Preventing Common Lawn Diseases

Over our 21 plus years in business we have seen how warm wet weather in late spring and summer, combined with overwatering of lawn can cause lawn diseases or fungus. There are two main diseases we see here in Virginia that can all be prevented by good lawn care practices and proper watering.  Tall fescue is the most common turfgrass species in Virginia. The most common and troublesome diseases for tall fescue are brown patch and red thread.

Brown patch

Brown patch occurs most frequently during warm and wet weather, but the lawn typically recov­ers in the fall when managed properly. However, heavy brown patch infestation combined with drought or heat stress can cause the infected areas to die so it is important that it be treated. Brown patch appears as roughly circular patches that are brown, tan, or yellow in color and range from 6” to several feet in diameter.

Red thread

Red thread occurs most frequently in the spring and fall. The symptoms of red thread create an undesirable appearance, however, since the roots of the grass are not infected, the turf will likely recover with a proper lawn care program. Red thread appears as circular patches of tan or pink turf about 4-8 inches in diameter. The bright red to pink mycelial growth of this fungus is plainly visible early in the morning, particularly when the dew is still on the grass. The disease will remain an eyesore as long as cool, moist periods persist, but the fungus only attacks the foliage and rarely will the entire plant die.

There are several lawn care practices that can help prevent lawn diseases and fungus:

·         Fertility: Turfgrass plants are healthier when steady supplies of nutrients are available, as opposed to spikes in nutrient levels that may result in rapid growth. Therefore, having a lawn care program, like our 6-step program, will ensure your lawn receives the nutrients it needs throughout the year to fight off disease.

·         Irrigation: It is impossible to control rainfall, but homeowners do have control over the frequency and duration of lawn irri­gation. The ideal time to irrigate for minimizing disease, is around sunrise. This decreases the leaf wetness period, which is critical for disease development, and rinses the leaves of dew that attract fungi.

·         Mowing height: In most cases, turfgrass that is cut too short is more susceptible to disease. Tall fescue lawns should be between three and four inches, especially during periods of heat and drought stress.

·         Air Movement: Areas with poor air circulation have more turf diseases. Strategic pruning of trees and shrubs is a good way to improve air movement and allow additional sunlight into trouble areas.

·         Fungicide: There are a number of commercially available biological fungicides that may reduce the severity of turfgrass diseases. The majority of these products contain beneficial bacteria or fungi. No biological fungicides tested in Virginia provide complete control of turfgrass diseases. However, several fungicides suppressed dis­eases, such as brown patch and dollar spot, and aided in turfgrass recovery.

Josh Kane Featured in H&D's 100 Top Designers

Josh Kane, Head Designer and President of Kane Landscapes, Inc. was recently featured in Home & Design Magazine's special edition of the 100 Top Designers in DC, MD, and VA. The "100 Top Designers" edition features profiles of the top Architects, Interior Designers and Landscape Designers in the region. In the article Josh explains, “I love designing something that allows people to enjoy their properties so much more. I can take a home that may be boring on the outside and turn it into a home that makes people say ‘Wow!’ when they approach.”

To read the entire article online, go to http://www.handd.com/Portfolio/Directory/josh-kane-listing-573.aspx

Eco-Friendly Native Plants

Many homeowners have a wide variety of plants in their gardens these days including native black-eyed susans, columbine, and viburnum to the non-native wisteria.  However, if you want to make your landscape “green” you should consider having more native plants because of the crucial roll they play in water and energy conservation.  This is because native plants are used to the climate and are able to handle the extremes of the summer and winter.  In addition, they maintain and improve soil conditions, reduce erosion, and provide habitats for wildlife.  Non-native plants, on the other hand, may require more water, fertilizer, and pesticides in order to adapt to the foreign climate, which can increase the amount of harmful run-off that effects our streams, rivers, and estuaries.   In addition, non-native plants must be shipped longer distances, which wastes energy and pollutes the air.  For a list of plants native to Virginia, please visit www.dcr.state.va.us/dnh/native.htm

You Get What You Pay For

We recently had a prospective customer that was looking for landscape installation work tell us that another "company" had quoted him a price that was only 1/2 of what we would charge.  This is not the first time we have run into this scenario, only to have the prospective customer come back a few months later and tell us they need us to repair their landscape.

It really is true what they say..."you get what you pay for." At Kane Landscapes you are paying for a high level of quality, expertise, and customer service.

Quality- From the hgih quality products we use to the latest in equipment and technology, to our extensive training on the best techniques and practices. Not to mentioned we are fully licensed and insured.

Expertise-All of our managers have degrees in Horticulture, Landscape Design, or Landscape Contracting. Plants and landscapes are not our hobby, they are our life.

Customer Service-When you call us, we will answer. If you ask us for something we will respond. We will go above and beyond to make sure you are satisfied.

Here are just a few examples of what you might get if your choose to go with the bargain company:

So next time you need a contractor, ask yourself, do you want to pay a fair amount to have it done the right way the first time, or do you want the best deal that may end up costing you even more in the end?

Safety Topic: Protecting Our Customers' Properties

Luis, Mynor & Ruben after this week's Safety Training

Did you know that Kane Landscapes has won Safety Acheivment Awards from the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) for 8 years in a row? Safety is a top priority for Kane, which is why we conduct weekly saftey trainings. Not only are we concerned for our employees's safety, but also for the safety of our customers and their properties. That is why this week's safety topic is "Protecting Our Customers' Properties".

Our customers' “property” can include their house, deck, porch, sidewalk, fence, cars, plants, grass, etc.  When we begin work on a property, our employees are trained to think about the work we are going to be doing and the potential damage that could be done to a property.  Damage typically comes from four main causes:  flying materials, travel ways, material storage, and operator error.

Flying Materials: Our employees are trained on how material is going to fly away from each tool and piece of equipment that they use to make sure materials are thrown away from the home, property, and people.

Travel Ways:  When beginning a landscape project our employees look at where the work is going to be performed and look at how we are going to get the material/equipment there.  If it is a long distance and/or a lot of trips are required it is best to try to establish some sort of path to reduce the amount of damage and therefore repairs.  If it is a pretty short job site a plywood path may be the best option.  If it is larger project even the plywood will cause damage to the turf causing it to have to be replaced.  So, cutting out the pathway with a sod cutter is the way to go.  When repairing a path it is easier to grade and level soil and lay sod than it is to remove uneven sod then grade, level, and sod.

Material Storage: The most damage caused from material storage is from bulk materials such as mulch or stone.  When dumping a load of bulk materials our employees must always lay a tarp under the load.  The tarp helps protect the surface underneath while dumping, loading, and helps for a quicker cleanup.  A tarp should also always be used when unloading materials from the bed of a truck to help catch extra material. 

Operator Error:  This is the most common type of error.  It is the responsibility of all of our employees to work safely, not only for personal safety but to prevent property damage.  Our employees are trained to wear protective gear appropriate for each task they perform, to operate machinery safely, and to perform all of their work safely and efficiently.