The Myth of Dethatching

lawn care showing a man dethatching his lawn

Syd Stephan | Founder | Horticulturist
Posted 09/26/2017

Every year, thousands of gallons of fuel are burned and tons of debris are added to compost sites because of an unnecessary process called lawn dethatching. Dethatching, also called “power raking”, is generally done for one of two reasons: In spring, in an attempt to clean up a messy looking lawn just after the snow has melted, or, in the fall, to reduce the thatch layer present in the turf.

Cover Photo, Copyright

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Who Ate My Plants?! Thoughts on Rodent Damage

Catherine Nickelson | Horticulturist | Arborist
Posted 06/07/2018

Rodents are an order of mammals with a large pair of continually growing front teeth. This includes mice, squirrels, voles, gophers, beavers, capybaras, and many others. Some of whom have a voracious appetite for everything beautifully growing in your garden. Rabbits have these same characteristics, continuously growing front teeth and desire for garden plants, but they are not taxonomically considered rodents as rabbits possess four incisors rather than two. However, for the purposes of this discussion we will consider rodents and rabbits together and classify the plant injury each of these mammals cause as rodent damage. Rodent damage is the injury inflicted when mice, voles, squirrels, gophers, or rabbits gnaw on or consume parts or all of a plant. These pests go after the plants for food and to wear down their teeth preventing them from growing too long. Rodents and rabbits target a wide range of species including woody plants, turf, and herbaceous plants (perennials); the damage caused can range from fatal to insignificant but with careful planning and maintenance the issue of rodent damage can be managed.

Cover photo, Copyright

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Help!! My Irrigation Rain Sensor Isn’t Working!

Water Irrigation

Jeff Wilson | General Manager
Posted 05/10/2018

As a landscape maintenance contractor we receive more questions regarding irrigation than all of our other services combined. This is likely because the irrigation system is the most mysterious part of the landscape, after all, it’s invisible most of the time. This is the first post in a series where we will try to uncover some irrigation mysteries. We are going to start by answering a commonly asked question about rain sensors.

Cover Photo, Horticulture Services

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