We see it so often driving down the road; some poor homeowner that’s left for work has their own geyser in their front yard from a broken sprinkler head.  Unfortunately that broken sprinkler head can lead to several problems:  increased water bills, dead grass, weeds, disease and the list can go on!

So before spring rolls around and you get caught with your own national monument, you should have your Irrigation System inspected by a professional.  Make sure they check your:

• Timer box – is it set correctly for the type of sprinklers you have, watering restrictions and the amount of water your landscape needs?
• Zone pressure – is there enough pressure to each zone to ensure water is covering the entire zone? 
• Sprinkler head type – do you have the right sprinkler heads for the type of watering your landscape needs?
• Rain sensor – is your rain sensor working properly?  Do you have one installed?
• Zone coverage – are your sprinklers covering the entire zone?  Are they misdirected? Do you need risers installed?

Don’t stop there though!  Irrigation systems require ongoing maintenance and should be maintained and monitored more than once a year (our Irrigation Maintenance Program is quarterly).

Leave Old Faithful where she lies!

This week much of the Southeast is expected to experience freezing temperatures, which can cause severe damage to lawns, trees and shrubs.  Here are a few tips to take when a freeze is in the forecast:

• Irrigate before a frost or freeze to ensure there is proper moisture in the soil root zone, however make sure irrigation is stopped early enough to allow time for leaves to dry to avoid ice forming on them.
• Cover cold-sensitive plants with blankets or boxes, but not plastic.  Be sure to remove the covering as soon as the temperatures begin to warm up.
• Do not mow turf that is frozen, and keep the lawn mowed high.  This can reduce cold injury in two ways.  First, it will promote a deeper root system that will provide greater stress tolerance.  Second, it will create a warmer micro-environment within the lawn.
• Avoid foot traffic and vehicular traffic on frozen turf, as it can increase damage.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us or visit our freeze information page!

We are finally getting hints that long awaited, cooler weather is on its way to the Southeast. This means it’s time to prepare your lawn for the months ahead, when the chance of rainfall decreases and temperatures drop.

So where do you start when it comes to winterizing your yard? We know that every lawn is different. That is why we perform a full landscape inspection. While proper fertilization, disease control and a strong root system are essential to maintaining a healthy landscape during this time of year, there are several other actions that you can take to help your lawn and landscape remain beautiful year round.

Below are some tips from our GreenUP specialists on how you can help your lawn and shrubs thrive during the cooler months of the year.

• Adjust your watering frequency. Generally speaking, ¾” to 1” of water once every 7 to 10 days is adequate.

• Keep your lawn mowed high. This will promote a deeper root system which will provide your lawn with a greater stress tolerance. In addition, higher mowing heights can create a warmer micro-environment due to the extra canopy cover provided by the longer leaf tissue.

• Look out for brown patch. Cooler temperatures and rain are ideal conditions for Brown Patch to pop up in your landscape and cause damage. Brown Patch is a fungus in the soil that lays dormant until the conditions are just right for it to flourish, with shaded areas that retain water being especially prone to the disease.

If you have Massey’s GreenUP Landscape Services:
It is important for you to know that your lawn specialist has already begun preparing your lawn for the cooler months. Your lawn has been treated for pre-emergent weeds and in the next few months your lawn will receive a winterizing fertilizer to help reduce any damage caused by cooler weather.

Even though this is designed to strengthen your landscape against cold temperatures and reduce injury, any extended freezing temperatures may cause irreversible damage that may require some renovation in the Spring. If you have questions about your landscape, please don’t hesitate to contact us or call us at 1-866-316-8020.

If you don’t have Massey’s GreenUP Landscape Services:
Let us help prepare your lawn for the cooler temperatures. We offer a FREE LANDSCAPE ANALYSIS where we will create a winterized plan specific to your lawn and landscape.

Don’t let your lawn fall victim to the damage caused by cooler temperatures, contact us today at 1-866-316-8020 to schedule your FREE LANDSCAPE ANALYSIS .

Just this week it was announced in West Palm Beach that because of drought conditions, they were ordering one day watering restrictions.

These restrictions are important because they protect our water supply. However, even with proper nutrition and fertilization, these restrictions in combination with the heat and drought can affect the appearance of your lawn.

Here are a few expert tips you can follow to ensure that when you are watering your lawn, you are watering it effectively:

• Inspect all zones to ensure you have proper coverage
• Water with the right amount of water (3/4 to 1″ per zone is generally sufficient)
• Check your timer to make sure each zone is operating effectively

Check out our video to learn more about proper coverage for your zones!

I’m sure by now everyone has heard that the weather is calling for some very cold temperatures tonight throughout the Southeast. If you need tips on what to do for plants and your landscape during a freeze, click here. But what should you do if your plants or lawn become damaged?  NOTHING- right now, anyway.

The potential for freezing temperatures will be present for the next few months so replacing damaged or dead grass and shrubs at this time is not a good idea. However when Spring’s warm temperatures return, you’ll be able to see what plants and portions of the lawn definitely aren’t going to come back so you can begin to make decisions on renovation. You should also wait until Spring to prune dead branches. We’ve posted several tips from our lawn experts on what to do during and after a freeze, but feel free to give us a call with any questions!

For now, just keep your plants covered at night when freezing temperatures are imminent and make sure to monitor your irrigation so as to not ice over the landscape and cause freeze damage. And BUNDLE UP!!

Early this year, we experienced some of the coldest temperatures in decades, which resulted in severe damage to lawns, trees and shrubs. As we are expecting freezing temperatures in many areas this week, below are some tips on how you can care for your lawn and shrubs. Though freezing temperatures can result in unpreventable, sometimes permanent damage to landscapes, following these tips will help minimize the damage. 

Freeze-damaged shrub

• Irrigate before the frost or freeze to ensure there is proper moisture in the soil root zone, however, make sure irrigation is stopped early enough to allow time for leaves to dry in order to avoid ice forming on them. Please Note:  Do not irrigate during a freeze. This practice is beneficial in nurseries and citrus groves only because they are equipped to water non-stop until the ice is melted.  If not done properly, this practice can prolong the amount of time that plants are subjected to the harsh, cold temperatures.
•  Cover cold-sensitive plants with blankets or boxes but NOT plastic. Be sure to remove the covering as soon as the temperatures begin to warm up.
• Do not mow turf that is frozen, and keep the lawn mowed high. This can reduce cold injury in a number of ways. First, it will promote a deeper root system, which will provide greater stress tolerance. In addition, higher mowing heights can create a warmer micro-environment due to the extra canopy cover provided by the longer leaf tissue.
• Avoid foot traffic or vehicular traffic on frozen turf as this can increase damage.

Click here for more information and additional tips

Cooler temperatures are here! Along with the chilly weather, you may start to see your landscape go through some changes as well.

Rain and cooler temperatures are ideal conditions for Brown Patch to pop up in your landscape and cause damage. Brown Patch is a fungus in the soil that lays dormant until the conditions are just right for it to flourish, with shaded areas that retain water being especially prone to the disease.

If you have Brown Patch damage, you will see circular patches of damaged turf with yellow, orange or purple grass blades on the outside border of the patch. The base of the blade of grass will be rotten and will slide out easily when pulled.

While Brown Patch is unpreventable, it is easy to treat with a corrective spot treatment. This will stop the spread of the disease and lawn re-growth should occur in a few weeks. Also, make sure you adjust your watering frequency – watering once per week in the cooler months is generally sufficient. Water in the early morning before 10 am so the water has a chance to reach root zones.

Have any questions or concerns? Just give us a call!

Yesterday, I received an email from our friends at the Irrigation Association reminding us that July is Smart Irrigation Month. What a great way to build awareness about watering wisely!

Living in the Southeast for most of my life, I am used to hearing about water shortages and watering restrictions – especially over the last few years where we’ve had major droughts. Here in Orlando, we’ve been getting tons of rain for the last month and our water supply has rebounded nicely (but my golf game is suffering!).

So what does this mean for watering lawns?

• Well for starters, you should adjust your irrigation schedule based on watering restrictions. Remember, just because it says you can water two days per week (in most areas), that doesn’t mean your landscape needs it.
• Install a rain sensor so that watering frequency is adjusted to account for rainfall.  Both too much and too little water can cause problems in your landscape.
• Check your sprinkler system often for proper coverage and to ensure all your sprinkler heads are working correctly (it will save you money and from having your neighbors mistake your landscape for the Geysers at Yosemite National Park).

To learn more about watering properly and Smart Irrigation Month, visit our Landscape FAQ section or check out the  resource page on the Irrigation Association Website.  And don’t forget to have your golf umbrellas handy over the next few months!

Did you know April is Water Conservation Month? With all the ways you can save money on your water bill by reducing the amount of water you use, it should be called “How to Reduce Your Water Bill” Month.

One of the most important ways to reduce the amount of water you use is by inspecting your irrigation system frequently to make sure you don’t have any broken sprinkler heads that are just gushing water. In addition to that, here are a few other tips that will help you conserve water this month:

1. Water at the right time. Most areas have watering restrictions that tell you what days and times you can water – find out what yours are by visiting your local water management district’s website or giving them a call.
2. Set your timers. Watering needs change with each season. Make sure your system is set to provide the right amount of water by season.
3. Give your lawn the right coverage. Your sprinklers should each be spraying all the way to the next one to get proper coverage. Also, make sure the water is actually landing on plants, grass and shrubs – not the pavement or sidewalk.
4. Use a rain sensor. The best way to find out if your lawn received the right amount of water from a recent rainfall is by using a rain gauge. Plus, be sure a rain sensor is installed with your irrigation system so it shuts off when rainfall occurs.

These are just a few tips we can offer you on how to conserve water this month. For more info, check out the St. Johns River Management District website.

Remember back in November when we changed from daylight savings time back to eastern standard time? Remember how the watering restrictions changed with the time? Well, it’s time again to change the clocks and you know what that means…yep! Time for watering restrictions to change!

First thing you need to find out is what water management district you are in. Click here to find out. Next, you need to answer this question – do you live in the St. John’s Water Management District? If you answered yes, your watering rules change Sunday with the time.

Fortunately, the only change they’ve made are the days you can water – previously you could only water one day per week, now we can water two! Check the schedule below to see what days you can water on:

• Houses ending in an odd number (1,3,5,7,9) or that don’t have an address water on Wednesday & Saturday
• Houses ending in an even number (0,2,4,6,8) water on Thursday & Sunday

In case you have forgotten (I tend to forget), these rules still apply:

• Water no more than one hour per zone
• Water only when needed and not between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. This ensures water reaches the root zone and doesn’t evaporate before it’s had a chance to soak in

If you would like to visit the St. John’s Water Management District website, click here. And don’t forget – when you reset your clocks Sunday, reset those sprinklers too!