Kansas City Landscaping and Lawn Care Ideas

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Kansas City Lawn and Landscape Watering Guidelines

City’s Lawns and Landscapes will benefit dramatically if you know how to properly them. There is no other homeowner controlled aspect of caring for your more critical than proper . It is also the number one mistake I see City homeowners doing

It is essential to first understand what your want in an ideal world. Most of our lawns and landscapes in City will thrive on 1.5” of per week. This can come from either rainfall or . Ideally 1.5 inches would be applied in one long and slow watering. However, in City, our clay based soils have a hard time absorbing more than ½ inch of per hour before begins to run off the surface so we have to very slowly – hard for sprinklers to do – or on multiple days in smaller amounts. Counter intuitively, we want these watering cycles to be on successive days, not spread evenly through out the week since our goal is to deep into the ground and not to keep the surface moist.

Knowing how much we need is the first step – the next step is knowing how to apply that and for how long. Most homeowners will either be applying by manual sprinklers or an automatic system. Both require you to know how much is applied in a given amount of time by your system.

To measure the output of your sprinkler heads…

  1. Set a container with straight sides (I use a butter dish) in the middle of the sprinklers path. a Turn on the sprinkler and monitor the amount of in the container.
  2. Turn off the sprinkler when the amount of in the can has reached one inch (measure with a ruler – it can be deceiving)
  3. This is how much that sprinkler system puts out in one hour.


Now, I know most of you will not take the time to accurately measure out your sprinklers output – despite its importance. So here are some rules of thumb for determining your sprinklers output. For automatic systems – spray heads (the ones that pop up and don’t move) typically need about 45 mins to put down 1” of and rotors (the ones that sweep back and forth) need about 2 hours. So a generic program that I suggest for my customers is designed to put down 1.5” of spread between 3 separate watering cycles. I set it so that the gets watered Monday, Tuesday and Friday. This is a good compromise of watering deeply but also making sure that the does not run off.. I set zones with spray heads to come on for 30 mins and zones with rotors to come on for 60 mins. This is adjusted if the soil is unable to absorb this amount of . Also, all watering should be done to supplement mother nature. If she gives us ½” of rain then you can reduce watering by that amount.

For those of us unlucky souls who do not have automatic it takes a much longer to our lawns. Most of the typical impact sprinklers used if set on full circle put out about 1/3 of an inch per hour. Since they slower they can be left on longer. I usually suggest you twice a week for 2 hours before moving the sprinkler. If you are only using the sprinkler in a half circle then you can cut that in half

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  RSS Feed   Published on July 7th, 2008  1 Comment   Posted by Jeff Hamons  

Watering Kansas City Landscapes

Quick, look out your window! Your Kansas City lawn is inhabited by exotic residents from faraway lands. They have come from all corners of the globe and they plan on staying. They will require you to take care of them. No use complaining, after all, you not only invited them, you planted them. If you are like most homeowners in , you have a landscape full of exotic . Your bluegrass is from Europe, your beautiful Dogwood is from Japan, your lush impatiens can trace their roots back to Africa and even ’s favorite plant, the yew, can trace its lineage back to Ireland. Although all these can survive ’s heat and cold, they need supplemental watering to thrive. Watering each plant can seem overwhelming, but with a little knowledge and a few tips you can have a beautiful, well-watered landscape.

By dividing your landscape into four categories, you will better able to manage your watering needs.

Turf

Your is one of the thirstiest parts of your landscape. Most lawns require 1” of per week. This can either come from rainfall or supplemental watering. The most important (and most often broken) rule of watering is to deeply and infrequently. ’s most proud gardeners, with their spirits blinded by the glory of our lush , begin watering their lawns religiously. Convincing themselves that if they can get their lawns green enough now – they will stay green through the summer. Unfortunately, every ounce of excess they throw on the grass in the early is deadly. If the soil in the is not allowed to dry between watering, the roots of the plant grow very shallow, encouraged by the ample and warmth at the surface. However, ’s glorious is only the opening act to our reliable, but dastardly summers. Shallow roots are a death sentence to your . By watering only when the top 6” of soil have dried out, you will be dispensing some tough love that will result in your being able to survive the summer.

For systems in Overland Park and other cities, you should be watering every as little as possible but as deep as possible.  I usually start by suggesting that homeowners try to 3/4″ for each zone on two consecutive days.  So they will on Monday and Tuesday and not again for the rest of the week.  This long deep and infrequent watering si the kept to healthy grass all summer long.  If you grass cannot quite make it through the whole week without looking wilted then you can give another 3/4 inch on Friday.  To get 3/4″ of from an system usually requires atleast 40 minutes on rotors and 20 minutes on spray heads.  However, every sytem is differnt and you should ideally measure how long it takes for yuor sytem to apply that amount of . Use a straight sided container placed out in the middle of the sprinklers zone and turn it on and let it run until it has fille dup with 3/4″ of .  That is how long it will need to run.

Trees/shrubs

and are often ignored when it comes to watering because of the perception that such a large plant must be able to pull from deep down in the soil. However, most of a tree’s roots are in the top 3 feet of the soil. Although can and will survive in , supplementing their just few times through the year will reward you with increased growth, enhanced beauty and bolstered resistance to disease and stress. Typically, will need a little extra in the middle of the winter and a couple times during the hottest part of the summer. Watering for should be done by observation, not a schedule. When you see signs of stress such as wilted or dropping leaves, apply 3” of to the area under the braches. This can be done with a well-adjusted impact sprinkler or a soaker hose. The method of application is not as important as making sure ample is applied where and when the plant needs it.

Perennials

Perennials have widely varying watering needs based on species and type. It is important to know the specifics for your when watering. These can generally be learned by talking to your favorite landscaper or nursery. However, there is still a guideline that will lead you to the healthiest and most beautiful flowers – only as much as your need and not a drop more.

Annuals

Watering annuals is different than watering other types of . Annuals tend to be shallow-rooted and need ample watering to thrive. Annuals should be watered when they first show signs of stress. In the heat of the summer, may mean every day. If you annuals from overhead, do so early in the day. this This allows the leaves to dry out preventing disease from hurting your .

is the most important gift you can give the exotic residents of your landscape. You will be rewarded with beautiful, healthy that can thrive year round in ’ foreign landscape.

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  RSS Feed   Published on June 30th, 2008  No Comments   Posted by Jeff Hamons  

Kansas City Landscaping get ready for Heat

It is time for City to prepare for the heat.  Weather forecasts are showing that City will soon be hitting 90 degrees for the first time this year.  This tends to be a  tipping point for the lawns and landscapes.

You can help your landscaper and care service by taking care of your lawns watering needs.

New or

new or when the top 3″ of the soil dries out completely.  the slowly and deeply allowing the entire root system to become soaked.  larger take more time.

This is very important.  You cannot give a time to because every soil will absorb at a different rate.  The goal is to the entire root system and then let the entire roots ystem dry out just before adding new .

Lawns

Lawns should be with 1″ of per week.  This is best done with one long slow watering if your soil will absorb that much .  Most City lawns will do just fine with one long .  Depending on the type of sprinkler being used — This may require up to 1 hour of watering.  It is best to measure the rather than guessing.  I use a straight sided margarine tub placed int he middle of the sprinklers path to tell.

Watering is an essential part of maintaining your landscapes.   It does not have to be difficult but it does have to be consistent and done correctly.  If you have any watering questions feel free to leave a comment to this post and I would be happy o help you out.

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  RSS Feed   Published on June 25th, 2008  No Comments   Posted by Jeff Hamons  

Kansas City Landscapers Dream

This has been a landscaper in ’s dream.  All the are doing well with mild temps and ample rain.  The only negative so far has been that all the rain has made it nearly impossible to do or care work.  It is just been too wet.

As Charles Dickens would have said “It has been the Best of Springs – It has been the Worst of Springs”

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  RSS Feed   Published on June 20th, 2008  1 Comment   Posted by Jeff Hamons  

Clover – Kansas City Lawn Weed

 

 

Kansas City lawn with clover

Clover is a common in City Lawns.  It spreads rapidly by stolons or above ground roots structures.  The plant takes root from the stolons at nodes along the stems when they come in contact with the soil. Clover is one of the most easily identified of the common weeds in City.  It tends to grow in dense patches in lawns that are not especially thick.  It needs consistently moist ground to survive and prefers soils low in nitrogen.  It has white or slightly pink flowers during late summer and early fall.  The flowers are a favorite of bees and other nectar sucking insects.

 

The best way to prevent clover is with good cultural practices that promote a thick healthy .  Fertilizing and caring for your grass year round will make any other control of clover unnecessary. 

To control clover chemically,  use any product that contains 2-4d and carfentrazone.  As important as the herbicide when spraying clover, is the use of a great spreader/sticker.  Clover has a very waxy film over its leaves that can make control hard if the proper additives are not used.

City lawns do not need to have clover if they are well cared for and taken care of.

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  RSS Feed   Published on April 15th, 2008  No Comments   Posted by Jeff Hamons  

Henbit – Kansas City Lawn Weed

Henbit in Kansas City LawnHenbit flower Kansas City Lawn

This week’s of the week is henbit. Henbit, Lamium amplexicaule, is a winter annual. Right now Henbit is growing and showing itself in city. Some defining characteristics of henbit is square stems, and a pink to purple flower. The leaves are round to heart-shaped with a rounded tooth leaf margin. Henbit can develop stems up to sixteen inches in length. Henbit can be frustrating for homeowners because it is often the one of the first weeds they see and it also is most prolici when city lawns are at their weakest. A good fertilization and care program will help keep henbit out of your .

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  RSS Feed   Published on April 4th, 2008  5 Comments   Posted by Jeff Hamons  

Crabgrass annihalated from Kansas City Lawns

I have great news! Crabgrass has been eradicated from the state of . Absolutely annihilated — every single plant! Not a single plant growing in anyone’s yard anywhere in the state or . Ok — here is the bad news, this is not a result of any miraculous event or secret government work. Instead, since crabgrass is a warm season annual, it all died after the first hard .

However, there are literally billions of small crabgrass seeds laying in wait for the soil temperature to rise to 55 degrees for 10 consecutive days. Each crabgrass plant in your yard last year produced upwards of 180,000 seeds and flung them into the air. Even if you didn’t have a single plant in your yard last year — your neighbors did and they generously shared their crop of invasive weeds with you — guaranteed. Don’t worry though — you can outsmart the crabgrass and keep it from ruining your otherwise pristine yard. Here’s how.

The battle against crabgrass is two pronged. One uses chemical warfare to initially suppress the onslaught and the second uses good cultural practices to make your uninviting and able to fight off the crabgrass gremlins before they get a chance to grow.

Before you can fight the enemy — you have to know the enemy. Read the rest of this entry »

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  RSS Feed   Published on April 2nd, 2008  No Comments   Posted by Jeff Hamons  

Aeration Essential for Kansas City Lawns

Look out your window. Do you see the millions of gasping, choking organisms yelling for help? You didn’t do it on purpose, but slowly you have contributed to the painful suffocation of your prized City . The incriminating activities have seemed innocent enough; children playing on the , weekly mowing, and diligent fertilization. However, the traffic of people and mowers has compacted the soil and eliminated all of the small spaces found throughout healthy soil. Without these spaces, oxygen has not been able to penetrate into the root system of the grass. Additionally, the use of chemical fertilizers has dramatically reduced the amount of living microorganisms naturally oxygenating the soil. To verify that your suffers from compaction problems, take the largest flat tipped screwdriver you have and push it into the ground. If it does not go down at least 3” with ease, then your is in serious trouble. Luckily, you don’t have to continue to watch your suffer. You can give it CPR and revive it with core .

To core aerate your , Read the rest of this entry »

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  RSS Feed   Published on March 29th, 2008  No Comments   Posted by Jeff Hamons  

Making Good Lawn Care Choices for Kansas City

The stage has been set for a fantastic year of growing grass in . The mildwinter temperatures have been ideal for the fescue and bluegrass lawns in . Soil temperatures have stayed mild and precipitation has been adequate to allow the grass to grow roots through the winter. With the right care this and summer, your could look its best ever. Through my experience, I see certain mistakes repeated each year and regretted by gardeners.

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FERTILIZING LAWNS

Managing the fertility of your can be deceptively complex.

Read the rest of this entry »

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  RSS Feed   Published on March 20th, 2008  No Comments   Posted by Jeff Hamons  

Kansas City Lawn Care Decisions

It’s early and we are all biting at the bit to get outside. If you are like me, you are grasping at anything that even remotely looks like its green or growing. This is no doubt why you so anxiously picked up this magazine – looking for .

One important thing with which you can busy yourself right now is deciding how you are going to care for your .

1) Mow and fertilize by yourself.

2) Mow yourself and have your professionally fertilized.

3) Have your professionally mowed and fertilized.

The right option for you is determined by many variables and each option should be considered to decide which would allow you to most enjoy your .

1) Mow and Fertilize yourself. This option is great if you are a tinkerer, one who likes to be out in your several days a week and to be in complete control of each detail. This option allows you the freedom needed to attend to each detail of your . If you have the time and the expertise, this can lead to a wonderful . This option is the cheapest, if you consider your time very cheap. However, even if you consider your free time at a modest amount of $15-20/hr, this option can easily end up being the most expensive of all the options when you consider the time involved. Additionally, the resources available to you are much more limited and expensive than to a professional.

2) Mow yourself and have your professionally fertilized. This option is best for the homeowner who enjoys spending some time in their , but does not have the time available to research and study proper fertilization and the science behind turfgrass maintenance. However, by mowing the on a regular basis you can still take pride in providing the primary care of your . This allows somebody who specializes in turfgrass to do the work that requires the expertise and allows the homeowner to do the hard “work” of mowing.

4) Have your professionally mowed and fertilized. This option is ideal for the person who values their free time very highly. There are several reasons someone might choose to have their professionally maintained. The primary reason is that they work hard at something at which they are experts and would rather spend a small portion of their time doing extra work for which they get paid and pay a care expert to work in their . For instance, one of my customers is a nurse. By simply working two extra hours a week she was able to pay me to take care of all her and flowerbed needs. Yard work usually took her 4 or 5 hours a week, so she gained 3 hours of leisure time a week and her yard looked better than ever thanks to my helpful touch!

It is important to consider the pros and cons for each of these options when you plan how to care for your . The value of time, money and expertise all play into what’s best for you.

If you decide that mowing or fertilizing yourself is the best plan for you, make sure to do your research. There are a multitude of products from which to choose in regards to both fertilizers and controls. When you buy fertilizers, you have to be careful and look past the advertising. I have found that when shopping at the big box stores, the more expensive fertilizers tend to have the cheapest products inside. Oftentimes, you are paying more for the ink on the outside of the bags than the product on the inside. However, if you do your research and know what to look for on the labels you can find quality products.

Research is also necessary when selecting a care company. Just like bags of , you have to look past the flashy advertising and see what is offered. A high quality service starts and ends with the person doing the applications. The person needs to have a large well of knowledge in order to be able to diagnose and pamper your ’s every need. They should be fully licensed and insured and they should readily provide you with references of satisfied customers.

The signs of are there – let them help lead you to the best way to enjoy your !

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  RSS Feed   Published on February 5th, 2008  No Comments   Posted by Jeff Hamons  
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