Now that it’s warm and all threats of frost wreaking havoc on your Atlanta Landscape are off, you’re ready to commit to that lush,
green lawn you’ve always wanted. Whether your lawn needs a total makeover or simply needs to have a few bare spots filled, May is a good time to install new sod. By allowing sod to root before the summer begins, the turf has a chance to grow strong before Atlanta’s seriously hot temperatures kick in.

If you are considering putting down sod, there are a few things you should keep in mind before you start:

• Identify the type of grass: Before purchasing sod for your Atlanta lawn, be sure to identify the type of sod you will need if it will be adjoining existing grass. There’s nothing more frustrating than buying and hauling sod home only to find out it’s a different type from your current turf. Also, be mindful that some HOAs have covenants that stipulate the type of grass you can plant.
• Check for shade and drainage issues: Sod will be more successful if it gets plenty of sunlight and if it drains well. If the reason you need to re-sod is because of excessive shade or improper drainage, those issues should be remedied before new sod is installed. That may sometimes mean removing or limbing trees.
• Prepare the Area to be soded: Next, the area in your Atlanta lawn where the sod will be installed should be ridded of weeds, rocks, roots and hard clots of dirt and soil. Turn over the dirt about 4 to 6 inches down and rake in fertilizer, peat, and compost as needed. Make sure the soil is level with no low spots.
• Call stores for availability: This time of year, garden centers and Do-it-yourself stores experience a high demand for sod. It’s a good idea to call first to check availability before you begin your project.
• Start at a straight edge: If you have a straight edge like a driveway or a sidewalk, start there to help keep your lines straight. Remember to leave a 1 inch grade between the height of the driveway or sidewalk and the sod. Stagger pieces similar to a brick pattern using a knife to cut when needed. Sod should be positioned horizontally on slopes.
• Install promptly: Whether your sod is on a pallet or in a roll, try to install promptly storing the extra pieces in the shade until you need them. If you are installing a large area, the pieces remaining on the pallet or roll may need to be sprinkled while you work. Water all pieces within 30 minutes of being installed.
• After installation care: The new sod will need to get about 1 inch of water per day for the first two weeks. It is also advisable to keep pets and people off the new sod while it’s getting established. Mow no more than 1/3 of the height of the grass at each cutting so the turf does not become over-stressed. And finally, aerate at the next opportunity either in the fall or the spring.

The advantages of installing sod in your Atlanta lawn rather than seeding can be tremendous. While it can be a big job, if done right, your lawn can be in barefoot comfortable shape in no time!

With spring here and summer just around the corner, it’s high season for planting and improving your Atlanta landscape! There are so many beautiful flowers and plants to choose from. When deciding which is right for your Atlanta lawn, some considerations include, color scheme, amount of area available for planting, amount of sunlight an area receives throughout the day, drainage patterns, and the level of maintenance that the plants will require. If you have curious young children or pets that will spend a lot of time in your yard, another important consideration is the toxicity of the plants.

While most parents do a pretty good job of warning youngsters about mushrooms, berries, Poison Oak and Poison Ivy in their Atlanta lawn, there are other plants that many people may not know are harmful. For example, the leaves of tomato plants are toxic. If ingested, they can lead to stomach problems and weakness. Other plants that are not child-friendly include: Angel’s Trumpet, Bleeding Heart, Delphinium, and Peonies.

If your family dog is a digger, you might also want to keep in mind that most flower bulbs are poisonous. These include: Tulips, Elephant Ears, Gladiola, Hyacinth, and Jonquils. And this list is not exhaustive. Though many bulbs that you plant in your Atlanta landscape look like onions, they should not be ingested by dogs. Parts of the Lilly, on the other hand, can cause liver failure in cats that munch on the leaves.

One plant that is especially toxic is the Oleander. Every part of the Oleander is toxic. Just one leaf of it could be deadly if ingested by a toddler. And any plant that is dangerous to humans should be assumed to be dangerous to pets as well.

Some common plants that are generally considered safe include: Bee Balm, Brown-eyed Susan, Cana Lillies, Hosta, Astilbe, Forget Me Nots, Coleus, Dahlia, Impatients, Purple Coneflowers, Sunflowers, Snap Dragons and Gardenia. And of course there are many more not mentioned here.

If you have poisonous flowers in your Atlanta landscape, be sure to teach children about staying away from them or build some type of barrier to thwart their involvement with the plants. Also, it’s a good idea to teach babysitters and grandparents that may be supervising the kids in your absence which plants the children should stay away from. Finally, always have the phone number of the Poison Control Center written down where it can be easily found and programmed into your cell phone. Different poisons require very specific actions and the Poison Control Center can tell you exactly what steps need to be taken should you have an emergency.

With a little knowledge and some good planning, your Atlanta landscape can be beautiful and safe for every member of your family to enjoy!

St. Augustine grass is one of the most commonly used turf grasses in the United States, typically found in lawns along the Gulf Coast. Even though it is common in areas with high humidity, lawn care experts say it does not have a high success rate in soils that are waterlogged. Conversely, St. Augustine grass also does not do well in areas where the soil may encounter long bouts of drought. This type of grass also will not thrive in any other areas than those that have mild winter temperatures.

St. Augustine grass endures reasonable shade, being as good or better than other warm season grasses for shaded sites. However, in a heavily shaded environment, St. Augustine grass develops slender, spindly turf. When soil conditions are ideal, St. Augustine is a coarse grass that grows thick and green, making it a favorite among homeowners from the Carolinas down through Florida.

The success of St. Augustine grass, according to lawn care professionals, depends a great deal on mowing, fertilization and watering habits. With the adequate nutrients, proper mowing techniques and regular watering, St. Augustine can become a dense, green and virtually weed-free lawn. Luckily, in the more coastal areas, St. Augustine grass can thrive with little to no watering schedule since the frequent rains take care of its moisture needs.

If you live in an area that is ideal for the necessary growing conditions of St. Augustine grass, contact your local lawn care company and find out how you can bring this beautiful grass to your property this season.

All grass types are susceptible to diseases and weeds, however, there are ways to prevent, deter and combat these issues through proper lawn care techniques. But even with the absolute best care, you cannot guarantee that disease or insects will never be a problem with your St. Augustine lawn.

St. Augustine grass is a sturdy type of turf and is able to assert itself over weeds as long as it is healthy and is receiving adequate care. If St. Augustine grass is left to fend for itself, it may become weak, at which time opportunistic weeds will stop popping up throughout your landscape. This is especially true if the lawn is already infested with insects or has been infected with a disease. St. Augustine turf is usually found to have broadleaf and grassy weeds, however, chickweed, clover and henbit have also been found by lawn care specialists to be a menace to this type of grass. These weeds respond best to hormone-type herbicides that are applied in the early spring. Other weeds such as fescue, crabgrass or annual bluegrass require a different type of treatment that includes precise applications of pre-emergent herbicides.

In addition to fighting off weeds, St. Augustine grass is also susceptible to a number of turfgrass diseases including Helminthosporium, brown patch, SAD, Pythium, gray leaf spot, rust, downy mildew and more. Most of these diseases are caused by the presence of fungi and can be easily controlled by a knowledgeable lawn care company. SAD is a virus disease for which there is no chemical solution, which means only defiant types of St. Augustine grass are resistant to the disease.

Brown patch and gray leaf spot are the most severe diseases caused by fungi infecting St. Augustine turfs. Although these diseases seldom destroy St. Augustine, they weaken and thin the grass to the degree that the lawn is extremely unattractive. Precautionary treatments of fungicides are most effective against these diseases.

To keep your St. Augustine lawn primped and pristine, call your local lawn care provider and ask about their weed and disease control programs.

Most homeowners know what services are necessary for good Atlanta lawn care: proper mowing, aeration, overseeding, adequate hydration and fertilizer. Aeration is one of the most beneficial Atlanta lawn care services, especially if you live in an area that experiences episodes of little to no rainfall. Aerating your Atlanta lawn will allow the water from your irrigation system to reach the grass roots directly and be immediately absorbed. However, even though aeration ensures that your Atlanta lawn and soil are manipulated, you should go one step further and also have your soil periodically tested by a Atlanta lawn care professional.

A soil test is a fairly simple procedure and many Atlanta lawn care companies offer the service for free in conjunction with their Atlanta lawn care programs. The Atlanta lawn care technician will take a small soil sample and have it sent to a lab. A qualified soil expert will examine the sample and look at the pH level (acidity); the presence or absence of such macronutrients as phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen; the presence or absence of such micronutrients as iron, calcium, zinc, boron, manganese, copper and other nutrients that deter weed growth and enhance the Atlanta lawn’s resistance to insect and disease infestations; the soil type, which can help your Atlanta lawn care technician create a preventative plan to reduce the incidence of compaction; and levels of decomposed plant material, also known as thatch.

Once the results are back, your Atlanta lawn care specialists can consult with you on what the best plan of action is regarding your Atlanta lawn care regimen. To schedule a soil analysis, call your local Atlanta lawn care company today.

If there’s a construction slowdown in Atlanta, somebody forgot to tell the fire ants. The tell-tale red mounds are popping up all over Atlanta lawns this season.  They can grow over a foot high and expand several feet in diameter, marring your lawn, and presenting a challenge to your Atlanta landscape. Each mound houses thousands of ants, and the colony grows daily.

That’s the good news. If you have visible mounds on your Atlanta lawn, it’s likely that you also have them in places where you can’t see them like under wood piles, rocks, logs or other static objects in your landscape.

In addition to being a nuisance and giving your lawn a less than tidy look, fire ants can harmful to children and animals that may walk through the mounds accidently, or may be tempted to play with them. When fire ants are disturbed, they swarm, biting the victim and causing a sensation that feels as if one has been burned by fire, thus their name, fire ants.

Where fire ants can really wreak havoc on your Atlanta landscape is by weakening the roots of shrubs and other plants as they tunnel under in their travels.  Because this occurs underground and out of sight, the damage can be done before you even know they are present.

In addition to the spot treatment for fire ants that we provide as a part of every Atlanta lawn care application that we perform, GrassRoots also offers a one-time treatment to keep pesky fire ants off your lawn year-round. This treatment saves you from having to store products throughout the year and from the task of trying to keep up with new mounds as they form. It’s also the best way of as safeguarding your pets and children from wrath of fire ants.

Top Choice, the product we use, contains Fipronil as its active ingredient. This is the same product that’s used by veterinarians everywhere to control ticks and fleas so you can rest assured that it’s completely safe to both animals and humans.

If fire ants are a problem in your Atlanta lawn and landscape, give us a call at 770.917.8200. We’ll be glad to provide a solution for protecting your landscape as well as the special people and pets in your life!

Mother Nature is up to her old tricks again in Atlanta. One week it feels like early spring with the daylilies threatening to come up, and the next week we’re preparing for snow. Though most plants can handle the freezing mark for a few days in a row, some will need extra care to prevent damage.

A gradual decrease in temperatures allows plants to adjust, but a sudden drop can sometimes cause damage to even hardy plants. Fortunately in Georgia, we don’t usually have to deal with temperatures at or below freezing for long periods of time, but when we do, your Atlanta landscape may need a little extra TLC.

The best way to prepare your Atlanta Landscape for cold temperatures is to have healthy plants to start with. Healthy plants withstand the cold much better than unhealthy ones. Also, it’s best not to trim trees and shrubs in the winter. Trimming stimulates new growth which is more vulnerable to the cold.

Potted plants can be protected by bringing them into a basement or a garage until the cold front passes. Potted plants that are too large can be covered in plastic or sheets during the night and then uncovered during the day for sunlight. If the covering material is too heavy, you may have to erect some type of structure to keep the covering from crushing the plant. For smaller plants, a cardboard box can also work as a cover. Mulch will also reduce heat loss.

Some of the plants that need to be protected include: Rhododendrons, Camellias, Azaleas and early flowering plants. Roses can be protected by using mulch and fruit trees will do well if you can wrap the base of their trunks with a towel.

If when looking around at your Atlanta lawn you see a plant that looks as if it’s been damaged by the cold temperatures, don’t be too quick to dig it up. Many plants may look bad on the surface but their root structure is healthy and intact and they will likely regenerate in the spring. But not until it starts warming up outside will you know for sure if a plant will make a comeback after the winter season.

With winter upon us, most of the Atlanta lawn care duties that took up a fair amount of time in the warmer months will no longer be necessary until the ground starts to warm up again. Having used your mower for the last time until spring, there are steps that should be taken to winterize your mower before putting it into storage.

Gas left in the mower can clog the carburetor as it ages spelling trouble down the road. If you store your mower in a basement, let it run until all the gas has been used. If you store it in a garage, you can simply add stabilizer to the gas. You will find gas stabilizer at DIY stores in the lawn and landscaping department.

Next, it’s a good idea to make sure both the deck and the underside of the mower are free of any debris or grass clippings. While the deck is easy to clean, the underside may require a little more effort, but it’s necessary as grass clippings can become trapped and clog the system. When cleaning, take note of any areas where the paint may be chipped so that they can be painted and sealed to avoid rust.

Changing the oil is another step that should be taken to ensure your mower will be in tip-top shape for your Atlanta lawn care and maintenance duties in the spring. It is also a good time to clean or replace the air and fuel filters if your mower has these.

While your equipment is out of commission and you aren’t too busy with your Atlanta lawn care tasks, there are a few maintenance items that aren’t mandatory, but performing them will help extend the life of your mower and aid in getting it ready for heavy use again. Unlike car batteries, running the mower’s engine will not do anything to charge the battery, so it’s a good idea to charge the battery during the winter so it will operate optimally in the spring. Also, after a long cutting season, the blades will need to be sharpened. And finally, prior to emptying the gas, remove the spark plug(s) and put engine oil in the hole where the spark plug(s) reside. Use the rope to crank the mower so the oil can work its way through. Put the spark plug back into place when you are ready to use the mower again in the spring.

With a little bit of elbow grease and time invested, you can ensure that your mower enjoys a long and productive run.

The Atlanta landscape design is glistening with lights and glitter for Christmas. As the winter sets in and our Atlanta landscape goes dormant, Christmas displays bring life to our outdoor spaces and allow homeowners to express their individual style. Electrical lighting plays a big part in the outdoor Christmas decorating scheme, and according to some sources, it has been used since as early as 1912.

Be it nostalgia from their youth, a desire to be more “green” or simply the ability to add to the beauty of their Atlanta landscape, there is an appeal for some people to buy a “live” tree (root ball and all) to use as their indoor tree, and then to later transplant it to outdoors after the New Year. While there may be shrubs and trees in your yard already in place to decorate, the addition of an actual “Christmas tree” will make next year’s outdoor decorating even more fun.

A few types of trees that will thrive best when used as inside Christmas trees this season and then planted outdoors in your Atlanta Landscape to decorate as outside trees next year are: Murray Cypress, Leyland Cypress, Virginia Pine, White Pine and Arizona Cypress. Though Fur, Scotch Pine and Spruce are Christmas tree favorites for many, in Georgia, they’ve proven to do well only in the extreme North Georgia region and other areas more northward than Atlanta.

Here are some tips for successfully planting the tree in your Atlanta landscape after the holiday:

First, placement of the tree is an important consideration. You will want to consider the location of electrical outlets for putting lights on the tree when you decorate it as an outdoor tree next season. Next, if you can dig a hole that will not be hazardous to persons or pets in the yard, it might be a good idea to do so before Christmas while the weather is warmer and the ground isn’t frozen. The hole should be very close in size to the root ball. Be sure when you are digging that you don’t hit cable or utility lines. This is especially important if you will be using landscaping equipment to accomplish this task. It is also important to make sure the roots of the tree stay moist while it is being used as an inside Christmas tree.

When putting the tree in the ground, make sure it is straight before replacing and packing the soil. Some experts agree that it is a good idea to trim the tree by about 1/3 so that the roots system is adequate for handling the tree’s adjustment period back into the ground. During the planting process, be sure to add moisture to the ground and continue to water so that the roots get proper nutrients. Also, a layer of mulch will help ensure that good moisture levels are retained and will also give your Atlanta landscape a more professional look.

As with any tree or shrub, it’s important to check the new planting periodically for signs of fungus, disease or pest infestation as part of your normal Atlanta lawn care and maintenance plan. If you suspect any of these issues, call a professional so a solution can be started before the problem gets out of control.

Finally, have fun with it. The tree that brought you memories this year inside your home will be something wonderful to share with neighbors and passers-by for years to come!

As our landscape turns from the brilliant colors of fall to winter dormancy, many homeowners look forward to the opportunity to enliven their Atlanta landscape with Christmas decorations including outdoor lighting. Not only do outdoor decorations add color at a time when your Atlanta lawn needs it most, they also bring about holiday spirit.

To enjoy a beautiful and safe holiday season, here are some simple tips and reminders for decorating your Atlanta lawn and landscape:

• Always test lights first before hanging. This will save you the trouble of either having to take lights down or figuring out how to manage bulb maintenance in high, tight or hard to reach places after the lights have gone up.
• Replacing burned out or broken bulbs is important. Burned out bulbs force more electricity to the working bulbs, which may cause them to burn out faster or could even lead to a blown fuse.
• Always use a GFI outdoor outlet that is covered and protected from moisture. Running wires from inside the home to the outside is dangerous because it can cause overload, can be a tripping hazard with cords running in the floor or through doorways, and electrical wires may become damaged where they make contact with windows or doors.
• While LED lights are more expensive, they conserve energy and generally last longer. Mini-lights use less energy than the larger C9 or C7 bulbs, but my not last as long. For that reason, it’s smart to buy minis in sets of 50 so they can be easily replaced if a strand goes bad.
• If your decorating task requires the use of a ladder, always make sure the ladder is on a stable, even surface and have someone hold it for you while you are working.
• When hanging lights on the gutters or the house, use plastic clips that are sold at most Do-it-Yourself stores. Stapling and nailing may cause damage to the cords presenting a fire hazard.
• Always use items that were made for outdoor use including outdoor lights, outdoor extension cords and timers that were made for outdoor use.
• The use of a timer to turn the lights off at bedtime will save you on your energy bills and help your bulbs last longer. Also, your neighbors will appreciate not having the lights disrupt their sleep.
• Always keep animals and young children away from electrical cords as they can pose a shock hazard.

Above all, have fun and seize the opportunity to be creative and show your style!