Is the Grass Greener on the Other Side?

My friend was just sharing a story with me the other day about her neighborhood feud over which yard had the greenest grass. Her neighbors were always competing with each other to have the greenest, most golf course like grass. As soon as one neighbor mowed, fertilized or watered his/her yard, the other neighbors would quickly do the same. Apparently, having the greenest yard in her neighborhood, was as coveted as winning a gold medal at the Olympics! Does this story sound familiar to you?

If you are competing for the greenest grass in your neighborhood or if you are just trying to maintain your grass (like most of us), here are a few key tips for fall lawn maintenance according to Heather Rhoades, Gardening Know How:

Keep your grass longer

The first step to a health fall lawn is to know how high to mow grass in fall. During the summer months, the grass should be left longer. Once the cool weather has set back in, you can reduce the cutting height to around 2 – 2 1/2 inches. Any shorter than this, and you will risk killing the grass.

Fall lawn watering

Fall lawn watering is the next component in our lawn care tips for the fall. Normally in the fall, rain fall returns to a decent level. This means that your fall lawn watering needs should be less. Measure the rainfall during the fall months. Make sure that your lawn is getting at least 1 inch of rain a week. If the lawn is not getting at least this much rain a week, supplement with the hose.

Fertilize the lawn in fall

When you fertilize the lawn in fall, you should fertilize once from September to mid-October. After this, the lawn stops taking up nutrients from the soil and prepares for winter. You should fertilize the lawn in fall with a high nitrogen fertilizer. When you fertilize the lawn in fall, your lawn will be better able to survive winter damage and will become greener faster in the spring.

Fall grass seed planting

Fall grass seed planting is an excellent way to fill in the bare spots in your lawn. Typically, fall weather has an ideal about of rain fall and temperatures for grass seed germination. You have two options for fall grass seed planting. You can plant the seeds in September and the grass will germinate and establish this year, or you can plant the seeds after this, and they will stay dormant for the winter and germinate in early spring, when the conditions are ideal as well. The bonus of a late fall grass seed planting is that many of the local birds will have left by then, making the seed less vulnerable to them. Then the winter rain or snow will quickly cover it up until spring.

Follow these lawn care tips for the fall and your lawn will be looking fantastic come next spring!

Questions about your yard/landscape? Please call Matt at (651) 755-7901 or email matt@mcdonoughlandscapingmn.com!

The Power of Trees

I recently came across this quote by Alice Walker and I could not agree more…”In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they’re still beautiful.”

As a landscaping professional, I am obviously quite fond of trees. They can transform the look of a landscape, provide much needed shade to plants and shrubs and provide a sanctuary to those in need of a little peace and quiet. These are just a few of the benefits of trees, but really they have much more power than most people know about.

According to CleanAirGardening.com, trees provide many key benefits to our planet, such as: 

Environmental Benefits

Trees are like the lungs of the planet. They breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen. Additionally, they provide habitat for birds and other wildlife. But that’s not all trees do for us! To see just how much trees are essential to the planet and to humans, let’s look at the following statistics:

CO2 is one of the major contributing elements to the greenhouse effect. Trees trap CO2 from the atmosphere and make carbohydrates that are used for plant growth. They give us oxygen in return. According to ColoradoTree.org, about 800 million tons of carbon are stored in the trees that make up the urban forests of the U.S. This translates to a savings of $22 billion in control costs. Mature trees can absorb roughly 48 pounds of CO2 a year. The tree in turn releases enough oxygen to sustain two human beings.

Trees also help to reduce ozone levels in urban areas. In New York City, a 10 percent increase in urban canopy translated to a reduction of peak ozone levels by around 4 parts per billion. (Source: Luley, Christopher J.; Nowak, David J. 2004. Help Clear the Smog with Your Urban Forest: What You and Your Urban Forest Can Do About Ozone.)

Trees reduce urban runoff and erosion by storing water and breaking the force of rain as it falls. The USDA reports that 100 mature trees can reduce runoff caused by rainfall by up to 100,000 gallons!

Trees also absorb sound and reduce noise pollution. This is especially important for people who live near freeways. In some cases, a well planted group of trees can reduce noise pollution by up to 10 decibels. (Source: New Jersey Forest Service.)

Additionally, trees shade asphalt and trees, reducing what is know as the “Heat Island” effect. The EPA has some great information on how planting trees and other vegetation can help to reduce the urban heat island effect.

 Trees Help Save Energy

Planting trees can also help cool your home in the summer. The Arbor Day Foundation states that the overall effect of the shade created by planting a healthy tree is equivalent to 10 room-size air conditioners running 20 hours a day!

In the winter, trees can act as windbreaks for your home and will help you save on heating costs. The Journal of Horticulture claims that saving on heating costs can reach as much as 25 percent!

Trees shade buildings, streets, and homes. If enough trees are planted in cities, the overall microclimate improves and total energy use for heating and cooling is reduced. The EPA has some great information on how planting trees and other vegetation can help to reduce the overall high temperature of your city!

Social and Economic Benefits

Just being around trees makes you feel good. Can you imagine your community without trees? Trees, especially in urban areas, have numerous social benefits. For example, the addition of trees to a neighborhood or a business district can greatly improve the mental and physical health of residents and workers. In fact, the University of Cambridge did a study on job satisfaction of employees of business with a view of trees from their office. They found that these employees suffered from fewer diseases than workers without a view of trees. See here for more information on the study.

Another example is with children with learning disorders. As a form of therapy, children that suffer from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can benefit from the presence of trees and other greenery. Kids with ADHD have been proven to be calmer, more responsive, and better able to concentrate when in a space with lots of trees. (Source: Taylor, A.F.; Kuo, F.; Sullivan,W. 2001. Coping with ADD: The Surprising Connection to Green Play Settings. Environment and Behavior)

Additionally, have you considered that planting a tree can significantly increase your property values? As an example, the U.S. Tax Court recently calculated a value of 9 percent ($15,000) for the removal of a large black oak on a piece of property valued at $164,500. (Source: Neely, D., ed. 1988. Valuation of Landscape Trees, Shrubs, and Other Plants.)

Houses with trees are also more attractive to visitors, potential buyers, and neighbors. Neighborhoods with lots of trees also report less crime! (Source: Kuo, F.; Sullivan,W. 2001. Environment and Crime in the Inner City: Does Vegetation Reduce Crime? Environment and Behavior 33(3).) There is no doubt that if you plant trees in your community, people will see and feel the difference.

As you can see, it’s clear that trees are essential to our life on the planet. The great thing is that we as humans can play an active role in planting trees to help offset deforestation and urbanization. Not only can you plant trees in your yard, you can also get involved in local tree planting activities on Arbor Day.

Do you have questions about your trees or planting trees, please call Matt at (651) 755-7901 or email matt@mcdonoughlandscapingmn.com

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www.mcdonoughlandscapingmn.com

One of the questions we hear most from our clients is, “Is landscape lighting really worthwhile?” Obviously we are partial to landscape lighting because it’s a service we offer and something we love to help our clients with. That said, there are many benefits to landscape lighting, such as:

1. Security–protect your home and your family by illuminating potential hiding areas around your home and deter unwanted intruders.
2. Safety–welcome your guests by making your paths and walkways clearly visible and avoid potential injuries and insurance claims.
3. Functionality–invite your guests for an evening deck/patio party with functional lighting that sets the right atmosphere and allows you to use outdoor spaces in the evening.
4. Beauty–highlight architectural aspects of your home and/or special features in your garden/landscape. Adding landscape lighting can increase the value of your home by highlighting its beautiful features.
5. Economy–save money with low-voltage lighting which consumes 1/3 less electricity compared to high voltage.

Still unsure if landscape lighting is right for your home and landscape? Call McDonough Landscaping and we will meet with you and set up a demo to show you how a little light can make a big difference to the appearance of your home and landscape, (651)755-7901 or visit us at