WHY ARE SPRING CLEAN-UPS ESSENTIAL

SEASONS CHANGE

In New Jersey, we have the luxury of enjoying four beautiful seasons. However, with the change of seasons comes a lot of work for homeowners and landscaping professionals. Without the adequate equipment and manpower clearing your property of all the seasonal debris is near impossible. Contractor grade equipment allows for effective and affordable collection/removal of debris. Every lawn should seasonal cleanup service in the fall and spring. Every property is distinctive so your lawn care provider should develop a plan to help make your lawn healthy as possible this season. Having a reliable service provider is essential, you do not want to leave your property covered in unwanted debris for a prolonged time.

WHAT BASICS SHOULD BE DONE DURING CLEAN SPRING CLEAN-UPS?

When springtime rolls around every yard should get a spring clean-up. During these cleanups, all brush, leaves, and sticks should be removed off of your lawn to allow your yard to receive the natural amounts of sunlight and oxygen. Eliminating these items also allow for lawn mowers to be able to cut your property safely. Perennials and shrubs should be lightly pruned to keep shape and/or to promote new growth.  In addition, planted beds should be blown out and cleared of leaves and debris that has accumulated during the winter months. This will prepare the beds for a fresh mulch application and provide plants with the same essential nutrients we spoke about earlier. If the homeowner is interested in a mulch application, another essential for a healthy landscape, the spring is a wonderful time to edge the beds. The redefined edge will keep mulch from migrating into the lawn and the soft moist spring soil makes the process minimally invasive to root systems.

WHY SHOULD I GET A CLEAN-UP?

Clearing properties of unwanted mess is critical for the overall health of the turf and plants. Failure to remove said debris could result in the grass and plants being deprived of sunlight and oxygen. Most lawns in Morris County are made up of one or more cool-season grasses. "Cool-season" lawn grasses are so called because they are most active during those periods of the year when the weather is moderately cool. If blessed with enough sunlight, nutrients, water and ideal temperatures that are neither too cold nor too hot, cool-season grasses revitalize themselves. This is when they must "make hay," strengthening their root systems. But a thick layer of fallen leaves can get in the way of the growth of these grasses. Why? Because, for one thing, the leaves can deprive the grass of one of the critical elements just mentioned: sunlight. If not raked up in time, a thick or matted layer of fallen leaves casts too much shade over the grass below. In addition, moisture trapped by untouched piles of leaves will promote the growth of fungus, mold, and diseases.

We would love to hear from you! Feel free to leave feedback and comments on our Facebook page. We will be posting a weekly blog post to educate people on lawn care so keep an eye out for our post! Additionally, if you have any question, please feel free to contact a Pando Landscapes’ team member today!

ARE YOU LIABLE??

HOW COULD I BE LIABLE?

When hiring a landscaper, contractor, gardener, or anyone else that you bring on to your property it is essential that the worker is fully insured. If there is a worker that you hire and they come on your property, and that the worker gets injured you could be subject to a lawsuit. When people are working on your property, it is very likely that they will be using some powerful equipment that if misused can seriously hurt someone else on the job and or themselves. Insurance is not only crucial for personal liability, but it is important because if any damages occur to your actual property from the contractor than the insurance will be able to cover the damages. Many situations occur when people who are uninsured cause severe damages to the property and leave the homeowner high and dry having to pay out of pocket for the damages.

WILL IT COST MORE TO HIRE A COMPANY THAT IS FULL INSURED?

Many people have the perception that companies who have insurance charge way higher prices. This may be something that is true in the short run, in most cases insured companies have slightly higher expenses overall forcing them to slightly increase their pricing on projects and services. Insured companies are also legitimate companies, so that means that they are paying taxes and following employment laws and regulations. With knowing this logic...would, you feel comfortable bringing in an illegal company to your home, with the uncertainty of safety, and the risk of getting sued? Paying slightly higher prices for legal insurance can save you millions of dollars in the long run in legal fees and settlements!

SHOULD I TRUST SOMEONE THAT TELLS ME THEY ARE INSURED?

In the United States, 75 percent of business do not have the proper insurance! When looking at small businesses 40 percent of these businesses have zero insurance at all! You should not trust the person's word of mouth; you should always ask for proof of insurance. Companies that are fully insured will be happy to provide you with proof of insurance! If companies are hesitant or combative when you ask for proof of insurance, you should be concerned.

Pando Landscapes is a fully insured legal company that takes pride in providing its services within the constraints of the law! Pando always takes the extra step in training employees on proper safety procedure and protocols when using equipment on clients’ properties.  Pando is proud that they can provide its clients with quality work, while also keeping employees safe, and operating under the umbrella of its insurance.

We would love to hear from you! Feel free to leave feedback and comments on our Facebook page. We will be posting a weekly blog post to educate people on lawn care and services to keep an eye out for our post! Additionally, if you have any question, please feel free to contact a Pando Landscapes’ team member today!

PERENNIALS VS. ANNUALS

DIFFERENCES

When buying and planting different flowers, bushes  and vegetation it is important to know the difference between perennials and annuals to ensure that you understand the life cycle of your planting. A perennial plant is one that will rejuvenated growth yearly, and a annual is one that will only survive one life cycle, or one year. The reasons that these plants live such different lifestyles is because of their genetic make ups.

PERENNIALS

So what exactly are perennials? Perennial plants have roots that in the off season will go into a stage of dormancy in order to preserve the life of a plant. Perennial plants traditionally have a season of blooming, because they focus a lot of their energy into strengthening and growing their root systems so that they can survive the off season period when they enter the stage of dormancy.  Planting perennial plants are much less maintenance once they are planted it is only required that you keep up with the annual maintenance such as watering, weeding, and trimmings. When purchasing perennials be cautious of your zone (refer to previous ARE YOU IN THE ZONE? blog post for more information about your zone). If you accidentally or unknowingly plant a perennial that cannot handle to climate of your zone, the plant is destined to be scrawny and possibly wither away. If you are located in Morris county, here is are some perennials that thrive in your area, Bee balm, Coneflower, Salvia, Daisy, Daylily, Coral bells, Hosta, Hellebore.

ANNUALS

And annuals are.. Annuals are plants that only last one season. In a general sense annuals germinate from seeds. There are different types of annuals, mainly summer and winter annuals. Summer annuals begin their process of germination roughly around the month of April - June and are full matured by the months of September to October. Winter annuals start their germination process during the fall season and they will become full matured between the months of March to august of the following season. If you are a homeowner and you are beginning to seed nasty crabgrass developing on your property there is good news for you, crabgrass in a summer annual so it will not regenerate on its own next season, but it is recommended to take proper precaution in the spring to prevent this growth. Unlike perennials, annuals are less sensitive to the zone that they are being planted in due to the short life span that they have but it is always important to consult your zone if you want to have the healthiest growth in your plantings. If you are located in the Morris county are here are some annuals that thrive in growth in your area Angelonia, Bacopa, Begonia, Calibrachoa, Cleome, Cockscomb, Cosmos, Four O'Clocks, Pansies, and Sunflowers.

We would love to hear from you! Feel free to leave feedback and comments on our Facebook page. We will be posting a weekly blog post to educate people on lawn care and services to keep an eye out for our post! Additionally, if you have any question, please feel free to contact a Pando Landscapes’ team member today!

ARE YOU IN THE ZONE?

WHAT ZONE

USDA hardiness zones are something that every homeowner should be aware of. The USDA hardiness zone maps breaks up North America into eleven different zones based on climates and landscapes. These zones are brilliant tools to understand what types of plants and grass that you can successfully plant on your property. The zones will inform you if the plants you are looking to add to your property can handle the temperatures, seasonal cycles, and rainfalls that historically occur in your area. When shopping for plants, tree, or anything that you are going to plant on your property, in most cases, you can find what zone that the planting can flourish in.  It is always important to check these tags to avoid costly mistakes when gardening or planting. If you have any questions about what plants can grow in your zone, contact your landscaping professional for help!

HISTORY OF THE ZONE

The original zones were created in 1990, and like today depicted eleven different zones across the continent of North America. Each zone has a varying degree of average temperatures, that ranged to be about a 10-degree difference. In 2012 the USDA released an updated version of the zones. This new version of the map has a temperate that is roughly 5 degrees in difference from zone to zone. Along with that, there were more technologically advanced methods to charting the map.

WHAT ZONE ARE YOU?

The state of New Jersey has four different hardiness zones. These zone are zone 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b. Zone 6a is located in the northern half of the state; Morris County is home to the 6a zone. This zone has mostly cold weather grasses planted, and the average annual extreme minimum temperatures range from -10 to -5 degrees Fahrenheit. Zone 6b has small patches located in southern and central jersey, most notably located in Atlantic County. The average annual extreme minimum temperatures range from -5 to 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Zone 7a is the largest and most common zone in the state of New Jersey. This ranges from Cumberland County to Monmouth County. The average annual extreme minimum temperatures range from 0 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit. Zone 7b the smallest zone in New Jersey and is really only located in Gloucester County. The average annual extreme minimum temperatures range from 0 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit.

WHAT CAN YOU PLANT

If you make your home in Morris County, NJ there is a vast array of plants that thrive in your climate! However, there are many other factors to take into consideration when selecting plants. Soil types, sun exposure, native pests, moisture, and other factors all are significant when choosing the right plants. If this seems a bit overwhelming, or too time-consuming, please feel free to contact a Pando Landscapes team member today!

3 THINGS YOU MUST KNOW ABOUT YOUR LAWN THIS WINTER

DORMANCY

What is happening to your grass in these cold winter months? In the winter months, your lawn goes into a stage of dormancy to survive by preserving energy in the form of nutrients in the cold, harsh winters. Cool season grasses begin to fall into dormancy when the temperatures consistently range below 45-55 degree Fahrenheit.  But cold weather is not the only thing that can force your lawn into a stage of dormancy, constant temperatures over 90 degrees Fahrenheit and lack of moisture can also result in a lawn entering dormancy. If you start to see brown or burn spots occurring sporadically around your yard during a heat wave, your lawn most likely has entered a stage of dormancy. Just because your grass is turning brown does not mean it is dead. It simply is entering a state of “efficiency’ to endure the less than ideal conditions. Once soil temperatures reach an optimal level grasses will release nutrients stored in the roots and rejuvenate the sheaths and blades of grass. Taking proper precautions in the fall/spring will ensure that your lawn will come back to its true green self once the weather turns around.

KNOW YOUR LAW

The most common types of warm weather grasses in Morris County New Jersey are Kentucky bluegrass, Fine Fescue, Tall Fescue, or Perennial Ryegrasses. In the winter months, these grass types go dormant to survive and preserve energy. These grasses are fully prepared to handle temperatures of -5 degrees Fahrenheit. In Morris County, the first frost on the year typically begins in late October or early November and the last frost of the year generally occurs in early to mid-May. It is always important to understand your lawn and the sages that it goes through during each season.  Using grass seed or other plantings that are not consistent with grasses that can survive your climate can be a very costly mistake, so it is always recommended to contact a lawn care professional when looking to plant new seed, over seed or install perennial plantings.

KEEP IT CLEAN

What can you do to your lawn to protect it during a long stage of dormancy in these brutally cold winter months? It is relatively simple, keep your yard clear of leaves and brush. For families with children, it is also recommended to keep your lawn clear of toys, as well as reducing foot traffic on the yard. Watering your lawn in the winter should never be done, watering in the winter can cause bacteria, and molds to form on your grass that could lead to your lawn dying out — minimizing foot traffic in the cold winters it imperative keeping your lawn safe in the winter. Footprints can cause damage to the blades and will make it harder for grass to recover from the brutal winters. Stepping on grass that has ice on is also going to cause damages to your grass blades which can cause a lot of stress for your lawn in the spring. If you notice weeds or any types on general growth occurring on your yard during the winter month contact a professional, to have the growth removed before it can become out of control in the spring and summer months.

If you have any question, please do not hesitate to contact and Pando team member! We would love to hear from you!