Water is the most important natural resource; without it, there is no life. Yet judging by our water use and consumption practices, many of us take it for granted. The average American uses 100 gallons of water per day. More and more Americans are demonstrating their water smarts indoors by retrofitting their homes with WaterSense products. But outdoors, especially in the summer, the amount of water used can exceed the amount used for all other purposes in the entire year. This is especially true in hot, dry climates. Gardening and lawn care account for the majority of this seasonal increase. Of the estimated 29 billion gallons of water used daily in the United States, more than 30 percent is devoted to outdoor water use. In dry climates, outdoor water use can be as high as 60 percent. The majority of this is used for landscaping. We can design a landscape that conserves water as well as energy.
Here is a brief overview of some water-conserving landscaping strategies.
• Go native or choose plants that need less water. Once established, native and low water-using plants require little water beyond normal rainfall.
• Group plants according to their water needs. Grouping vegetation with similar watering needs into specific “hydrozones” reduces water use by allowing you to water to each zone’s specific needs.
• Maintain healthy soils. Healthy soils are the basis for a water-smart landscape; they effectively cycle nutrients, minimize runoff, retain water, and absorb excess nutrients, sediments, and pollutants.
• Be selective when adding turf areas. Turfgrass receives the highest percentage of irrigation water in traditional landscaping. To improve the aesthetics of your landscape and better manage outdoor water use, plant turfgrass only where it has a practical function or use Drought resistant turfgrass.
• Water wisely. Know your plant’s water needs and avoid watering during the heat of the day. If you have an irrigation system, make regular adjustments to ensure proper watering.
• Use mulch. Incorporate mulch around shrubs and garden plants to help reduce evaporation, inhibit weed growth, moderate soil temperature, and prevent erosion.
• Provide regular maintenance. Replace mulch around shrubs and garden plants at least once per year, and remove weeds and thatch as necessary.
Use Water-Smart Landscaping
In addition to requiring less water, fertilizer, pesticides, and usually less maintenance, water-smart landscapes offer many other benefits:
• Lower water bills from reduced water use
• Conservation of natural resources and preservation of habitat for plants and wildlife.
• Decreased energy use (and air pollution associated with its generation) because less pumping and treatment of water is required.
• Reduced home or office heating and cooling costs through the careful placement of shade trees and shrubs.
• Reduced runoff of storm water and irrigation water that carries top soils, fertilizers, and pesticides into lakes, rivers, and streams.
• Fewer yard trimmings to be managed or landfilled.
• Reduced landscaping labor and maintenance costs.
• Extended life for water resource infrastructure (e.g., reservoirs, treatment plants, groundwater aquifers), thus reduced taxpayer costs. If you’ve designed a water-smart landscape, you might be able to get all the water you need from rainfall alone. But sometimes, that might not be enough. Whether you water with a hose or use an irrigation system, smart watering habits can keep your lawn and landscape healthy and beautiful without wasting water or money.
You are already busy enough, let Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance, LLC take the watering and landscaping worries of your commercial property off your mind. To find out how give us a call at 623-848-8277.
Presented by:
Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance, LLC
623-848-8277
http://www.commerciallandscapecare.com
greenskeeperllc@cox.net
Pregnancy and childbirth make a woman an instant mother. But, all the days that follow thereafter with the love, caring, nurturing, cuddling, and worry is what makes her mom.
Mother's Day is our modern celebration honoring one's own mother, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, most commonly in the months of March or May. It complements similar celebrations honoring family members, such as Father's Day and Siblings Day.
The celebration of Mother's Day began in the United States in the early 20th century; it is not related to the many celebrations of mothers and motherhood that have occurred throughout the world over thousands of years, such as the Greek cult to Cybele, the Roman festival of Hilaria, or the Christian Mothering Sunday celebration (originally a celebration of the mother church, not motherhood). Despite this, in some countries Mother's Day has become synonymous with these older traditions.
So on the second Sunday in May we take this time to celebrate Mother’s Day and our Mothers.
You are already busy enough, let Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance, LLC take the landscaping worries of your commercial property of your mind. To find out how give us a call at 623-848-8277.
Presented by:
Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance, LLC
623-848-8277
http://www.commerciallandscapecare.com
greenskeeperllc@cox.net
As the world outside changes seasons once again, it’s time once again to pay attention to your lawn. Spring is a sensitive time for your yard and the weather is unpredictable. But summer is harsh and dry. Your lawn will thank you for being attentive at the right time of year. Here’s how to go about taking care of your lawn in the spring and winter.
Understanding the type of grass you have and its peak growing season will help you address lawn care tasks at the correct time.
There are a few things you can do during even the harshest winter that can ensure a beautiful, lush yard once spring rolls around again.
Fertilizing For Winter
Late fall or early winter are the best times to fertilize cool season grasses. Before the first freeze, give your lawn a thorough fertilizing to replace all of the nutrients that were lost during the hot summer months.
Mowing Strategies
During the last month of the summer you should gradually lower the cutting base of your lawn mower each time you mow the lawn. Slowly cutting your grass shorter will allow it to winter well. Short grass protects any new growth that may be more fragile near the end of the growing season.
Avoid Excessive Lawn Traffic
When the grass is brown and short it can be easy for people to forget that it shouldn’t be walked on. Try to prevent excess foot traffic on your lawn.
Spring
Clean Up – Gently!
Avoid heavy yard work in the spring until the soil dries out – foot traffic and hard raking can compact or disturb soggy soil and damage tender, new grass shoots. Once the soil is good and dry, give your lawn a good spring cleaning to encourage grass growth and discourage pests and diseases.
Controlling Weeds
Spring is the best time to prevent weeds by using pre-emergent weed control. Both cool-season and warm-season lawns benefit from weed prevention in the spring. Pre-emergent herbicides work for about three months, so plan on a second application during the summer.
Seeding and Planting
In the spring, gardeners have to choose between weed control and lawn seeding. Pre-emergent herbicides prevent grass seed from sprouting too, so you can’t do both.
If your focus this spring is on filling in bare spots or establishing a new lawn, time your activities according to the type of grass.
Fertilizing
The type of grass you have also influences when and how you should fertilize your lawn:
Cool-season grasses: don't heavily fertilize your lawn in the spring. Spring feeding encourages rapid tender growth that will struggle to survive the heat of summer, particularly in drought-prone areas.
Warm-season grasses: Fertilize in late spring as soon as the lawn “greens up” and begins actively growing. This is usually in April to May.
It doesn’t matter to us whether you want lush lawns, desert landscaping or some type of landscaping in between, we can help you make your commercial property beautiful. To find out how give us a call at 623-848-8277.
Presented by:
Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance, LLC
623-848-8277
http://www.commerciallandscapecare.com
greenskeeperllc@cox.net
As mentioned previously, it is of great importance to know about the grass that is available, to provide a fresh, healthy look to your business landscape. Living in Arizona it might be easy to say that we only have two seasons, warm weather and warmer weather. That is why knowing which warm season grasses can tolerate extreme heat and droughts should be a priority.
Warm Season Grasses
Warm-season grasses are originally from tropical regions, which is why they thrive in the scorching sun and high temperatures of the Southern US. Warm-season grasses grow best when temperatures are between 75-90°F and do most of their growing in the summer. In the cooler weather of late-fall and winter, they go dormant, turn brown, and won't green up again until warmer weather returns in spring.
The major grasses in this category are:
Bahiagrass
Bahiagrass is a tough, coarse-textured, moderately aggressive warm-season grass that is adapted to a wide range of soil conditions. This grass can take a wide range of warm weather climates, doing well in hot, humid areas with high annual rainfall, and can thrive even on poor, infertile soils. Bahiagrass spreads slowly by rhizomes, but when it becomes established it grows aggressively, quickly making a thick, low-maintenance lawn that has some drought resistance.
Bermudagrass
Bermudagrass is the most widely grown turfgrass because of its adaptation to climates and soil types. Bermudagrass forms a dense, attractive sod. Its aggressiveness makes bermudagrass the preeminent turf for areas of high traffic, since it can spread quickly to cover damaged areas. Bermudagrasses also have good wear tolerance. The major limiting factor to bermudagrass growth is the amount of sunlight it requires. It does not tolerate full shade and only tolerates partial shade for half a day. It is best to have full sun for the highest quality lawn.
Centipedegrass
Centipedegrass is a coarse-textured, light green grass. This grass is sometimes called "lazy man's grass" because its slow growth rate means less mowing and low maintenance. It adapts well to poor soil, and resists chinch bugs and brown patch disease. It is also aggressive enough to crowd out weeds. Centipedegrass has shallow roots, so it has no real drought tolerance and often is the first warm-season grass to turn brown in hot, dry spells, and goes dormant when cold. Centipedegrass will not tolerate lots of foot traffic, and is slow to recover when damaged.
St. Augustinegrass
St. Augustinegrass is a fast-growing, vigorous, coarse-textured, warm-season grass that has dark green, broad grass blades. It spreads by stolons that root at the nodes which form a dense, thick turf that will crowd out most weeds. St. Augustine is one of the most shade tolerant of the warm-season grasses and does well in climates such as: Southern California, Hawaii, Texas, and mild areas of the Southwest. It takes heat, and is tolerant of salt spray and salty soil. St. Augustine can take some drought moderately well, but it looks best with regular water.
St. Augustine grass is best when used alone. Do not mix it with other grasses.
Zoysiagrass
Zoysiagrass is a tough, aggressive, creeping, warm-season grass. It has a leaf texture that can range from coarse to fine depending upon the variety. It is tolerant of heat and drought, but it also can take some shade and cool temperatures. Zoysia grass forms a dense, wiry, low-maintenance lawn that can crowd out weeds. Its leaf blades come to a point, and some feel that it can be sharp underfoot.
Warm Season Grasses in Winter
Since most warm-season grasses go dormant and turn brown over the winter, some people choose to overseed with annual or perennial ryegrass. Ryegrass is a cool-season grass that will stay green throughout the cool winter months in the south while the warm-season grasses turn brown. In the spring when the warm weather returns, the warm-season grass will green up, and eventually when the temperatures get warm enough, the ryegrass will die off.
It doesn’t matter to us whether you want lush lawns, desert landscaping or some type of landscaping in between, we can help you with your commercial property. To find out how give us a call at 623-848-8277.
Presented by:
Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance, LLC
623-848-8277
http://www.commerciallandscapecare.com
greenskeeperllc@cox.net
Knowing your options of grass types for commercial landscaping will help you decided what the best type might be to provide a pleasant and professional atmosphere for all of your customers and passersby. It is a little late in the season to plant any warm season grasses, but it can never be too early to decide for the winter season to come.
Cool Season Grasses
Cool-season grasses are grass types that thrive in areas with cold freezing winters and hot summers. This area is roughly defined as New England, the Upper Midwest, the High Plains, and Northern California up to the Pacific Northwest. These grasses grow best when temperatures are between 65-80 degrees F, which is why they do most of their growing in the spring and fall.
These grasses include:
- Creeping Bentgrass
- Canada Bluegrass
- Kentucky Bluegrass
- Rough Bluegrass
- Perennial Ryegrass
- Fine Fescues
- Tall Fescue
- Wheatgrass
Arizona doesn't really fit in the category explained above, however some cool season grasses are known as transitional grasses and do just fine in Arizona's dry weather. These grasses are Kentucky Bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and tall fescue.
Kentucky Bluegrass
Kentucky bluegrass gets its name from its rich, blue-green color, and is perhaps the cold hardiest of all turfgrasses, making a dependable lawn in many climates. Noted for its fine texture and dense, thick habit. Though most generally require regular watering to maintain its bright color through hot, dry seasons there are a few new varieties that have some drought tolerance. This grass also needs regular fertilization and mowing. It is widely used for a good, general-purpose turf for residential lawns, parks, athletic fields, and golf fairways. Because of its shallow root system, it requires frequent irrigation during the summer. It will grow well in most soils, as long as they are well-drained. Kentucky bluegrass mixes well with perennial ryegrass and fine-leafed fescues.
Perineal Ryegrass
Perennial ryegrass has the best wear and traffic tolerance of any of the cool-season grasses, which is why it's so often used on playing fields, and residential lawns that have lots of use. Perennial ryegrass is a very good low-maintenance choice for home lawns that have a lot of wear and foot traffic. It can be mowed closely or left to grow long. Perennial ryegrass does not do well in the shade, and while it can take some, it cannot take extreme cold, heat, or drought. It is not as cold tolerant as Kentucky bluegrass or as drought tolerant as tall fescue, but it has many uses.
The plant is often red at the base or crown, which distinguishes it from Kentucky bluegrass. It has a wide range of green color, depending on variety. Perennial ryegrass has shallow roots and spreads only by clumps. It establishes from seed very quickly, taking less than a month to set up. Living where there is considerable summer heat, perennial ryegrass is a good option when mixed with bermudagrass. Perennial ryegrass dies during the late spring heat, allowing the bermudagrass to take over. This process repeats itself in the fall.
Tall Fescue
Tall fescue is a tall, dense, clumping grass that is able to grow well in sun or shade, and is a good low-maintenance choice for home lawns, playing fields, and commercial grounds. It does best in areas with mild winters and warm summers. Where winters are mild, it will stay green all year long. Tall fescue tolerates high and infrequent mowing, and has good weed and disease resistance. It is a tough grass with a fairly deep root system that gives it the ability to tolerate periods of heat and drought, in fact it's the most heat and drought tolerant of all cold-season grasses. This makes it a good choice for areas with lots of activity and little irrigation. While it will survive without water, you can achieve maximum turf quality only with adequate water and fertilizer.
It doesn’t matter to us whether you want lush lawns, desert landscaping or some type of landscaping in between, we can help you with your commercial property. To find out how give us a call at 623-848-8277.
Presented by:
Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance, LLC
623-848-8277
http://www.commerciallandscapecare.com
greenskeeperllc@cox.net
Keeping grass green and lush can be a difficult task when we factor in all the considerations of the harsh desert environment that we live in. Knowing about grass types and their needs as well as when to seed, will help in the battle to keep your lawn looking beautiful and your establishment looking professional.
Two Main Types
Grasses are divided into two main types for landscaping purposes. These two types are cool season grasses and warm season grasses. when to establish your landscape depends on whether seed or sod is being used. For cool weather grasses that grow well during fall, winter and early spring, seeding is best done in the early fall. seeding can be done in spring but may not be as successful as using sod. warm season grasses grow best during late spring and throughout the summer months. That being said it is best to seed during early spring.
Types of Cool Season Grasses
Cool-season grasses are grass types that thrive in areas with cold freezing winters and hot summers. This area is roughly defined as New England, the Upper Midwest, the High Plains, and Northern California up to the Pacific Northwest. These grasses grow best when temperatures are between 65-80 degrees Fahrenheit, which is why they do most of their growing in the spring and fall.
These grasses include:
Creeping Bentgrass
Canada Bluegrass
Kentucky Bluegrass
Rough Bluegrass
Perennial Ryegrass
Fine Fescues
Tall Fescue
Wheatgrass
Types of Warm Season Grasses
Warm-season grasses are originally from tropical regions, which is why they thrive in the scorching sun and high temperatures of the Southern US. Warm-season grasses grow best when temperatures are between 75-90°F and do most of their growing in the summer. In the cooler weather of late-fall and winter, they go dormant, turn brown, and won't green up again until warmer weather returns in spring. These grasses include, Zoysiagrass, St. Augustinegrass, Bermudagrass, Centipedegrass, Buffalograss, Blue Gramagrass and Bahiagrass.
Some of the grasses in both categories are called transitional meaning that they will do well in Arizona's climate. Tall fescue is more heat- and drought-tolerant than the other cool-season grasses, which makes it a great choice. Bermudagrass, centipedegrass, and zoysiagrass are the main warm-season transitional grasses that are grown. They're drought-tolerant, and can withstand cooler temperatures better than the other warm-season grasses. Seeding landscaping with both cool and warm season grasses means you can have a luscious green lawn all year round. Ask us which types of grass will be right for your property.
It doesn’t matter to us whether you want lush lawns, desert landscaping or some type of landscaping in between, we can help your commercial property. To find out how give us a call at 623-848-8277.
Presented by:
Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance, LLC
623-848-8277
http://www.commerciallandscapecare.com
greenskeeperllc@cox.net
So, what is out-sourcing? Out-sourcing is contracting with another company or person to do a particular function. Almost every organization out-sources in some way. Typically, the function being outsourced is considered non-core to the business. An insurance company, for example, might outsource its janitorial and landscaping operations to firms that specialize in those types of work since they are not related to insurance or strategic to the business. The outside firms that are providing the outsourcing services are third-party providers, or as they are more commonly called, service providers.
Although outsourcing has been around as long as work specialization has existed, in recent history, companies began employing the outsourcing model to carry out narrow functions, such as payroll, billing and data entry. Those processes could be done more efficiently, and therefore more cost-effectively, by other companies with specialized tools and facilities and specially trained personnel.
Out-sourcing gets a bad rap from time-to-time, sometimes rightly so. We have all been on hold for a long time and then when it is finally our time to be helped we are answered by a person who barely speaks English and the connection is terrible. Yes, that type of out-sourcing makes no sense at all.
There are times when out-sourcing makes perfect sense. When it comes to landscaping your commercial property is one ideal example.
Out-sourcing Your Commercial Landscaping
When you outsource your landscaping, all of the additional costs are covered by the company you choose to outsource to. The cost of any breakdowns or supplies are taken care of by Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance so that you can free up capital for use in other areas. How could you use the savings from a 100% tax deductible landscaping service to benefit your business?
All staff management issues such as training, health and safety, dispute resolution and employee leave is all covered by Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance. All our employees undertake the necessary health and safety training, and are skilled in a range of activities, from diggers to mowers, planting to heavy lifting. Imagine how you could use the time and money saved by avoiding these issues to benefit your business!
At Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance we have an even better idea, let us do the work and worrying about your landscape needs.
It doesn’t matter to us whether you want lush lawns, desert landscaping or some type of landscaping in between, we can help. To find out how give us a call at 623-848-8277
Presented by:
Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance, LLC
623-848-8277
http://www.commerciallandscapecare.com
greenskeeperllc@cox.net
