Thinking about Christmas Lighting, Think Lawntech!

Lawntech Christmas Decor has been proudly serving our coverage area with custom Christmas Lighting for 14years. We take extreme pride in offering our customers the confidence which comes with being part of the National Franchise which is Christmas Decor Inc. CDI,Inc., is a National Franchise with over 400 franchises across America, affiliated with Ronald McDonald house charities, Christmas Decor is recognized as the foremost leader in custom lighting.
Lawntech takes pride in our installation projects and sees that each customer gets a professional lighting job with excellent service. This industry is known to have fly by night, quick to start up companies, which gives this business a bad name, Lawntech takes upon itself to try and keep Christmas lighting professional, courteous, and ethical.
What does Lawntech Christmas Decor offer our customers that the other fly by night companies can't?:

Customized Lighting
Insured and Bonded
Trained Installation Tech's
Courteous Staff
Safety trained and conscious
Uniformed installers
No undocumented workers
Outstanding Service call Program
Variety of Products
National Company Recognition
Ronald McDonald House Charities Donation
Competitive Prices
Proven Customer Satisfaction and History
Been in Business Since 1985
Best Products Made
Proud Member of the National Decorate a Soldiers House Program


Lawntech is looking forward to another wonderful year helping our area decorate for the holidays, We enjoy serving our community and providing the best product, service and enjoyable experience for our customers, please take the time to let Lawntech Christmas Decor give you a free estimate for lighting today, call our office staff @ 972-346-2696 for available times in your area.

Attack of the Killer Armyworms

"Armyworms are actually the caterpillar life stage of a moth. Their eggs masses which may contain several hundred new worms are deposited on or near plant foods. Each female may deposit several of these clusters. The caterpillar that hatches from the egg is only about one-eighth inch long, but when it is full grown, it reaches a length of about two inches. The caterpillars, usually feed at night and hide in plant litter just above the soil surface during the day. These moth larvae chew off the grass blades above the soil surface. If there is a major infestation, the grass is eaten to the soil level.
A frost may kill the larvae off, however inspection of areas where armyworms are likely to be found is advisable so that treatment can be applied before serious plant damage occurs and the larvae mature. Although the moths do no damage to plants, they will continue their life cycle and produce thousands of new worms."
Many do it yourself labels advocate only one application without much need for additional treatments, however the best course of action is to allow a trained technician or licensed applicator apply the appropriate chemical, to rid your yard of this seasonal pest, call Lawntech today. If you choose to try and fix the problem yourself and if the infestation is out of control (five or more per square yard) and chemical control becomes necessary, recommended insecticides containing chlorpyrifos, diazinon, Orthene, or Sevin should be applied. Please call Lawntech today @ 972-346-2696 for worry free applications done right.

Reference Cited: http://www.thegardenhelper.com/armyworm.html

How Season Changes Affect Turfgrass Management

In North Texas our regional climate change is significantly less than other regions, however, our climate does affect how our turf grasses grow. Turf grass management becomes more in depth as the year progresses, leaving some landscapers scratching their heads. Cooler temperatures usually mean slower top growth and more plant root stimulation. Plants begin to store nutrients for the long dormant period to come. In our region turf grasses slowly go into dormancy caused by a slower than normal cooling period. When it comes to dormancy and temperature, pre-emergent application dates become critical, what time period to apply fall pre-emergent is a matter of debate. Pre-emergent typically are applied after Sept 15th, Consequently, temperature and rate of rain fall play a role as to when to apply fall pre-emergent. Some pre-emergent are post activity pre-emergent, which means they have a longer than average residual, with the ability to kill weed seeds after they have germinated, while other pre-emergent such as pendimethalin must develop a weed barrier over time to prevent weeds seeds from ever germinating in the first place. Nevertheless, a good rule of thumb is to apply pre-emergent after Sept. 15th in this region. Controlling spring weeds is first and foremost the job of a fall pre-emergent, however, some do control winter weeds as they germinate in the fall.

Pictures of Common Weeds in our Region

The following are just a few of the most common weeds controlled with broadleaf herbicide this time of year. A good rule of thumb for herbicide application would be broadleafs in the cooler months, grassy in the warm months, however, most broadleafs respond to chemical application no matter the time of year, they are easier to kill, have more leaf blade surface for the chemical to adhere to and less of a fibrous root system.

Henbit



Dandelion



Thistle



Plantain



Common Weeds Not Treated Until Warm Temperatures Rise Consistently, which unfortunately is most if not all grassy weeds, consistent 90-degree temperatures or hotter is best for chemical application performance. Sedge grasses are the most difficult to control because of their narrow blade surface, lateral root system and persistent nature

Dallisgrass



Crabgrass



Nutsedge

Insecticide for Grub Control

White grubs eat organic matter including the roots of plants. Therefore, damage first appears to be drought stress. Heavily infested turf appears off color, gray-green, and wilts rapidly in the hot sun. Continued feeding will cause the turf to die in large irregular patches. The tunneling of the larvae cause the turf to feel spongy under foot and the turf can often be rolled back like a loose carpet. Once the damage is done, its hard to regain any new turf without sodding or seeding. The best alternative to damage is preventative grub insecticide, however, topical insecticide can be applied once grubs have reached mature stages to kill on contact, preventing any further damage from occurring. Often grubs are found in soft soils or healthy lawns near and around street lamps or outdoor lighting. If you would like to find out how you can prevent grubs from ruining your lawn, call Lawntech or visit our website.

Need a Beautiful New Lawn?

For over 10 years Lawntech has offered our customers an affordable alternative to sod, Hydromulch a process by which wood fiber mulch consisting of seed, fertilizer, additives and water are added to a mixer and sprayed on to prepared areas to create a beautiful lawn. Over the last decade, hydromulch has become more reliable with industry created additives to insure higher germination rates and increased overall satisfaction. Lawntech has proven itself in the Hydromulch community by providing quality service, guaranteed results and professionalism. We also offer our customers turn key soil preparation as well, Please call Lawntech if you have any questions about our services @ 972-346-2696

For more information copy/paste the following link:

http://www.answers.com/topic/hydroseeding

Do I water now, or wait till it gets hot?

Believe it or not, watering should be done year round in order to maintain proper health and weed control, although dormant turf grasses need water to survive, annual spring rainfall usually handles watering issues this time of year unless drought conditions exist. Check out the link for water guidelines located on this page.

Early weeds are starting to pop up.

You may have noticed early signs of weeds cropping up in your turf. This is normal as the temperature starts to try and rise. The stark contrast of your grass remaining dormant and the bright green of the weeds may bother you, however, most winter weeds will fizzle out as the temp climbs.
The most prevalent weed in our region this time of year is a weed called Henbit. Henbit is a annual winter germinating weed that flowers early in the spring, a member of the mint family with a square stem and branched near the ground. Tiny tubular bluish pink or white flowers poking above the leaves, this troublesome weed can get out of hand quickly. Mowing early can help control most weeds, yet henbit with it's square stem prevents the weed from falling over and dying, giving the appearance that the weed is still alive even though the weed has been treated properly.
There is good news for weed application this time of year however, Henbit dies very easily with broad leaf herbicide. The weed may stay vertical and appear to be alive, all the while the chemical has effectively killed it. Mowing will help finish off this colorful pest and as the temperature rises henbit will disappear. Mowing early in the season can help rid your yard of winter weeds faster than not mowing, adding another defense to late winter/early spring weed removal.
Most commercial chemicals work best when the temperature is higher, the combination of heat and chemical to the leaf blade causes a dual action process leaving the weed parched and burnt. During the winter months this effect is minimized, leaving the applicator with less chance of effectively killing weeds. Controlling weeds is always a big concern, and as the year progresses we will be able to address weeds more effectively. Our main focus within our early spring treatment is to apply a spring pre-emergent, stopping spring and summer weeds from ever germinating in the first place.

Start the Season Off Sharply

Grass will be coming out of dormancy soon, spring is around the corner, this means you or someone you hire will have to start mowing again. Mowing your yard can be rewarding, the results, a beautiful manicured lawn, however for the expert, mowing can make or break an ornamental lawn. Mowing height, regular mowing and blade maintenance is all part of correct mowing habits. The most crucial is blade maintenance or sharpness. Mowing with poorly maintained blades rips thru the leaf blade making the grass appear dead or dying, causing the lawn to stress. Also, your equipment is not functioning as intended, shortening mower life, causing costly repairs later and can be dangerous. With properly maintained blades your yard is cut uniformly and with precision, resulting in a healthier, disease free leaf blade. Mowing height is critical depending on time of year, for example; Spring mowing should result in a lower cut causing the yard to green up, summer and fall the yard should be left taller to prevent over exposure to heavy sunlight. Mowing height is often debated among landscape professionals and is often left to debate, however, a good rule of thumb is to set mower height 1 to 2 inches cutting depth each time you mow, this usually results in proper mowing height anytime of the year.

For more information on blade maintenance, click on the following link:

">http://www.weekendgardener.net/lawn-mowers/sharpen-lawnmower-blade-70607.htm">

What is an aeration and why is it beneficial?

Many ornamental turf grasses are found in areas of high traffic, in and around houses where children play, golf coarses and public parks. Constant traffic can cause soil to become compacted, leaving little room for the absorbtion of much needed nutrients. Aeration is a process by which a machine is driven over the target area extracting core plugs of soil, depositing them on the lawns surface, in turn the root zone is exposed allowing nutrients, i.e., water, fertilizer and air to rapidly penetrate the root zone, resulting in a healthier lawn.

The most frequently asked questions in regards to aeration are; When is the best time for aeration? and What about my sprinkler heads?

When is the best time for aeration? An aeration can be performed any time of the year with benefits, taking into account how frozen the ground is. Spring and Fall offer the best conditions to reap benefits from aeration, high traffic areas such as golf coarses perform aerations monthly to prevent soil compaction.

What about my sprinkler heads? Marking your sprinkler heads is vital to preventing damage and for that matter, marking anything in your yard that could be damaged by the aerator is crucial. Buying marker flags from your local hardware store is a simple way to mark your yard before aeration.

Please call Lawntech to schedule an aeration on your yard today!!!


For more information click on the link below:

http://www.1800lawncare.com/topics/lawncare101_aeration.htm

LawnTech wishes you a Happy New Year

Lawn Tech wants to wish everyone a Happy New Year, as we face another year of lawncare, our focus needs to be on creating an ornamental lawn our customers can be proud of, with proper, timed chemical applications and proper homeowner maintenance, i.e., proper mowing, watering and weeding, creating a beautiful lawn is a snap! We appreciate your business this year and we look forward to a great 2009.