There are disadvantages and advantages to pruning spring-flowering shrubs in the fall.  Shrubs that bloom in early spring set their buds in the fall, and when pruned those buds are removed so they are unable to bloom in the fall.  The disadvantage to this is that your shrub will not bloom in the spring.  The advantage, however, is that it is easier to see the shape of the shrub when there are no leaves.

We prune Azaleas, Magnolia, and Indian Hawthorn bushes in the spring, after they have bloomed.

Evergreen Lawn Care of Gainesville is a full service lawn care company.  For more information call us or visit us online.

For cut flowers later in the spring, plant bulbs such as lily, and iris now as well. The Louisiana iris has a beautiful flower and offers many sizes and colors.

For vegetables, continue planting warm season vegetables in April. Okra and cucumber are perfect to plant right now.  Don’t forget to mulch your garden very well in order to prevent weeds, and provide plenty of water to your plants if April ends up being dry.

April is also a good time to prune azaleas as they should finish blooming in the next few weeks. Shrubs that begin to show new spring growth can be pruned. To make sure you save next season’s blooms, start pruning after the last flowers fade but before the new buds set.

1. Remove debris such as sticks, leaves, and dead grass from the bare spot
2. Gently break up the soil in the bare spot with a small trowel or hoe
3. Level the spot so that there’s no low areas where water can collect and pool
4. Spread a small layer of quality top soil over the bare or thin area
5. Evenly spread grass seed over the new soil
6. If you used a lawn seed without a built in fertilizer, apply fertilizer to the new seeds
7. Keep the area moist until the grass matures

If you’re repairing grass that is in a high traffic area, consider re-routing the traffic around that spot with stepping stones so that the new grass thrives and continues to look great.

If your entire yard needs help or you have a large area, consider replacing with sod. Evergreen Lawn Care of Gainesville can quickly and affordably deliver and install sod, or help plant grass seed in bare spots. Call us today!

1. Position your tomato plants so they get as much direct sun as possible. Tomato plants love sunlight, and it’s important for them to get enough sun. If planting on a patio or porch, position the plant so it gets at least six hours of sun.
2. Space your plants out. Make sure each plant has enough room to grow and branch out properly
3. Plant them deep. Plant tomatoes so that a full 2/3 of the plant is underground. This means if you buy a 12” tall plant, only 4 inches should be exposed after planting.
   Tomatoes sprout their roots all along the buried stem, so they will grow stronger and be able to support more fruit and survive in the hot Florida sun.
4. Water, water, water! Make sure you water your tomatoes frequently as they grow. When the fruit is nearly ready, cut back on the watering to produce a sweeter tomato.
5. Remove the bottom leaves. After your tomato plant has been in the ground for a few days, remove the bottom leaves that are within 1” of the ground. This will cut back on the chances of fungus attacking your plant.

Tomatoes are one of the easiest plants to grow in Gainesville. There are many varieties available at every garden center right now! Evergreen Lawn Care serves Gainesville and the surrounding communities.

Aeration is the process of removing hundreds or thousands of plugs from your lawn. These plugs are about 2 inches deep and three-fourths-of-an-inch wide. Evergreen Lawn Care of Gainesville uses advanced drums that evenly pulls the plugs and deposits them back into your lawn so that they can be reabsorbed by the soil.

Immediate changes in your lawn:

• Fewer puddles and standing water after a heavy rain
• Less watering requiring during dry periods
• Helps prevent fertilizer and pesticide run-off

How do you know when your lawn needs aeration? Remove a section of your lawn that is about 6 inches deep. If the grass roots only extend 1-2 inches deep, your soil is compacted and needs to be aerated.

Organic fertilizers are generally the same chemicals and elements, but are minimally processed and packaged in their original form. For example, an organic fertilizer that contains nitrogen, phosphate, and calcium may contain mostly manure — which has these elements naturally. A chemical fertilizer contains the same elements, but they have been chemically and mechanically processed.

Advantages of Organic Fertilizer:

• As organic fertilizers break down, they improve the ability of your soil to hold water
• They break down slowly, so over fertilizing is usually not a problem
• There are many ways to make your own organic fertilizer using composted manure

Disadvantages of Organic Fertilizer:

• Organic fertilizers don’t work as well in the winter and during droughts.
• Nutrient amounts are not exact, and generally less than that of chemical fertilizers
• Organic fertilizers work slowly – they rely on nature to work, and can take longer than chemical fertilizers.

If making sure you’re doing your part in keeping chemicals out of the earth, organic fertilizers are the way to go. But using chemical fertilizers sparingly can help maintain your lawn and garden year round and during times when your lawn or plants need an extra boost to make it through a difficult season.

You may be surprised to hear that weeds are a natural remedy to those plants that are not growing or are injured. And instead of fighting with natures heeling ways, gardeners can follow these simple steps to creating a beautiful yard, without the unreasonable amount of time weeding.

1. Allow your sleeping weeds to lie.

Every garden contains weed seeds. And while there are several layers of these weed seeds, only those in the top inch or two of soil receive enough sunlight to trigger germination. Every time we begin weeding our yards or gardens we bring new seeds to the surface, like angry little ants in an anthill. So how do we stop weed seeds from continuing to surface? Well it’s simple really. Dig only when it’s imperative to salve a disturbed spot with plants or mulch. In lawns, using a sharp knife or other instrument with a narrow blade minimize soil disturbances. Using these instruments to slice through the roots of dandelions and other weeds sever their feed source.

2. MULCH!

If you like mulch, it is one of the easiest ways to keep weeds from popping up in your yard! Mulch benefits plants by keeping the soil cool and moist and deprives weeds of light! While mulching, it’s important to remember to only mulch about 3 inches deep (anything more will deprive the soil of oxygen). And though sometimes light passes through the mulch, it’s easy to get rid of the weeds by replenishing the mulch as needed.

3. Pull when wet, hoe when dry!

This old saying is wise advice when facing weeds. After a drenching rain is the best time to get dirty and pull those old weeds up. You can use anything that will pull these little pesky thugs such as an old table fork. Under dry conditions weeds sliced off just below the soil line promptly shrivel up and die. Here you can use an old table knife to sever the weeds from their roots.

4. Off with their Heads!

Unfortunately you can’t always remove weeds, but the next best thing is chopping off their heads! Cutting back the tops of perennial weeds, like bindweed, reduces reseeding and forces them to start using their reserve “food” to continue life. After a while their supply is limited and reduces their chance of spreading.

5. Get rid of those gaps!

Another super easy way to keep weeds from growing is of course, denying them light! You can do this by planting certain plants closer together creating more shaded areas and less weed growth. However, follow spacing recommendations so as not to overlap plants as they mature to their full size.

6. Don’t water those suckers!

Remember, watering weeds allows them to grow, so in order to deprive them of growth, deprive them of water. Set boundaries around the plants you want watered so as not to give them what they need. Placing a drip or soaker hose beneath mulch efficiently irrigates plants.

Along with these strategies, always look into using organic matter to rid your garden of weeds. Soil scientists know that fewer weed seeds germinate when surrounded by organic matter or soil that contains fresh infusions of good compost. And organic matter helps heal plants in need!

Most people tend to “over care,” for their lawn manicuring so much that it destroys the yard. However, having a beautiful lawn is only 3 simple steps away, and it doesn’t involve as much as you may think.

Fertilizing

Fertilizing a yard requires the proper type of fertilizer for your lawn and applying it at the correct time. There are several different types of fertilizers for different types of grasses, so consider the following before selecting and applying fertilizer to your yard.

• Test your soil for nutrient levels
• Buy fertilizer that can be used on Urban Turf
• Don’t use fertilizer designed for flowers or gardens
• Apply fertilizer maximum of one pound of nitrogen for every 1000 square feet
• Apply during the summer when your grass grows the most and can retain more nutrients

Mowing

Everyone knows mowing can be a pain (we don’t understand that feeling) but it is necessary in order to help keep your lawn healthy. Following these tips will help you mow your lawn effectively.

• Do not mow while wet. Not only is it difficult for you but it’s bad for your lawn and your mower
• Keep Mower blades sharp
• Don’t bag your shavings, leave them to retain nutrients to the soil
• Maintain and evenly and high cut

Irrigation

It is not always easy as home owners to know the proper way to water our lawns without over watering them, however following these steps bellow will keep you from over irrigating your lawn.

• Wait until your grass tells you it’s thirsty – signs include footprints showing in the yard, leaf blades folding over and bluish coloring
• Only water our lawn once in a while, but before it shows signs of drought
• Only water about 1/2 inch of water
• Reduce diseases by watering in the morning
• Set sprinkler alarms to follow the seasons

If you follow these rules, your lawn will look beautiful! No longer the eye sore of the block but the beauty!

For more tips like this follow our blog! You won’t be disappointed.

Selecting Your Crepe Myrtle

You may be rushing to get to the store and buy your Crepe Myrtles so as to have a beautiful landscape this summer, but don’t buy impulsively. When looking for the correct plant for your yard look at the tag; make sure you’re buy the correct size and right look you want to achieve.

Crepe Myrtles range in size, some as small as 3 feet, others upwards of 30 feet. Knowing the mature heights of the plant before buying will save you time and your back! Also, if you live a little further north, make sure to select a plant that will survive through those winter months.

Where do you Plant Crepe Myrtles?

There really isn’t a wrong place to plant these beautiful trees. Many people use them to outline a walkway to the front of the homes, or grouped together to make a hedge. And others use them as a focal point for their front yard. No matter where they’re planted they will greet guests with Southern Charm.

Be cautious when planting however. Depending upon the size of Crepe Myrtle you select you should allow enough room for growth without encroaching on buildings, power-lines, or walkways. Also remember that these beauty’s LOVE the sun! So make sure to plant them where they will receive ample sunlight.

How to Plant Crepe Myrtles

While this is a post in and of itself (be on the lookout), it is fairly simple to plant your Crepe Myrtles. Late fall to early spring – right now people – is the best time to plant, however many buy during the summer because of their beautiful blooms and that’s alright too. No matter the time you plant, watering your crepe myrtle before planting it is crucial. This will help it take up water and planting. Mulch to conserve moisture and to keep the weeds away.

Last but not Least, How to Prune Crepe Myrtles for More Flowers!

Once Crepe Myrtles have bloomed and shed their first flowers, they will set seed. The small seedpods will begin to weight down the limbs making them sag. If you use a sharp pair of clipper to cut off these seedpods new shoots with buds will quickly appear. This mean you can get a second third or fourth bloom (if temperatures stay warm and you continue to remove spent flowers), which is why use Southerners LOVE these!

For more on how to plan Crepe Myrtles continue to follow! We’ll post that one soon! While waiting follow our blog for more helpful tips to keep your yard beautiful and check out our Facebook for some of our most recent work!

WHERE DO I START IN MY YARD?

Okay, so if you’re a native Floridian like me, you’ve possibly been waiting for this season since the first cold snap back in November…brrr. Not to mention been awaiting days were the sun shines for more than six hours a day (if that) and longing to get out doors without multiple layers on only to shred them off by 3 O’clock in the afternoon. But most importantly, a chance to get outside and play in the yard to prove to yourself that those countless hours spent on Pinterest pinning hundreds of cool yard ideas are going to be put to good use.

See, to me, spring doesn’t just bring more sunlit warmer days, but it brings hope! Hope for all the poor dreary bleak yards everywhere. First things first, before you can start putting together those multiple layer flower beds and start admiring that award winning lawn which of course will be all the envy of the neighbors, you’ve got to find it first, right. You probably no where I’m going with this…raking. I know, I know, after all that raking you did in the fall you’d probably like nothing more than to never see one of those back breakers again, but unfortunately if you want that award winning lawn, or hey just a healthy presentable one you’ve got to start here. Raking not only clears your yard of that unwanted debris but it also does double duty by removing debris and thatch. A small layer of thatch is good because it puts nitrogen back into the soil but too much thatch can produce the perfect habitat for moisture-loving fungi and other pests or pathogens.

Once you’ve found your yard again, it’s a good idea to get your soil tested. Why? Well, think of your lawn like you would your body. Most of us take vitamins to perform our best, your lawn isn’t any different. For example, that patch in that back yard that never seems grows any grass, or that weird yellow circle in the front yard. Plain and simple it’s missing some key nutrient. By preforming a soil test, you can find out exactly what nutrient your problem area is lacking so the area in question can be on its way to perform its best. Soil tests can usually be performed by your local lawn care service or you can go to your local IFIS office and pick up a kit to do it yourself.

Once you have your soil issues under control, the next step will be focusing on stimulating grass growth. If you noticed, I said stimulating the Grass Growth. So, for those of you that are hard core fertilization addicts, stop please! I know this may be hard for some to grasp, but you know how your lawn is ready to green up and grow so are those pesky weeds, so if you over fertilize, guess what’s going to grow tenfold with those super nutrients you just feed into the ground WEEDS..ekkk! Go easy on the fertilizer and use a pre-emergent. Pre-emergent is not a weed killer as much as it is as ‘weed preventer,’ its purpose is to keep the seeds from being able to germinate, and giving your lawn a fighting chance.

Next on the agenda, pruning or lack thereof. Most of us have Azaleas, you know those fluffy evergreen bushes that bloom fragrant pink, purple , and white flowers from late February to early April, leave them be folks. Yes, they look of straggly now, but they are about to be the first sign of new life in your landscape. You never want to prune these precious North Florida staples until about a three week period after they finish blooming in spring. This gives the azaleas plenty of time to make flower buds for next year. If you prune in summer or fall, you’ll cut off the flower buds and assure yourself green blobiness next spring. And when you do execute this operation, please use a good solid pair of “loppers. Now, onto my biggest pet peeve, Crepe Myrtles. If I accomplish anything at all with this article, hopefully I can prevent “Crepe Murder”. Again, like Azaleas, we have an abundance of Crepe Myrtles in Gainesville, and the most common mistake is to whack these beautiful plants into ugly stumps. Point in case below. 

Crepe Myrtles like to be trees but if you like yours a little smaller than you want to just trim the sucker branches and any branches that are not pointing up. Prune them on a 45 º angle 4”-10” inches above the previous year’s cuts. This picture portraits a perfectly manicured Crepe Myrtle. 

The possibilities are endless for your spring yard. These are just a few tips to you get you started. If you need further assistance in beautifying your yard, give us a call at Evergreen Lawn Care of Gainesville Co.