Scapes March Update
It is already March 1st and it seems more like March 20th! The spring blooming plants together with the late blooming Winter plants have made the last 2 weeks beautiful! I don’t remember ever seeing Camellias blooming with Cherry trees or Bradford Pear Trees blooming in February. It looks like so far, we are at least 3 weeks ahead of normal bloom time. Those of us who have lived in Georgia for a long time know that most likely winter is not over for us. If we get temperatures close to 30 degrees we will see some damage. If the temperatures drop into the 20’s to teens after everything is leafed out, we could see some significant damage to plants.
With everything happening faster this year, we are very busy now with all the remaining Spring tasks to complete.
Starting next week, your property will be serviced every week through September.
Our intention with the schedule is to keep the same foreman and service day each week, unless there is some unforeseen circumstance like weather or illness.
The crews will finish up any remaining Spring pruning this month. You may see the crews doing some pocket pruning on your plants this time of year. This process is when we make some deep cuts to any dense shrubs to allow light and air into the interior of the plant promoting good plant health.
We have already begun spreading a balanced fertilizer around all ornamental trees and shrubs as well as treating all open bed areas with a pre-emergent weed control to control warm season weed seed germination. We are still in the process of applying systemic pest control to plants that are prone to attacks or ones that have had issues in the past.
Lowering all warm season turf will be done this month. Due to the recent warm temperatures, warm season grass has already started sending up new growth. The crew will be cutting to remove the top layer of dead grass from last year, exposing the new green grass underneath. Please let us know if you see any suspicious areas that look like fungus could be starting. Warm wet weather is the perfect condition for fungus to grow.
Irrigation audits and system startups have begun this week. We will be turning the water back on at the main line, running through each zone checking for leaks, malfunctions, and broken heads. Head adjustments will be made as needed for best plant coverage. The controller will be left in the off position due to the current excessive amount of rain. I will let you know when the controller needs to be turned on for the season. You will be notified when we will be in your area and need access to your controller. If there are any issues requiring further work at an additional cost, we will let you know and send a proposal for repair.
If you have not already, I would encourage you to install a layer of mulch or pinestraw in all planting beds to help with weed control and to help plants retain moisture going into the warm months.
Flower proposals will be sent next week. Spring seasonal color install begins in April. If you would like us to install flowers this year and you have not had them in the past, let us know and we would be happy to make some suggestions!
As always, we appreciate your business and I am always available to walk your property with you at your convenience.
Tammy McDowell
Scapes Landscape Management Client Care