Leaf Removal
We need your help! Please keep up with leaf removal. With leaves on your lawn we are not able to effectively treat your lawn. A heavy layer of leaves not only keeps us from treating your lawn, it is also doing harm to your turf. The leaves will smother the turf causing the grass to die which will promote more weeds in the spring. If you have lots of trees in your lawn, try to remove leaves twice a week to keep them manageable.
Now is also the time to winterize your irrigation system. Call your irrigation company and get this scheduled before it gets to late.
This is also a good time for lawn mower maintenance. Drain the fuel tank and run the lawn mower engine dry before putting the machine away for the winter. Check belts and spark plugs and buy replacements, change the oil, sharpen the blades, and clean off dirt and plant debris so equipment will be ready to go when you need it in the spring.
Christmas Plants
Christmas plants are great to have around the house for the holidays. The flowing poinsettia and the Christmas cactus are two of the favorites. To prolong the life of a flowering poinsettia, keep it moist and protect it from being chilled or subjected to drafts. Keep it in full sunlight between 65 and 72F. The Christmas cactus will be coming into bloom. Reduce watering to prolong the blooming period. Keep in full sun at 70F. If the buds drop and the stems shrivel on your Christmas cactus, look for root injury cause by dry soil. Be sure to remove or punch holes in decorative foil around holiday plants, or it will collect water and cause roots to die.
After Christmas, your tree can be moved outside and redecorated for the birds. Anchor the tree in a bucket of damp sand. Leave on strings of popcorn and cranberries, and add strings of peanuts (in the shell). Apples, oranges, leftover breads and cakes, even peanut butter cookies can be hung on the boughs, but don't use any foods containing chocolate as it is poisonous to some small animals. For best results, push the edible ornaments well into the tree. Things that swing might scare birds.