You read the title correctly, there is a topic about landscaping that I actually don’t know much about. It’s true!!! I’m in a bit of a holding pattern for the next few weeks while having my first ebook published. It’s a great time to start working on a future project.

This post will not be about a travertine pool patio, an off the wall, 4 story jungle gym or an irrigation system that uses 70 percent less water. Today Lundholm Landscaping is getting scientific. We are going where we have never been before. It’s time to learn about Organic Gardening!

It baffles my mind every to see and read about how overweight and obese Americans have become. As I observe the long line at a McDonald’s drive thrus and hoards of shoppers stuffing discount products into their cart at Walmart and Sams Club, I realize that we have become so lazy. Instead of growing our own crops, we buy fruits and vegetables that were harvested under artificial lighting in a 12 story abandoned factory. Cows used to be raised by dairy farmers on open fields. Today’s beef is crammed into a muddy field and injected with steroids so cows reach maturity in 1/3 of the time. Any wonder why so many Americans die of cancer every year?

Enough doom and gloom, let’s get to the good stuff!

As America’s most knowledge thirsty landscape and gardening expert, I actually know very little about Organic Gardening. What exactly is Organic Gardening, you ask?

Organic Gardening is the process by which vegetables are grown the old fashioned way… By hand and in the back yard!

Organic Gardening…

Uses back yard soils, enriched with home made compost and nutrients
Uses natural feeding and fertilization programs
Is fun, rewarding and great exercise
Takes advantage of your garden for 3 seasons
Let’s us know exactly what we are eating
Saves money while improving our health

Organic Gardening is not…

Force feeding nitrogen based fertilizers into foliage so plants grow faster
Growing crops on a forty acre farm, haphazardly applying pesticides, fungicides and chemicals
Growing tasteless crops that produce strawberries and tomatoes with white centers instead of juicy red
Sucking all life out of soil until the dirt is worthless, then developing the property into housing

Here’s my plan.

When I want information, I go to the TOP!

I have decided to organize interviews with 6 of America’s top organic gardening specialists!!!

They may not be household names but I am going to suck all of the information out of them that I possibly can. Each interview will last approximately 15 minutes as we pick the minds of the BIG DOGS of the organic gardening world! Together, we will become, healthy, lean, mean organic gardeners. This information will be available in an MP3 and transcribed into written format as well.

Stay tuned!

For all of your landscaping and gardening needs, contact me in any of the following ways…

Rob Lundholm
Lundholm Landscaping
Office Phone 609-898-9136
Cell/text 609-722-1814
Email rob@lundholmlandscaping.com
Have these articles delivered right to your email by clicking on the link to the right!

The central air has been turned off and we are sleeping with the windows open. Fall is finally here! To me, fall means Football, BIG landscaping projects and PLANT SALES!!

I spent the day shopping for plants yesterday and thought it would be a great time to give my readers a few tips on plant shopping in the fall.

Fall is an ideal time to plant. The heat is gone, the days are shorter and the soil temperature is just right. Besides the biological reasons, NURSERIES are in full scale LIQUIDATION MODE!!!

The last thing that nurseries want to do is have to store and care for plants over the winter. They want to sell their inventory and they want it gone NOW!!! Here are a few key tips when shopping and buying plants this time of year.

-Whenever possible, deal with the owner of the nursery. Employees don’t always understand the urgency of liquidating inventory and are far less likely to make deals.

-Pay CASH! (for obvious reason)

-Bring a truck or have means to take the plants(s) home with you on the spot.

-Shop in gangs. Find a few friends who are also looking to buy. There is strength in numbers and your bargaining power will be greatly increased.

-Be wary of buying sickly plants! Most of the plants in nurseries this time of year have been there for quite some time and may look stressed. Trees may have lost or are losing the majority of their leaves. This is completely fine for a plant that has been sitting on concrete for as many as six months. Do not buy trees with dead limbs or a lot of dead on the tips. Bring your pruning shears and don’t be afraid to snip if you have any doubts.

-Put your plants in the ground as soon as you get them home. I see it all the time when I am bike riding or on a Sunday drive. Homeowners buy plants, place them in the perfect spot then either forget to do the planting or run out of time. The little guy never had a chance.

-Mix Peat Moss, Compost, Sand and Plant Fertilizer in with the soil when planting. Dig the hole twice as wide and 1 1/2 times as deep.

Hope all is well with your family and your landscape and remember to call me when you need me. Lundholm Landscaping specializes in all phases of landscape design and maintenance. Areas of expertise include Pavers, hardscaping, stone work, walkways, driveways, patios, pool areas, outdoor kitchens living rooms and fireplaces, vegetable gardens, irrigation design and installation, planting, soil testing and analysis, mosquito control, pergolas, trellis’, vinyl, wood and wrought iron fencing… If it has to do with enjoying the outside of your property, we can help.

If you would like my articles emailed direct to your inbox, click on the subscribe tab on the right hand side. In the very near future, I will be publishing my first of many books on all things landscaping. We are planning tons and tons of PR so keep your eyes and ears open for release dates.

Rob Lundholm
Lundholm Landscaping
P.O. Box 1066
Cape May, NJ 08204
Office 609-898-9136
Cell/text 6009-722-1814
Email rob@lundholmlandscing.com
Www.lundholmlandscaping.com

See you out there!

A few months back, I was approached by an online publishing company who asked me to whip up 20 pages on the topic of my choice. I was flattered, overwhelmed, awestruck and a bunch of other fancy words. Nonetheless, they liked my work and now I have the opportunity to become a published author and share my wealth of knowledge with the world! It’s kinda hard to wrap my head around but I am going to make the most of it! The plan is to publish books on a series of topics, then package them all together to make a complete set which will include video instruction, tool kits and all kinds of cool stuff. Our plan is to hit the readers with hard core facts but present everything in a “fun, laid back” kinda way. Stay tuned, it only gets better from here!

Todays topic includes my personal five step routine for planting trees and shrubs. These simple tips and techniques work for just about every type of plant material in just about every location.

Always, always  call for an underground utility markout whenever digging.  Pick up any phone, call 811 and provide the operator with the desired information.  It generally takes 5-7 days for all utilities to be marked.  Rupturing underground utilities can be extremely dangerous, not to mention costly!  CALL BEFORE YOU DIG.

Step 1. Pick Healthy Plants. Take a few seconds while at the nursery to really look over the available plant material. Know your planting zone and stay with plants that have been proven to thrive in your specific zone. When in doubt, leave it out! If it’s a tree, start at the base of the trunk and inspect for deep gouges, cracking, splitting or any type of irregular bark. Make sure all branches are thriving and avoid buying trees with dead wood on the tips. If shopping during the winter, scrape the bark off on the highest limb that you can reach. A healthy tree will have healthy green tissue just below the bark. Shop for shrubs the same way, closely inspecting the entire plant. Look for any signs of dead or wilting branches, especially on the interior of the shrub. If the shrub appears to be losing leaves on the inside, has a green or black moss, or is root bound(a root bound shrub will easily lift out of it’s container) select another shrub or move to a different plant altogether. If signs of disease exist at the nursery, where the plants are professionally maintained on a daily basis, imagine what can happen in your yard.

Step 2. Select the perfect spot. It’s very important to plant your investment where it is best suited to thrive. Thoroughly read the label that came with your plant to determine light requirements(sun/shade), soil preferences as well as tolerance to wind and harsh elements. Plants that require shade will not survive in a location that gets hot, beating sun and vice versa. Keep a close eye on preferred soil conditions as a plant that likes well draining soil will not do well in a low corner of the yard where the ground is always moist.   One final thought is always plant with the best side facing the area where it will be viewed the most. This will require a few step backs, but well worth the extra few minutes.

Step 3. Dig a huge hole! My rule of thumb is to make the planting hole twice as wide as the container and 1 1/2 times the depth. Some situations will require a larger hole but for 95% of homeowners, my theorem works just fine. As you dig and excavate the soil, keep the extracted dirt in a neat pile. If you are particularly concerned about ruining the lawn around the area, use either a tarp or wheel barrow to manage the dirt. Either way, clean up and the mixing process(step 4) is much easier. Once the desired depth and width is reached break up another 2-3 inches of soil and leave it in place. Lightly mist inside of the the planting hole to remove any pockets of air.

Step 4. Create a healthy planting mix. I use the following recipe to create the ideal soil to surround your little bundle of joy. Taking a few extra minutes and spending a few extra dollars in the beginning will insure a long healthy life with many years of enjoyment, shade, flowers or fruit.

My planting mix consists of 5 parts.
2 parts native excavated soil
1 part compost- adds beneficial nutrients to the soil
1 part sand- promotes proper drainage
1 part peat moss- stores water for future use

It’s not necessary to spend all afternoon weighing and measuring exact proportions. These are just guidelines… If your recipe is off or slightly heavy in one or two parts, it’s not that big of a deal. Sprinkle a handful or two of a starter fertilizer on top of the pile and begin mixing. The planting recipe is complete when color is consistent.

Step 5. Planting. Container Trees- a container tree is a tree that is grown in a container. Generally smaller than 8 feet tall, container grown trees are much easier to handle and are grown for and by homeowners nationwide. Some container trees will slide right out and others will need the plastic surgically removed using a utility knife or sharp shovel. Once the roots are exposed, take a few minutes to make sure that all root tips are in a position to grow out away from the tree instead of back into the tree. Don’t be afraid to use tough love at this point. Some roots will need to but cut, pulled or yanked so that they can extend and create a healthy root system. At this point, place the tree in the hole and position to your liking. Using your newly created planting mix, begin back filling evenly around the roots until the hole is half way full. Compact the soil around the tree and double check that everything is still in it’s exact place. Fill the hole with a few inches of water, let the water work its way through, then repeat. This fills any voids and eliminates air pockets. Once the water has drained the second time, fill in the remainder of the hole. Pack the soil into place and make sure the tree is straight and in it’s exact place. Use the top 2 inches of the soil to create a hand formed ring of dirt around the perimeter of the planting hole. This ring will create a bowl-like effect and allow a significant amount of water to be retained. Cover the planting area in a 2-3 inch layer of mulch. I recommend a healthy watering 3-4 times per day. By healthy, I mean completely filling the bowl with water, let the water drain through then repeat. Do not worry about over watering a newly planted tree. This is a stressful time for new trees and water is it’s best friend.

Balled and Burlap Trees- simply stated, b&b trees are dug from a field, wrapped in burlap and placed in a wire basket. Planting a b&b tree or shrub is very similar to planting a container tree or shrub. B&b’s general don’t need to have the roots teased out. Plant the entire wire basket and burlap. Once the root ball is in the ground, some professionals like to cut the entire basket away. I simply cut the wire, burlap and rope back to the top of the basket. These components are all biodegradable and are usually gone within the first year or so. At this point we use the same back filling method as mentioned above.

One final option is staking. I am not a firm believer in staking. My professional opinion is to let mother nature do her thing. A tree will sense heavy winds and environmental conditions. tree is then forced to set roots faster or strengthen the trunk. My plantings are closely monitored for the first 3 months. If any swaying or leaning is observed, stakes are immediately installed. If environmental factors force me to stake a tree or shrub, I carefully study the wind direction and strategically place 2-4 stakes around the base of the tree opposite the wind direction. I pound the largest stakes that I can fine into the ground and either wrap nursery ties or wire straps around the tree. The ties are installed loosely so to catch the tree as opposed to holding it in place.

Thanks again for reading and be sure to check back soon. WordPress is kind enough to offer the option of automatically receiving my blog postings as they are released. If you have a question or comment, post it below so I can respond as soon as possible.

As always, if you have a landscaping or gardening need, contact me in any of the following ways…

Rob Lundholm
Lundholm Landscaping
P.O. Box 1066
Cape May, NJ 08204
Office 609-898-9136
Cell/text 609-722-1814
Rob@lundholmlandscaping.com
Www.lundholmlandscaping.com

P.S. Areas of expertise include

ALL PHASES OF HARDSCAPE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION TO INCLUDE CONCRETE PAVER PATIOS, DRIVEWAYS, RETAINING WALLS, SIDEWALKS, POOL AREAS, RETAINING WALLS AND SEATING AREAS
IRRIGATION DESIGN AND INSTALLATION
LANDSCAPE DESIGN, CONSULTATION AND CONSTRUCTION
SOIL TESTING AND ANALYSIS
PONDS, FOUNTAINS, WATERFALLS AND WATER FEATURES

This little guy needs no introduction to those of us who make an attempt to enjoy our lawn and gardens in the early morning, late afternoon or evening hours.

Has this ever happened to you???

It’s the end of another beautiful day.

The beach was perfect, the water temperature is like bath water and visions of grilling a nice piece of steak have your mouth watering.

A quick shower, throw on some comfortable clothes and make a dash to the back yard.

The grill fires right up and in seconds the entire cooking surface is packed with Hot Dogs, Hamburgers and a 2lb slab of beef!

The table is set, the corn is shucked and it’s party time!!

Suddenly everyone is slapping themselves, and each other, in what appears to be an episode of “The Three Stooges”.

MOSQUITOS!!!

 Um, yeah, that’s your blood, or even worse, the guy next door’s blood!

Now we take another shower in “Back Woods Off”, “Cutter” or grandmas special recipe that “Always Works”.  These blood sucking pests were not invited to the party but, like your weird uncle, always manages to find their way in!

The spray lasts a whopping 45 minutes and the little bastards are buzzing and biting again.

Enough’s enough!  Lets take this party inside.

If I’ve seen it once, I’ve seen it a thousand times.

It’s time to retake control of our back yards and state of the art technology is going to help us in a BIG way!

Lundholm Landscaping has your back!  I’ve done my research, finished my testing and I have entered a verdict!

The Mosquito Magnet eliminates Mosquitos!!!!

The approach is relatively simple.  Attract them, capture them, eliminate them! It’s that simple!   Here’s how it works…

Place the mosquito magnet in a location where it attracts mosquitos and other nuisance insects away from where you enjoy your outdoors.

The mosquito magnet uses propane to heat a bait cartridge.  As the bait cartridge is burned, it releases a discrete odor which simulates the breath of Oxen.  As the mosquitos sense the oxen breath, they quickly merge!  As a biting mosquito approaches the bait cartridge, they are sucked into a micro net of which they cannot escape.

HERE’S THE BEST PART!!

Intense studies of the numerous mosquito species in our area determine that only the females bite.  Further, it has been determined that mosquitos only travel up to 100 yards in their lifetime!  Mosquito’s produce sexually, so when the female population is eliminated, the species is eliminated.  The elimination of Mosquitoes in a desired location takes roughly 3 weeks.

THERE IS A CATCH!!!!

Homeowner’s must follow a simple, routine maintenance schedule.  The maintenance schedule consists of 4 simple steps…

1.  Refill the Propane Tank

2.  Replace the Bait Cartridge

3.  Clean Out the Lines that Supply the Propane to the Bait

4.  Replace the Net/Bag that Captures the Mosquitos

The entire process takes about 15 minutes.  A small price to pay for an insect free back yard.  It is vitally important to do the above mentioned steps no less than every 21 days.

HOWEVER!!!!!

If the propane and/or bait cartridge runs out and the unit is not functioning properly, it’s like starting from scratch.  Mosquitoes multiply quickly! Stay on track and stay BUG FREE!!!

Not only do I bring you the information, I can even help you find and order everything.  I recommend Amazon.com as the preferred distributor.  They are a well known online distributor who ships quickly and has everything in stock at a guaranteed low price.  The only thing that a homeowner will need to provide is the propane tank(exact same tank system as gas grills use).

Ordering is as simple as clicking on the links below!!!

Mosquito Magnet MM3300 Executive Mosquito Trap

BE SURE TO WATCH THE VIDEO FOR COMPLETE DETAILS!!!

When ordering, please be sure to order plenty of Octenal, Bug Bags and Quick Clear.  These items are vital to keeping your investment working at optimal efficiency!

If you have questions for me or need help installing your Mosquito Magnet, contact me any of the following ways…

Rob Lundholm

Office Number 609-898-9136

Cell/Text 609-722-1814

SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG to have my blogs automatically emailed!!

Good Luck and Happy Shopping!!!!

Guys and Gals, we will never think of lawn cutting the same now that this product is hanging over our heads…

Just when I thought I had seen it all in the incredible field of landscaping…along comes a new product that raises the bar. I’m not really sure whether we can classify this product as hardscaping or landscaping… ITS BOTH???

I received a phone call from the distributor today. He states to me, in blunt terms, “We’re doin’ that install today”.

My reply “Really??”

“Are you ready for us”, he asks… almost expecting me to say NO.

“We are READY”, I boldly confirm!

I gather the troops, switch gears and it’s a race to the job. It’s one of the last items to be installed on yet another masterpiece. We revisit the work site and do some final primping. The installers pull up at exactly high noon and rush into action.

Below is a birds eye view of the work area which is nearly prepped for this amazing new product!

I wondered if this product would be hot to walk on???

How will it hold up???

What will people think???

You are not looking at a standard turf installation. You may, however, have seen this product at The Meadowlands or Texas Stadium. This is a homeowner variety of synthetic turf. It never needs to be mowed, no weeds and no watering(it is permeable so water runs right through and drains through the scientifically engineered base).

This installation took less than 3 hours. INSTANT, HASTLE FREE LAWN!!!

AMAZING… EVERY MANS DREAM!!!

First the The Remote Control, now A 100% Maintenance Free Law! One can only imagine what will come next!

This product starts at around $10.00 per square foot installed. It may sound a little pricey except when you factor in the cost of maintaining your lawn to include fuel, engine maintenance, watering, sprinkler maintenance, fertilizer, thatching, aeration and the overall time that it takes to keep a lawn looking perfect…WHO COULD ASK FOR ANYTHING MORE!

There are 4 different grades of synthetic turf available ranging from Tall Fescue to Putting Green.

If you are considering this product of the future, contact me today and I will work up an estimate.

Rob Lundholm
Lundholm Landscaping

Office Number 609-898-9136
Cell /text 609-722-1814

Email rob@lundholmlandscaping.com

KEEPING YOU INFORMED!

Don’t pack your bags and head for the hills just yet…

The volcanos that I am referring to are man made…

MULCH VOLCANOS!!!!

Created by the annual piling on of mulch, these volcanos are killing trees everywhere!

This is ridiculous. Who would do something like this???

It’s not that difficult to spend a few extra minutes to do things the right way!

Proper mulching allows vital water, nutrients and oxygen to reach the roots of trees. Mulch volcanos smother roots, create a tremendous amount of heat and cause fungus to form around the base of a tree. The environment created by a mulch volcano is a breeding ground for fungus, disease and rot. Eventually most trees are over come by disease and finally…

TIMBER!!! Landing on your home, your car or even worse…ON YOU!!!

This picture illustrates how a trees roots meet the ground. This tree is an ordinary Maple Tree that is thriving in it’s natural environment . The roots can be seen stretching out, free to breathe, roam and find as much water as it needs. This is how a tree is meant to live!!

Let’s all take a few minutes to walk our properties and make sure that we are not guilty of our own mulch volcanos. If you spot a mulch volcano, email a picture of it to me at rob@lundholmlandscaping.com. The most disgusting mulch volcano picture will receive a $25.00 Wawa gift card. What other landscaper is offering free gift cards???

Deadline for this contest is Friday July 8th, 2011 at 5:00pm. The mulch volcano must be located in Cape May County and I will verify it in person! Other than that, no strings attached. Now get out there and find some volcanos!

If you are in need of landscaping services, contact us in any of the following ways…

Subscribe to this blog by clicking on the link to the right.

Visit our interactive website at www.lundholmlandscaping.com.

Call our office at 609-898-9136

Call or text Rob Lundholm at 609-722-1814

Good Luck. Winner will be announced on Monday July 11th, 2011at noon.

As you all know, Lundholm Landscaping, Cape May County’s premier landscape design and construction company, goes beyond the every day, ordinary landscape design. We take old, overgrown and outdated landscapes and turn them into, modern, cutting edge, state of the art masterpieces. Not only do our designs look incredible but we are environmentally sensitive. Our designs feature irrigation systems that cut down on consumption by up to 70 percent, LED landscape lighting which uses 95 percent less electricity than conventional lighting and soil engineering and drainage solutions that reduce runoff.

In previous postings, we saw the original landscape, the process of removing and recycling old concrete and the ground work for our new walk ways.

In this picture, the new walkway takes shape. Instead of an industrial, straight, sidewalk that hugs the house, we are creating a park like atmosphere with a wandering path through the property. By moving the walkway out into the yard, we create a planting area that will hide the expansive brick foundation and provide colorful Hydrangeas.

More photos of our new walkway taking shape.

This pattern is known as running bond. A process by which the Pavers are laid end to end. The border of this patter is known as a soldier course which gets is name from soldiers lined up shoulder to shoulder.

Check back soon as the project continues. Future postings will highlight the completion of the walkways, plantings, irrigation installation and the finishing touches.

Contact us in any of the following ways…

Subscribe to this blog by clicking the tab to the right.

Call our office at 609-898-9136
Call/text Rob Lundholm’s cell 609-722-1814

Visit our interactive website at www.lundholmlandscaping.com

Thanks for reading, see you out there!

As most of you know by now, Lundholm Landscaping of Cape May, New Jersey is a landscape design and construction company that specializes in creating beautiful, functional and environmentally friendly landscapes. This series of blogs entails the exact workings of one of our signature “Extreme Landscape Makeovers”. So far we introduced the project with a brief description and “Before” photographs.

In the last few days, we have been smashing, cutting, breaking and removing concrete to form the new walkways. Check out the photos below, ***WARNING*** these pictures contain graphic illustration of serious destruction!!!

It used to be a sidewalk…

The newer concrete is only 6 inches thick. It’s still no match for our crew!

Makes you wonder where it all came from???

In case you were wondering, all concrete get trucked to our friends at Future Mining and Recycling in Cape May Court House and Erma. Their machinery grinds the concrete pieces into small pieces and we reuse it to build a strong base for paver projects. Not even 1 piece of concrete goes into the landfill…100% recycled.

Look for our next series of photographs and descriptions as the walkway bases are built and the project begins to take shape.

If you have a landscaping project that you are considering or you need a complete renovation, call us today for a free 30 minute consultation.

By the way, did you know that you can receive these postings automatically in your email? Simply subscribe to this blog by clicking on the link to the right.

Lundholm Landscaping
Office 609-898-9136
Cell/text 609-722-1814

Email rob@lundholmlandscaping.com

www.lundholmlandscaping.com

See you out there!

The Stone Harbor Job has a few construction items that need to be completed and the Blue Stone Patio is awaiting an order of used brick to match the chimney.

As man

We are in our favorite spot today, downtown Cape May and we are starting a Mega Project. This project will feature new walkways, new privacy plantigs, specimen plantings, upgraded irrigation system, landscape lighting, new front retaining wall and just about everything else you can think of..

I thought it woule be cool, and informative to do a photographic diary of this project. Out of respect for the owners, I cannot release the address. What I will do is provide as many photos as I can. This way readers can see exactly what goes into creation of an “Extreme Landscape Makeover”.

We will lead off today with the “Before” photos…

This area will have the concrete removed(by hand due to tight quarters),new paver walkway that connects the front entrance to the new custom deck and outside shower. The new walkway will be repositioned a few feet out from the fondation to allow for a narrow planting area. Shade perennials will take the eye away from the tall, exposed foundation. Two path lights will gently down light this new path for easy night time navigation.

This picture shows the front entrance of a late 1800′s Federal Style Mansion. The concrete will be removed and replaced with red brick Pavers applied in a classic herringbone pattern with “Doormat Inlay”. This area will be further enhanced by updated plantings, path lights and state of the art irrigation.

The side yard will also have the existing concrete removed and replaced with a red brick Paver style walkway. Instead of being lodged against the house, the new path will be repositioned to allow for foundation plantings and seasonal color. Rather than a strait, industrial walkway, the new path will have subtle curves and give the feel of a stroll through the park. Other highlights of the side yard include a small patio, path lighting, drip irrigation and water saving sprinkler heads.

The new back yard will boast matching foundation plantings, a new Emerald Green Arborvitae hedge to replace the unruly Leyland Cypress, a connected path to the bike shed, path lights upgraded irrigation.

The far back lawn will provide a wide path to the parking area, Tall Arborvitae hedge, new sod and water saving irrigation.

This is no ordinary landscape makeover. The raised front yard and extremely narrow access driveway create a tremendous challenge for delivery and removal of construction materials.

Check back often as this project unfolds, it’s going to be a good one!!!

If you are planning a landscaping project or would just like a few ideas, please contact us today in any of the following ways…

Subscribe to this blog or simply post a comment

Call me in the office at 609-898-9136
Call/text my cell at 609-722-1814

Email rob@ lundholmlandscaping.com

Hope to hear from you soon,

Rob

Not an alcohol hangover… or a hangover from my little league teams loss last night, but a hangover from the release of 3 months of built up stress. In case you are reading my blog for the first time, I decided yesterday that Lundholm Landscaping is no longer in the landscape maintenance business. Aside from 5 select accounts, I decided that it is in the best interest of all parties involved that I refer landscape maintenance to my competitors. My stress level immediately went down and today I feel much more relaxed and focused.

Going forward, I will focus my attention on Landscape Design, Construction and Consultation.

That’s water under the bridge. I am not the type to second guess myself or look back and wonder. Its onward and upward.

Today is a great day to discuss a few Do’s and Dont’s to help your lawn and garden survive a heat wave.

Plants obviously don’t have the luxury of going inside to relax and unwind in the air conditioning. Plants have to suck it up and weather the storm. Plants actually react to extreme heat the same way that they react to extreme cold. Their internal survival system instructs them to go into a brief or sustained, period of dormancy… Depending on the extent of the extreme heat.

Do…

Keep a close eye on your lawn and garden. Look for extreme wilting, insect infestations, black spot and cracking soil.

Continue to water plants on a normal schedule. It’s important not to over water, which causes fungus, root rot a host of other problems. Under watering is not advised either for obvious reasons. Even dormant grasses and plants need some water.

Keep up with weed control. Dormant plants can easily be taken over by weeds. Weeds take necessary water and nutrients from the soil, robbing them from your prize possessions.

Maintain at least a 1 to 2 inch layer of mulch in your planting beds and gardens. As a reminder, mulch helps to control weeds, keeps soil temperatures down and helps to retain moisture in the soil.

Keep up with your dead heading. Although a rose, geranium or petunia flower has bloomed and is beginning to turn brown, it is still demanding water and nutrients. Eliminate spent flowers so plants can send nutrients elsewhere(always use sharp pruning shears and make clean, crisp cuts).

Don’t…

Water your lawn 3 times a day to combat the heat. Excess watering puts additional stress on lawn and gardens in heat waves because the excess water encourages plants to keep growing rather than slipping into a brief period of dormancy.

Worry about a few brown spots, or even total brown out, in your lawn.

Apply any fertilizer which will encourage growth or prolong blooms.

Panic, this too will pass.

Cut grass if it doesn’t need it. The weight of a lawn mower can actually snap grass blades and leave your lawn susceptible to fungus and disease.

Apply any insect, fungus or disease control products during the hottest parts of the day. Products like this will burn your lawn and garden and cause irreversible damage. Always apply either Late afternoon or very early morning.

My last, most important don’t of all….

Don’t forget to read… or re-read my blog on an amazing new approach to lawn and garden care which is 100 percent organic(Item 6 in my series of Blogs on 10 Tips for a Perfect Lawn). If you are on the Holganix plan, your lawn is probably thriving because of the micro climate that you created in the soil.

Thanks for taking the time to read this article.

As always, If you need my assistance, please contact me in any of the following ways….

Subscribe to this blog
Office 609-898-9136
Cell/Text 609-722-1814

Email rob@lundholmlandscaping.com or lundholmlandscaping.com

Thanks again and see you soon…