Sirhornsalot
**The Official Horn Sports Landscaper and Landscap
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2013
- Messages
- 34,103
What on earth do the holidays have to do with landscaping, you might ask? PLENTY is my answer!
Let's get started with some of those holiday landscaping items, shall we?
MISTLETOE
Everyone knows about the Christmas tradition of hanging Mistletoe in a doorway where you can catch your loved one and have an excuse to kiss them. It's a charming tradition that I'm almost positive was started by a landscaper somewhere, long ago. ha ha
Mistletoe is actually a parasitic pest that grows off of many deciduous trees and is commonly seen all over the state, except in desert areas of West Texas. Mistletoe is a tree killer, causing a slow, gradual decline to the host tree before choking it to death, totally. In Texas, most any deciduous tree can get them but the most common infestations happen to Elms, Cottonwoods and Cedar Elms.
If your tree has them, don't panic. Just remove them. Mild infestations won't kill them, but can stunt the tree's growth.
So the practice of collecting Mistletoe during the holidays is actually helpful to the trees. Otherwise, the Mistletoe will spread throughout the canopy, sucking the nutrients from the tree before the tree is able to use them. The winter is the best time to remove them because they stick out, visually, so well. They're literally the only thing green in the canopy this time of year.
How to remove them – If possible, remove the entire limb where clumps of Mistletoe are located. This will insure that it does not return. However, if you cannot remove the branch without adversely affecting the appearance of the tree, then cut at the Mistletoe base, even with the branch.
Make sure you sterilize your saw blade and make sure it's nice and sharp, before you begin.
Mistletoe tends to grow on the outer edges of the canopy, making them hard to get to without unnecessary risk to injury or fall. Use a lightweight extension pole saw, the non-motorized version (old school). It's light, easy to carry around while climbing and won't cause fatigue so much, so quickly. Mistletoe is fairly soft and easy to cut.
If you're collecting them to hang in the house, try not to let it fall after you cut it. Once it falls, it will fall apart and lose it's shape. Once the holidays are over, dispose of the Mistletoe.
LEAVES! LEAVES! LEAVES!
What do you do with the leaves that are falling everywhere now? They were beautiful when they were colorful and on your tree. But now, they're in every corner of your property, crowding your entry way and looking generally unsightly.
Well, you have to do SOMETHING with them as leaving them in place presents a fire hazard to your home and property in addition to being unsightly.
I want to be clear when I say I endorse a mulching of the leaves so that their natural nutritional qualities can be recirculated into the turf and landscape. Mulching them now means those nutrients will be available to your plants and turf when spring arrives!
One way to do this is to collect your leaves into one location using your blower. You may want to use multiple piles in several locations if your property is large. Make sure these piles are over turf areas. Then run your mower over these spots several times until the leaf materials is cut up into a small, fine material. You can then rake this material back into the turf areas. It's small enough that it will fall through to the soil level. You may also want to use this material in a compost bin.
You will want to wear eye and mouth protection while doing this.
Others choose to just remove and dispose of the leaves, such as what is going on in the below picture.
One tip I can offer for bagging leaves. Set your bag beside the pile and move the pile into the bag, rather than trying to pick the pile up and place into the upright bag.
If you choose to do this method, check to see if there is a composting center near you. They will often accept all collected organic matter for their composts.
GET YOUR LEAVES OUT OF THE GUTTER!!
Don't forget to get those leaves out of your gutters before the gutters become stopped up and become a problem. Even if you have gutter guards installed, never underestimate nature's ability to overcome man-made solutions!
Check those gutters anyway.
Leaves can stop the flow of water through a gutter system, clogging them up. This causes extended periods of time where the gutters' weight is much heavier than it's designed to be simply because the water and wet leaves have added the weight. Additionally, the extended period of time water is sitting next to the aluminum material, the shorter lifespan the material will have. To keep your gutters in working order and lasting as long as they were designed to - keep 'em clean!
PLANT PROTECTION
Don't forget to cover the plants that cannot handle freezing weather. If you have desert plants such as cactus, Agave, etc., cover them before any expected hard freeze. A hard freeze would be temperatures in the 20s and down. One night here and there of 31-32 degrees will not cause much harm.
SPRINKLER SYSTEM REMINDER
Most of us are now experiencing winter weather. However, you should still continue to use your sprinkler system once a week to protect your plants against the winter elements. Water prior to arrival of cold fronts, never after. Most systems now have rain and freeze sensors. If you're not sure yours are working, it would be wise to have them checked out.
HOLIDAY CLEAN UPS
If you're hosting guests and family for the holidays, make plans with your landscaper now to be scheduled for a holiday clean up of your landscape/property. Everyone wants to have their place looking nice when the holidays roll around, so don't wait until the schedule gets filled!
CHRISTMAS LIGHTING
There's still time to get Christmas Lights installed for your home. If you're in the DFW, Austin or Tyler/Longview areas, email us for a free estimate at greenthumbtx@verizon.net
Let's get started with some of those holiday landscaping items, shall we?
MISTLETOE
Everyone knows about the Christmas tradition of hanging Mistletoe in a doorway where you can catch your loved one and have an excuse to kiss them. It's a charming tradition that I'm almost positive was started by a landscaper somewhere, long ago. ha ha
Mistletoe is actually a parasitic pest that grows off of many deciduous trees and is commonly seen all over the state, except in desert areas of West Texas. Mistletoe is a tree killer, causing a slow, gradual decline to the host tree before choking it to death, totally. In Texas, most any deciduous tree can get them but the most common infestations happen to Elms, Cottonwoods and Cedar Elms.
If your tree has them, don't panic. Just remove them. Mild infestations won't kill them, but can stunt the tree's growth.
So the practice of collecting Mistletoe during the holidays is actually helpful to the trees. Otherwise, the Mistletoe will spread throughout the canopy, sucking the nutrients from the tree before the tree is able to use them. The winter is the best time to remove them because they stick out, visually, so well. They're literally the only thing green in the canopy this time of year.
How to remove them – If possible, remove the entire limb where clumps of Mistletoe are located. This will insure that it does not return. However, if you cannot remove the branch without adversely affecting the appearance of the tree, then cut at the Mistletoe base, even with the branch.
Make sure you sterilize your saw blade and make sure it's nice and sharp, before you begin.
Mistletoe tends to grow on the outer edges of the canopy, making them hard to get to without unnecessary risk to injury or fall. Use a lightweight extension pole saw, the non-motorized version (old school). It's light, easy to carry around while climbing and won't cause fatigue so much, so quickly. Mistletoe is fairly soft and easy to cut.
If you're collecting them to hang in the house, try not to let it fall after you cut it. Once it falls, it will fall apart and lose it's shape. Once the holidays are over, dispose of the Mistletoe.
LEAVES! LEAVES! LEAVES!
What do you do with the leaves that are falling everywhere now? They were beautiful when they were colorful and on your tree. But now, they're in every corner of your property, crowding your entry way and looking generally unsightly.
Well, you have to do SOMETHING with them as leaving them in place presents a fire hazard to your home and property in addition to being unsightly.
I want to be clear when I say I endorse a mulching of the leaves so that their natural nutritional qualities can be recirculated into the turf and landscape. Mulching them now means those nutrients will be available to your plants and turf when spring arrives!
One way to do this is to collect your leaves into one location using your blower. You may want to use multiple piles in several locations if your property is large. Make sure these piles are over turf areas. Then run your mower over these spots several times until the leaf materials is cut up into a small, fine material. You can then rake this material back into the turf areas. It's small enough that it will fall through to the soil level. You may also want to use this material in a compost bin.
You will want to wear eye and mouth protection while doing this.
Others choose to just remove and dispose of the leaves, such as what is going on in the below picture.
One tip I can offer for bagging leaves. Set your bag beside the pile and move the pile into the bag, rather than trying to pick the pile up and place into the upright bag.
If you choose to do this method, check to see if there is a composting center near you. They will often accept all collected organic matter for their composts.
GET YOUR LEAVES OUT OF THE GUTTER!!
Don't forget to get those leaves out of your gutters before the gutters become stopped up and become a problem. Even if you have gutter guards installed, never underestimate nature's ability to overcome man-made solutions!
Check those gutters anyway.
Leaves can stop the flow of water through a gutter system, clogging them up. This causes extended periods of time where the gutters' weight is much heavier than it's designed to be simply because the water and wet leaves have added the weight. Additionally, the extended period of time water is sitting next to the aluminum material, the shorter lifespan the material will have. To keep your gutters in working order and lasting as long as they were designed to - keep 'em clean!
PLANT PROTECTION
Don't forget to cover the plants that cannot handle freezing weather. If you have desert plants such as cactus, Agave, etc., cover them before any expected hard freeze. A hard freeze would be temperatures in the 20s and down. One night here and there of 31-32 degrees will not cause much harm.
SPRINKLER SYSTEM REMINDER
Most of us are now experiencing winter weather. However, you should still continue to use your sprinkler system once a week to protect your plants against the winter elements. Water prior to arrival of cold fronts, never after. Most systems now have rain and freeze sensors. If you're not sure yours are working, it would be wise to have them checked out.
HOLIDAY CLEAN UPS
If you're hosting guests and family for the holidays, make plans with your landscaper now to be scheduled for a holiday clean up of your landscape/property. Everyone wants to have their place looking nice when the holidays roll around, so don't wait until the schedule gets filled!
CHRISTMAS LIGHTING
There's still time to get Christmas Lights installed for your home. If you're in the DFW, Austin or Tyler/Longview areas, email us for a free estimate at greenthumbtx@verizon.net
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