TURF KING TECHNICIANS ATTEND LAWN SEMINAR

Published on Monday, March 08, 2010  http://bit.ly/dAQjS9

Six members of Turf King -Hamilton staff recently attended the 2010 IPM Symposium. This year’s session was the 45th annual IPM Symposium. The focus this year was: "Successful Plant Health Care: Roots of Success."
The Symposium is structured to provide information and updates of interest to lawn care professionals. The IPM Symposium is a service of Landscape Ontario- Horticultural Trades Association.

The topics included “Innovative Products in the Pipeline” by Pamela Charbonneau, Turfgrass Specialist, OMAFRA (Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs). Ms. Charbonneau reviewed various new products and innovations that currently being researched and may soon be available.

The firm's owner, Gerry Okimi, encourages his lawn technicians to stay abreast of current practices and emerging technologies. By being aware of changes and improvements in the lawn industry, "our technicians are well informed and better prepared to meet the various challenges and lawn problems. They can provide better service and helpful information to our valued lawn customers."

If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF GREEN:

Turf King Home

Click here to Request a Quote Online -

or call us at 905.318.6677 or 1.888.TURFKING (887.3546)

If you would like more information, please Contact us

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Copyright 2010 Turf King-Hamilton. All Rights Reserved.

Vole Damage even with the lack of Snow

I thought that this year would be one where the voles would not do too much damage to the lawns. We have had a minimal amount of snowfall this winter. Voles (or really field mice) often like to build runways and nests under piles of snow. The snow protects them from predators. I haven't talked to any voles (at least recently), but I imagine that for a vole, the snow pile or snow drift acts as a sort of a dome. It protects them, yet allows light in. Normally, the voles will be found in the fields or under some shrubs where they have protection.

When there are piles of snow, it allows them to spread out into areas that they normally cannot access safely.

But even though we did not have a lot of snow, we did get one heavy snowfall. It was enough to pile up along our privacy fence. Lo and behold when the snow melted, the evidence was there. The little creatures had spent enough time to make some trails and tunnels in the lawn.

What can be done with vole trails? The damage done by voles is usually just on the surface. They take grass blades to fashion nests. The trails are stripped of the grass and create ugly patches in the lawn.
Generally, I recommend a small bag or two of topsoil and a few handfuls of grass seed. Most often the damage will go away and not be noticeable once the grass starts to grow. In some cases, a small portion will not recover without the help of some soil and grass seed. Just to be safe, adding some soil and grass seed will speed up the process.

____________________________________________________________________________ Lawn Care for the well informed. If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF GREEN: Turf King Home Click here to Request a Quote Online - or call us at 905.318.6677 or 1.888.TURFKING (887.3546) If you would like more information, please Contact us Follow us on Twitter  http://twitter.com/turfkingofgreen Join our Facebook page   http://www.bit.ly/FacebookTK Copyright 2010 Turf King-Hamilton. All Rights Reserved.

FERTILIZER FACTS

FERTILIZER FACTS

FERTILIZER FACTS No matter what the source of fertilizer – be it natural, ‘organic’, synthetic, mineral, or processed – the nutrients and their resulting benefit to the plants are all the same. Following are the three key ingredients in fertilizer formulations.  These major elements are needed by all plants for healthy growth. Nitrogen:  produces green top growth, aids the ability to recover from damage and stress (heat, cold, drought). Phosphorous:  promotes good root growth and is a vital ingredient in the plant’s metabolic process.  It is also necessary for seed development. Potassium:  essential for the growth and development of the plant cells.  Also promotes increased tolerance to foot traffic. The next three nutrients are known as minor elements and are needed in minute quantities.  But their presence is essential for vital plant functions. Calcium is a structural element that is also necessary for cell division and plant growth.  Lawns that are calcium deficient are susceptible to disease. Magnesium is an essential element in the photosynthetic process that allows green leaves to turn carbon dioxide and sunlight into sugar and oxygen. Sulfur is needed to help plant utilize nitrogen.  It also functions to increase the cold tolerance of lawns.  A lack of sulfur results in stunted growth and may increase the occurrence of fungal disease. Regular proper feedings can ensure that your lawn has all the nutrients it needs. Soil Testing may also be a means of determining soil nutrient levels and possible deficiencies. Lawn Care for the well informed. If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF GREEN: Turf King Home Click here to Request a Quote Online - or call us at 905.318.6677 or 1.888.TURFKING (887.3546) If you would like more information, please Contact us Follow us on Twitter  http://twitter.com/turfkingofgreen Join our Facebook page   http://www.bit.ly/FacebookTK Copyright 2010 Turf King-Hamilton. All Rights Reserved.

Valpak Coupon

Call now to enroll in a Turf King Lawn Care program for 2010. Plus earn AIR MILES (R) reward miles.

If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF GREEN:

Turf King Home

Click here to Request a Quote Online -

or call us at 905.318.6677 or 1.888.TURFKING (887.3546)

If you would like more information, please Contact us

Follow us on Twitter  http://twitter.com/turfkingofgreen

Join our Facebook page  

http://www.bit.ly/FacebookTK

Copyright 2010 Turf King-Hamilton. All Rights Reserved.

Snowy Corkscrew

The snow last week coated the trees, shrubs and lawns. The snow on this corkscrew hazel presented a gold medal photo.

If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF GREEN, the King of Lawn Care:

Turf King Home

Click here to Request a Quote Online -

or call us at 905.318.6677 or 1.888.TURFKING (887.3546)

If you would like more information, please Contact us

Follow us on Twitter  http://twitter.com/turfkingofgreen

Join our Facebook page  

http://www.bit.ly/FacebookTK

Copyright 2010 Turf King-Hamilton. All Rights Reserved.

Make the right choice for the environment and your wallet

http://www.canadanursery.com/Storage/33/2605_Environmental_industry_poster_Ontario_reduced.pdf

HOMEOWNERS RECOGNIZE VALUE OF EXPERIENCED LAWN CARE SERVICE

HOMEOWNERS RECOGNIZE VALUE OF EXPERIENCED LAWN CARE SERVICE

Lawns provide benefits to the environment.  There is an anti lawn movement being created by special interest groups across Canada.  Many organizations concerned about fertilizer inputs and other plant health care practices have done their best to change the perception that Canadians have about their lawns and other recreational turfgrass areas.

The truth is that the attempts by these groups to vilify lawns, golf courses and other turf areas in general in an effort to convince people to switch to alternative landscapes could actually be harmful to the environment.  Before you begin to dig up your lawn and pave it over or switch to an alternative landscape, you should consider some of the benefits provided by lawns.

The benefits of healthy turfgrass areas are similar to the benefits of trees and have been well documented by Dr. James Beard of Texas A&M, and other turf researchers across North America.

Some of the benefits associated with healthy turfgrass include:

- Healthy turf areas are prolific oxygen producers and help to sequester carbon dioxide.  Grass and other plants convert carbon dioxide into clean oxygen through the process of photosynthesis.  Thick healthy turf verses thin, dormant or weed infested turf is more efficient and effective in providing this benefit.
- Healthy turf helps to filter and improve air quality.  Healthy turf traps and absorbs dust and pollutants from the air helping us to breathe a little easier.
- Healthy turfgrass further helps to clean water that enters the ground.  The dense root mass and thatch layer (a thin layer of living and decomposing organic matter between the soil surface and the grass plants) and foliage acts as a natural filter helping to purify water.  Water that passes through healthy turf is generally much cleaner than before it enters.
- Healthy turfgrass also helps to moderate air and surface temperature on a hot summer day by as much as 5 degrees C.  Turf provides tremendous cooling effect through evapotranspiration or water loss through the leaves helping to moderate temperatures and reduce air conditioning needs significantly in urban environments.
- Turfgrass areas can also help to absorb and reduce noise by as much as 20-30%.
- Healthy turf provides a safe and comfortable playing surface for sports and leisure activities.
- Well kept turf reduces nuisance pests such as snakes, mice, moles and rats.
- Lawns that are well kept generally do not have as many weeds that can contribute to allergies such as ragweed.
- Healthy turfgrass areas are deeply rooted and help to stabilize soil, thus providing effective soil erosion control.

The benefits associated with healthy turf enhance our quality of life and far out weigh the benefits of weak, neglected weed infested turf or alternative landscapes.

There is a misperception in society that lawns are monocultures and that we should do more to promote more diverse landscapes.  Lawns are not monocultures.  They are usually made up of 2 - 3 species (i.e., Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and fine fescues) of turfgrass which incorporate different varieties or cultivars within the species.  Even lawns that are sodded with 100% Kentucky bluegrass, generally contain three to four different varieties of bluegrass selected for their tolerances to environmental conditions and stress and their ability to grow under adverse conditions.

Although it is a matter of choice whether you prefer the aesthetics of a lawn or an alternative ground cover or landscape (i.e., rocks or pavement), the choice should not be made on the misconception that lawns are bad for the environment.  In fact, the opposite is true in that lawns provide tremendous benefits to our environment.

Article written by Darcy Olds, Bayer Environment Sciences
Turf Talk Volume 1 Issue 6 Fall/Winter 2007

BENEFITS of NATURAL ORGANIC FERTILIZER

Organic matter is derived from the decomposition of plant and animal residues such as harvested agricultural crops; plant vegetation like grass clippings and leaves; animal manures; or even human food residues such as garbage.  Organic decomposition, carried out by billions of micro-organisms, is all part of nature’s own recycling process.

The result of decomposition is humus, the primary component of soil organic matter.  Humus is a rich source of essential nutrients.  The nutrients are made available slowly as required by plants for vigorous growth, without loss or wastage into the environment.  Humus also contributes to soil quality by improving its physical structure, and its water and nutrient holding capacity.

Soil biological activity requires humus to continue the process of decomposition and recycling of valuable nutrients.  When soil is biologically healthy, it also contributes to the suppression of plant and soil disease.

Because organic matter (humus) is consumed during the growing season to produce lawns, gardens, landscaping and agricultural crops, it must be systematically renewed, hence, the reason for natural organic fertilizers.

Organic matter cannot be manufactured synthetically. Synthesized fertilizers supply nutrients. Organic fertilizers not only supply nutrients, they benefit the soil.

The benefits from natural organic fertilizers in plant response are greater than its value in terms of plant nutrients alone.  Long term effects on soil fertility, physical conditions and soil biology account for the added value attributed to the organic matter.


Adapted from www.bradfieldturf.ca