Your home outside the city limits.
It seems like many landowners are jumping on the turf type tall fescue bandwagon, switching from perennial ryegrass and Kentucky bluegrass. It’s understandable - the number of problems that these species have caused many homeowners to look for other options.
It’s difficult to imagine, as we sweat our way through early August, but in just 8 weeks we’ll be talking about early frosts. Fall is a great time to get many landscape tasks accomplished, so here’s a quick rundown of some common landscape projects listed in order of attack. Lawn Seeding August 15th to September 15th is... Continue Reading →
Note - Oscillating sprinklers, as in the image above, are one of the least efficient ways to water a landscape, due to the amount of water lost to evaporation. It feels like August's "dog days of summer" are already here, as we and our landscapes suffer through a continuation of July's hot and dry conditions.... Continue Reading →
In the summer, on an acreage or in town, it’s important to make every drop count.
What are grubs? Almost every gardener has seen grub larvae in the soil while installing new plants or tilling the vegetable garden. The term "white grub" actually encompasses the larval stage of several scarab beetles, the most common, and most damaging, being the June beetle or masked chafer and the Japanese beetle. Less well-known are... Continue Reading →
In the last week or two, have you started to see light yellowish-green grass-like plants in your lawn or landscape beds? Guess what? You may have yellow nutsedge and it's started growing for another year. IdentificationYellow nutsedge is a member of the sedge family although it closely resembles a grass. In fact it is frequently called... Continue Reading →
After living with COVID-19 for the last five weeks, we all have a basic understanding of the disease, as well as basic practices to keep ourselves safe. Now spring is in full swing, how do these practices apply to the green industry professionals? Directed health measure (DHM) guidelines published by the Nebraska Department of Health... Continue Reading →
It can be a challenge to have a yard that’s perfect for you as well as for your dog. The primary goals are often at odds… a place to run and dig versus the somewhat fragile beauty of seasonal plants. But with a little bit of thoughtful planning, there are ways to accommodate both. Like... Continue Reading →
Traditionally, we think of seeding lawns in either spring (April-May) or fall (August-September). But increasingly, turf specialists are recommending a new option - dormant seeding. With this method, the area is prepared in fall but the seed is not distributed until after the growing season has ended. Seed remains in place, but does not begin to grow until soil temperatures are... Continue Reading →
Especially at this time of year, if you do much gardening and yard work, you’ll be carrying things. If it turns out to be a lot of things, then consider a garden cart, tote or wheelbarrow. The kind of work you’ll be doing, how often and how heavy the load is will help you choose.... Continue Reading →
Some of the largest planted and managed landscapes in our communities are cemeteries. Though they’re not used for recreation or other large—or even small—public events, they’re historical, necessary and deeply valuable both personally and community-wide. Even more, they have to continue into the future and in some cases are already centuries old. They are extremely... Continue Reading →
Fall Lawn Fertilization Fertilization is a critical step in maintaining a healthy, vigorous turf. Applying nitrogen (N) fertilizer in fall promotes turf recovery, but the type of fertilizer used – quick release vs. slow release - should change based on when your applications are made. Early Fall Fertilization From late August to late September, evapotranspiration, or water loss through the grass leaf surface, is still high.... Continue Reading →
