summer officially arrived on Thursday.  I don’t know about you, but it feels like it showed up a few days early and in full force!

Let’s celebrate the start of summer by doing one of my favorite things…talking about summer blooming plants.

But, before we jump in, let’s discuss the biggest problem we are seeing in lawns this week…WATER!

We are approaching 3 weeks without rainfall (yes, June is supposed to be our wettest month) with no chance of rain in the near future.  Unless you have started practicing your best watering techniques, your lawn and landscape are showing signs of stress. 

Back to Summer Blooming Trees…

Everyone is aware of Crape Myrtles. Crape Myrtles are our longest blooming tree. They start adding bright colors to our landscapes in June and keep the show going through September. But, there are so many more summer blooming trees.

Let’s take a quick look at few more summer blooming trees: 

Vitex – Covered with lilac-purple flowers in June and July.

Commonly known as Chaste Tree.  It is easy to overlook this summer bloomer because too often they look like overgrown shrubs.  But, when you see a 15-20’ tall, multi-truck, well maintained variety covered with 12-18” purple flowers and gray-green foliage, you will fall in love.  They do well as large shrubs but make an even better summer statement when their lower branches are kept clear of suckers.  They are very tolerant of our soils and weather.  Fertilizing in the spring and sufficient water in the early summer will produce the most dramatic summer show.  Best planted in full sun.

Vitex makes a bold summertime statement with its 12-18” purple flowers.  

The multi-trunks of a well maintained Vitex add a dramatic look to a landscape.

Vitex does well as a large shrub but looks even better as a small, multi-truck tree when their lower branches are free of sucker growth.

Goldenrain Tree adds brightness to the summer landscape with papery, lantern like flower pods.

The early summer bright yellows of the Goldenrain Trees are eye catching.

Goldenrain Tree – Never receives enough attention for its stunning yellow color.

As the tree matures, it develops an open branched, airy, oval shaped form with rich yellow flowers in June and July.  The flowers form a papery, lantern-like pod that gradually turns brown in late summer.  The tree handles drought and heat well.  It is tolerant of most soil types, but is a fast grower in moist, well-drained soils.  It is an excellent lawn specimen that grows to 30-40’ high and wide. 

Goldenrain Tree flowers gradually turn to a papery, pattern like seed pod in late summer adding another interest to the landscape.

Mimosa – Fern like foliage with pink pincushion style blooms.

My childhood home had one in the front lawn.  Unfortunately, most old varieties of Mimosa were susceptible to a wilt disease that results in gradual decline and eventual death.  Prolific seeders, it is common to see them growing in rural fence rows.  But, in recent years we have seen a resurgence of Mimosa with newer, disease resistant varieties.  With an umbrella shaped canopy and fern-like leaves, the tree adds a tropical look to the landscape. Fast growers that will reach 15-30’ depending on the variety.    For even more summer interest, check out the Summer Chocolate and Chocolate Fountain Mimosa varieties have bronze-green and purple foliage.

Mimosas have been adding pink pincushion style blooms to the summer landscape for generations.

Ombrella Mimosa is a newer, disease resistant variety with large, cherry-pink, powder-puff-shaped, fragrant flowers.

Chocolate Mimosa Trees leaves deepen to a rich chocolate-brown color during the summer with pink pincushion-like blooms.

Desert Willow have trumpet shaped blooms and are the most drought and heat resistant flowering tree.

Dessert Willow – Great addition to a waterwise landscape.

Willow type narrow leaves create an airy tropical, loose appearance with long blooming trumpet shaped blooms.  A smaller tree, 15-20’ tall that is loved by hummingbirds.  They need to be planted in full sun and prefer dry, well-drained soil.  Unlike traditional willow trees, they will not tolerate wet soils.  Dessert Willow is the most drought and heat resistant flowering tree. 

Smoke Tree – Tremendous visual appeal in May and June.

Often considered a large shrub, this small tree can reach 10-15’, producing smoke like airy plums in early summer.  There are several varieties available ranging from green, to yellow, to purple leaves.  Best planted in full sun.

Smoke Trees add smoke like airy plumes to the landscape in early summer.

Smoke Trees make an excellent landscape focus as a small tree.  

Royal Purple Smoke Tree has dramatic, pinkish purple, smoke-like clusters on reddish purple foliage.

There is a Smoke Tree variety with green leaves and lime green airy plumes.

Rose of Sharon – Adds an antique appearance to the landscape.

Often found as a large shrub at older residences, but many improved varieties are available.  With a strong multi-stemmed upright growth habit, they add interest to the landscape as a small tree, 8-10’ tall.  White is the most common bloom color but there are varieties in pinks, blues, and purple as well.  They grow well in full sun to partial shade.

Magnolias add a graceful feel to the summer landscape with their large white fragrant flowers.

Magnolia, an evergreen, has leaves that are large, shinny, and dark green on the top, but velvety, reddish-brown on the underside.

Dynamite

Ebony Flame

Natchez

Rose of Sharon is an old fashioned typically grown as a large shrub, but with their upright multi-stemmed growth habit they make a great small tree.

Magnolia – An evergreen summer blooming tree.

The traditional Magnolia, Southern Magnolia, is a large 50-80’ tall, 30-50’ wide evergreen that is too large for most city-sized landscapes.  But the Little Gem and Teddy Bear Magnolia are smaller, 20-25’ tall, 10-15’ wide, compact forms of the Southern Magnolia.  They grace the landscape with large shiny dark green leaves with a velvety, reddish-brown underside year-round and large 8” white saucer shaped blooms from early summer to fall.

Crape Myrtles most commonly are multi-truck small trees, but more recently we are seeing more and more grown as single-trimmed trees.

Crape Myrtle – Summer’s biggest show.

There are over 50 varieties of Crape Myrtles and new ones are introduced every year.  The color pallet ranges from white, pink, purple and red.  Bloom color is not the only attribute of a crape myrtle.  Their foliage ranges from dark green, wine colored, velvet and dark purple. The combination of the bloom and foliage colors is one of the things that attracts me to the plant.

With so many varieties of Crape Myrtles, there is sure to be one right for your landscape.  Here are a few of my favorites:

• Pink Velour – Large 12-15’ small tree form with dark wine foliage and bright pink flowers.  The foliage and flower combination are very striking.

• Dynamite – Also a small tree that grows up to 15’. Dynamite was one of the first red tree form varieties.  New foliage is nearly crimson in color and changes to a rich green as it matures.  Flowers are brilliant red.

• Natchez – One of the largest tree form crape myrtles reaching 25’.  The foliage is rich green, and the flowers are white. The cinnamon brown bark puts on a show of its own as it exfoliates.

• Ebony Flame – A great accent plant that grows 10-12’ with dark red blooms on intense black foliage.

Pink Velour

Dynamite Crape Myrtle

The bark of a large Crape Myrtle is one of the most overlooked aspects.  The bark is smooth and ranges in color from pink to gray.  As the plant matures, the thin bark exfoliates to expose a different color underneath.  Too often, tree form Crape Myrtles are severely pruned every spring and we never get to enjoy the beautiful bark of the mature plant. 

One of the nation’s leading innovators of Crape Myrtles is Oklahoma’s own, Dr. Carl Whitcomb.  Dr. Whitcomb holds 32 patents and has authored five books including Know It and Grow It, a book every landscape enthusiast should own.   You can see all of Dr. Whitcomb’s Crape Myrtles by following this link.

Some of the brightest colors you will see this summer will be from Crape Myrtles.

Mature Crape Myrtles grown as trees have the added interest of multicolored bark.

What is your favorite?

Did any of these inspire you to add a new summer blooming tree to your landscape?

Get outside.  Walk the neighborhood.  Visit one of our parks. 

I am confident you will discover a few of these trees adding color to the summer! 

Lorne Hall

Hall Stewart Lawn + Landscape

(405)367-3873

3 Keys to a Great Lawn -- #3 Environmental Conditions

When it comes to having a great lawn, what is most important?

• Is it the lawn care applications?

• Is it mowing practices?

• Is it environmental conditions? 

All three are keys to a great lawn - Lawn Care Applications, Maintenance, and Environmental Conditions.  

Great lawns are not a result of getting one, or even two, of the three correct. Great lawns are equally the result of all three.

In April, we covered Lawn Care Applications.

 In May. we discussed Maintenance.  

Today we are covering the last key - Environmental Conditions.

Environmental Conditions are all the things that are outside of our control:

• Rainfall & Soil Moisture

• Air Temperatures & Soil Temperatures

• Sunshine & Wind

Oh, don’t you wish you could control environmental conditions!? 

Our role when it comes to environmental conditions is to monitor, supplement, and adjust our practices based on the conditions.  

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A good source for monitoring all weather data is mesonet.org.

The Oklahoma Mesonet is a world-class network of environmental monitoring stations. The network was designed and implemented by scientists at the University of Oklahoma (OU) and at Oklahoma State University (OSU).

The Oklahoma Mesonet was commissioned on January 1, 1994 and consists of 120 automated stations covering Oklahoma. There is at least one Mesonet station in each of Oklahoma's 77 counties.

At each site, the environment is measured by a set of instruments located on or near a 10-meter-tall tower. The measurements are packaged into "observations" every 5 minutes, then the observations are transmitted to a central facility every 5 minutes, 24 hours per day year-round.

The Oklahoma Climatological Survey (OCS) at OU receives the observations, verifies the quality of the data and provides the data to Mesonet customers. It only takes 5 to 10 minutes from the time the measurements are acquired until they become available to the public.

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How do environmental conditions impact our lawns and what we can do?

Rainfall & Soil Moisture 

The amount of rainfall in the last 7 days is an important starting point for watering decisions.  But, knowing the soil moisture is even more important. 

The best rainfalls are slow soakers vs downpours.  A slow soaker will increase soil moisture and provide your lawn’s root system with life sustaining moisture.  A downpour will help the lawn in the short term but has little benefit when it comes to increasing soil moisture.  It is important to not only know rainfall amounts but also to know the soil moisture.

Through the month of May, Oklahoma City enjoyed frequent rainfall in varying amounts around the metro. But, the tap has been shut off for the last 12 days.  Halfway through the month and June is not living up to its billing as our wettest month.

Based on this map, May’s soil moisture is fading quickly in our 90-degree temperatures.   

These two maps combined guide my watering decisions.  During the summer months, when the 7-day rainfall map reports less than 1” and soil index is less .7 or less, it is time to start watering.  Early this week I started regular watering, early in the morning, every other day for the first time this year. 

Fescue, when watered with deep soakings every other day, will stand up to 90+ temperatures.

Best Watering Practices -  

Deep soakings are always best.  Short, shallow watering is detrimental to your lawn and landscape in the heat.  The healthiest lawns are watered to the point of runoff and then allowed to dry for a day.  Daily watering, except for newly planted lawns, is not beneficial, even in 90+ degree heat.

Only water in the early morning.  This is typically the least windy time of day and always the time of the least evaporation. Avoid watering in the evening.  Wet grass, especially wet fescue, is prone to disease when it stays wet for more than 5 hours at a time and temperatures are in the 90s.

Lawns need 1” to 1.5” of water per week during the summer months to stay green and active.

How long should you water?  Every irrigation system is different – different head types, different size nozzles, different head spacing, different areas, etc.  The best way to know how long you should water is to place a few cans around your lawn in a random pattern.  Run your sprinklers through a cycle and measure the amount of water in the cans.  If the sprinklers ran for 15 minutes and you had .25” of water, you need 60 to 90 minutes per week.  Next determine how long you can run your irrigation before you there is excessive runoff.  This will tell you how many times per week you need to water.  If you can get away with watering every 4th day, you will have a healthier, stronger landscape. Unfortunately, with our tight soils, watering every other day on the required ODD/EVEN system during the hottest times is needed to get the correct amount of water on the lawn without excessive runoff. 

If you don’t have the time to audit the amount of water your system puts out, start with these settings, monitor, and adjust:  Fixed spray pattern heads with 10-15’ spacings – 15 mins per time.  Larger rotor type heads on 10-30’ spacings – 40 mins per time. 

After watering a normal cycle, the Hall | Stewart water gauge is showing just over 1/2” of moisture. In this situation watering 2-3 times per week will give your lawn the correct amount to remain healthy and green.

If you don’t have the time to audit the amount of water your system puts out, start with these settings, monitor, and adjust:  Fixed spray pattern heads with 10-15’ spacings – 15 mins per time.  Larger rotor type heads on 10-30’ spacings – 40 mins per time. 

Set your controller to water with back-to-back run times to reduce the amount of runoff.  Moist soil absorbs more water than dry soil.  Split the amount of time each zone runs in half and set your controller to come on twice on your water days.  Example:  Set controller to come on at 4:00 AM and 5:00 AM.  When the first cycle is complete, the controller will start the second cycle. 

I started the practice of setting irrigation controller to run back-to-back run times a few years ago, on slopes and gradually have incorporated the concept to all lawns. It really makes a difference in water efficiency.

Aeration improves moisture absorption.  You can’t beat aeration for improving your soil structure and a benefit of improved soil structure is better water absorption.  Lawns that are aerated every year (or at least every other year) do not experience as much runoff.

Watch for uneven water patterns.  If you notice areas where the lawn is fading, check your system for a broken head, clogged nozzle, or a head that is out of adjustment.

Even if you don’t have an irrigation system, the concepts of good watering apply.  There are several brands of inexpensive hose type timers that make it easy for you to control the timing and frequency.

Too much water can be a problem.  You can cause damage to your lawn and landscape quicker by overwatering than you will by underwatering.  Waterlogged soil reduces the amount of oxygen.  Roots need both moisture and oxygen to survive.  Many plants struggle when they do not have a chance to dry out between waterings, such as fescue.  Fescue’s biggest problem is brown patch.  Brown patch will develop when nighttime temperatures are in the 70’s and the leaf blades stay wet too long.  Don’t create your own microclimate that promotes disease by overwatering, watering too often, or watering at night. 

The Kansas State Turf and Landscape Blog (Link: https://blogs.k-state.edu/turf/) this week led with “Wet Spring Will Likely Lead To Quick Drought Response As Summer Approaches.”   Interesting… wet spring could lead to quick drought?  You would think a wet spring would lessen drought stress. 

K-State’s point is frequent rains through the spring reduced the need for grass to develop deeper roots.  As summer approaches, rainfall decreases, and heat increases the lack of deep root development this spring will result in quicker signs of drought stress on lawns. 

Oklahoma City experienced similar moisture patterns in May.  Now that we have gone 12 days without rainfall combined with several days of above normal temperatures, we are seeing lawns that are showing signs of drought stress much sooner than expected due to shallower root development. 

If you notice areas where your lawn is fading start with an irrigation check to make sure heads are functioning correctly.

Air Temperatures & Soil Temperatures

Air temperatures get all the attention.  But the driving factor for lawns is the soil temperature.  

Soil temperatures are a key factor in determining when weeds germinate, when lawns start to turn green, and when they are actively growing.

Soil temperature of 55 degrees in the spring is when most summer annual weeds begin to germinate.  For the best weed prevention each summer a pre-emergent herbicide must be applied before the soil temperature reaches 55 degrees for three consecutive days.  This year summer annual weed germination began the first week of March, earlier than normal.   

Soil temperature of 55 degrees is when fescue starts to absorb nutrients, regains a rich green color, and begins prolific growth.  Most years in central Oklahoma, March is the month to start fertilizing Fescue.   

Soil temperature of 65 degrees is when warm season grasses (bermuda and zoysia) become active.  Then once soil temperatures consistently reach 70 degrees bermuda grows its best.   In a typical spring, we expect bermuda lawns to green up gradually during April and be active growing by early May.  Inconsistent soil temperatures in April and May are the biggest reason for slow warm season turf growth.

Bermuda performs best when soil temperatures are consistently in the 70s.

Brown patch disease in fescue appears as irregular areas that lead you to believe the lawn may not be getting enough water.

Other environmental factors that will impact spring green-up:  Shady areas and turf on the north side of homes will come out of dormancy slower because the soil temperature will lag. Low moisture levels during the transition period will slow green-up.  Turf grass that must compete with weeds for nutrients and moisture will also be slower.  And, compacted soil will slow the process by restricting air, nutrient and water movement to the roots.

Soil temperature below 70 degrees in the fall is when winter annual weeds start to germinate.  This typically occurs in mid to late September.  For the best weed free lawn during winter dormancy, the first fall pre-emergent herbicide needs to be applied between mid-August and the end of September.

Once soil temperatures begin to cool in September it is important to apply little to no nitrogen fertilizer to warm season turf.  Pushing the turf to stay green deep into the fall is the most common cause for Bermuda problems such as spring dead spot. 

When soil temperatures begin to cool in September and into October it is the best time to establish fescue from seed.

Soil temperature is the critical measurement for pre-emergent herbicides, fertilizer applications and seeding.

Applications of high nitrogen fertilizer on bermuda lawns after mid-September increases the probability of having spring dead spot the following spring.

There is one important thing you can do to help when temperatures are high – adjust mowing height.  Mowing at the maximum mowing height for your turf type provides a canopy that cools the soil and promotes a deep root system. Maintain fescue at 3” to 3.5” and Bermuda at 2.5” during the summer heat.  If you mow frequently enough don’t bag your clippings.  A light sprinkling of grass clippings will act as mulch for the lawn helping to hold moisture in the soil.  The key is mowing often.  Leaving clumps of clippings on the lawn is not helpful.      

Sunshine & Wind

Turf grass moisture loss is much higher on windy, sunny days.  This is a fact we often overlook and fail to adjust for.

Evapotranspiration (ET) is the loss of moisture through evaporation from the soil and transpiration from the leaves.  Turf grass leaf blades are usually 75% water.  The highest ET rates occur on hot, sunny days with lower humidity and moderate winds.   This past week, high ET rates have started taking a toll on many lawns.

Another way sunshine and wind impact lawns are in areas of low air circulation and heavy shade.  Areas with thicker plant materials, privacy fences, and structures are more prone to diseases due to low air circulation.  Be aware of these areas and make sure you are not keeping these areas too moist.

The last of three things that impacts the quality of your lawn, environmental conditions, is something that you have no control over. 

But just because you have no control doesn’t give you an excuse. 

Your role, and our role, when it comes to the impact of environmental conditions on your lawn is to be aware, monitor and adjust our practices based on the conditions. 

Our goal, no matter the current conditions, is to help you have the best lawn possible.

Lorne Hall

Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape

(405)367-3873

Picture of the Week:  

Hardy Hibiscus

Hardy Hibiscus is a shrub sized perennial that produces bold, large, colorful blooms throughout the summer.  Blooms last only a day or two but are quickly replaced by new blooms.

Nutsedge – Possibly The World’s Worst Weed

Sorry…no pretty pictures to inspire you in the landscape this week. 

It’s time to discuss what is often the most challenging part of lawn care this time of year….Nutsedge Control!

And I know, I know, I have called many weeds “the world’s worst weed”, but If I am asked what are some of the weeds that give all lawn enthusiast the most difficulty, there is a 100% chance I am going to respond without hesitation: “NUTSEDGE!” 

Nutsedge is fast growing, has an upright growth habit and light green in color. Because it grows nearly twice as fast as your turf and is lighter, it ruins the best maintained lawns within a couple days of mowing.   

What does nutsedge look like?

Commonly called nutgrass because it looks like a grass, but it is a sedge with triangular ‘V’ shaped leaf blade arranged in groups of three at the base.

Nutsedge grows faster, has a more upright growth habit, is lighter in color and has a thicker, stiffer leaf blade than your turf grass.     

What are the best growing conditions for nutsedge?

Nutsedge thrives in moist, tight soils.  It is common to find it growing in areas of poor drainage, around irrigation leaks, and in lawns that are watered too frequently. 

Although nutgrass starts in overwatered lawns or areas of poor drainage, once it is established it thrives with normal irrigation, in dry lawns and even through a drought leading many to believe nutgrass has more to do with the soil structure than moisture. 

Nutsedge also prefers full sun and doesn’t grow well in shade and typically isn’t a problem in shady lawn areas.

Nutsedge first emerges in May and continues to thrive until the first frost.

Why is nutsedge so difficult to control?

Nutsedge is a perennial weed. Perennial weeds are always more difficult to control.  But nutsedge is one of the toughest, because it spreads by underground tubers.  Four to six weeks after the first blades emerge, typically in late June to early July, nutsedge begin forming new tubers (nutlets) and rhizomes (underground stems). 

The tubers grow 6-12” deep and are referred to as nuts - thus the common name of nutgrass.  Nutsedge spreads by growing rhizomes which produces more nuts.  Weeds that propagate through tubers and rhizomes are very difficult to control because unless you get control of the rhizome and tuber, the plant will sprout new growth within a few days.  Also, tubers can remain dormant in soil for three seasons.

Be proactive.  With the first sign of nutsedge, take action. Nutsedge is much harder to control once it has been allowed to spread and mature. 

Weed killers labeled for use on nutsedge will be either a contact killer or a systemic.  A contact herbicide will kill only the leaves and the tubers and rhizomes will remain active if you make only a single application. Systemic products will translocate through the plant to the tubers and rhizomes. 

Remember, single applications of most herbicides labeled for nutsedge will kill the plant leaves but leave the nut unaffected.

Because it is not a grassy or broadleaf weed, common herbicides will have little to no control.  For nutsedge control you must search out products specifically labeled for nutsedge.

In late June to early July, uncontrolled areas of nutsedge will begin to multiply and take over areas.

A few herbicides available at most garden centers labeled for nutgrass include:

• Basagran – A second application must be made 7-10 days after the first application.

• Image Nutsedge Killer – Requires a second application 3-4 weeks later.

• Sedge Hammer Plus – Must have a surfactant mixed with the herbicide to be effective and a second application will need to be made in 6 weeks.

• Ortho Nutsedge Killer and Gordon’s Trimec Nutsedge Plus – Both require follow up treatments every 4 weeks.

Please read the label and follow it.  You will need to know your turf type.  Read the label to make sure you can use the product on your lawn.

Is pulling nutsedge a good idea?

Pulling nutsedge is only recommended when the plant is very small before nuts start to develop on the rhizomes (May through June).  Once nuts start to develop, you must remove the nut when pulling the weed, which is typically 6-12” below the surface. 

If you pull the weed and leave the nut behind, new plants will emerge very quickly.   If pulling, the best method is to dig at least 12” deep and 12” wide to get all the tubers.

Research suggests that anytime the tuber is stressed, by either pulling the top off or by killing the top without killing the tuber itself (the result of a single application of an herbicide), the tuber multiples.  Therefore, many people experience more nutsedge after they have pulled or sprayed.

Cultivating nutgrass, such as in landscape beds, is ineffective.  All you are doing is redistributing the tubers and rhizomes.

What else can I do to be proactive in preventing nutsedge?

• Aeration is a great way to reduce the chances of nutsedge starting and spreading.  Aeration reduces soil compaction and reduces the best growing conditions for nutsedge. 

Our experience is lawns which are aerated annually rarely have significant nutsedge problems.

• Water only based on need and infrequently.  Overwatering, keeping your lawn too wet, promotes the best growing conditions for nutsedge. Water deep.  Allow the soil surface to become dry between waterings.

• Correct water leaks in your sprinkler system promptly.  Nutsedge will stake a claim to any areas that become waterlogged.  

• Along the same line of thinking, correct poor drainage areas.  Often patches of nutsedge are an indicator of poor drainage. 

If you find yourself struggling with nutsedge, give Hall | Stewart a call, (405) 367-3873. 

Hall|Stewart’s 7-Step Lawn Care Program includes nutsedge control.  One of the benefits of subscribing to our full program is we do not charge extra for nutsedge control.  And, because we know the presence of nutsedge can quickly tarnish a great looking lawn, we use the most advanced nutsedge control herbicides available to the industry.

Nutsedge is one of the more aggressive and persistent weeds you will encounter.  Control of nutsedge can be a long process.  It is a marathon, not a sprint.

Success involves both the best cultural practices (aerating, watering, and mowing) and timely use of quality herbicides labeled for the control of nutsedge.

Lorne Hall

Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape

(405)367-3873

June Lawn & Landscape Tips

Hello Summer!

June… what a great month for your lawn and landscape!

June is the month when both cool season and warm season turf look great.  

June is the month when an abundance of perennials add color to the landscape. 

June is the month when shrubs are covered with soft, tender new foliage and so many blooming shrubs are adding splashes of color.

June is the month summer blooming trees start adding color to our world.

June is the month I discover another favorite tree, shrub, perennial or summer annual color every year.  What will be my favorite this June? 

June is the month that I know there is a good chance around every corner I’m going to stumble upon another fantastic lawn and landscape.

Awe…June is the month when all your lawn and landscape work this spring rewards you with enjoyable evenings on the patio.

Wait…don’t get too comfortable, it is summer and your lawn and landscape needs attention:

June is the month for day lilies to add splashes of color to the landscape.

Mowing – Good mowing practices will have the biggest impact on the quality of your lawn over the summer months.  For the best summer turf, get into a routine of mowing often enough that you only remove 1/3 of the leaf blade with each mowing.  For Bermuda and zoysia, both warm season turf grasses, this may require mowing every 4 to 5 days.  If you mow this often, don’t bag your clippings.  The top 1/3 of the grass leaf is 90% moisture and nutrients.  The best summer height for warm season turf is 1.5 – 2.5”.  Fescue, cool season turf grass, will continue to grow rapidly during early June, but once we consistently have temperatures in the upper 90s it will begin to slow down.  The best height for cool season turf in the summer is 3.0 – 3.5”.  Both warm season and cool season turfs, don’t respond well to being cut below their recommended height. Cutting the lawn too short discourages root development and having deep roots going into the summer heat is important for both warm and cool season turf.

Fertilizer – Bermuda lawns should be fertilized this month with a higher nitrogen, slow-release fertilizer.  The goal in June is to create a healthy Bermuda lawn that will thrive in the summer heat.  Fescue lawns should only receive low nitrogen, root stimulating fertilizer during June to prepare them for the summer heat.

One of the biggest concerns we have for fescue lawns right now is too many are being cut too short.  Cool season lawns will do better in the summer heat with more leaf space.  If you have a fescue lawn, gradually raise your mower to at least 3” this month.  I started mowing my fescue lawn a ½ notch higher in May and will increase it another ½ notch this week.

Weed Control – If you subscribe to Hall | Stewart’s Lawn Care Programs and have not skipped any applications this year, your lawn has had two pre-emergent applications.  This will provide your lawn with a good barrier to prevent summer annual grassy weeds.  But, if not, you may have some grassy weeds, most common is crabgrass, showing up in your lawn.  June is a good month to control grassy weeds while they are still young plants.  Once they mature, stronger products will need to be used which can cause turf damage.  If nutsedge is making an appearance in your lawn it is best not to pull it.  When you pull nutsedge and do not remove the nut below the surface, the plant becomes stressed and multiplies. 

You can expect to see Black Eyed Susans, a perennial brighten the landscape this month.

Crabgrass is a very fast growing summer annual grassy weed. If you did not get a pre-emergent on your lawn early this year, you are almost certain to have crabgrass growing in your lawn. Treat now with a grassy weed control herbicide. If you wait until July to control, harsh products that will damaged desirable turf will have to be used.

Tree & Shrub Care – The best thing you can do for your trees and shrubs this month is give them your attention.  Make it a routine to walk around the landscape looking for plants that just don’t look their best.  Most insects are great at camouflage and are hard to spot before you have damaged leaves.  Start watching for spider mites.  If you notice pale and specked foliage, shake the leaves over a white sheet of paper.  If you see tiny specks that start to move, you have spider mites and should schedule a treatment.  Be on the watch for bagworms on needle evergreens.  When they are young, they are hard to spot.  If you notice your evergreens losing color, there is a good chance bagworms are the problem.  With all insect and disease issues we subscribe to an integrated pest management approach.  With our Tree & Shrub Program, we inspect for issues with each visit.  Most problems are easier to control the earlier you notice them.  If you notice any issues with your plants, please let us know.

If you notice pale or speckled foliage on boxwood shrubs, shake a branch over a white paper. If you see tiny specks that start to move, you need to spray for spider mites.

As temperatures warm up in June be on the lookout for aphids.

Soft scale can be a problem on Redbud trees. A small 1/16-1/8”, reddish, oval scale that is often found on small twigs and can cause small branches to die if not treated. A treatment plan in late winter with a dormant oil with follow-up treatments in late spring and early summer with a horticultural oil is required.

The lacy blooms of June are a wonderful contrast to the big leaves of the Oak Leak Hydrangea.

A benefit on not having a late cold spell this spring…Crape Myrtles are already starting to bloom.

I’m always on the look out for new landscape plant materials. This year we have planted a few Orange Rocket Barberry. Typically Barberries have an oval or spreading growth pattern. But the Orange Rocket is known for its upright, compact growth habit.

Bag worms start out small and hard to see. Take time to inspect your needle evergreen shrubs this month.

Bagworms start out very small and are hard to see. Take time to inspect your needle evergreens before they cause damage.

Annual Color — Sunpatien and Joseph’s Coat

Endless Summer Hydrangeas will make their first big burst of color this month.

Shasta Daisies, a perennial, will bloom from early June through mid-summer. They make great cut flowers.

Who cant help but fall in love with Oakleaf Hydrangeas at this time of year. Their brilliant large flowers demand attention.

Later this month Mimosa trees will add bright pink, feathery flowers to the landscape.  

Shrub Pruning – June is the last month to prune spring blooming shrubs.  Spring blooming shrubs start setting flower buds by mid-summer.  A few examples of spring blooming shrubs: forsythia, quince, bridal wreath spirea, and azalea.  If the shrub is overgrown, use thinning cuts to reduce the size and increase air flow into the center of the plant.  Make thinning cuts by removing branches back to the main trunk or another branch.  If the shrub only needs a little shaping, make heading cuts near the end of branches.  But, remember that all shrubs will perform at their best if they are allowed to grow without heavy pruning or shearing.   

Planted in mass Stella D’oro Daylily’s add bright splashes of yellow to the landscape during June.

If your Azaleas have become overgrown or need shaping, June is your last chance to prune them before they start setting buds for next spring.

Watering – “How much to water” may be one of the most misunderstood aspects of managing a lawn and landscape.  Develop the practice of watering based only on need.  During the summer months, anytime we get a ½” rain or more, turn your system off for a few days.  Depending on afternoon temperatures, a 1” rainfall may save you a week’s worth of water.  The converse is true as well.  If we go a week without receiving a 1” of rainfall, you need to be watering.  Another clue it is time to start watering… when you walk on the lawn, if the grass doesn’t spring back up and your footsteps remain in the lawn, it is time to start watering.  Remember, deep soakings are always better than short, frequent watering.  Shallow, frequent watering results in lawns with less roots and more dependent on water.  Throughout the summer make it a habit to inspect your landscape and adjust.  Don’t set your irrigation controller at the beginning of the season, never touching it again until the fall.

My watering goal for June is a good deep soaking every 4 days.  If temperatures stay under 90 degrees and we get occasional rain, I’ll save money and water, and still have a great lawn and landscape.  The key to this plan is taking a little time to monitor and adjust.

Trumpet Vine

Mulch – Add mulch to your landscape plantings this month.  A 2” layer of mulch will retain moisture, cool the soil, and reduce weed germination.  We prefer premium shredded all bark cedar mulch because it doesn’t float as much and aesthetically looks great.  For acid-loving plants such as hydrangeas and azaleas, pecan hulls or pine bark mulch is a great choice.   

Endless Summer Hydrangea

Goldflame Spirea

Annual color planting of Joseph Coat, Sunpatien, and Marigold make a great yellow/orange color scheme.

Brown Patch – Be on the lookout for brown patch in your fescue lawn. June is the most active month for this disease in fescue lawns.  Anytime nighttime temperatures are 70 degrees plus and the turf remains damp for over 6 hours at a time, brown patch will develop. Areas where there is little air movement and/or heavy shade are more prone because the turf stays wet longer.  Brown patch will make the lawn appear it needs more water, but watering will just make it worse.  So, before you water more, think about the site, the amount of shade, the air movement in the area, and the amount of moisture the area has received.  The best thing you can do if this problem occurs is to stop watering.

One of the most self-inflicted problems with fescue lawns is watering practices that promote the development of brown patch.  Always allow your fescue time to dry out between waterings.  Avoid watering fescue in the evening during the summer.

If you subscribe to Hall | Stewart’s 7-Step Lawn Care Program and have fescue, you will receive a fungicide this month designed to suppress the brown patch fungus.

Brown Patch will make fescue look like it needs more water, but the problem is actually the result of the leaf blades staying wet for over 6 hours at a time when nighttime temperatures are in the 70s.

Yarrow is a perennial that produces yellow flowers in late May and early June.

Also, Cone Flower, another summer perennial will make a showing in June.

There are many varieties of Spirea’s with yellow and green foliage that put on blooms in the early summer.

Anthony Waterer Spirea is a medium sized shrub that is covered with pink flowers in late May and early June.

Aeration – Mechanical aeration is a “best” practice for any lawn.  Aeration reduces soil compaction, promotes root development, and thickens the turf.  May and June are the best months to aerate Bermuda.  This one practice will make a significant difference in the quality of your turf.  The stronger the turf, the less weed problems you will experience.

Insects – Regularly scheduled treatments for fleas & ticks, mosquitos, and perimeter insect control around your house should continue during the summer.  The goal is to make outdoor living for your family and pets the best possible.

Southern Magnolia trees produce large white flowers in early summer. Teddy Bear and Little Gem Dwarf Southern Magnolia are great plants for smaller landscapes.

Texas Red Yucca produce tall red flowering spikes this month. There are several varieties. Brakelights Res Yucca is a favorite.

Awe…June…Spend time outside, in your lawn and landscape, enjoying the beauty every day!

If you have any questions, please send us an email or call.

Lorne Hall

Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape

(405)367-3873

Hydrangeas... a game changer!

Hydrangeas get a bad rap.  They have a reputation for being difficult to grow, fussy and high maintenance.  That was true of old fashion, traditional hydrangeas that only bloom on last year’s growth.  It was common for a late spring freeze to damage buds resulting in little or no blooms, or a pruning mistake also resulting in no blooms.

But, the world of hydrangeas keeps changing…every season the hydrangea options get better and better.  New varieties just keep coming.  Take a stroll through a local nursery and you will be surprised at all the hydrangea options.

With the biggest determiner of how well hydrangeas perform being late cold spells, the absence of a late cold snap this year has the Oklahoma City area set-up for a great hydrangea show.

The introduction of the Endless Summer Hydrangea in 2004 from Bailey Nurseries with the help of Dr. Michael Dirr from the University of Georgia resulted in what many claim is the best-selling shrub of all time.

The Original Endless Summer Hydrangea

Little Lime Hydrangeas is a shorter option for smaller gardens.

Dirr had been trying to develop a reblooming hydrangea for years with no success.  Then in 1998, Dirr was visiting Bailey’s test field where he found hydrangeas in full bloom…in September! Bailey Nurseries had been propagating and testing a plant they had found in St Paul, MN for 10 years with success. The plant was unique because it bloomed in the spring on last year’s growth, like a traditional old-fashioned hydrangea, and rebloomed on the new growth during the summer and into the fall. 

Dirr immediately knew it was “a game changer” for hydrangeas and quickly coined the name ‘Endless Summer’.

Endless Summer varieties:

Endless Summer Hydrangea will continue to bloom into the fall.

The Original — big round blue or pink blooms

Blushing Bride - pure white blooms that mature to a pink blush.

Twist-n-Shout — reblooming lace-cap in pink or periwinkle blue with red stems.

Bloom Struck — purple or rose-pink flowers with red stems.

Summer Crush — a 2019 introduction with raspberry red or neon purple flowers with a compact growth.

Summer Crush Endless Summer Hydrangea

Summer Crush Endless Summer Hydrangea

Pop Star – Introduced in 2023, Pop Star is a compact, big-leaf hydrangea that only grows 18-26” high and wide.  It is the quickest Endless Summer to rebloom.

The Endless Summer Hydrangea is like traditional hydrangeas in that they prefer morning sun and afternoon shade. 

Want to learn more about Endless Sumer Hydrangeas?  Follow this link:  https://endlesssummerhydrangeas.com/

Another hydrangea “game changer” is Limelight.  Limelight is a summer blooming hydrangea that grows in full sun!

A plant breeder in the Netherlands crossed two unidentified panicle hydrangeas and the outcome was a full sun, summer blooming show in the hydrangea family.  Limelight Hydrangeas received a US Plant Patent in 2002.

I first noticed them a few years ago growing around a parking lot in downtown Oklahoma City in the middle of summer with vibrant white blooms planted in full sun.  Of course, I circled the block, took lots of pictures, and started my search to find the name of the plant. 

Limelight has become one of my favorite plants.  

Limelight varieties:

Limelight (Original) – Blooms in mid to late summer on new growth.   Flowers start green, turn to white and then back to green.  Limelight is typically large 6-8’ tall multi-trunked shrubs or can be trained into a single-trunked tree formed large shrub. 

Limelight Prime – All the characteristics of the original but a little smaller, 4-6’, and sturdier stems.  Also, the flower color is more vivid than the original.

Little Lime – Great for smaller gardens and small pockets in the garden.  Grows to 3-5’ tall.

Want to learn more about Limelight Hydrangea varieties?  Follow this link to a Monrovia article:  https://www.monrovia.com/be-inspired/best-panicle-hydrangea-varieties.html

Limelight Hydrangeas make a big statement grown as a single-trunked small tree.

Bobo Hydrangeas are another dwarf variety of Limelight Hydrangeas. They grow in full sun to partial shade and produce large white blooms that turn pink. A characteristic of Bobo Hydrangeas is the strength of their stems. Unlike some panicle hydrangeas the blooms don’t weigh down the stems and flop over.

Limelight Hydrangea blooms gradually go from white to lime as they mature.

Limelight – Blooms in mid to late summer on new growth.   Flowers start green, turn to white and then back to green.  My favorite thing about Limelight is that it grows in full sun.  A hydrangea game-changer:  Summer blooming hydrangea in full sun!  Limelights are typically large 6-8’ tall multi-trunked shrubs or can be trained into a single-trunked tree formed large shrub.  For smaller areas, try the Little Lime or BoBo Hydrangeas which grow to 3’.

Think you have to have a shady landscape to enjoy hydrangeas?  Not the case with the Limelight Hydrangea. It grows in full sun with large lime to white blooms in mid-summer.

A late spring to early summer blooming hydrangea is the Oakleaf Hydrangea.  The Oakleaf is one of only two hydrangea species native to the US in the SE from North Carolina, south to Florida and west to Louisiana. 

Oakleaf Hydrangeas are named for the deeply lobed oak-like foliage.  They grow 4-8’ tall and wide with a rounded habit.  The white cone shaped flower clusters fade to pink in the summer and leaves turn deep red hues in the fall.

The Oakleaf prefers morning sun and evening shade.  Too much shade and they become leggy, have fewer blooms and poor fall color. 

Oakleaf – Instead of traditional mophead blooms, oakleaf hydrangeas have white clusters of cone shaped flowers.  It is named for the large oak-like leaves that turn reddish-purple in the fall.  It is a large shrub that blooms in the summer on new growth.  It also requires less water than a traditional hydrangea.

Oakleaf Hydrangea

Oakleaf Hydrangeas is a large shrub that can reach 5-6’ with long, cone-shaped white flowers with large oak-like leavers that turn bright red in the fall.

Oakleaf Hydrangea in the Dallas Arboretum.

Oakleaf Hydrangea leaves in the fall turn vivid shades of red and purple.

Oakleaf Hydrangea with Endless Summer in the background.

Other favorite hydrangea varieties:

Annabelle – A smooth hydrangea with white blooms on the new growth. Because it is fast growing, it is common for this hydrangea to be cut all the way to the ground each spring.

Phantom – Similar to Limelight but with color changing blooms that start in mid-summer as greenish white then gradually change to a blushing pink as summer transitions into fall.  Phantom also grows in full sun.

Seaside Serenade Series by Monrovia – A more compact form of hydrangea ideal for smaller areas that blooms on both last year’s growth and new growth.

Pruning Hydrangeas

Most gardeners feel uncertain and confused about when and how much to prune hydrangeas.  The truth is most hydrangeas do not need to be pruned at all.  Occasionally you may need to prune for shape or size, or remove some dead wood, but most seasons pruning can be skipped. 

It is common to have some branch die back after the winter in our area.  A common mistake is to get in a hurry when pruning back the winter damage. Be patient, don’t get in a hurry to remove dead branches.  Wait until late April or even early May before pruning off the dead branches.  Pruning earlier, or pruning to the ground in the spring, could reduce or eliminate blooming this season.  When it is time to prune back the dead ends, make your cuts at an angle just above the highest green bud. 

When more pruning is required, it is important to know the type of hydrangea you have to know the right time to prune. 

Bigleaf, Mophead, French Hydreanes.   They bloom once per season in the early summer on old wood, meaning their buds are formed on last year’s growth.  Pruning should be done during the summer.  If they have become overgrown, remove up to ½ of the total stems by cutting them all the way to the ground.  The plant will produce strong new stems that will flower next season.  Nikko Blue is an example of this type of hydrangea.

Smooth Hydrangeas.  They bloom on new wood, meaning buds are formed on new growth in the current season.  Pruning should be done in late winter to early spring.  Older smooth hydrangea varieties can become floppy and unruly.  Don’t be afraid to prune this variety aggressively.  Annabelle is an example of a smooth hydrangea.

Panicle Hydrangeas.   They also bloom on new wood.  Panicle hydrangeas rarely need to be pruned.  But, if they were overgrown last season, prune up to 1/3 of the plant before they leaf out to create a more compact, rounded shape.  Limelight is a panicle hydrangea.

Oakleaf Hydrangeas.  Oakleafs like to be left alone.  Pruning should be limited to removal of dead or broken branches.  They bloom on old wood, so if there is a need to prune to improve the shape of the plant, pruning should be done in the summer after it finishes flowering.

Reblooming Hydrangeas.  Hydrangeas that bloom on both old and new wood.  Early in the season they bloom on the old wood from last season.  During the current season they bloom on current season growth.  All they really need is deadheading of spent flowers and removal of dead stems.   The Endless Summer and Seaside Serenade series are examples of reblooming hydrangeas.

Reblooming hydrangeas last June at the Dallas Arboretum.

Wait until late April to early May to prune the dead from your Endless Summer Hydrangeas.

Oakleaf Hydrangeas rarely have winter die back and are best left alone.

Leaving faded blooms on hydrangea will add interest changing color as they fade.

Deadheading Hydrangeas 

Deadheading is the practice of removing spent blooms.  You can deadhead hydrangeas, but you don’t have to.  Deadheading can increase blooms but is mostly done to keep the plant looking neat.  Some gardeners like to leave spent flowers on the plant for seasonal interest as they will change color as they fade.  If you do deadhead, prune right above the first set of leaves below the spent flower.  Cutting lower will remove emerging buds.

If you don’t deadhead your Endless Summer Hydrangeas the spent flowers will add color to your landscape in the fall. This is the Endless Summer Hydrangea in front of the Hall | Stewart office last October.

Planting Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas prefer rich, well drained soil in a location with morning sun and dappled to full shade in the afternoon and evening.  The exception is the Limelight Hydrangea which can be planted in full sun. When planting in our tighter clay soil, start with a hole twice as big as the plant container.  Incorporate compost and peat moss into the existing soil, fill the bottom of the hole with enough soil that the root ball will be slightly above the existing grade.  Backfill around the root ball with the remaining mix of soil and amendments creating a ring outside the root ball creating area to retain moisture when watering. 

Hydrangea Watering

Hydrangeas require more water in the heat of the summer. They perform best in soil that retains some moisture but does not stay wet.  It is common for their leaves to wilt slightly on 90+ degree days and then rebound quickly when watered.  A good deep soaking every other day in the summer is enough.  A 2” layer of mulch will help retain moisture.    

Endless Summer Hydrangeas are usually pink in our soils because of the pH being over 6.  Sulfur can be used to lower the pH and turn the blooms blue.

Changing Hydrangea Flower Color

Excluding white hydrangeas and many of the new reblooming hydrangeas, soil is the greatest determinate to whether the flower blooms will be blue or pink.  Soil with a pH below 6.0 (acidic) will have blue blooms.  pH above 6.0 (alkaline) will produce pink flowers.  Adding lime to the soil will change blue blooms to pink and adding sulfur will change pink blooms to blue.  Endless Summer has a formulated product called Color Me Pink which adds lime to the soil to produce pink blooms and Color Me Blue which adds sulfur to encourage blue blooms.  Similar products are available from Bonide. 

Bonus Info: “Why aren’t my Endless Summer Hydrangeas blooming?”

1.      Pruning – The most common blooming problem is a result of over pruning and pruning at the wrong time.  Remember, it is best to not prune them at all.  Really the only pruning recommended is at the beginning of the season to remove the brown stems left from the winter. Wait until late April or even early May to prune and then only prune back to the first bud.  During the summer, if you want to you can snip off spent blooms, but it is not required.  Otherwise, keep the pruners and shears away from your hydrangeas.  And…never prune in the fall.

2.     Fertilizer – Hydrangeas needing fertilizer or having been fertilized incorrectly will always disappoint. As mentioned above, they need slow-release high phosphorus fertilizer.  If you are using a high nitrogen, low phosphorus fertilizer, you will have lots of pretty leaves and no blooms. Just remember – use a fertilizer with a low first number and a high second number.

3.     Water – The right amount of water will make a difference.  You don’t want the plant to be too wet or too dry.  It is ok if they droop in the afternoon heat, but if they are still droopy in the morning, they need a good watering. 

4.     Sunshine – Hydrangeas bloom best planted in morning sun with dappled afternoon shade. When planted in a hot location such as on the south or west sides of a structure, they need to be protected from the scorching afternoon sun. The bottom line is you don’t want them to fry, and you don’t what them to go without some sun.   

5.     Soil Problems – What you plant your hydrangeas in will impact the results.  Hydrangeas require well drained soil with a good amount of organic material.  In our native soils, it is best to adjust the soil when planting with ample amounts of pine bark, peat moss, and/or pecan hulls.

This Endless Summer Hydrangea was added to the landscape last spring and the homeowner was rewarded with extra large blooms this June.

I believe that there is a hydrangea just right for nearly every landscape.  

Yes, they require a little more work when planting, and a little more attention to water, but otherwise they are not near as fussy as you would think.

Survey your landscape. 

Pick a spot. 

Take a trip to a landscape nursery.

Select the perfect hydrangea for your landscape. 

It’s worth a try! 

Lorne Hall

Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape

(405)367-3873

3 Keys to a Great Lawn - #2 Maintenance

When it comes to having a great lawn, what is most important? 

• Lawn care applications? 

• Maintenance practices? 

• Environmental conditions?

All three are keys to a great lawn - Lawn Care Applications, Maintenance, and Environmental Conditions.   

Great lawns are not a result of getting one, or even two, of the three correct.

Great lawns are equally the result of all three. 

Today, we are covering the second - Maintenance. In April, we covered Lawn Care Applications and in June we will visit about how Environmental Conditions impact your lawn.

Maintenance includes all mechanical activities involved in caring for your lawn:  Mowing, Aerating, Dethatching, Turf Selection, Soil Test, etc.

Mowing

• Mowing by far has the biggest impact on the quality of your lawn.

Think about it. More time will be spent mowing your lawn than any other lawn or landscape activity. If your goal is to have a great lawn, you will make somewhere between 28 to 40 trips across your lawn this year.  A well-maintained warm season turf (bermuda, zoysia) will be mowed 28 to 32 times per growing season while a great fescue lawn will be mowed 36 to 40 times.

• Cutting height is important.

  Cutting too low discourages root growth and reduces the lawn’s ability to withstand extreme temperatures and drought.

  Cutting too tall results in a stemy turf that is more susceptible to scalping.

  Bermuda and zoysia should be mowed at 1-2” March through May. As temperatures start to increase in June, gradually increase the mowing height to 2-2.5” by mid to late summer and maintain that height through the end of the growing season. If mowing bermuda with a reel type mower, the lawn can be maintained at 1.5” during the summer months.

Maintain fescue at 3” during the summer months.

Cutting the lawn shorter in the spring and early summer promotes lateral spread and a tighter turf.

A taller turf in the heat of the year provides a canopy that cools the soil, promotes a deep root system, and provides insulation for low temperatures going into the winter.

Fescue should be mowed at 2.5-3” in the spring March through May. During the heat of the summer, June through September, maintain fescue at 3-3.5”. In the fall, as the weather cools returning to 2.5-3” is fine.

A good rule of thumb is to maintain all turf grown in shade at the recommended highest levels or a little taller. This will increase leaf area to compensate for the lower light levels.

Maintain turf growing in shady areas a little taller. The increased leaf area will compensate for the lower light levels.

• Mowing frequency makes a big difference in the quality of a lawn.

The best lawns are mowed based on growth, not a set schedule. If you hire your lawn mowed, mowing on a set schedule, preferably weekly during the growing season, is typically the practical solution. But, if you mow your own lawn, a big step towards a better lawn is to start mowing based on growth.

The best time to mow is at the point where no more than 1/3 of the leaf area will be removed.  For example, if you are trying to maintain your lawn at 2”, the lawn should be mowed before it exceeds 3”.  Removing more than 1/3 of the height at one time results in cutting below the leaf and into the stems.  Removing all the leaf requires the turf to use nutrients stored in the roots to generate new leaves followed by putting energy into storing more nutrients. Scalping into the stems starts a growing cycle that is not optimal for having a great lawn.

• Mulch mowing vs bagging your clippings is one of the best things you can do for your lawn.

An added benefit of mowing often enough that no more than 1/3 of the leaf blade is removed at a time is you don’t need to bag your clippings. Leaf blades are mostly water and nitrogen. Every time you remove your clippings you are throwing away valuable moisture and nutrients.  

I am a firm believer that what separates the quality of my lawn from other good lawns is that I always mulch mow returning nutrient and moisture rich clippings to the soil. 

Mow often and don’t bag your clippings. Mulch mow and return nutrients to the soil. Your lawn will thank you.

When mulch mowing, a few clippings are ok. They will break down quickly and return nutrients and moisture to the soil.

But, if you are like me, you like a neat and clean lawn when you are finished mowing. So, use your blower to distribute any noticeable clippings.

Varying your mowing pattern will reduce soil compaction and give your lawn a professional appearance.

• Keep mower blades sharp.

Dull blades bruise leaf tips, reduce growth, and causes a dull-cast appearance over the turf due to frayed leaf blades.

• Vary the mowing pattern.

  Mowing the same direction 30-40 times per year will create unnecessary soil compaction. Lawns look better when two or three mowing patterns are rotated through.

 Aerating

We talk about aerating a lot.  Why?  The overwhelming common factor of our best lawns is annual aeration.

Aerating is the process of taking small cores out of the lawn with a mechanical core aerator. Aeration reduces compaction and improves the soil structure by improving air, nutrient, and water movement to the root zone. Cores should be left on the lawn and allowed to break down. Gradually the holes created by the aerator are filled in with loose soil from the cores creating pockets for root development. Aerating also reduces thatch.

Bermuda should be aerated any time after spring green up through early summer, April through mid-July.

The best time to aerate fescue is in the fall, September through October.

Aeration will take a lawn from good to great!

Dethatching

Thatch is the undecomposed roots and stems of the turf. Excessive thatch, more than ½,” impedes the flow of water, air, and nutrients into the soil. Lawns with excessive thatch are shallow rooted and therefore are less drought and heat tolerant.

Bermuda lawns are more prone to excessive thatch than fescue. The best time to remove excessive thatch is in the early spring, late February to early March, before the lawn greens up. The best tool to use is a power rake, also known as a dethatcher.

Important note – Lawns that are aerated at least every other year rarely have excessive thatch problems. If your lawn has a moderate amount of thatch, we recommend aeration as a preventative step to dethatching.

Turf Selection

Light is a basic requirement of turfgrass growth and is often the limiting factor in good turf development. All plants, including turf grass, have a minimum light requirement.

• Bermuda prefers 8 hours of direct sunlight for optimal growth.

• Zoysia will grow well in a little less light, but still needs 6 hours of direct sunlight.

• For any areas with less than 5 hours of direct sunlight, fescue is the best option.  

We all tend to underestimate the amount of shade our trees, shrubs, buildings, and fences cast on our lawns.

Lawn areas that receive only dappled sun are best planted in fescue.

Over the course of the growing season, take time to observe shade patterns in your landscape and make a plan for any areas with too little direct sunlight to support a thick lawn.

Zoysia is best established from sod and can be installed throughout the season.

Fescue does well established from seed. The best time to establish fescue from overseeding is in September or October. There is a second opportunity in March. But fall, is by far the best time because as a cool season grass, it will have more time to establish a strong root system for the summer heat. 

During April and May, establishing fescue from sod is best. Avoid sodding fescue during the summer heat.

Soil Test

When a lawn isn’t growing well, has poor color, looks sickly, and doesn’t respond as expected to fertilizer, a soil test should be done. 

There are 13 essential mineral elements in soil.  Their availability to be used by turfgrass is based on soil pH. Between pH of 6.0 and 7.0, all essential soil elements are available for optimal turfgrass growth.  A soil test will determine if lime is needed to raise the pH or if sulfur is needed to lower the pH.

Fill a quart sized plastic bag with soil from 10-12 random places in your lawn. Using a spade take soil from 2-6” below the surface. Remove roots from the soil. Take the soil sample to your local Oklahoma State University County Extension Office. They will test the soil and send you a report for a nominal fee. The Oklahoma County office is located at 2500 NE 63rd St., Oklahoma City, OK 73111.

Or, give us a call and we will gather a sample and take it to the lab for you.

Just like Lawn Care Applications, Maintenance activities by themselves will not fix

all your lawn problems.  But, without proper maintenance activities,

lawn care applications will not be as effective.

We look forward to continuing the conversation of the three keys to a great lawn next month when we discuss how the environment impacts your efforts to have a beautiful lawn.

If you subscribe to a Hall | Stewart Lawn Care Program, good maintenance practices are a key to getting the most out of our lawn care applications.

If you have any questions, please let us know. We enjoy visiting with you about your lawn.

Lorne Hall

Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape

(405)367-3873

The Epic Summer Battle: Outdoor Fun vs The Mosquitoes. Coming Soon to Your Backyard!

We want your spring, summer and fall to be filled with outdoor enjoyment.

The key to more outdoor time is winning the battle against the annoying mosquitoes.    

Hall | Stewart believes in an integrated pest management (IPM) approach to mosquito control.  Success is the result of focusing on prevention and reduction.

What you can do to win the battle –

Mosquito control is everyone’s responsibility when it comes to removing and eliminating larval breeding sites.  All standing water is a desirable breeding ground for mosquitoes.  Mosquitoes spend three of their four life stages dependent on standing water.  This makes anywhere water accumulates from bird baths, flowerpots, toys, poor draining gutters, a perfect playground for the insect.   

The first step in mosquito control is to remove any standing water – pots, gutters, birdbaths, poor draining lawn areas, etc.

Mosquito eggs WILL NOT hatch without water.

The newly hatched larva lives in water and develop into pupae all before they emerge as an adult. Simply reducing standing water around your residence will have a significant impact on mosquito population. Even pet bowls can be a breeding ground for mosquitoes. 

From March through November, any object containing 5–7-day old water is a potential playground for the pest.  Drain and refill pet bowls and bird baths every 3-5 days at the minimum. 

Adult females are the only mosquitoes that bite. They typically attack in the evening, but occasionally are out during the day.  Most afternoons you will find them resting in shrubs, trees and other shady areas.  

After a female mosquito has obtained blood meal from a person or animal, they lay their eggs in water or a moist area where their eggs will receive sufficient moisture to hatch.     

The entire life cycle of the mosquito takes only 4-5 weeks. 

Adult females are the only mosquitoes that bite. They typically attack in the evening, but occasionally are out during the day. Most afternoons you will find them resting in shrubs, trees and other shady areas. After they obtain blood meal from a person or animal they lay their eggs in water or a place where it will get wet. They prefer dark colored containers and shaded areas for egg laying.

What Hall | Stewart can do to help you win the battle –

Barrier treatments are the most effective and proven method for managing pests.  A barrier can be made by treating all vegetation, shrubs and trees, from the ground up to a height of 10 feet.

Insecticides must be applied to both the top and bottom of plant leaves which is difficult to achieve with a traditional pump-up, handheld spray can.

Power backpack misters are the ideal equipment for barrier treatments as they force droplets into the vegetation and underneath leaves.  Other common resting sites, such as under decks, gutters, and other moist shady areas are included in the treatment areas. 

Hall | Stewart’s Mosquito Control Program uses two control methods:

• An insecticide is used to provide an initial a quick kill and residual control of adult mosquitoes.

• A growth regulator is used to adversely affect the reproductive cycle of the mosquitoes by preventing larval development resulting in fewer adult mosquitoes.  

Due to the short life cycle of mosquitoes, regularly scheduled monthly barrier treatments will provide a significant reduction in the number of insects.

The battle is a team effort.  You can win by reducing the breeding grounds for mosquitoes and by subscribing to the Hall | Stewart Mosquito Control Program.

We want you to have peace of mind when it comes to outdoor enjoyment this summer.   

If you have not already subscribed to our mosquito control program, call or respond to this email. 

Lorne Hall

Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape

(405)367-3873

Spring Dead Spot – Oklahoma’s #1 Turf Disease

Oklahoma is in the transition zone. 

What is the transition zone? 

It is the zone between where warm season turf grows best and the zone where cool season turf grows best.

Warm Season Turfs:  Bermuda Grass and Zoysia Grass.

Cool Season Turfs:  Fescue Grass, Rye Grass, Blue Grass   

The transition zone is an overlap area where warm season grasses do well in the heat of the summer while cool season grasses do well in the spring and the fall, and some cool season grasses, such as tall fescue, continue to do well through most summers.

The transition zone is the area where you can’t go wrong growing either warm season grasses or cool season grasses.

Developing and maintaining a great warm season turf can be a challenge in the transition zone where winter temperatures often get colder than warm season grasses prefer and where it is common for an April freeze to stunt warm season turf green-up.   

Consistently warming soil temperatures are critical for bermuda to exit dormancy and become active.

This year, the spring has been kind to Bermuda and zoysia lawns by not delivering us a freeze after the first of April. Green-up has been gradual and consistent.

Challenging areas remain. Lawns with partial shade, where soil temperatures lag, are trying to catch up.  Thin turf areas, as well as lawns with weak root systems, are also behind in green up.

Our goal each week is to discuss the things we encounter while visiting lawns and landscapes.  This time of year, as the warm season lawns are greening up, we get a lot of calls about dead spots in Bermuda lawns.

“What are all the circular dead spots in bermuda lawns?”

Is it grubs?

Is it damage caused by a weed killer? 

These are common assumptions, but they are neither.

It is a disease…Spring Dead Spot.

Spring Dead Spot is widespread in Oklahoma and holds the title as the number one disease of Bermuda lawns in the region.  You can count on there always being some Spring Dead Spot, but some springs the disease is worse than others.  When the fall, winter, and spring conditions are right for Spring Dead Spot, any Bermuda lawn in our region has the potential to be a host for the disease.

Let’s look at the history, symptoms, disease cycle, causes, and possible solutions for preventing and controlling this mysterious Bermuda grass disease.

Spring Dead Spot patches will begin to develop grow of healthy grass in the patch after a couple of years.

History

Spring Dead Spot has been a problem for a long time.  The first case was discovered in Oklahoma in 1936 by a golf course superintendent following a harsh Oklahoma winter. 

By the 1950s, the unknown disease had become so prevalent in our state that Oklahoma State University plant pathologists began simply referring to the disease as Spring Dead Spot.  

In the 1960s, the disease became so widespread in suburban Atlanta lawns, particularly hybrid Bermuda, that the University of Georgia launched a research program.  After three years of research, the university still didn’t know the cause and never could get the disease to reproduce in test plots.    

In more recent years, Oklahoma State University has focused research on the disease.  What they have found is the disease is tough to eradicate, tough to manage, and unpredictable. 

Symptoms

Spring Dead Spot makes an appearance in the spring with ugly, rounded, bleached white dead spots in Bermuda lawns.   The spots range in size from a few inches to a few feet in diameter.  If you dig up the roots in the area, they will appear black and rotting. 

Damaged patches tend to recur in the same spots year after year.  After a couple of years, the center of the spots will begin to develop a patch of healthy turf.

Spring Dead Spot typically isn’t active in newer lawns.  It is common for it to first make an appearance 3 or 4 years into a new lawn.  Just as strangely, the disease often becomes less active after a few years.  All this just adds to the mystery of the disease.  

This coincides with my experience: the disease is more common in newer neighborhoods and rarely found in older established areas of the city.

Because the pathogen causes rotting of the roots, rhizomes and stolons, the susceptibility to winter injury increases in the affected areas.  The colder the winter or the harsher the April freeze, the more spring dead spot damage we see.

A better example of healthy turf grass growing in the Spring Dead Spot patch after a couple of years.

Disease Cycle

In Oklahoma, the disease becomes active starting in September as soil temperatures begin to cool and reach 70 degrees and remains active through the winter if soil temperatures stay above 50 degrees. 

Recovery starts in the late spring and continues through the summer as healthy turf around the Spring Dead Spot area grows into the damaged area. 

Because the damaged spot often doesn’t have time to completely heal and develop strong roots, the same spots reappear each spring.  Research shows that the spots can reappear in the spring because of freeze damage, even if the disease isn’t active that year.

Causes

The most serious Spring Dead Spot outbreaks occur in highly managed Bermuda, often hybrid types.  It is a common problem in turf that receives heavy nitrogen fertilizer applications, mowed at low settings, and receives frequent foot traffic. 

Turf grass that receives late-season applications of nitrogen to extend green color are more prone to the development of Spring Dead Spot.

More cold tolerant varieties of Bermuda grasses have less problems with the disease than hybrid types that are less cold hardy. 

Cultural Practices for Spring Dead Spot Management

No single management practice will provide complete control of Spring Dead Spot.  The best prevention and control of Spring Dead Spot comes from practices that promote a dense turf and a healthy root system.  Because the disease is more prevalent in tight compacted soils, which often have poor root systems, annual aeration is important as it will promote a healthy root system and lessen the probability of the disease.

Although the impact of soil pH is unclear on the development of Spring Dead Spot, an annual soil test to ensure the correct pH is maintained will encourage plant vigor and reduce turf stress.   

Recovery improves with a fertilizer routine that ensures the lawn will receive 3 to 5 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet during the growing season with the first application being made in April to May as soil temperatures consistently rise. 

Applications of more than .5 pounds of nitrogen after September 15 must be avoided.  Some research shows that heavier applications of potassium in the fall promotes winter hardiness.  Others believe, soils in our region already contain sufficient potassium, if the soil pH is near neutral. 

The desire to have a green and actively growing bermuda lawn as long into the fall as possible may be the most common practice that leads to the development of Spring Dead Spot.

If you have small areas of the disease in your lawn, the best solution is to remove the soil in the damaged area to a depth of 12” and replace it with new soil.   

Raising the mower height going into September will increase the leaf surface resulting in higher levels of carbohydrate reserves in the roots.  The result will be more insulation for winter temperatures.

Spring Dead Spot after a few seasons of recovery.

Chemical Management

A fungicide applied in the fall as soon as soil temperatures fall to 70 degrees followed by a second application in 30 days may result in control of the disease.   It is important to commit to two applications as research shows a single application is generally not effective.  Spring applications of fungicides are not as effective as the disease is not active in the spring. 

Keep in mind fungicide results can be inconsistent from year to year.  Control through fungicides requires a 2-to-4-year commitment for consistent results. 

Prevention and control of Spring Dead Spot can be tricky.  

The disease can be very frustrating. 

Everyone wants their turf to look the best, but if you have a Bermuda lawn, there is always the chance Spring Dead Spot will make an appearance. 

If you are experiencing Spring Dead Spot keep in mind the best recovery occurs over time and with warmer temperatures.  Don’t give up! 

Commit - To best maintenance practices, including aeration, to develop a thick turf with a healthy root system. 

Most Critical - Avoid the temptation to promote late season growth.

Remove & Replace Soil – The best solution is to remove 12” of soil in the affected areas and replace it with new soil. 

Schedule - A fall fungicide treatment plan.

If you have more questions about Spring Dead Spot, or any other lawn care issue, please give us a call.

Lorne Hall

Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape

(405)367-3873

The best way to repair small areas of Spring Dead Spot is to remove the damaged soil to the depth of 12” and replace with fresh soil.

May Lawn & Landscape Tips

May is an easy month to love.  Days in the 80’s…  Green, green lawns…  Landscapes full of bright colors! 

May, a month made for being outside in your lawn and landscape!

May is a busy month for the lawn and landscape. 

Here are a some of the most important outdoor tasks to focus on:

Crape Myrtles started putting on new growth this year.  Now is the time to inspect and prune out any dead wood.

If you are unsure if the branch is  dead, scratch the bark.  If the layer just below the bark is green, then the branch is alive.

Turf Fertilizer – Bermuda lawns need a good feeding between late April and the end of May.  Bermuda will respond well to a balanced fertilizer with at least 28% to 30% nitrogen and only a small amount of phosphorus and potassium.  Fescue turf needs to receive one more application of fertilizer between mid-April and mid-May to get them ready for warm days of summer.  Once temperatures consistently reach 90 fertilizing fescue will do more harm than good.    

Weed Control - Weeds that were not prevented, both grassy and broadleaf weeds, require additional treatment to control.  Now that warm season turf is out of dormancy, control of weeds can be stepped up.  During May it is best to spot spray any persistent perennial weeds being careful to limit turf damage.  Remember the absolute best weed control is thick and healthy turf.       

Nutsedge has begun to show up in lawns.  Because there isn’t a way to prevent nutsedge, spot treatments can be expected.  If nutsedge has been a chronic problem in your lawn, annual aeration will make a difference.  Nutsedge thrives in tight, wet soils and since aeration reduces compaction, we find yards that are aerated annually have less nutsedge issues.    

Nutsedge

Maynight Salvia, the perfect name for the perennial that adds bright blues and purples to the May landscape.

Anytime we make an application of weed control or fertilizer, please let us know if you have any concerns 10-14 days after our visit.  If the turf isn’t greening up properly, or if weeds are not wilting, we want to know.  If you are new to our program, we know it will take time to get your lawn to the healthy condition you desire.  But we expect to make progress with each visit.  We know this may require additional visits and if you are on our full 7- Step Program, we will make the needed extra visits. 

Oakleaf Hydrangeas will start gracing the landscape with their white blooms this month.

Tree & Shrub Care – We subscribe to an integrated pest management approach, which starts with inspecting trees and shrubs and treating as needed.  Starting in May and continuing through the growing season, take a few minutes each week to inspect your landscape for insects and disease.   

Spider Mites – When it comes to Insect and Disease you always have to be on the lookout.  Typically, we are on the watch for spider mites, the Twospotted Spider Mite, in the summer when conditions are hot and dry.  But there is also the Spruce Spider Mite that is active in the spring and fall.  They can be found on spruce, pines, junipers and arborvitae. It can cause considerable damage early in the season before we are even thinking about spider mites.   The first indication of the Spruce Spider Mite damage is off-green color needles.  Spider mites are not controlled by normal insecticides.  If trying to control them yourself, you must use a product labeled as a miticide.  Insecticides will not control spider mites.   

The first indication of Spruce Spider Mite damage is an off-green color on your spruce, pine, juniper or arborvitae.

Bagworms - May is the month to be watching for bagworms on needle evergreens.  Bagworms are quite easy to control when they are small.  But they are very hard to see when they first start to develop.  If you notice bagworms, or have a concern about your plants, please let us know.

Bagworms

Spider mites are small and almost impossible to see on the plant. If you are concerned you have spider mites, shake the plant over a white sheet of paper. If the little specks start moving they are spider mites.

Be on the lookout for bagworms this month. They are much easier to control when they are small.

Leaf spot

Leaf Spot - Leaf spots will develop if we have periods of sufficient moisture and temperatures are just right for development of the fungus.  The best host for leaf spot is an already unhealthy plant in an area with poor air circulation.  Control includes spraying with a fungicide at least two times in a 10–14-day period, keeping fallen leaves picked up and disposed of, and thinning the tree or shrub to improve air flow.

Aphids – A small insect that isn’t easy to spot, but the honeydew, sticky substance they excrete is easy to spot.  Aphids develop on the underside of leaves, often reaching large populations before you notice them.  Early detection is important, and if caught early, a high-pressure blast of water may do the trick.  As the weather warms, populations increase, and insecticide treatment will be needed. 

Lawn Maintenance – Both warm and cool season turf grasses need frequent mowing now.  One of the most important things for good turf health is to avoid removing more than 1/3 of the grass in one mowing.  Not only does it not yield you the best-looking lawn when you cut below the leaf and into the stem of the grass, it also weakens the root system.  Try to maintain your Bermuda on the middle setting or just below the middle setting in May.  For fescue, raise the setting one notch this month and cut the lawn 2.5-3” tall.  By early June it is best to have fescue at a maximum height going into the summer. 

When mowing frequently, only remove 1/3 of the grass, don’t bag the clippings. Mulch them back onto the lawn. Grass leaf blades are mostly nitrogen and water and are very beneficial to the lawn.

Dianthus is a perennial that graces the May landscape with vibrant blooms and gray and green foliage.

May Night Salvia, Dianthus and Gold Moneywort make a colorful combination in the May landscape.

Full sun planting of lantana, penta, angelonia, and sunpatiens.

Sun Coleus

Fescue color is at its best this month.

Lantana and Sun Coleus make a great summer combination in full sun, hot areas. May is the month to plant them.

Seasonal Color – May is the month to plant your summer annual color.  Most landscapes look best with a splash of bright color creating a welcoming environment near the front door.  Impatiens and Caladiums are great choices for full shade areas.  Begonias, petunias, and geraniums do well in sun to part shade.  And for full sun, periwinkle, lantana, sunpatiens, angelonia, sun coleus and penta are good at handling the heat.   

Penta

Caladium

Take into consideration the mature size when planting seasonal color. The temptation is to over plant.

Irrigation – As of Saturday morning the Oklahoma City Metro area has only received 1.5” of rain.  In a typical April we receive 3.5-4”.  With less than normal rainfall has caught many off guard as we are seeing a lot of lawns suffer from early signs of draught stress, which is not a common condition for this time of year. With your lawn now needing 1” of moisture per week, it is time to start your normal watering routine.  But remember - the best irrigation management is one that includes keeping an eye on rainfall amounts, soil moisture, and temperatures.  Monitor conditions, turn your system off if when are in a rainy period. Poor water management is setting the irrigation system at the beginning of the season and letting it run regardless of the conditions.

If you have subscribed to our Irrigation Management program with the Rainbird Wi-Fi Link, we will make watering decisions based on soil temperatures, soil moisture, temperatures, and recent rainfall and adjust your controller via the Rainbird app. 

Azalea Care – Azaleas were stunning this spring.  Azaleas require a little more care, but they are worth it.  Fertilize azaleas this month.   After blooms fade and before the end of June prune azaleas if needed.  Pruning after mid-summer will result in less blooms next year.  Azaleas look best when minimally pruned and allowed to retain their natural shape.  Prune by removing longer shoots by reaching down and making cuts where they come off a larger branch.  This will improve air moment and promote healthy growth.  Avoid shearing azaleas. Add a fresh layer of mulch to keep the soil cooler and retain moisture during the warm summer months to come. The best mulch for azaleas is pecan hulls or pine bark.   

Peonies have been adding a burst of color to the landscapes for the last two weeks.

The same plantings in July

Wisteria

Periwinkle

Remove the brown stems on your hydrangeas left from the winter back to the first bud this mont.

Hydrangea Pruning – If you haven’t already, now is the time to prune the brown stems left from the winter back to the first bud.  In most cases this is the only pruning recommended for hydrangeas.  During the summer, if you want to you can snip off spent blooms, but it is not required.  Otherwise, keep the pruners and shears away from your hydrangeas.  And…never prune in the fall.

Gold Mound Spirea not only add interest to the landscape with their foliage, they also deliver an additional touch of color with red-violet blooms this month.

If you have any questions, please drop us an email or give us a call at (405)367-3873.

Our mission is to help you have your best lawn and landscape…one that improves the appearance, enjoyment and value of your surroundings.

Lorne Hall

Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape

(405)367-3873

3 Keys to a Great Lawn -- #1 Lawn Care Applications

When it comes to having a great lawn, what is most important? 

• Lawn care applications? 

• Maintenance practices? 

• Environmental conditions?

All three are keys to a great lawn - Lawn Care Applications, Maintenance, and Environmental Conditions. 

Great lawns are not a result of getting one, or even two, of the three correct.

Great lawns are equally the result of all three.

Discussing the three keys to a great lawn is too much for one writing, so we are going to cover each key separately.

Today, we will cover Lawn Care Applications.  Next month we will visit about how proper Maintenance impacts your lawn and discuss the impact Environmental Conditions have on the greatness of your lawn in June.

Lawn care applications are comprised of two components — weed control and fertilizer.

Weed Control Applications - Correct Timing of Weed Control Applications is Important

Three things you need to know about weeds:

First - Knowing weed life cycle is important when it comes to prevention and control. 

• Annual weeds germinate from seed, grow and flower (produce seed) all within one year.

• Perennial weeds continue to grow year after year increasing in both size and root. 

Second - Identifying the type of weed, are either broadleaf or grassy, is equally important. 

• Broadleaf weeds are the easiest to spot because they look very different from grass.  Broadleaf weeds have a stem with leaves attached. 

• Grassy weeds are actually undesired grass that grow as one single leaf.  Grassy weeds are similar to turf grass.  Often, they are not as noticeable when they are small but will destroy the aesthetics of a lawn as they mature.

Third – Weeds are either winter weeds or summer weeds.

With annual weeds there is a correct time to prevent and with perennial weeds there is a best time to control.  Annual weeds are easiest to prevent, but they can be very difficult to control when mature.   

Lawns that are littered with mature weeds during March and April are the lawns that did not receive a fall pre-emergent application last year. 

Mature weeds are slower to respond to herbicides. Once a weed starts producing flowers they slow growth and don’t take in herbicides as quickly.

Winter annuals are prevented with a pre-emergent herbicide in late summer and fall.  Summer annual weeds are prevented in the late winter and spring.  Timing is the key to both.  For the best results, the pre-emergent needs to be applied before the weeds germinate. 

To prevent summer annual weeds, an application must be made before soil temperatures reach 55 degrees for three consecutive days, which is typically in mid-March. 

To prevent winter annual weeds, an application must be made before the first cool spell occurs in late September to early October.       

Commonly asked question: “Is it too late to start a lawn care program this year?” 

No, it is never too late to start.  Weeds will continue to germinate all summer.  Turf development is important during the growing season.  Starting a lawn care program at any point during the season is better than not starting at all.

Effective prevention of annual weeds is enhanced when a second pre-emergent application is made 30-60 days after the first application.  Pre-emergent herbicides have a life.  Depending on conditions, the product used and the quality of the application, pre-emergent herbicides will last 60 to 120 days.  A second application creates a season long barrier of weed prevention.

A proactive approach to weed control is two timely pre-emergent herbicide applications to prevent summer annual weeds and two timely applications to prevent winter annual weeds.

Mature crabgrass is much harder to control during the growing season.

Now that soil temperatures have consistently been above 55 degrees for a few weeks crabgrass has started growing in lawns that did not receive a pre-emergent early this year.  A pre-emergent now will prevent more crabgrass and other summer annuals from germinating.

Crabgrass, a summer annual grassy weed, is very easy to prevent with a pre-emergent applied in before soil temperatures reach 55 degrees. It is also easy to control when it is in the first stage of growth. This picture was taken this week and is the first crabgrass I have seen this year, two weeks later than normal.

Most weeds littering lawns in March, such as henbit, can easily be prevented with fall pre-emergent herbicides.

A well timed lawn care program will result in your best lawn.

Persistence is a key to gaining control of weeds. Between keeping the area mowed and spraying with herbicides, control can be gained.

Hall | Stewart Lawn Care Programs, both our most popular 7-Step Weed Control & Fertilizer Program and our 4-Step Weed Control Only Program, include 4 pre-emergent herbicide applications each year: 

• Late Winter - January through early March

• Spring – Mid March through mid-May

• Early Fall – Mid August through September

• Late Fall – October through November

But, not all weeds can be prevented.  Existing weeds and perennial weeds require post emergent weed control applications. 

The key to controlling perennial weeds and mature annual weeds is applying the right herbicide at the right time and the willingness to make follow-up applications when required. 

Post Emergent Weed Control Takes Persistence

Fall (October-November) is the best time to control winter broadleaf weeds when they are small and actively growing.  Spring (April-May) is the best time to control summer broadleaf weeds.

When a weed is actively growing it absorbs herbicides much quicker. Once a weed begins flowering growth slows as it focuses on reproduction. During this stage weed control is possible, but slower.

Nutsedge is one of the difficult to control weeds that often requires additional treatments.

Post-emergent weed control is always more difficult when the weed is mature and flowering.  Herbicides work by translocating through the plant.  When a weed is actively growing, it absorbs the product quickly.  Once the weed starts to flower (seed), it slows growth and focuses on reproduction.  During this stage, control is much slower. 

A key to successful control of existing weeds is retreatment if needed 14 days after an application. 

Difficult to control weeds, such as nutsedge, violets, geraniums to name a few, take time to gain 100% control.  Follow up applications are often needed.  Persistence is the key.

Hall | Stewart Lawn Care Programs include follow-up visits when needed to gain control of difficult weeds.   

Poa annua, a winter annual grassy weed, thrives in thin turf.

The best defense against weeds is a healthy thick turf.

Fertilizer Applications – Healthy turf is the best prevention of weeds.

Weed control and fertilizer work hand-in-hand to produce a great lawn.  Common weed problems are less in an actively growing, fertilized, watered and maintained turf. 

A healthy, properly fertilized, dense turfgrass can resist weed invasion and is able to better tolerate heat, cold, drought and wear.   

The three key ingredients in fertilizer are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.  All three are needed by your turf. 

Nitrogen gives a lawn the best quality of color and density, but it is void in our soil.  Therefore, it needs to be added the most. 

Phosphorus and potassium are required for healthy turf growth but because they are present in our soil they do not need to be replaced as much. 

Both Bermuda and fescue are at their best when they receive a total of 4 to 5 lbs of nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft during the growing season spaced out over 4-5 applications. 

Bermuda, being a warm season grass, needs to be fed the most during the summer.  The first application should be made within 2 to 6 weeks of spring green up.  An application before the lawn has come out of dormancy is a waste of product and does not benefit the turf.  The last application should be made by the end of September.  Heavy fall fertilizer in an attempt to force growth and color deep into the fall can be a contributor to spring dead spot.  Follow this link to read more about spring dead spot.

Bermuda, warm season turf, looks best through the summer heat when nighttime temperatures are consistently 65+. Bermuda respond well to regularly scheduled fertilizer applications, high in nitrogen during the summer.

Fescue, a cool season turf requires a completely different schedule and thought process.  Cool season grass is at its peak in the spring and fall.  During the summer, growth slows, and the plant actually enters a period of semi-dormancy even though it never actually loses all its color.

Cool season turf needs fertilizer between the first of March and the end of May.  This creates a strong and healthy turf with the best opportunity of surviving the summer heat.  High nitrogen fertilizer June through August can damage fescue.  In the fall, September through November, resume fertilizer applications. 

Fescue, a cool season grass, looks best in the spring and fall. Fescue lawns need the same amount of annual fertilizer as Bermuda, but it must be applied in the spring and fall. Fertilizer during the summer will damage a fescue lawn.

Picture of the Week:

Iris are now adding color to our landscapes.  Just like all the blooms this spring, they also seem more vibrant than usual. Iris are an old fashioned hardy perennial that require minimal care and live a long time.

Fertilizing fescue in the summer will always lead to disappointment.

Great lawns are the result of a properly timed weed control and fertilizer program that is tailored to your type of grass.

If you are not currently subscribing to a Hall | Stewart Lawn Care Program and have struggled with getting the critical timing right on your lawn, we would enjoy visiting with you.

If you are a Hall | Stewart customer, we look forward to every opportunity to be on your lawn helping you have a great lawn!                

We will continue The Three Keys to a Great Lawn series in May with a look at Maintenance Practices and in June with a look at Environmental Conditions. 

Lorne Hall

Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape

(405)367-3873

Aeration… the "& Then Some” of Lawn Care

A good lawn is the result of several key activities:

1.     Correctly timed pre-emergent applications to prevent weeds before they germinate.

2.     Applying the right amount of fertilizer to ensure you have a thick and healthy turf.

3.     Regularly scheduled mowing that only removes the top 1/3 of the leaf blade each time.

4.     Infrequent, deep watering based on seasonal need.

But, there is a 5th activity that too often is overlooked.

George Toma, the greatest groundskeeper in the history of sports, has a saying:   

“Do the job and then some.  It is the ‘then some’ that

distinguishes the mediocre from the great.”

George Toma played a part in preparing the playing field for every Super Bowl until he retired after Super Bowl LVII at the age of 95.  Toma is known as “The Sodfather!”   

George Toma, presenting the keynote address at a turf conference several years ago, started his talk by announcing he was going to discuss the three most important things to have a great turf. 

His 1st point was Aeration.

His 2nd point was Aeration. 

And, you guessed it, his 3rd point was Aeration. 

What are the benefits of aeration? 

• Soil compaction is reduced. 

• Air movement into the soil is improved. 

• Fertilizer can quickly reach the root zone.   

• Water runoff and puddling is reduced. 

• Roots grow stronger and deeper. 

• Thatch is reduced.

• Reduction in weeds that thrive in compacted soils.

For George Toma, the “then some” that distinguishes the mediocre lawn from a great lawn is aeration.

Aerification is a must!

If your goal is to have your best lawn possible, aeration is a required step in your lawn care program.

What is aeration? 

• Aeration is the process of mechanically removing 2”-3” cores of soil, 4”-6” apart, from your lawn.

Compact soils prevent grass from establishing a healthy root system and prevent air, water, and nutrients from reaching the root zone. Walking, playing, and mowing (in other words everything you do on your lawn) increases soil compaction.

As Oklahomans, we know about tight clay, compacted soils.  Our clay soils make growing a great lawn a challenge.

Too often we accept soil compaction as just the way it is and settle for the status quo of an average lawn.  

Stop accepting the norm! 

You don’t have to struggle with the results of growing a lawn in tight, compacted soil.

Golf courses typically aerate their turf at least two times per season.  No wonder the fairways look so much better than most home lawns.

Lawns with compacted soil also are more susceptible to weed development.  Most weeds thrive in tight compacted soil. 

Nutsedge, one of the most difficult to control summer weeds, thrives in tight soils.  Our experience has shown that annually aerated lawns have far less problems with nutsedge.   

Why do golf course fairways always look so good?  Turf managers know the importance of aeration. The secret to a great lawn is a great root system. Annual aeration is the ticket to a great root system.

Should the cores be removed or left on the lawn?

• Leave the cores on the lawn.  As they breakdown and dissolve, they will refill the holes with loose soil resulting in improved soil structure.  The cores will break up and settle back into the lawn within a few weeks.

When should you aerate?

• Warm season lawns (Bermuda and zoysia) should be aerated any time after spring green-up and before the end of July.

• Cool season lawns (fescue) should be aerated in the fall, September through October.  Aeration in conjunction with overseeding will not only improve the soil structure, but it will also improve seed soil contact resulting in better seed germination.

Nothing will take your lawn from good to great more than an annual aeration!

 

One more Toma saying… “The most important part of grass is the soil and the root system.”

Aeration is the best way to improve the soil structure and develop a stronger root system.

Aeration, the most overlooked lawn practice, will give you a healthier, more vigorous, less weedy lawn. 

To achieve your best lawn, annual aeration is a must.

Lorne Hall

Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape

(405)367-3873

Pic of the week:

Haven’t the tulips been stunning this spring! They started blooming early and just keep going. Came across this colorful grouping in a Hall | Stewart lawn this week. Set a reminder now for this fall to plant tulip bulbs in your landscape. Your effort will reap wonderful rewards next spring.

Growing Azaleas in Central Oklahoma

When it comes to springs, the Spring of 2024 just keeps adding color to our world!

This week, Azaleas are the plants adding burst of color to the landscape. 

“Azaleas are the one plant that will cause a traffic jam.”  Allan Storjohann

Can you grow a traffic jam causing azaleas in our area? 

The Tulsa area is blessed with wonderful azaleas, but common belief is azaleas just don’t do well in central Oklahoma.

This is a myth.  Azaleas can be grown in the Oklahoma City.

But, they require thinking differently about your landscape and a commitment to make it happen. 

Azalea success in central Oklahoma won’t happen if you just dig a hole anywhere in your landscape and drop in an azalea. 

8 Things You Need to Know to Grow Azaleas in Central Oklahoma

1.     Soil preparation is key.  Azaleas require well drained acidic soils (5.0-6.0 pH).  Central Oklahoma is known for tight clay alkaline soils (6.5-7.5 pH).  The first step is to remove all the existing Oklahoma clay and replace it with a mixture of pecan hulls, peat moss, and pine bark.  No soil.  That is correct – azaleas do best when the native soil in our area is removed.  My favorite mixture is 1/3 pecan hulls, 1/3 peat moss, and 1/3 pine bark. But, you will have success with a 50/50 mixture of any 2 of the 3.   

20 year old Hino-Crimson Azaleas planted in a raised bed in a mixture of pecan hulls, peat moss, and pine bark with all the native soil removed.

2.   The size of the hole you dig is important.  The standard for planting most trees and shrubs is a hole twice the size of the plant root ball.  But, when planting azaleas dig the hole 3 to 4 times the size of the plant root ball.  You don’t need a very deep hole – it only needs to be 6-10” deeper than the level of the root ball once it is planted.  Azaleas roots are shallow and like to grow out.  So, think wide and not deep when digging.

3.   Raised beds are best.  Azaleas like moisture but they do not like to have their roots sitting in water.  The best way to achieve a well-drained planting in tight soil is to raise the planting. A great option is to install a 4-12” stone border to gain height or, incorporate a berm in the landscape planting for your azaleas.   When placing the shrub, keep the top of the root ball 1-2” above the grade and gently slope your planting mixture away from the shrub.  The number one reason azaleas die is from root rot. 

4.  Plant in the shade.  Azaleas need mostly shade. They like the morning sun and filtered sunlight.  A great place for an azalea is under large trees, particularly oak and pine.  Pine needles and oak leaves will add acid back to the soil.  If you lack large shade trees, plant them on the north and east sides of your home.  Never plant azaleas where they will be exposed to the hot afternoon and evening sun.  Also, avoid windy locations.

Red Ruffle Azaleas that have been lightly pruned over the years to maintain their natural shape.

5. Consistent water.  When we are receiving sufficient rainfall azaleas do not need any additional water.  But, when temperatures rise and moisture declines, regular watering is very important. Try to provide 1 – 1.5” of water per week during the summer months.  Due to their shallow root structure, roots can dry out quickly.  When temperatures are in the 90s or higher, water every other day with a deep soaking.

Encore Autumn Embers Azaleas

6. Avoid soil cultivation.  Cultivating the soil will disturb the shallow roots.  Control weeds by hand pulling and by mulching with 2-4” of pecan hulls, pine bark, or pine needles. These mulches will increase the acidity of the soil, cool the soil, and retain moisture. 

Encore Autumn Embers Azaleas planted three years ago on the north side of an office building.

7. Correct pruning.  Prune azaleas after the blooms drop in May or June.  Do not prune after July 4th because you will be removing next spring’s blooms.  Azaleas respond well to having branches that have grown too long pruned back to the branch.  This will help maintain a natural shape of the plant and maximize blooms next spring.  Sheering is not recommended.  Dead wood can be removed anytime. 

Azaleas just starting to bloom.

8. Feed them.  Fertilizer applications after blooming in May and June are best. Fertilizing in early spring isn’t recommended as it will promote leaf growth and reduce the amount of blossoms. Use an azalea/camellia/rhododendron food with trace elements for acid growing conditions.    Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Azalea Plant Food and Ferti-Lome Azalea/Evergreen Food Plus are a couple of good examples.

Encore Azaleas have the added benefit of a fall bloom.

When it comes to azaleas, there are a lot of varieties and colors to choose from.  Traditional azaleas that do well in Central Oklahoma include Hino-crimson and the Ruffles series.  Over the past few years, the Encore varieties have become very popular and performed well.  Traditional varieties are heavy spring bloomers.  Encore Azaleas bloom in the spring with a second lighter bloom in the fall.   

Here are a couple of good sources for azalea varieties:  https://www.monrovia.com/search/?q=azalea and https://encoreazalea.com/the-collection/

I planted Hino-Crimson and Red Ruffle Azaleas at our house over 20 years ago using the methods above.    Every spring the colors are stunning.  This time of year, you can’t drive down our street without slowing to steal a glance. 

When planted correctly and maintained well, you won’t regret the time

and effort you put into growing azaleas.

Lorne Hall

Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape

(405)367-3873

PS - Next weekend is one of my favorite TV weekends of the year!

Starting Thursday, the networks will start broadcasting and continue through Sunday hours of live coverage of azaleas, dogwoods, and well-maintained turf.  It is just wonderful! 

You do have to tolerate an occasional professional golfer blocking your view of the rich dark green hues of fescue, topped with vibrant pinks, reds, and purples of azaleas, with splashes of white dogwoods. 

I know…I know... Most people are tuning to see who will win the Masters.   

Not me!  I’m tuning in to see the best televised display of spring color in the world.

Follow our 8 Things You Need to Know to Grow Azaleas in Central Oklahoma and create your own Master’s landscape in central Oklahoma.

April Lawn & Landscape Tips

Typically, we think of April as the month landscapes turn green and burst with color.  But with the early spring and having so far escaped a late hard freeze, it feels like the beauty of April arrived in March this year.    

Even with the early start, there is still more green and color to come in April. 

Fescue will continue to deepen in color.  Bermuda will turn a little greener every day and be fully green by the end of the month.   

Every day you will discover another perennial, shrub, or tree is adding splashes of color.

April is a big month for your lawn and landscape.   It is the transition month between cool weather and warm weather and so many important tasks need our attention. 

What a spring for tulips!  The colors have been spectacular and without extreme cold or hot weather they just keep going and going and going.

April is the month Fescue lawns make a big statement. If you have fescue it is time to start mowing every 5-7 days. 

There are many varieties of Viburnum that grace the landscapes in April.

Henbit is a winter annual broadleaf weed know for purple flowers. If you want a clean lawn in April, don’t skip the two fall pre-emergent weed control applications.

April is the month Flowering Crab Apples shine!

Turf Fertilizer – Both fescue and Bermuda lawns will benefit from a fertilizer application this month. If you subscribe to the Hall | Stewart 7-Step Lawn Care Program your lawn will receive fertilizer. If you subscribe to our 4-Step Weed Control Only Program, apply fertilizer to your lawn this month.  Look for a fertilizer with 25-30% nitrogen and a small amount of phosphorus and potassium. 

It is hard to beat the deep green color of fescue in April.

Snowball bushes are stunning in the landscape this month.

Turf Weed Control – Beginning in mid-March and continuing through April, it is important to apply the second spring pre-emergent to lawns.  Pre-emergent applications gradually breakdown overtime.  The second pre-emergent extends weed prevention through the summer months.  April is a good time to get control of broadleaf weeds in Fescue, but while Bermuda is coming out of dormancy you must be careful with herbicide applications to not cause damage.  Good turf development now is the key to a healthy lawn all summer and you don’t want to cause any harm while warm season turf is coming out of dormancy. 

Our promise to you is to take all the steps we can to remedy weed issues in a way that is safe for your lawn and the environment.

Our request is that you always let us know how your lawn is doing 10-14 days after an application. 

If the lawn needs to be retreated, results will be better if it occurs within 2-3 weeks of the initial application.

Poa Annua, annual bluegrass, is a winter annual that weed that is easier to prevent with fall pre-emergent herbicides than it is in the spring.

With soil temperatures in the mid 50’s, bermuda lawns are starting to green up. As soil temperatures reach into the 60’s, they will begin to actively grow.

In the right location, a place with dappled or morning sun with acidic, well drained soil, Dogwoods add a splash of brightness to the landscape this month.

Lawn Maintenance – If you have a Fescue lawn, April is the month that you will need to start mowing regularly.  Remember the rule of 1/3 – never cut more than 1/3 of the turf off in a single mowing. Anytime you cut more than 1/3 of the leaf blade off you are keeping your lawn from looking its absolute best. Start mowing the Fescue taller in April. It needs to have as much leaf space as possible going into the summer months. 

If you have a warm season lawn (Bermuda) and have not already cut the lawn short for the spring, do so as soon as possible.  Once the lawn starts growing it will need to be mowed every 10-14 days during a typical April.   Try to keep your Bermuda lawns cut short early in the season by mowing often enough that you never remove more than 1/3 of the leaf when mowing.

Perennials come to life in April. As Creeping Phlox begins to fade Dianthus starts to add color. A good perennial planting plan ads color to the landscape from season to season.

Plant Insect and Disease – Unhealthy trees and shrubs, those that are under stress, are more susceptible to insect and disease problems.  Put your plants on your calendar for a frequent inspection.  Be ready to treat problems as they arise.

Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape follows an integrated pest management approach, which starts with inspecting trees and shrubs and treating as needed.  

If you would like to subscribe to our 4-Step Tree & Shrub Care program, please give us a call, (405)367-3873, or respond to this email.

The great color of Japanese Maples is setting landscapes on fire.

Creeping Phlox, one of the first perennials to bloom, are putting on a show.

Deciduous (plants that drop their leaves in the winter) shrubs, such as abelia are coming to life.

April is full of fun surprises. One of my favorites, Peonies, close out the month.

Flowering Quince will continue to add splashes of reds to the landscape in early April.

Irrigation – As the weather warms in April, your lawn and landscape will start needing more routine watering.  If we go more than a week without a ½” rainfall, you need to start watering.  Remember to follow the odd/even watering restrictions.  If you have a rain sensor, it will interrupt the cycle when we receive rain.  If you don’t, please remember to turn your system off when we get a good rainfall. 

If you don’t have a rain sensor, consider having one installed. 

A sensor will pay for itself in water savings very quickly.

Tree & Shrub Fertilizer – Spring is a good time to fertilize trees and shrubs.  Plants use stored nutrients in the spring to force new buds and they need to be replaced. Look for a balanced fertilizer, such as 16-4-8, 12-6-6 or 12-4-8.  The amount of fertilizer needed is based on the root area.  The goal is to give the plants 2 pounds of nitrogen this spring.  Always follow label directions for the product you are using.

Shrub Pruning – April is the last chance to do early season pruning on crape myrtles, hollies and ornamental grasses.   On crape myrtles, remove any crossing or rubbing branches, cut off last year’s left-over seed heads, and any branches off that are smaller than a pencil.  Overgrown hollies can still be reduced in size if you do it soon.  The goal is to do any major pruning before the first heavy growth flush of the year.  On ornamental grasses, cut them down to about 1’ before new growth begins to shoot up from the grass clump.

Oakleaf Hydrangeas are leafing out.

April = Tulips! Take a stroll through the Myriad Gardens this week.

Seasonal Color – We all have the tendency to get a little antsy and want to plant annuals a little too early.  Who can blame you?  With all the colorful plants already in the garden centers, it is hard to resist.  But, wait until after the danger of the last frost passes in mid-April.  Start with annuals that tolerate a few cool nights, such as begonia and impatient, and wait until May to plant heat loving annuals, such as periwinkle, lantana, and penta.   Planting pansies and bulbs in the fall will give you color this time of year and allow you to wait until the best time to plant summer color.

Creeping Phlox adds interest to landscape edges and stone boarders.

Love peonies?  Look for their blooms to burst open before the end of April.

April is the month the Snowball Bush produces large masses of white snowball-like flowers.

Bridal Wreath Spirea brighten the landscapes this month.

Ornamental Peach trees are benefiting from the slow warm up this spring.

Maynight Salvia is one of the perennials that will add color this month.

Flowering Crabapple trees are demanding attention in the landscape.

One of my April favorites, Saucer Magnolia.

Start planning now to plant bulbs this fall for spring color next year.

Azaleas are adding to the spring landscape show.

What a Spring we are enjoying!

The world is full of new life!

If you have any questions about your lawn or landscape, please send us an email or call (405)367-3873.

Lorne Hall

Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape

(405)367-3873

Picture of the Week:

Dogwood - Known for the graceful flowers that arrive around Easter every spring. They are a small tree that needs to be out of the full sun making them a great understory addition to your landscape.

The Joy of Spring

Wednesday, we welcomed the official First Day of Spring.

Technically, spring arrived at 10:00 PM on Tuesday when the sun crossed the equator line, heading north, also known as the spring equinox.

Another way to put it, the First Day of Spring is when the entire world experiences an equal amount of daylight and darkness.  It only happens twice per year, but right now we are not going to even think about the other time when the sun passes the equally headed south!

What a spring it has been!  One of the brightest most can remember! Spring arrived early and just keeps on making a statement!

What defines spring for you? 

For me spring is when shrubs and trees start blooming, bulbs are adding splashes of color, fescue lawns regain their rich green color, and warm seasons grasses start to break dormancy.

Spring is everything that is happening right now in the Oklahoma City area. 

What are your favorite spring blooming plants?  

Are you like me?  Your favorite is, “All of them!” 

PERENNIALS

Creeping Phlox

Creeping Phlox.  The first to welcome spring each year.  Creeping phlox produces a spring-like carpet in pastel hues of white, lavender, red and pink.  Creeping phlox is a moderate grower that can spread up to 2’ but only reaches 4-6” in height.  It requires full sun but will tolerate a couple hours of shade each day.  Borders, walls, and around boulders are where it looks best.  In my garden, you will find it cascading over a rock retaining wall. It tolerates most soils if it is well drained.  The plant requires little maintenance.  Mites are about the only insect problem it will have.  

Dianthus

Dianthus.   It works well as a border, in small groupings, around boulders or as a single plant reaching 10-15” tall with a spread of 12-24”.  They bloom in late spring in rose, pink, white, red.  They like full sun but will take some dappled shade or afternoon shade.  Just like creeping phlox, they are a cool season lover.  They will grow in most soils, prefer alkaline soils, but waterlogged soil will cause crown and root rot.   Heavy mulching near the crown of the plant can be detrimental. Late March through April and into May is the peak bloom time.  Light feeding in the spring with a complete fertilizer of phosphorus, potassium and low nitrogen is recommended.  Other an occasional aphid or powdery mildew issue, they do not have many problems.  There are more than 300 varieties of dianthus to choose from.  My all-time favorite is ‘Firewitch’.  It has a silver-green foliage with a vibrant pink bloom.

---

SHRUBS

Forsythia.

Forsythia.  Best grown as a specimen shrub where it can show off its naturally stunning shape.  Forsythia’s brilliant yellow flowers are the first to welcome spring.  It performs best planted in full sun and will grow in partial shade, only with less spring blooms.  It is considered a fast grower.  Forsythia adapts well to most soils but prefers well drained.  It rarely has an insect or disease problem.  Pruning should only occur after spring blooms fade.  If you prune later in the year, you will reduce blooms the following spring.  The best way to prune this shrub is to remove older wood all the way to the base of the shrub.  Traditional forsythia will grow to 6-8’ with an 8’ spread and are well suited for large lawns.  If you have a smaller yard, look for one of the newer varieties, such as Gold Tide (Forsythia ‘Courtasol’), a dwarf variety that only reaches 2’ high and spreads to 4’.

The first shrub to bloom…Forsythia

Bridal Wreath Spirea.

Bridal Wreath Spirea.  A medium sized shrub with arching branches covered with an abundance of white cascading flowers in mid spring.  It is a very hardy, heirloom shrub, with no specific pest issues that thrives in well drained soils.  It attracts hummingbirds and butterflies.  To preserve the natural arching shape, avoid sheering but if pruning is needed, it is best done in the spring after blooms fade.  It looks stunning planted in full sun to partial shade in front of darker structures or large hollies.  Spiraea nipponica ‘Snow mound’ is another great variety.

Bridal Wreath Spirea.

Dwarf Flowering Almond.  A somewhat temperamental shrub with wiry branches.  But somehow when it is loaded with pink and white double flowers in early spring you only see it as the perfect plant in your landscape.  They can become messy in appearance without annual pruning after the blooms drop in the spring.  They prefer sun to partial shade and are tolerant of most soils as long as they are not too wet.

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TREES

Oklahoma Redbud.

Redbud.  My all-time favorite “Welcome to Spring” plant.  (You can expect me to dedicate an entire email to this tree every spring.)  Reddish-purple blooms appear on branches before leaves appear.  The ‘Oklahoma’ variety was discovered in the Arbuckle Mountains and known for its glossy, heart shaped, green leaves in the summer.  It grows to 15’-20’.  Prefers full sun but does well as an understory tree in dabbled shade.  For more Redbud love, visit our article from last week!

Redbud.

Oklahoma Redbud

Redbud.

Redbud buds are swelling up!

Red Baron Peach

Bonfire Patio Peach.  With a mature height of 5-6’, its profuse early spring eye-level pink blooms are a real head turner.  The dark red to burgundy summer foliage keeps the interest going all season long. The small tree performs best if it receives at least 6 hours of full sunlight per day. 

Bonfire Patio Peach

‘May Night’ Salvia

‘May Night’ Salvia.  Sage type flower spikes of deep bluish-purple that will add color in April, May, and early June. The best flower show will be in full sun, but it will tolerate a little dappled shade each day.  The plant grows 12-18” tall with flower spikes reaching 24”.  The plant looks great in the middle of the garden planted behind creeping phlox or dianthus, and in front of Shasta daisy or Black-eyed Susan.  The leaves often become tattered later in the summer and become dormant over the winter. Keep faded blooms removed to maximize bloom period and pruning the plants after blooming may result in a few fall blooms. In the early spring, before new growth emerges, remove the dormant foliage.  Salvia tolerates clay soils but will struggle with root rot if the soil stays saturated. 

May Night Salvia

Dianthus and May Night Salvia

Flowering Quince.

Flowering Quince.  Another early bloomer known for adding splashes of red to the landscape.  It also performs best in full sun and tolerates partial shade but with fewer blossoms.  Considered a moderate grower and mid-sized shrub, most varieties reach 4-5’.  It does best if planted where it can grow to its natural size and shape.  If pruning is required, only prune in the spring after blooms have faded.  Flowering Quince is loved by butterflies and hummingbirds. The plant is very draught tolerant once it is established and it will tolerate most soils, but like most plants would enjoy well drained areas.  Another variety, Chaenomeles speciossa Double Take Series has blooms that resemble camellias. 

Flowering Quince buds are staring to pop.

Forsythia buds

Shrubs such as Double Play Candy Corn Spirea add interest to the spring landscape as their new foliage emerges.

Dwarf Flowering Almond

Snowball Bush is another great spring show piece that is just starting to add interest to the landscape.

Oklahoma Redbud

Crabapple.

Crabapple.  There are many varieties of crabapples, but ‘Prairifire’ is one of the best.  It was the Oklahoma Proven tree of the year in 2007.  It is disease resistant and not fazed by most of the problems with crabapples.  Flowers of rose-pink cover the tree as soon as leaves emerge.  Young leaves go from purple-red to dark green as they mature.  Branches have red fruit in the winter. Mature, 20-25’, trees have a rounded top.  Plant in full sun as a specimen tree or in a grouping.  Water extra during periods of extreme heat or draught. 

Ornamental Peach Trees add shades of pink to the March landscape.

Saucer Magnolia.

Saucer Magnolia.  A specimen type tree that reaches 15-20’.  Large blooms put on a spectacular show on multi-trunk spreading branches.  Blooms range from white to pink to purple.  Best if planted in full sun.  Plant away from radiant west or south heat where warm spring days may cause buds to develop too early only to be killed by a late freeze.  They require regular deep watering in the summer months when leaves become tattered looking.  It is best if their roots are protected with a layer of mulch to conserve water in the summer.

Saucer Magnolia.

Saucer Magnolia

Spring Bulbs

One of my favorite ways to declare spring is Hyacinths, Daffodils and Tulips!

Last October we wrote about spring flower bulbs, “Plan Now. Plant Next Month. Enjoy Next Spring.”

If you were inspired and added spring flowering bulbs to their landscapes, you have been enjoying a spring full of color.  Bulbs started blooming early and just keep adding color.

Open your calendar right now to October and write “Plan spring bulb planting!”

The bright red spring leaves of Japanese Maples are sure to catch your attention.

A friend told the story this week of an employee in a business greeting him with “What has brought you joy today?”  

What a wonderful greeting!

We hope, as the landscape burst with new life, you find joy in the beauty God creates for us every spring.

Don’t let the busyness of life rob you of the joy of spring!

Get outside.  Go on a walk.  Visit a park. 

Add a new plant to your landscape!

Spring is here!

Lorne Hall

Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape

(405)367-3873

Oklahoma's State Tree... the Redbud!

Wow!  Are we not experiencing a wonderful early spring color show this year?  

I love the burst of color new life brings every spring!

The most dynamic of all the spring blooming trees right now is none other than our Oklahoma State Tree, the Redbud!

You have to love some of Oklahoma’s crazy state symbols: 

• Our state floral emblem is Mistletoe.  Really?  Mistletoe is an unwanted parasite that harms trees. 

• Our state vegetable is the Watermelon.  Watermelon?  Watermelon is a vegetable?  Well, come July I’ll be eating a lot of vegetables! 

But, when it comes to a state tree, Oklahoma couldn’t have selected a better tree. 

 There is no better flowering tree than the Redbud, especially the ‘Oklahoma’ Redbud.

Michael Dirr, easily considered America’s leading woody plant expert, wrote in his textbook Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs about Redbuds:

“No equal, no competitor, can be found among small flowering landscape trees – the stage is reserved for this native species.”

 I agree!

Eastern Redbuds are native to the Eastern US from Massachusetts to Florida extending west to Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.  In the native landscape, you typically see them as understory trees in wooded areas. 

From mid-March to early April, you can’t miss them.  Their pink to lavender flowers brighten the landscape before leaves bud on most trees.  They grow in full sun and partial shade.  They tolerate clay, loam, and sandy soils.  They adapt to a wide range of soil pH as well as soil moisture. 
 
But the native Eastern Redbud has its shortcomings.  During the summer, the leaves are a disappointment in Oklahoma.  The hot winds of July and August leave the native Redbud leaves tattered and bruised. 

 Thankfully, Oklahoma has an answer to the Eastern Redbud – the ‘Oklahoma’ Redbud, Cercis Canadensis var. texensis ‘Oklahoma’. 

The ‘Oklahoma’ Redbud has a deeper purple color bloom and a waxy, thick, dark green, heart-shaped leaf.  The ‘Oklahoma’ is far richer in color in the spring and carries beautiful foliage through the hottest of summers.  In the fall, the leaves turn golden yellow. 
 
‘Oklahoma’ Redbuds can be used in every imaginable landscape application.  They are excellent lawn trees.  They are dynamic in groupings.  And they add interest to landscape beds. 
 
Redbuds grow 15-18’ tall and have a spread of 15’ at maturity.  Their small tree nature tends to produce a low branching, rounded top-growing pattern. 
 
The Redbud rooting pattern can lead to difficulty in transplanting.  When selecting a balled and burlap tree, it is best if the tree is harvested and replanted during the dormant season.  I good size to start with is a 1.5” to 2” caliper tree.  If you are planting a Redbud during the growing season, I would recommend purchasing a container grown tree, as there is less transplant shock. 

A redbud in Oklahoma City that is starting to bud this week.

Other varieties of Redbud include:

• ‘Forest Pansy’ which has a shimmering, reddish-purple leaf.  This Redbud is a real winner in the spring.  But, in the early summer the leaves fade worse than the Eastern Redbud leaves.  If you decide to try this variety, select a place in your landscape where the tree will be shielded from the hot west sun and southern winds.

• ‘Texas Whitebud’ is a white blooming variety of the ‘Oklahoma’.  It also has waxy, dark green leaves through the summer.

• 'Avondale' is a little smaller, reaching only 10-12' in height and width.  It is one of the most profuse flowering redbuds with very showy dark rose-purple flowers.  It also has a glossy, heart-shaped leaf.

• 'Lavender Twist' is a weeping redbud with rosy-pink flowers.  The umbrella branching pattern only reaches 5-6' tall making it a good specimen for a focal point in the landscape.  

• 'Merlot' is a new hybrid with dark foliage similar to the 'forest pansy' but has glossier leaves that take the summer heat similar to the 'Oklahoma' redbud.  

• ‘Rising Sun’ rosy-lavender flowers and traditional heart shaped leaves that turn from yellow to orange maturing to lime green during the summer.  Reaches 8-10’ in height with an 8’ spread.

• ‘Flame Thrower’ a new cultivar, a cross between the Rising Sun and a weeping Redbud, introduced by North Caroline State University.  Individual leaves transition from purple to red to reddish-bronze and finally to yellow-green as they mature. 

For more Redbud varieties, click this link  https://www.monrovia.com/search/?q=redbud. 

‘Rising Sun’

Texas Whitebud

Flame Thrower

‘Rising Sun’

One final reason why I think the Redbud is one of our best trees – 

It blooms only on the old wood! Stop and look at one.  You will notice that the last 6-12” of each branch doesn’t have any blooms.  All of last year’s growth is void of color.  All the color is on the two-year and older wood, occasionally even the trunk will bloom.  Typically trees and shrubs bloom on the end of the branches.  Early blooming plants bloom on the growth from last year, such as azalea.  Summer bloomers, such as the Crape Myrtle, bloom on the new growth from the spring.  The Redbud is unique in only blooming on wood at least one year old.
 
Jim Paluch in his book, Leaving a Legacy, tells the story of seven senior citizens who discover the magic of the Redbud blooming only on old wood.  They were inspired to not spend their later years withering away.  They asked, “If a Redbud can bloom on its old wood, why can’t we?”  The seven men struck out to make a difference in their community during their elder years.
 
 

It’s spring… 

Redbuds are blooming…

Time to get outside…

Take a walk around your neighborhood…

Go on a bike ride…

Take a drive...

Better yet, go on a Redbud Scavenger hunt:

• Find the Redbud with the most dynamic color.

• Find the best Redbud in a landscape planting.

• Find the best Redbud in a native setting. 

Pictures please!

Lorne Hall

Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape

(405)367-3873

PICTURE OF THE WEEK:

A Royal Raindrops Crabapple in a Hall | Stewart customer’s lawn just starting to put on a spring show. When it reaches full bloom it will be covered with pink to red flowers. Foliage emerges with a wine red color and matures with burgundy tones in the summer.

March Lawn & Landscape Tips

March!  March, the month all of us lawn and landscape enthusiasts celebrate spring. 

March, the month being outdoors on your lawn, in your landscape and on your patio returns! 

March, the month full of rollercoaster temperatures!  Ouch, really?  Did we have to go there? 

But it’s true.  All the sunny 65 and over days make the occasional below freezing, winterish night hard to bear. 

Oh, I’m not talking about you and me, I’m talking about your lawn and landscape. 

Tulips are putting on an early show this spring.

One of the hardest things for your lawn and plants is to arrive at the point of buds popping, flowers bursting, and lawns breaking dormancy… and WHAM! another wintry night arrives!

Spring is arriving early this year, much earlier than the last two years.  A few years back we had a warm February, an early spring, followed by a very cool late March with a freeze.  When the freeze arrived many plants and even warm season lawns, with tender young growth, were knocked back.  That year it wasn’t until mid-May before lawns and many plants snapped out of it.

The best spring for your lawn and landscape, and yes for you too, is once we reach the point of buds swelling, green shoots appearing in the lawn, and early spring plants gracing our world with bright colors; the roller coaster temperature swings are more like a kiddy coaster and less like Six Flag’s Texas Giant. 

So, get outside.  Enjoy all the wonderful days.  Do something in your lawn and landscape. Just don’t jump the gun on planting tender annuals just yet.

Here are a few lawn and landscape tasks you should tackle this month:

Spring flowering bulbs, like these daffodils, are already cheering on the arrival of spring.

Daffodils are loving the early spring.

The bright yellow of Forsythia is a show stopper!

Spring Lawn Maintenance – Get the mower out and get started.  It is much easier to remove the winter damaged leaf blades before the turf begins to green-up.  Remember, scalping on the lowest setting isn’t required and isn’t recommended.  Simply mow the lawn at the height you plan to start the mowing season. 

For most Bermuda lawns, the second setting is recommended.  For fescue, start on the second or third notch on your mower. 

We are often asked about dethatching at this time of year. 

What is dethatching?  Dethatching is the removal of excessive thatch that builds up on the soil surface by using a vertical power rake.

But, unless you have a thick layer of ½-1” or more of thatch, dethatching causes more damage to the crown of the plants than it does good.  So, with only a few exceptions, the best method for reducing thatch is an initial spring lawn maintenance followed by aeration after spring green-up.  Unnecessary dethatching and scalping the lawn too low removes the canopy opening the lawn up to disease and weeds.

Need more info on the first mowing of the season? Check out last week’s post. 

If you haven't already, cut your fescue lawn to remove the freeze damaged leaf tips and soon the lawn will return to full color and start growing.

Lawn Maintenance – With so many warm days, soil temperatures reaching into the low 50’s, and the occasional rains, fescue lawns are regaining color every day.  Start your cool season lawn off right by maintaining it at 2 ½ - 3”.  When it starts growing mow frequently enough that you are never removing more than 1/3 of the leaf blade per cutting.  So, if you plan to maintain a 3” level, don’t allow the lawn to grow past 4.5” without giving it a trim. 

If you have warm season turf, Bermuda or zoysia, after you cut the lawn for the first time to remove the brown winter damaged leaf blades, most likely you can put off regularly scheduled lawn mowing until April.

Saucer Magnolia is a small deciduous tree with saucer-shaped white, pink or purple blooms in early spring. It makes a great specimen tree from the spectacular spring blooms to its spreading, multi-trucked shape.

Tulips have started blooming...2-3 weeks ahead of normal.

Saucer Magnolia is a spring favorite. 

Headed to Dallas in the next few weeks?  Add the Dallas Arboretum to your places to visit during their spring Dallas Blooms event, now through April 8th.

One of the first shrubs to announce spring is forsythia. Interesting tidbit: when forsythia starts blooming it is an indicator that crabgrass has started germinating. 

Lawn Weed Control – Summer annual weeds begin germinating when soil temperatures consistently reach 55 degrees.  All the above normal temperatures have soil temperatures hanging out around 50 degrees.  Unless we see an extended cold spell, we are on course to see soil temperatues consistently reach 55 degrees by mid-March.   

If you have not applied the first spring pre-emergent yet, please do so by mid-March.  Whether you apply a pre-emergent yourself, or we do it for you, always follow instructions.  Watering is a required step to move the herbicide into the top ½” of soil.

Want to know what crabgrass will do to your lawn this summer if you don’t apply a pre-emergent? 

This is the month landscapes are filled with the bright pinkish-red colors of Redbuds, the Oklahoma State tree

Bed Weed Control – March is an excellent month to apply a plant safe pre-emergent to your landscape plantings.  Use caution in selecting the product to make sure it is safe for your plants.  When possible, select a granular pre-emergent mixed with a fertilizer containing approximately 20% nitrogen. Doing so will give your plants a good spring feeding while preventing weeds at the same time.

Lawn Fertilization – This month is a good time to start fertilizing your cool season lawns.  Use a fertilizer with 25-30% nitrogen.  Cool season lawns need to be feed more in the spring and fall when they are actively growing, and less in the summer. 

If you have a warm season lawn, wait until lawns have greened up to apply the first fertilizer application. 

Hyacinth is one of the first spring blooming bulbs to add splashes of color to the landscape.

Mulch – Spring is a great time to mulch your landscape plantings.  Maintaining a 2” layer of organic mulch will reduce weed population, retain soil moisture, and provide a more consistent soil temperature for plant roots.  I find adding mulch an easier task in the spring when I am cleaning my landscape plantings for the first time. 

Irrigation – It is always important to monitor rainfall and water based on need.  Continue the best practice of watering anytime we go a week without a ½” of rain.  If possible, wait as long as possible to start watering every other day.  You will save both water and money if you water on an as needed basis for the next couple of months.

One sign of how early the spring is this year…Hydrangeas are already budding. As long as we don’t get another hard freeze, this should be spring full of color.

Flowering Quince with bright orange to red flowers is one of the first shrubs to declare spring.

Spring Seasonal Color – Pansies are the toughest winter annual color, but it is common for them to look a little freeze burned after the winter.  With the early spring, as long as the crown was not damaged, they are returning to life and blooming.  The great thing about pansies is they add color to the spring landscape until it is warm enough to plant summer annuals.    

Wait till April to plant impatient, begonia, geranium, etc.  And remember most summer annuals need the warmer soil temperatures of late April or May before they are planted.  If you get in a hurry, you will end up planting your summer annual color twice.  When planting remember most plants prefer well drained, organic soil and would prefer you add compost when planting.

Seeding Fescue – March is the second-best time to overseed fescue. But it comes in a very distant second to seeding in the fall.  Spring seeded fescue will come up very well and look very good till the summer heat arrives - then it fades quickly.  Fescue, being a cool season grass, will not establish a sustainable root system when planted in the spring.  Give your fescue lawn a chance to green up first to get a better feel on the overall condition of the lawn.  If still feel you have bare areas that need to be addressed now, seed this month but still plan on seeding again in the fall.  In most cases waiting till fall to seed is best. Fall seeding allows you to focus on weed prevention and turf development in the spring and turf establishment in the fall when it is best.

Creeping phlox is one of the first perennials to burst with color in the spring.  

Pruning – March is the time to do heavy pruning on your roses.  March is also the best time to make a major reduction in the size of hollies, boxwoods and most broadleaf evergreens.  Before spring growth arrives, you can successfully remove all the foliage back to the central leader if needed.

If you need help with any of your lawn and landscape tasks, or just have a few questions, please don’t hesitate to give us a call.  

Lorne Hall

Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape

(405)367-3873

The First Ritual of Spring

For many lawn enthusiasts the first ritual of spring isn’t seeing their first flowering shrub, it is the first time they fire up their lawn mower.

When February delivers as many spring like days as it has this year, the questions about the first lawn mowing are abundant.    

Let’s cover some of the most common first lawn mowing questions we field:

When is the right time for spring lawn maintenance? 

The best time is between the last week of February and mid-March.  The goal is to do it after the last chance for extended cold weather and before spring green up. 

How low do I need to cut the lawn the first time?

This will be the most often asked question over the next few weeks.

The old rule was to cut the lawn as short as the mower would go.  Homeowners would brag about getting the lawn shorter than their neighbor.  The more dirt exposed, the better. 

But why?   What is the purpose of scalping your lawn to the dirt?  Is that the best thing for your lawn?

The practice of scalping your lawn in the spring on the lowest setting isn’t needed and isn’t beneficial for your lawn.

But there is something you should do every spring – the initial spring lawn maintenance. 

It is common for Fescue to end up over 3” tall. 1.5-2” is a good starting height in the spring.

Spring lawn maintenance is the process of cutting the lawn to the height you plan to start mowing this spring. The purpose is to remove the cold damaged leaf blades allowing the crown, stolons, and rhizomes to grow. It is not good to cut the lawn so short you see dirt.

What is the difference? 

Lawn scalping is setting your mower on the lowest setting, cutting the lawn as short as possible, often exposing some soil in the process.  But, anytime you expose dirt in your lawn you are opening the opportunity for more weeds to germinate.  And, when you scalp as low as possible you run the risk of damaging the plant crown.  Damage to the crown will result in a weaker root system and a stressed lawn through spring and into the early summer. 

Spring Lawn Maintenance is the practice of setting your mower height at or just below the height you plan to start mowing for the season.  This sets the lawn up for you to  gradually increase the cutting height through the spring and summer with your lawn reaching its maximum height during the heat of late summer. If you plan to start your lawn off for the season on the second notch on your mower, then do the initial spring lawn maintenance at the same height.

Often Bermuda lawns end the season at 2-3” tall. Cutting it down to 1” is a good place to start the season.

Warm season turfs, Bermuda and Zoyia, go completely dormant during the winter, so removing the brown leaf blades is necessary.  The leaf blades (grass shoots) are damaged by the winter freezes and do not green back up.  In the spring, the crown, stolon, and tillers will green back up.  So, only leaf blades need to be removed, not the crown or stolon.

Fescue lawn before Spring Lawn Maintenance has removed the freeze damaged grass tips.

Fescue lawn after Spring Lawn Maintenance.

Should I remove the clippings or leave them on the lawn?

Bag the clippings or rake them up after mowing.  Removing the clippings is always a good practice anytime you are removing more than 1/3 of the grass blade in one mowing whether it is dormant or green.

Fescue lawn 3 weeks after Spring Lawn Maintenance

If I have a cool season lawn (fescue or rye), is spring lawn maintenance needed? 

For the best spring green up, I would recommend mowing the lawn a little shorter than you left it at the end of last season.  Fescue and rye leaf blades often have brown tips from the winter cold.  If you remove the brown leaf tips soon, your lawn will develop better color quickly as soil temperatures warm.

If you have a fescue lawn, in the next couple of weeks cut your lawn a little shorter than you left it in the fall to remove the freeze damaged leaf blades.

Should I dethatch the lawn? 

Dethatching is the process of removing excess thatch.  Thatch is the layer of undecomposed grass clippings that builds up on the soil surface.  When your lawn is healthy and you are mowing often enough, you should not have thatch build up.  This is even true if you do not catch your clippings during the growing season.  But, if you have a layer of more than 1” of thatch, dethatching is recommended.  Use a verti-cutter, also known as a power rake, to remove the thatch before spring green up.  Excessive thatch stops air, nutrients, and water from reaching the root zone and results in a shallow rooted turf. 

Aeration, after spring green up, is also an effective way of removing thatch and has the added benefit of reducing soil compaction.

In most cases, spring lawn maintenance followed by aeration after spring green up will cure thatch problems.  In over 30 years in the lawn and landscape industry, I have only seen a handful of lawns with excessive thatch problems to the point that dethatching was required.

Best Practice for Bermuda Lawns  – Anytime in the next 3 weeks, cut the lawn on your mower’s next to lowest setting and remove the clippings.  Plan to aerate your lawn in April – June to reduce compaction, improve soil structure, and move organic material into the root zone.

Best Practice for Fescue Lawns – In the next 3 weeks, cut your lawn a little lower than you left it in the fall to remove the freeze damaged leaf blades, then be ready to resume weekly mowing in mid-March. 

If you have any questions concerning the practice of spring lawn maintenance vs scalping, send us an email or give us a call. 

Our goal is to help you get your lawn off to its best start this spring.

Lorne Hall

Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape

(405)367-3873

When is the Right Time to Apply a Pre-Emergent Herbicide?

The short answer – 

• Before weeds germinate. 

Ok, maybe we need the long answer –

The window for applying the first pre-emergent application is broad. 

• If you have already had your first application, it was done at the right time. 

• If you have not had your first application, you are NOT too late.

Summer annual weeds begin to germinate when soil temperatures reach 55 degrees.  Mid-March is the normal time for soil temperatures to reach 55 degrees.  We have seen years when soil temperatures didn’t reach 55 degrees until the last few days of March, which is what happened the last two years.  And, on occasion, we have years when soil temperatures reach the point of summer annual weed germination the first week of March. 

Pre-emergent herbicides create a blanket over a lawn preventing seeds from germinating on the soil surface.  Pre-emergent weed controls are designed to stop weed seeds from germinating.  So, as long as they are applied before weeds germinate, the timing is perfect. 

To be on the safe side, the best practice is to have the first application of pre-emergent herbicides on your lawn by the first week of March.

The warmer than normal temperatures since the first of February have convinced some tulips it is time for spring.

This year, we experienced a colder than normal January with temperatures below normal 21 of 31 days.  Then, the switch got flipped at the start of February with 11 of the 17 days so far this month with temperatures above average. 

Trees, shrubs and even tulips are starting to think spring has arrived. 

And, based on the phone calls to our office this week, the feeling of spring in the air also has many wondering if they missed the opportunity to put down a pre-emergent this year. 

You haven’t.  Soil temperatures are still well below 55 degrees.

The current 3-Day Average Soil Temperature in the Oklahoma City area is 45 degrees, 10 degrees below the temperature required for summer annual weeds to start germinating.

So….  If you have already had your first application, it was done at the right time. 

And, if you have not had your first application, you are not too late! 

Cold spells, like yesterday and today’s morning temps in the 20’s, are very common throughout February.  We can expect soil temperatures to range between the mid-40’s and low 50’s in the next couple of weeks. 

So, when is the right time to apply a pre-emergent herbicide to prevent summer annual weeds? 

Anytime in January, February or early March before weeds germinate.

There is one very important factor when it comes to the effectiveness of a pre-emergent no matter when you apply it…. Water! 

A critical factor in the effectiveness of a pre-emergent application is water.

Because crabgrass is an annual grassy weed, without a spring pre-emergent even the best lawns will have crabgrass this summer.

Watering in the application activates the herbicide creating a barrier.  A best practice is to water within 2-3 days of when the application is made.  But, quality herbicides still retain effectiveness as long as they are watered in within 10-14 days.    

Good news this winter… Since early January metro area lawns have benefited from 4 to 5 really good winter rainfalls, just right for moving pre-emergent herbicide into the soil creating a barrier against weed germination.   

There are a lot of factors that go into creating your best lawn, but the most critical at this time of year is the application of the spring pre-emergent before weeds germinate.

One indicator that soil temperatures are warm enough for summer annual weeds to start germinating is bright yellow blooms of forsythia.

Even though we have had plenty of spring like days, forsythia has not started to burst with yellow yet.

Two More Important Weed Control Details:

1.     Pre-emergent herbicides are not designed to control existing weeds in your lawn.  If you have weeds in your lawn now, a post-emergent grassy weed killer or a broadleaf weed killer must be applied.  Weeds commonly present in lawns now are winter annuals best prevented with the fall and early winter pre-emergent applications.  Control now is possible, but the sooner an application is made, the better the results will be.

Best Practice – A clean lawn in January and February is the result of effective fall pre-emergent applications.

The best way to have a weed free lawn in February is to never skip the fall pre-emergent applications.

 2.     The pre-emergent barrier gradually weakens over the season from foot traffic, mowing and periods of heavy rain.  The edges of the lawn are the first to break down.  Additionally, summer annual weeds continue to germinate throughout the season.  It is recommended a second pre-emergent application be made mid-March to early May for season long prevention.

Best Practice – A second pre-emergent application 6-8 weeks after the first application will provide season long prevention of summer annual weeds.

So, when is the right time to apply a pre-emergent herbicide?

If you have received the first application of the season, you did it at the right time.

If you have yet to receive the first application, you perfect…there is still time to prevent summer annual weeds! 

If you have any questions about pre-emergent applications, please give us a call!

Lorne Hall

Hall | Stewart Lawn & Landscape

(405)367-3873