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!

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!

This weekend (April 9^th thru 11^th) is the perfect time to spring into gear and get a free, no-obligation inspection for Pest Prevention, Termite Protection, GreenUP Landscape Services (including renovation for freeze-damaged landscapes) and Irrigation Maintenance and save big!

There is no obligation to have one of our trained inspectors come to your home and provide you with a free home and lawn inspection. And to make the deal even sweeter, we are offering some AMAZING SAVINGS- this weekend only!

If you are interested in purchasing one of our great services – now is the time! Spring is here and these savings only happen once a year.

To schedule your free inspection for this weekend, click here or call us at 1-888-2MASSEY (262-7739) today!

Please share this exciting news with your co-workers, family, friends and neighbors that may be interested. Existing customers can take advantage of our Pass It On referral program and earn a Publix gift card for yourself AND every new Massey customer that you refer!

Just when many were wondering if global warming had taken hold of Florida,Mother Nature bites! Many areas in Central and North Florida experienced a hard freeze for several nights in late January and early February. In many locations temperatures dipped below freezing for up to 7 hours at a time with lows in the upper 20s. Amazingly, it even dropped below freezing as far South as Ft. Pierce for 3 hours one night with a low of 28 degrees.

Why is this concerning to homeowners? About half of landscapes in Florida are planted with tropical plants that cannot tolerate hard freezing. Those plants that were not covered during the freeze, especially tropical plants, have turned brown with freeze burn. In addition, many lawns have also been damaged from freeze burn and have turned brown as well.

What should homeowners do right now? Please don’t go renovating your landscape just yet – we are not out of the woods. There is still a chance for more damaging temperatures before the Spring. Pruning plants or replacing lawns now will promote new growth BUT will be very susceptible to damage in the event of another freeze. It is best to wait until the threat of frost has passed, beginning to mid March.

However, now is the time to start making plans for landscape renovations and re-designing for better plant adaptation. This simply means installing plants that will thrive in locations where other plants that were poorly-adapted to that site have failed (shade, wet or dry soil conditions, full sun, etc.).

It’s finally starting to feel like Fall in the Southeast. As the colder temperatures become more frequent, you should be aware of the effects on your lawn.

Why Does My Lawn Turn Brown and Yellow During The Fall and Winter?
As a homeowner, this can be very frustrating. You have a green, lush lawn and it begins to turn brown and yellow. Well, different grass types have different ways of surviving the Fall and Winter weather conditions.

Some grasses have natural “hibernation” periods that preserve energy for the spring. Zoysiagrass for example, will go dormant in the Fall and Winter months and turn yellow and brown. This is a normal reaction for this grass type under adverse conditions and loss of color is common.

St. Augustinegrass, on the other hand, usually maintains acceptable color and quality well into the cool season until frost occurs. A hard freeze often causes brown patchy areas.

Fall/Winter Lawn Tips:

• Mow your lawn about once very two weeks, even if it’s not growing, to keep weeds from seeding
• If a freeze occurs, avoid walking across the lawn and mowing until frost is melted
• Provide adequate irrigation – watering once per week is generally sufficient

Call us at 1-888-2MASSEY (262-7739) if you have questions about your lawn and what it should do during the Fall and Winter months. You can also sign up for a Free Landscape Analysis where we’ll provide you with recommendations and a plan specific for your landscape.