What to Expect on Your Central Texas Lawn
Hello Summer- we’re so glad that you’re here! We’ve been anticipating your sunny arrival all year! Whether alone or gathering with family and friends, it’s the perfect time to get out in the backyard again!
As you enjoy your little piece of Central Texas- we want your lawn at its best, so we’ve gathered info from our team of experts so you’ll know what to expect.
We’ve included some season specific reminders and a lineup of Texas’ Most Notorious Lawn and Landscape Culprits PLUS we threw in a special treat for our creative DIYers and shared some charming outdoor décor tips.
Here’s what we’re covering in the Central Texas Lawn Update – Summer Edition:
- Happy Soil, Healthy Lawn
- Surviving the Summer Bug Bite-Free
- Beautification 101 Blooms and Branches
Love your Lawn throughout this Texas summer.
Happy Soil Healthy Lawn
Go for Green and Gorgeous!
Because who doesn’t want a lawn that is both head-turning and barefoot-worthy?
What We’re Seeing
HELMINTHOSPORIUM
This is a leaf spot disease that pops up in Bermuda grass when temperatures rise and humidity is heavy.
How will you know if this is happening to your lawn? This will present itself as “cigarette burn” spots on the blades of grass. When the disease is active it will be a rust color.
Pictured above: An up close shot of grass infected with Helminthosporium fungus
This disease is easily controlled, but can be “blown up” by fertilizer, so early diagnosis and treatment is key. Even after it is controlled, it will be white and can take several weeks to recover. So don’t delay, have one of our experts check it out right away!
What We’re Doing
LAWN PROGRAM PERK
REJUVENATION is Round 5 of our year round Lawn Treatment Plan where we apply a slow-release granular fertilizer to help grass uptake nutrients at a steadier rate
HAPPY
This process minimizes surge growth so this means LESS mowing for you but MORE consistent food source for your lawn
HEALTHY
This organic matter helps sustain beneficial microbial activity and the slow release guarantees that your soil always has nitrogen
GREEN
This is ideal to keep your grass lush, thick and uniformly green in spite of the warm temperatures
UNLIMITED SERVICE CALLS & GUARANTEED RESULTS
How You Can Help
GROW = WATER + MOW
Recommended cut heights:
Bermuda Grass – 2in
Zoysia Grass – 3-31/2in
St.Augustine – 4in
*We customize care plans so call us if you have something different
Ideally you’ll want to choose the early morning hours to add 1 inch of water per week to the average lawn during the warmer months. You want to water infrequently but deeply since shallow watering encourages weed germination. Yikes!
Even still, the Central Texas heat can wear down your luscious green turf as the summer sun often evaporates water before it can be absorbed.
If you want to give your lawn an extra boost to keep water in your soil, where it belongs- ask about our water conserving compound solution called AquaAid! Together we’ll nurture a disease-free, lush and green lawn!
It’s the “Emerald Way” to always look out for you and your lawn!
Every visit, we assess and spot-treat for all broadleaf weeds, insect and disease activity.
Surviving the Summer Bug Bite-Free
Dear Biters, Buzz-Off
The instinctive desire to protect your lawn, family and pets from pesky insects
TEXAS’ MOST NOTORIOUS LAWN & LANDSCAPE CULPRITS
MOSQUITO
Serial Biters
- Excessive Nuisance
- Put humans at risk for serious diseases
- Sole transmitters of heartworms to pets
Our quick and economic barrier spray as well as our more long term and eco-friendly In2care trap are proven solutions to get your yard Mosquito free!
FIRE ANT
Aggressive Intruders
- Epitome of “tiny but mighty”
- Destroying lawns by thousands
- Terrorizing both humans and pets with their venomous stings.
Our granular fire ant treatments guarantee that your lawn will be free from the return of fire ants for six months!
TICKS
Bloodsucking Intruders
- Hide places like playscapes, tree-houses, even the shrubs.
- Infecting humans and pets with varying bacteria and disease
Our flea/tick application targets the most frequent infestation areas and guarantees you coverage for 90 days!
FLY
Habitual Contaminators
- Uninvited Guests and the most popular pest
- Posing health risk while transmitting a wide variety of pathogens to humans
Our odorless and stainless spray is applied in frequented areas and reduces flies for up to 30 days!
WHITE GRUB
Lawn Killer
- Devours grass and plant roots
- Breeds and lays eggs to further infestation
- Can transfer parasitic eggs if eaten by pets
Our granular grub treatment is an eco-friendly formula and guarantees your lawn free from the damage for a full year!
What We’re Seeing
CHINCH BUGS
This is a small insect that gets its nourishment from sucking the sap/moisture out of grass blades, to make matters worst the toxins they leave behind create patches of dead turf. When a lawn is infested with chinch bugs, damage appears as orange, dead blades of grass. (Pictured below)
Chinch bug activity is common this time of year. They can be found in all grass types but are most often found in stressed or dry St Augustine lawns. A lawn that has gone through drought stress is much more susceptible to a chinch bug infestation.
How will you know if this is happening to your lawn? This will present itself as brown patches resembling a bullseye. (Pictured below)
What We’re Doing
SAVING CENTEX SUMMER FUN
It’s important that your lawn is a safe haven for you to do the things you love. Hosting a cookout with friends, watching your loved ones run around bare toes and/or paws, or maybe even just you laying out with a good book. Whatever you want, we want you to have it!
We treat affected areas with an Insecticide that is a chemical copycat of a naturally-occurring pesticide that comes from the chrysanthemum flower. Once ingestion or topical contact occurs, it targets the insect’s central nervous system resulting in their extermination. One thing that we love about this solution is that it cannot be absorbed by plant foliage and is pet-friendly once dried, which makes it safe to use around your yard and home.
What You Can Do
TO WIN THIS MATCH, YOU MUST DE-THATCH
RAKE This loose layer of both dead and living grass stems, roots, shoots, and other debris that builds up on top of your soil creates the perfect environment for these bugs to live and feed in, so clear it out frequently.
MOW at recommended levels and WATER consistently
Want to be pro-active about these pesky threats to your dream lawn? Consider getting a professional aeration 1-2 times a year. Aerating the soil allows air, water, and nutrients to flow deep where they’re most needed, fosters a deeper and denser root system and creates a more drought tolerant turf.
Beautification 101: Beds, Blooms and Branches
The Endless beauty of Nature is that it never goes out of style
What We’re Seeing
LEAF SPOT DISEASE
These unsightly spots on shrubs and shade trees can be caused by fungi or bacteria. An established plant can tolerate almost complete defoliation if it happens late in the season or not every year while small or newly planted trees are more at risk of suffering damage. We treat shrubs and trees to keep them in good health and fight disease if needed.
DRY MULCH AND GRASSY WEEDS
There’s nothing that sucks the life out of your landscape like dull colors. Re-mulching your garden and tree bases will ensure that you love the way your lawn looks year round. HOA committees are known for issuing citations when the mulch thins out and the weeds sprout up in garden beds. We install a protective barrier when mulching to ensure you can be care free and in compliance with these community guidelines.
Emerald customers have made us super proud by winning Lawn of the Month in their neighborhoods, even during the quarantine! The resounding praise that the strikingly green grass, shrubs, trees and manicured garden beds made a big if not complete impression upon the judges is a win for us all!
What We’re Doing
BED MULCHING
We place a layer of organic material around the plants and over the soil in a flower bed or line of shrubs as a way to maintain an even and attractive appearance as well as achieve a damage-resistant lawn. Some of it’s benefits are:
• Prevents erosion in the soil.
• Helps protect the moisture in soil during significant Texas heat.
• Helps control weeds during the rainy season.
• Minimizes compaction during the rainy season.
• Helps to keep an even temperature in the soil.
• Can increase the number of nutrients in the soil.
Mulch looks great around the bases of trees and keeps away those pesky weeds!!
No matter your decorative taste, mulch makes any landscape BEAUTIFUL! (Pictured above paired with Shrubs and below with Colorful blooms)
What You Can Do
PLANT WITH PURPOSE
BRING ON THE BUDS
It’s hard not to love a pop of color when you are out walking, biking or driving through the neighborhood. Flowers are some of nature’s most beautiful creations and such an easy enhancement for even the most amateur gardener. Plant seeds to see some of these miracles bloom right before your eyes or Visit your local nursery to choose some adolescent blossoms to take home and transplant in your garden beds!
ROCK IT OUT!
River stone, Granite and Limestone come in a variety of colors, textures and sizes and are all great rocks to add to your landscape and will give you a pristine look paired with grass or mulch. You can place lay them as borders or garden bed fill and even add a big boulder for a real “wow” factor
ADD SHRUBS
These add color, texture and structure to define garden beds making them a great staple to have around the foundations of a house with or without flowering buds. They also are great for shading smaller plants and acting as privacy walls!
Did You Know? …We’ve Got Webisodes!!
We love getting inquiries from new and existing customers wanting to know more about ALL of the services we offer. These Webisodes are not only a great resource of information explaining the why and way that we do things here in Central Texas but as they feature some of our most charismatic experts, we can almost guarantee they’ll make you smile.
But WAIT there’s more… We’ve Found some Charming DIY Ideas for your Outdoor Decor
7 DIY Decor Ideas
Whether your style is Chic or more of a Country flair- exterior decorating should be an exciting affair. Check out this blog from one of our favorite DIY sites for some creative ideas on how to spruce up your outdoor space!
