Slit Seeding Why and How?

An Uncommon Technique Produces Spectacular Results

Your home is no doubt the centerpiece of your property -- the art in and of itself -- so think of your lawn as the frame to this piece of art. And with any art, you want your frame to enhance it, not detract from it. Thus, special attention must be given to your lawn, and particularly in this region, as we've witnessed unusually harsh winters and hot summers in recent years (most people don't realize, but we live in an area that experiences among the most extreme weather changes on earth).

So if you're planting a new lawn, do it right! And one of the most effective ways to guarantee a lush and healthy lawn is slit seeding. Slit seeding utilizes a special machine (a slit seeder) that literally slits the ground and drops seeds in the cracks to give them deeper contact with the soil, ensures better growth, and protects from the elements, birds and other animals (a good rule of thumb when seeding is to 'feed the soil, not the birds.') "Most people aren't aware of slit seeding," said Ralph Dinizo, President of Truesdale Nursery & Landscape Services of Berkeley Heights, N.J., one of the state's premier lawn care specialists. "But it's a process that works even better than sod, and is less expensive. We recommend this to all our customers looking to install a brand new lawn or renovate a lawn with problems."

When to Use a Slit Seeder
When seeding a lawn, it's very important to plant grass seeds directly in the soil. Most plots of ground have a "thatch" sitting on top of the soil, consisting of dead leaves, plants and other organic matter. If the grass seed is sown in the thatch rather than the soil, it will indeed germinate, but it will be weak.
Slit seeders have discs that actually slice into the ground, and have additional equipment to then drop grass seeds into the resulting furrows. They eliminate some of the work and ensure better grass-growing success.

How to Use a Slit Seeder
Prepare your soil for grass seeding by removing any weeds, trash or rocks in the way. Your new grass seeds will grow best if there's no competition, so you want a clear area. Then measure the amount of land you're seeding, then calculate how much grass seed you need (consult the packaging or your local lawn care professional). Fill your slit seeder with your first load of grass seed, and walk the seeder in a straight line from one end of the lawn to the other. The seeder will sew grass seeds in rows with 2 to 6 inches of distance between them. Once you've done the whole lawn, reseed, walking cross ways, until there's a row of grass seed in each square inch. Water the lawn well when you've finished.

"We've found that homeowners who slit seeded their lawn generally take more pride in the proper care going forward," added Dinizo. "This process seems to give the homeowner a truly vested interest and a real sense of accomplishment."

Where Do I Get Help If I Need It?
There are a multitude of resources on the Internet. And of course your local lawn care professional is just a phone call away. Truesdale is here to help. CLICK HERE to contact us today.

Knowing When & How To Seed Your Lawn

This Is A Tricky Procedure That Must Be Handled Properly

Spring has sprung, and it's a time of renewal for everything, from our minds to our bodies, from our landscaping to our lawns. Especially our lawns. As you take a walk around your property this time of year, you'll see the spring bulbs popping, the forsythia's blooming, the trees budding. And your lawn, while beginning to show new growth, is no doubt showing the effects of a particularly harsh winter like the one we just experienced.

"This past winter was very rough on lawns in this area," said Ralph Dinizo, President of Truesdale Nursery & Landscape Services of Berkeley Heights, N.J., one of the state's premier lawn care specialists. "It was one of the coldest and snowiest winters on record, and because of this, we're seeing many lawns in need of more attention this spring than usual."

But fortunately, lawn growth can be controlled better than any other area of your landscaping, and this begins with proper reseeding. While fertilizing and pest control measures are also quite important, they can't happen if you don't have a full lawn bed to begin with. And while proper mowing and watering is also essential, "seeding a lawn is probably one of the most misunderstood aspects of proper turf maintenance," stressed Dinizo.

Why Reseed?
First, you need to assess the need for new lawn seeding before you proceed. Spots smaller than a salad plate, for example, will generally fill-in, assuming the lawn receives the recommended fertilization application that type of grass requires. But larger areas will need lawn repair.

Spring Vs. Fall
While fall is most commonly the best time to seed, spring reseeding is essential after a rougher than normal winter, as they lawn has been damaged. Which is why so many lawns in this area are now in need of reseeding. And pay close attention to shady areas of your lawn, being sure to reseed before the leaves open up for the season to allow sunlight to penetrate to the seeded area.

What Kind Of Seed?
Buy a cheap grass seed, and your lawn is going to look cheap and patchy. What's really best is to consult with a reputable lawn care professional to match the best seed to your existing lawn. By year's end, this is going to cost you less money, guaranteed.

How Much Seed?
Too much seed -- not too little -- is the most common reason reseeding may not take. One pound of seed may not seem like much, but that amount can contain more than one million seeds! When too much seed is placed in a small area, the competition for space is intense. Seeds growing too close can cause seedling blights, which can kill a newly seeded area overnight. Using a spreader with the proper settings is crucial, and again, this is something your lawn care professional can provide answers or help with.

Preparing The Area
Remove the dead grass by raking it, and break up the ground a bit to loosen it. This will provide for ideal growth conditions. You may also want to add some bagged topsoil on the spot before seeding a lawn, but this can also add unknown weed seeds into the area. Larger areas may require equipment like a slit-seeder, core aerator, power rake, or rototiller, and at this point it's best (and cheaper in the long run) to hire a lawn service to do the work.

Watering & Mowing
Keep the seeded areas moist for 14 to 21 days to ensure good germination. Mornings or early afternoons are best. Light, frequent watering is better than infrequent, heavy watering. Mow as you normally would. This will not hurt the new growth (but keep foot traffic to a minimum). Continue the watering methods mentioned above through 2-3 mowing cycles, then reduce to the usual watering schedule from there. Long story short, while Dinizo is quick to provide straightforward do-it-yourself advice in the areas of gardening and other landscaping, when it comes to reseeding, "it's really best to have it handled by a lawn care professional. "This is too tricky of a project to get wrong, as your lawn is the dominant part of your landscaping," concluded Dinizo.

Where Do I Get Help If I Need It?
There are a multitude of resources on the Internet. And of course your local lawn care professional is just a phone call away. Truesdale is here to help. CLICK HERE to contact us today.

New Jersey's New Fertilizer Law Primer

Designed To Protect The State's Water Resources, It Doesn't Mean You Can't Have
A Beautiful Lawn.

While perhaps nothing gives a homeowner more pride than a lush and green lawn each summer, the state of New Jersey has put measures in place beginning in 2011 with a new fertilizer law designed to safeguard the state's precious water resources. The state is not telling you not to enjoy a lush and green lawn this year, but rather to do it safely by monitoring the fertilizing process. And while the new law can be a bit laborious to follow, working with a local lawn care professional can help you to safely follow the stipulations for the long-term good of our beautiful Garden State.

"One of the biggest questions we've been asked this spring is 'how do I make sense of the new fertilizer law?,'" said Ralph Dinizo, President of Truesdale Nursery & Landscape Services of Berkeley Heights, N.J. "It's a law that may seem to have a lot of components to it, but it's really quite easy to follow, and it's for the right reasons in protecting the state."
In order to better understand the why's and how's of the new fertilizer law, here's a brief overview:
What Is This New Fertilizer Law All About?
Water quality is at the heart of this law. It still allows you to feed your lawn, but in a way that avoids adverse impact on New Jersey waters. Barnegat Bay was becoming more polluted and life in its waters was actually changing, such as an increased jellyfish population. The state determined lawn fertilizer was likely a major contributor to this -- runoff into storm drains, streams, or leaching into groundwater, and eventually finding its way into waterways.
How Does This State Law Impact Municipality Laws?
Many municipalities already have their own fertilizer laws. However, the new state law supersedes all local mandates.
How Do I Know How Much Fertilizer To Now Apply?
While the packaging may include the new limits, this verbiage is not required until 2013. In the interim, consult with your local lawn care professional for the most accurate calculations. You can also determine amounts by visiting http://rutgersnjfertilizerapp.blogspot.com.
WHEN Should I Not Apply Fertilizer?
The new law prohibits fertilizer application between November 15 and March 1. Also don’t apply fertilizer during or just before a heavy rain. Don’t leave it on an impervious surface like pavement – sweep up any fertilizer that falls onto this type of surface. Don’t apply it to frozen ground. Runoff is higher in all these instances.
WHERE Can I Not Apply Fertilizer?
Buffer zones exist around bodies of water for obvious runoff reasons. Fertilizer containing nitrogen or phosphorus cannot be applied within 25 feet of a body of water, unless application is via drop spreader, rotary spreader with a deflector, or as a targeted spray liquid. When these methods are used, the buffer zone may be reduced to 10 feet.
Where Do I Get Help If I Need It?
There are a multitude of resources on the Internet. And of course your local lawn care professional is just a phone call away. Truesdale is here to help. CLICK HERE to contact us today.

With Early Spring Comes Snow Mold

This Dreaded Fungus Can Destroy A Beautiful Lawn . . .
If The Proper Measures Aren't Immediately Taken

The arrival of early spring and the renewal of your lawn and landscaping can also bring with it a dreaded problem regarding the former -- snow mold. Snow mold is just that -- a lawn disease caused by a fungus, and which becomes apparent when the snow melts in spring. Snow mold is caused when there is an extended period of snow cover on ground that is not completely frozen.


Snow mold is either gray or pink. While the pink snow mold infects the crown of the plant and can cause more severe injury than gray snow mold, which only infects the leaf tissue, both can be a huge problem when it comes to the health and beauty of your lawn.

"Snow mold can be one of the more destructive enemies to a lawn," notes Ralph Dinizo, President of Truesdale Nursery & Landscape Services of Berkeley Heights, N.J. "But with proper early spring attention, this potential problem can quickly be eliminated."

The best answer to combat and remove snow mold is de-thatching. What de-thatching does is bring the fungus to the lawn surface so it can dry and not cause further damage. Once it dries, a simple pass of the lawnmower will literally blow it into the air and disappear.

This de-thatching process also takes care of any thatch problem. While a small quantity of thatch is quite normal and can be healthy for your lawn (keeping crabgrass and other weed populations down, while also protecting turf from traffic damage), too much thatch encourages rooting problems, diseases, irrigation problems and even pest infestations. Sometimes, a lawn builds up too much thatch, and the dead material must then be removed to ensure the continued health of a lawn bed.

The general rule of thumb is lawns with 1/2 inch of thatch or less are unlikely to have problems, but once the thatch layer is greater than a 1/2 inch, it can creates a multitude of problems for your lawn.

Removal
Fortunately, thatch removal is a fairly simple task and can be handled with de-thatchers or vertical mowers, mechanical devices that physically remove the material. But don't dig too deep into your lawn, as these tools can actually tear out the roots entirely. Regardless, expect to do some overseeding and/or spot seeding after de-thatching.

Pre-Winter Preparation
Of course the best defense is a good offense, and this means taking measures in the fall to prevent your lawn from snow mold damage over the winter. Proper fertilizing to address this is required, and it's best to consult with your local landscaper or nursery for the best answers, as often a "do-it-yourself" approach when it comes to the delicate balance of fertilizing your lawn can result in further damage if not done correctly. 

Wake Up Those Flower Beds For Spring

 
Start Your Planning Early And Reap The Benefits For Several Months Ahead With Beautiful Colors

How many times have you noticed a neighbor's beautiful flower beds during the spring and summer and vowed to do the same thing next year? Then 'next year' rolls around and you find yourself saying the same thing, much like a scene out of "Groundhogs Day." Well, a little early spring planning can go a long way to enjoying your very own flower beds -- perhaps even to the envy of your neighbors. As this area's freezing weather nears its end (we hope!), now is the time to begin your preparation and planning -- for when the last freeze has passed, it will be time to begin establishing your flower beds.

"Many people get overwhelmed at the process of planning spring flower beds and often don't know where to start," said Ralph Dinizo, President of Truesdale Nursery & Landscape Services of Berkeley Heights, N.J. "But with just a few basic tasks, it's really quite simple and enjoyable, especially when these beds start blooming with the warm weather."

Spring Cleaning
This is really just a lot of common sense . . . clearing away dead debris to make way for new growth. Rake away dead leaves and winter debris to allow light and air to reach the soil. Also remove old mulch from your existing flower beds. Replant any perennials immediately that have been partially pushed out of the soil after a long, hard winter. Remove dead growth from your perennials, and cut back or groom ornamental grasses. If you have roses in your flower beds, prune them to allow new growth.
As soon as you're able to pick up clumps of soil that can fall apart because the snow and ice is gone, it's time to start digging new flower beds and add compost to your existing beds for flowering plants.

Weeds Be Gone
Weeds begin popping up in early spring. Remove them by their roots. To prevent your lawn from encroaching the flower beds (and bringing more weeds with it), create an edge for your beds. Use a spade to create a trench along the edges of your flower beds or, for the lowest possible maintenance, install permanent edging, such as edging blocks, which are available in a host of styles.

Preparing The Soil
Correctly preparing your flower bed soil will payoff big in terms of a beautiful, lush garden later. Work the soil to remove any rocks or hidden debris. The addition of peat moss also does wonders. A good rule of thumb is to mix in about five pounds per 100 square feet of flower bed. If your soil has really poor drainage, incorporate some sand or grit in the mixture to create better drainage. And if you're creating new flower beds, a power garden tiller is the best way to mix and turn the soil.

Be Creative In Creating New Flower Beds
If you're creating new beds, be creative and shape them as ovals or kidneys, for example. Create a peaceful flow. A good way to do this to determine the general shape you desire, then lay your garden hose on the ground in this shape. Use an edging tool or sharp spade to cut into the soil along the outline, being careful not to damage the hose. Create a clean edge and consider installing permanent edging.

Plan Your Plantings
Now for the fun part. Sketch your beds and the placement of flowering plants. Consider spacing and mature plant sizes. For flower beds which are seen only from the front, plant the plants which will be tallest at maturity in the back, then medium height plants in the middle area, and finally, the shortest plants in front. If the flower bed is viewed from all sides, the tallest plants are ideal in the center, surrounded by mid-sized plants, and with the smallest plants along the perimeter.
Distribute early bloomers along with late bloomers throughout the flower bed so that you won't have one group in bloom, while the rest of the flower bed has no colorful blooms at any given time. Choose a range of colors, shapes, and foliage to enjoy throughout the growing season. Be creative and take chances! You can always do something different next year.

Finally, We Plant
Using your design sketch as a guide, position plants where you want, making sure you allow room for root growth. Position the plant to the proper depth and back-fill the hole, pressing soil firmly to prevent air pockets. Then water thoroughly and let the water soak in.

Mulch Is A Bed's Best Friend
Mulch is not essential, but you're going to want to add it, as it's incredibly helpful in weed control, and adds a finished look to your soil. It also helps retain moisture and highlight the colorful flowers. Choose the mulch which you like best and spread a thick layer over the exposed soil in your flower beds.
By planning ahead and taking time to enjoy every step of the process, seeing those colors bloom for the next several months ahead are going to be most welcomed fruits of your labor.