Turf and Ornamentals | Horticulture Services

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

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

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

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.”