Attention, Temple area! This season welcomes an overwhelming number of weeds, but our team is working hard to keep your lawn eyesore-free. Here are some recent updates from our Temple branch manager, Nick Lott.

Mowing is our best tip right now for a healthy lawn as we combat weeds and jumpstart that green. Weeds will die off faster and be removed from the yard. It also gives your turf a healthier environment for new growth to commence!

The main weeds we’re seeing are:

• Thistle
• Henbit
• Poa annua
• Winter fescue grass

Weed infestations get worse without a trim, so make sure you’re consistently mowing once a week, bagging your clippings. Pictured above are weeds that have been spot-treated (and have died) but have  not been mowed. Here is the recommended trimming heights for your lawn type:

• Bermuda Lawns: 1”-2”
• Augustine Lawns: 4”-5”
• Zoysia Lawns: 4”

If you haven’t mowed, you’ll notice your lawn may still be dormant or patchy with new grass trying to make an appearance. Go ahead and give your yard a mow to jumpstart growth and green up. Below you’ll see the difference between a lawn still in dormancy and another that had an early spring mow:

Did your yard have a bout of brown patch last fall? The affected areas will take longer to emerge from dormancy, so scarring, as seen below, will be noticeable. Scarring does not mean the disease is still active. We are also applying some recovery fertilizer to the affected areas for a faster recovery.

There are municipalities implementing water restrictions in the Temple area, with many restricting to 2 days per week. Salado is a bit more strict while other parts don’t have any restrictions.

What can you do to boost the health and color of your yard? We recommend an aeration treatment and a topdressing application. These two treatments are crucial for drought recovery as well, as your yard took a beating with the extreme summer conditions last year. With this power duo, you’ll have a fantastic-looking yard that’s prepared to take on another brutal summer.

Let’s not forget our leafy friends. Trees and shrubs are battling several adversaries right now, both disease and pest-related. We’re seeing leaf spot fungus, which looks like red spots on the leaves, on red tips & Indian hawthorns. And caterpillars are going to town on mountain laurels, chewing through leaves ravenously.

There’s a bit of awkward growth going on as the effects of last summer and winter linger. Some plants are delayed in coming out of dormancy, and we’re also seeing some cracks in the trunks and branches. But buds are starting to form! Just stay patient a while longer and we should start seeing recovery and full emergence from dormancy.

Be careful of overwatering as we are seeing a lot of rain (yay!). If you have separate zones, go ahead and set those on different cycles for the best result.

Call in the pros if you see caterpillars! We’re on the job and will spot-treat them before they can cause too much damage.

Curious about the bug activity in your area? Here’s a quick run-down of what we’re seeing from scare to extreme:

• Cockroaches: Minimal
• Rodents: Minimal
• Wasps & Hornets: Extreme
• Spiders: Considerable
• Mosquitoes: Mild
• Fleas & Ticks: Minimal

We’re seeing a lot of acrobat ants, snails, rolly pollies (we love those guys), and crane flies, which are the biggest nuisance right now.

We’re entering mosquito season, so here’s how you can limit the population in your yard:

• Eliminate any standing bodies of water that can be used as breeding sites
• Remove old furniture and unused objects from the lawn that can be used as hiding spots
• Keep the grass and plants trimmed, they love their shade!

Seal up weep holes, windows, and doors to prevent the creepy crawlies from entering your abode. Pictured above is how to protect the more vulnerable spots on your home’s exterior. While it’s not 100% effective, it will have a significant impact on indoor insect activity.