Fundamentals of IPM

Dustin Wolff | Account Manager
Posted 9/23/2022

IPM is an abbreviation for Integrated Pest Management, which is defined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as, “an effective and environmentally sensitive approach to pest management that relies on a combination of common-sense practices.” Pests are broadly defined as insects, plants, diseases and even animals that hinder the health and productivity of a plant. Humans often want to manage one or more pests in a particular setting to maximize our perception of health for that setting.

Cover Photo, Stock Photo

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Crabgrass: An Annual Concern

Dustin Wolff | Account Manager
Posted 5/4/2022

It may be tempting to ignore crabgrass, especially since it has “grass” in its name, but crabgrass is among the most troublesome lawn weeds. It can invade poor turf and, if allowed to develop through its complete lifecycle, a single plant is capable of producing thousands of seeds before dying off in the fall. Crabgrass management can be intensive, but it is an important practice in maintaining a healthy lawn.

Cover Photo, Jake Louwsma

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Trees grow naturally, why prune them? Training Trees in the Landscape

Jake Louwsma CLP | Sales and Marketing Manager
Posted 4/14/2022

Pruning trees is a historic practice serving many purposes. These purposes include tree health, longevity, aesthetics, and safety.

However, some people wonder, “Trees are natural and alive, why do we need to prune them? Why don’t we leave them alone and let them do what they naturally do?”. It’s a matter of context. Yes, trees are alive and grow naturally, but the maintained landscapes we live in are far from natural. Maintained landscapes contain living and natural elements like grass, trees, and plants, but they are not in a natural context. In nature, a solitary tree would rarely be seen growing in the midst of a pristine field of Kentucky Blue Grass. In our maintained landscape spaces, natural things are put together in unnatural ways.  This isn’t necessarily bad, it’s what we humans do, and it is important to understand these differences in contexts.

Cover Photo, Jake Louwsma

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Is Your Shrub in a Dreadful State? Rejuvenate!

BJ Holty | Account Manager
Posted 11/05/2021

Do you have a shrub that is disheveled or overgrown? You know it will be expensive to remove, replace, and put new mulch around a new one. Instead of replacement, your shrub may be a great candidate for rejuvenation pruning. Rejuvenation pruning is simply cutting the shrub down to approximately 6-8″ off the ground and removing the debris. The result of this pruning is that the shrub sends out new growth from the base, thereby “rejuvenating” the shrub, which gives it a fresh look as if it is brand new, or dare I say “rejuvenated.”

Cover Photo, Horticulture Services

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Water Irrigation

Irrigation FAQ: Why Aren’t My Foundation Bed Plants Getting Watered?

Jake Louwsma CLP | Sales and Marketing Manager
Posted 05/04/2021

I see the irrigation system running at my home, but none of the water is reaching the plants in the foundation beds around my house.  Is the irrigation system not adjusted correctly?

Cover Photo, Horticulture Services

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Common Turf Problems and Solutions

Jeff Farrington | Account Manager
Posted 4/14/2021

Turfgrass in Minnesota is dominated by cool season grasses including Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, tall Fescue, fine fescue, and some less common varieties. A significant benefit of turf is that it is relatively care-free, especially in situations where it can be kept healthy.  However, in less-than-ideal situations, problems can occur. In this post, a few common problems and solutions are explored.

Cover Photo, Horticulture Services

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Spraying

What is IPM?

Jake Louwsma CLP | Sales and Marketing Manager
Posted 05/30/2017

Have you ever heard the term “IPM” in the context of landscape maintenance and wondered what it means?  IPM is a term that’s thrown around quite a bit but isn’t often defined; leaving people confused, and sometimes too self-conscious to ask what it means.  By the end of this blog post, you should have a basic idea of what is meant by the term “IPM”.

Cover Photo, Horticulture Services

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Fertilizer Application

Why Proper Turf Fertilization is Necessary

Catherine Nickelson | Horticulturist | Arborist
Posted 05/09/2017

Turfgrasses are one of the most populous plants used in our landscape and they are forced to grow on some of the worst situations. High demands are placed on these energetic plants that make up the carpet of our lawns. These tough grasses are required to hold a rich green color spring through fall. They must stand up to foot and vehicle traffic like no other plant. We ask them to be soft on our children’s bare feet and durable against our pets’ claws. We require all of this be accomplished on top of nutrient poor, stripped, and compacted urban soils.

Cover Photo, Horticulture Services

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