by Green Thumb Expert | Jul 18, 2012 | Annuals and Perennials, Insects, Shrubs and Trees
Mid last month we saw the emergence of Japanese beetles in eastern Iowa. Damage was stronger than ever and the aftermath is all that remains. If you drive through neighborhoods in Cedar Rapids you can see the damage on Linden, Crab Apple and Birch trees. Some of...
by Green Thumb Expert | Jul 18, 2012 | Annuals and Perennials, General, Shrubs and Trees
It is time to water plants in your yard. Since eastern Iowa has not seen significant rain fall in several months, there is a lot of plant material feeling the brunt of the drought. New plant material installed with in the past five years will suffer quite a bit if...
by Green Thumb Expert | Jul 17, 2012 | Grounds Maintenance, Landscaping, Shrubs and Trees
Landscape bed renovation is the process of taking an existing landscape bed and sprucing it up. This process can be accomplished by pruning existing plant material, topdressing mulch, pulling weeds, etc. Most landscapes that do not receive annual maintenance should...
by Green Thumb Expert | Jul 17, 2012 | Grounds Maintenance, Landscaping, Shrubs and Trees
Proper shrub pruning not only beautifies your plants, but it can improve their health. Simple techniques can dramatically improve the curb appeal of your property. The first thing that people notice when they go to your house or business is the exterior appearance. ...
by Green Thumb Expert | Jul 16, 2012 | Grounds Maintenance, Landscaping, Shrubs and Trees
When you prune bushes in your landscape, it is important to properly identify the plant prior to giving it a cut. Everyone has at least one tree or shrub on their property that may require pruning from time to time. There are many types of bushes and several...
by Green Thumb Expert | Jul 16, 2012 | Fertilizer Products, Turf Grass
We are now preforming our summer lawn fertilizing in eastern Iowa. Some of our customers have expressed concerns about fertilizing during the drought. During this time, you can either increase the quality of the turf or further decrease it. We use stabilized...
by Green Thumb Expert | Jul 13, 2012 | Turf Grass
Since grass seeding should be done in the spring or fall, hold off on your summer planting plans. If you plant seed now, you risk having your efforts go to waste. Not only will your new seed require quite a bit of watering, but your germination rate for summer...
by Green Thumb Expert | Jul 13, 2012 | Turf Grass
New lawn seeding will work best if it is done in the spring or fall. If you live in eastern Iowa, you finally saw some rain last night. Though the amount of rain was an insignificant amount, it was still better than nothing. Since we have not seen much rain in the...
by Green Thumb Expert | Jul 12, 2012 | Turf Grass
If you have turf grass, you have lawn thatch. Most people don’t know what lawn thatch is or the pro’s and con’s of the material. To properly understand how thatch can work for your lawn or against it, you must first understand how it forms. Lawn...
by Green Thumb Expert | Jul 12, 2012 | Weed Control
Properly identify weeds in your lawn so that you can treat them with the right product. Weeds in your lawn can be broken down into three categories, grasses, broadleaf and sedges. In order to treat the infestation in your lawn, you must properly identify...
