Fall Lawn Care: Making your Fescue Lawn the Best It Can Be!

Although metro-Atlanta has had a taste of cool fall weather, it’s not yet time to call it quits on lawn care. Get the properties you manage prepped for winter with some last-minute tasks.

Thatch removal and raking off moldy grass clippings will alleviate disease pressure on the lawn, but better yet, try core aeration, particularly on Fescue turf this time of year. 

Since Fescue is a cool season grass, its most vigorous growth takes place from September/October through April/May. Aerating the lawn should be at the top of the list, since it opens up the soil and promotes a healthier lawn next spring. Water, air and nutrients more easily can make their way down to the roots of the grass plants, resulting in a more vigorous turf overall. The unobtrusive soil cores, scattered over the surface of the lawn, will dissolve during the rains of winter and recycle nutrients back to the soil.

The type and timing of fertilizer to be applied also depends on the type of grass. Crabapple LandscapExperts determine the best formula of fertilizer and the rates for optimizing their clients’ lawns. Proper management of Fescue provides a green turf all year long, in contrast to warm season lawns such as Bermuda or Zoysia that turn tan and go dormant during the winter. Three or four times during the cool months, about October, December, February and April, the LandscapExperts can apply a fertilizer formulated especially for cool season grasses. These products are designed to strengthen the root system and prevent winter injury to your lawn.

The late winter feeding (the end of February to early March), just before the lawn takes off for the Spring, is often an application of slow-release lawn food high in nitrogen. This fertilizer will promote a healthy green color and will feed the lawn for about two months of especially active growth. We generally apply a second application of slow release or organic fertilizer in April, but no later than May 1, to get a robust Fescue through the heat of summer.

Fall is a great time to add Lime to the soil to make it less acidic and closer to neutral, benefitting the lawn and making the nutrients in fertilizer more accessible for plant absorption.

Fall is also a great time to topdress the lawn by raking in some rich organic matter, filled with beneficial microorganisms that supply a natural boost to the grass plants, and mitigate the effects of compacted soils. 

As the wheel of the seasons turns to Fall, there is a lot of thoughtful maintenance that is required to keep the landscape on the properties you manage in top shape. Call the LandscapExperts at Crabapple to lend our expertise. 

Photo Credits: thanks to Royal Horticultural Society, lzgadener.com, University of Florida  

7 Steps How to Transplant a Shrub-- Root Pruning is the Secret!

Crabapple LandscapExperts know that fall is a great time to move plants that may have overgrown a space or that are not in the right location in their current landscape position. 

1. Ideally, about month ahead of Transplanting Day, plan to root prune the shrub by cutting a circle about a foot or 16 inches out from the trunk(s) of the shrub, slicing through the side growing roots with a pointed nursery spade. Do not cut underneath the root ball, but leave the shrub attached to roots growing down into the soil. Water and maintain the shrub in the following weeks, and during this time feeder roots will develop within the circle close to the trunks that will support the shrub in its move.

2.  A day or two before Transplanting Day: water heavily around the base of the shrub. 

3.  A couple of days before Transplanting Day, dig a large, shallow hole in the desired new location, and fill it with water, moistening the soil thoroughly. Keep the soil excavated from the new hole handy.  

4.    On Transplanting Day re-dig around the circle of roots, lean the tree over to one side and slice through any remaining connecting roots. Carefully pry the root ball out of the soil in one piece. Drag it onto a burlap square or place into a wheelbarrow that is standing by. 

5.  Replant the shrub in the pre-dug hole, making sure that the top of the root ball is even with (or slightly higher than) the top of the surrounding soil. Fill in with the native soil.  

6. Place soil amendments such as compost, Nature’s Helper, Mr. Natural or similar on the soil surface as a mulch, and water-in thoroughly.  

7.  In the following few months, make sure the root ball never dries out, but is carefully watered until the feeder roots grow at least one inch into the surrounding soil. Crabapple LandscapExperts know the transplant is sure to prosper with a little forethought and care. 

For an even  more exhaustive dissertation on transplanting shrubs, my friend Bob Polomski from Clemson Extension has written a treatise on transplanting mature trees and shrubs  if you would like to check it out. 

9-Inch NEEDLES, An Insiders's Guide to Pine Straw

So why do CrabappleLandscapExperts use pine straw mulch in many of the landscapes under our care? 

Advantages of Pine Straw Mulch:

- quick, simple, easy, clean

- local, sustainable, renewable

- visually appealing, uniform color

- fine texture sets off the landscape

- lightweight, pest free

- controls erosion and great for slopes

- doesn’t float away

- breaks down slowly

- economical; cost per square foot is lower than other mulches

- doesn’t compact

- - can be used in flower beds or on garden paths

- great for nests

Georgia’s towering Loblolly and Slash Pines are an important component of native southeastern forests and landscapes, and their evergreen needles create a soft billowing effect. Quick maturing, their wood is grown as a 20-year crop for timber and pulp manufacture. Their needle leaves, called pine straw, is another important sustainable, local, renewable resource from pines. 

1. In order to tell the different pines apart, first look at their overall silhouette. 
2.     Next, observe their needles up close. They come in different lengths and, depending on the variety, in 2- 3- or 5-needle bundles called fascicles. Instead of turning red and falling off every autumn like deciduous oaks and maples, the average bundle of needles lives two years, and this staggered life cycle is what makes them ever-green.  

When they finally do get around to falling, often times in the fall, Pine Needles turn a lovely light cinnamon color, are raked up from the forest floor, baled and sold as a mulch with many advantages. Pine straw is readily available as mulch in the metro-Atlanta area, and Crabapple LandscapExperts recommend spreading pine straw as mulch when a very fine texture is called for in a landscape design.

CrabappleLandscapExperts’ long list of satisfied customers includes homeowners’ associations, apartment communities, office sites, government agencies, commercial facilities, retail centers, schools and universities, and private homeowners. Call your Crabapple Rep now to get the landscape in shape for the upcoming three months of holidays. 

Pointy Side Up! Bulbs and Easy Planting Tips

A few minutes spent planting bulbs on a lovely afternoon this autumn will chase away old man winter early, ushering in a graceful spring with weeks of color and excitement before the rest of the garden wakes up. Crabapple LandscapExperts suggest that fall bulbs are best planted when the nights start to cool down. 

Just about all you need to know is “pointy side up”.

The Big Three

Daffodils make the most impact; in fact, in metro-Atlanta the earliest varieties begin blooming in January, showing their cheery faces in yellow or white. Daffodils are also known as narcissus (the scientific name) or jonquils (the flat cup varieties) and will grow in sun or shade. An added plus is that the squirrels and chipmunks won’t eat them because daffodil bulbs are poisonous to critters. If all those benefits weren’t enough, daffodils are reliably perennial around Atlanta, so once planted they will return every spring like a visit from old friends. They can be tucked next to perennials or foundation shrubbery, or planted underneath groundcovers like vinca or ivy in order to pop up through the foliage.

Tulips come in a wide assortment of luscious shades, and based on the type of flower will appear from early through late spring, for example, Early Singles, Darwin Hybrids, Lily-Flowered or Late Doubles. They come in every color except blue, and one company matches bulbs tothe house color and suggests varieties to plant. Around Atlanta, though tulips won't usually come back next spring, so you'll have the joy of choosing new ones and trying new color schemes in fall.

Hyacinths are super-fragrant and are so easy to grow that they can even be forced in a glass of water. Choose from pink and rose to blue, yellow, orange and white. March 7 is World Hyacinth day, so you see, they are pretty early bloomers. Carl Sandburg said, "Poetry is the synthesis of hyacinths and biscuits. " 

Fast, Easy, Foolproof

Planting bulbs is fast, easy and foolproof. The Dig, Drop, Done Foundation, a consortium of bulb growers, highlights these features with amusing videos of bimbos planting bulbs and enjoying flowers. The good news is that bulbs are very forgiving, so however they get in the ground, they will bring flowers in early spring. 

Yes, you can carefully prepare a bed adding compost and organic matter, OR you can just dig some holes and drop in the daffodil bulbs, pointy side up. cover them with the soil from the holes and you're good to go. 

Yes, you can measure the designated depth to plant each kind of bulb, OR you can scoop out some soil with a hand trowel and the bulbs will find their way to beauty (contractile roots ). 

Your Crabapple LandscapExperts know that planting bulbs teaches anticipation and rewards patience, so try some this fall. What do you have to lose? 

Benefits of Adding Lime to the Soil this Fall

Atlanta is known for terrific azaleas, blueberries, dogwoods, camellias and tulip poplars, all acid-loving plants that thrive in Atlanta's acid soils. Due to rainfall levels common east of the Mississippi River and acid-forming oak leaves and pine needles, metro-Atlanta clay soils are acidic in nature. Review a wide selection of plants that do well on acidic soils. 

Soil tests include a useful measurement called the "pH". This refers to a range of values from 0 to 14, where zero is the most acid and 14 is the most alkaline. (Pure water is neutral with a pH of 7).

The lower case “p” in pH refers to a logarithmic scale, which means that a pH of 6 is 10 times more acidic than neutral, but a pH of 5 is 100 times more acidic!  So native Atlanta soils with a pH of 4.5 approach 500 times more acidic than neutral.

But sometimes soils can be TOO ACIDIC for good plant growth. And not all plants thrive on acid soils. Some, like Fescue, Bermuda and Zoysia lawns and culinary herbs prefer a more neutral soil. When soils become too acid, adding lime corrects the pH level.  

Converting Acid Soils

Crabapple LandscapExperts know the best way to convert acid soils for better plant growth is by adding lime. Lime application affects many aspects of soil and growing conditions. The primary benefits of lime include:  

● changes the soil acidity to more neutral

● promotes better growth of plants

● makes nutrients needed for good plant growth (added as fertilizer) more available to plant roots

● increases fertilizer effectiveness by freeing bound ions and making them available to plant roots

● the chemical formula of lime is CaCO3, therefore, adding lime adds Calcium to the soil, which is an essential nutrient needed for best plant growth that is often deficient in Atlanta-area soils

● Your LandscapExperts know that in addition to the Calcium deficiency, metro-Atlanta soils are typically deficient in Magnesium (Mg). So by choosing Dolomitic Lime with a chemical formula CaMg(CO3)2  to neutralize acidic soils, we are simultaneously adding both Calcium and Magnesium to the soil.

● reduces certain acid-loving weeds

● acts as a natural irritant to insect pests

● increases the microbial activity

● offsets acid rain  

● improves soil structure

Lime comes in many forms, dry crushed limestone from quarries, dug as marl or from industrial by-products. In many ways lime is similar to its cousin gypsum. CrabappleLandscapExperts recommend an application of pulverized dolomitic lime once or twice a year for optimal landscape health. Call your Crabapple Rep to discuss an application of lime to the landscapes you manage.

Photos Courtesy: Geri Laufer, UAB.edu, Outdoor Product Reviews

Planning Annual Flowers for Winter Color

Metro-Atlanta winters do have icy and snowy periods, but stay relatively cool and pleasant for most of the season. Crabapple LandscapExperts use cold-tolerant annual flowers to enliven landscapes during winters that experience only a few killing frosts.

The most familiar and perhaps hardiest winter annuals are pansies and Johnny-jump-ups. These are actually two versions of the same plant, with pansies having the larger flowers but Johnny-Jump-Ups (also known as violas) being a bit hardier. A wide range of colors and bi-tones are available to fit any color scheme or reinforce and emphasize any property sign, logo or sales office. Ask your Crabapple Rep to design harmonious and distinctive flower beds for your specific property.

Parsley is sometimes used as a bright green companion plant in pansy beds, thriving under the same conditions of sun and high fertility. The frilly, rich green leaves are an inviting addition.

Dusty miller is a great choice for providing silvery white contrast in residential and commercial flower beds. With dusty miller no flowers are involved, since the color is contributed by intricately cut silver foliage that lasts for years.

Ornamental cabbage and rainbow chard are pretty examples of common vegetables that routinely survive cold winter temperatures.”Flowering” cabbage has been hybridized to produce ruffled white, pink or lavender leaves that are ornamental in themselves. Rainbow chard has bright, eye-catching petioles in yellow, orange, purple and red colors. The rough-textured leaves of ornamental kale are available in a dark burgundy or purple color to provide both background and contrast. Colorful lettuces and radicchio are becoming increasingly popular as ornamental winter edgings.

Another winter possibility is the snapdragon. While snapdragons can be knocked back by snowstorms, they re-grow during warm spells and produce spikes of showy flowers. Fall planting also ensures a big springtime show of these snaps. 

Pinks or Dianthus are low-growing mats of spiky, silvery foliage with small, frilly, button-like flowers about 6 inches tall. These are often available in head-turning hot pink or attractive blends of red, rose, pink and white.

Other hardy annuals for winter landscape color include white candytuft, blue larkspur, sweet William or pot marigolds (also known as Calendula).  Your Crabapple LandscapExperts will devise the perfect color scheme and design for flower beds on properties you manage. 


Photo Credits, thanks to Kristen Alexander, healthyhomegardening.com, Paul Chinn San Fran Chronicle 

Overseeding Fescue Lawns This Fall

Fall is the ideal time to overseed fescue lawns, and Crabapple LandscapExperts know which Fescue varieties do best in metro-Atlanta and how to get maximum germination and growth for a velvety turf on the properties we maintain. Overseeding involves spreading fresh grass seed over an existing lawn that typically has bare patches, to improve the quality of the turf. The key to this important step in maintaining quality turf is knowing how to overseed correctly. 

Fescue is a popular choice for lawns becaues it maintains its green color throughout winter. Unlike warm-season Bermudagrass or Zoysia lawns, Fescue does not go dormant but experiences its best growth during the cool months of fall, winter and spring. During the hot summer months Fescue lawns may experience heat stress. 

Reseeding in the Fall has many advantages:

•            Soils remain warm from summer, causing fescue seeds to germinate rapidly 
•       The late summer drought is broken by regular autumn rains 
•       Moist soils encourage germination and root growth of young Fescue plants 
•      Cooler temperatures promote good growth of Fescue 
•      Overseeding in the fall reduces competition from weeds  
•      New plants have 3-4 months to develop deeper roots and become established before cold weather 
•      Fall-established lawns can more easily handle drought next spring

Understanding grass growth  

Most Fescues are bunch type grasses, growing in clumps rather than sending out horizontal runners (called rhizomes) like Bermuda. The grass plant has a crown at the center, with roots growing down and blades of grass growing up. Grass plants grow side shoots (called tillers) that are formed around the crown. Since each blade of grass has a short lifespan (about 6 weeks) new tillers must continually develop to keep a lawn looking good. 

As a lawn ages, the individual grass plants get older and the growth of new tillers decreases. Therefore, the best way to ensure a healthy, thick lawn is to ensure the grass is young (Nick Christians, PhD, Iowa State U). Thus the practice of overseeding is the most efficient and easiest way of keeping lawns young.

Crabapple LandscapExperts prepare Fescue lawns for overseeding by core aerating the soils first. See our March 22 Blog for detailed information and a video on the topic of Core Aeration. Watch the quick video on YouTube about core aeration for warm season grasses, which also applies to fescue lawns in the fall.   


Schedule overseeding for the properties you manage with your Crabapple LandscapExpert Rep this fall. 

Photos courtesy Geri Laufer, University of Vermont Extension Service, lft Seed Company