Category: Landscaping

The year round heat, dry conditions, rainy summers and poor sandy soil of Sarasota makes keeping large areas of grass and turf healthy difficult. There are many types of grass that can be grown which makes it difficult to choose. On Top of that, South-West Florida has many problems such as pests, diseases, and invasive species which can infest your turf and ruin it. This adds many considerations while planting grass. Florida’s climate is disease ridden and hot there are also issues regarding the proper amount of irrigation and shade. For more information regarding Florida’s complex landscaping situation contact GreenTech Tree and Landscape.

Deciding On Turf

Most people think of lawns as covered by grass, but the industry term customarily used is “turf.” There are a variety of different types of turf to go with, so if you’re someone who is building a home or wants to change the landscape of your current one, among the decisions that will have to be made is what kind of turf to use for your lawn.

Some of the most popular turf choices are the following:

St. Augustine

This is a long, leafy grass choice, and for people with trees, hedges, or other structures on their property, one big bonus of this grass is that it does well in the shade. This grass is a bit delicate with lower temperatures, however, and depending on what happens during the winter, it may go dormant and discolor.

Bermuda Grass

This is often the type of grass people imagine when they think about lawns or, especially in southern states like Florida and Georgia, golf courses. It’s a grass with better drought tolerance, so it requires less frequent watering than others. However, it has poor shade tolerance and can discolor during winter months.

Centipede Grass

If you don’t like mowing the lawn often, you may want to consider this grass. Centipede grass is a slower growing grass, so you don’t have to worry about trimming it frequently, and it has some shade tolerance. However, it’s a delicate grass too, so it responds poorly to wear and requires a lot of iron. It can also brown in the winter.

Zoysia Grass

This grass is adaptable as long as you don’t mind a more robust, denser turf. It has respectable heat and drought tolerance, and it also has a better tolerance to lower temperatures than warm weather grasses. It can still go dormant and brown during the winter months, depending on the temperature conditions.

Bahia Grass

This is a tough grass. It is coarse, has good tolerance to drought, can do just fine in the shade, and is more durable against wear. It also has one of the best tendencies to remain green during the winter months. However, it generates a lot of seed heads, which can impact its look.

Once you have decided on the kind of turf you want and it has been transplanted to your property, you’ll need to take care of it. While you can hire professionals to do that for you, you can still manage it yourself if you don’t have the budget for it.

For each season, turf has different requirements as precipitation and temperature change. While various grasses have varying levels of tolerance to lack of water and temperature, there are a few things you should be doing throughout the year to keep your lawn healthy.

Spring Care

Water the lawn regularly and, because of the time of year, consider leaving the clippings on the turf when trimming it. The natural decay of the clippings will act as fertilizer. However, it would help if you also kept an eye out for weeds attempting to grow alongside your grass.

Summer Care

The biggest concern during the summer season is water stress. All vegetation requires water, but the amount of water it needs to survive and the amount necessary for it to be green and healthy differ. Different grasses will have different tolerance levels for drought before water stress becomes visible.

Try to use at least an inch of water, and ramp this up as temperatures increase. It’s essential, however, to control these water restrictions and take into account the water stress tolerance of your grass.

Autumn Care

Once the temperature decreases, the grass growth rate will slow down. This means that you can water and mow the lawn less frequently. If you’re using an automated sprinkler system, now is also the time to revise your schedule to avoid over-irrigating and paying higher water bills than necessary.

Winter Care

If you have warm weather grass, growth will slow drastically at this point. Depending on how low the temperature gets, dormancy and discoloration may also become issues. The reduced growth may present an opportunity for winter weeds, so be vigilant for those at this time.

Threats To Your Turf

Even with regular maintenance, there are still things beyond your control that can put the health of your grass at risk. For example, if your grass is a warm-weather plant and has poor tolerance for lower temperatures, then unless you take extraordinary measures such as heating your entire landscape, there is little you can do to prevent discoloration and dormancy from occurring during sustained cold periods.

Temperature, however, is not the only threat. Three major environmental factors can pose a risk to your grass.

Lawn Insects

As with other organisms, some insects are predators, feeding on other insects. Still, there are insects that are omnivorous, which means they feed on plants. While insects are a natural part of the ecosystem, most carefully trimmed lawns are not, and they can visibly suffer when a certain number of insects decide your lawn is their next meal. Some insects homeowners should be on the lookout for are:

Mole Crickets

These eat the roots and stay mostly underground, so they can kill a lot of grass and damage the soil as well.

Sod Webworms And Armyworms

These can be found in the grass in the summer, so keep an eye out for them. Their larvae look similar to those of caterpillars and are laid by moths.

Chinch Bugs

Probably the most significant threat, particularly to St. Augustine grass, these tiny bugs are challenging to spot, and they can discolor grass quickly.

Turf Diseases

Grass can get sick, and while that can be the result of fungal invasion, some diseases are a genuine risk. A few of the common ones are:

Mosaic Disease

Another condition to which St. Augustine grass is vulnerable, this discolors and eventually kills grass. It originates from sugar cane.

Take-All Root Rot

This is the result of a fungal invasion. It affects warm-weather turf, making it particularly risky for Florida grasses.

Brown Patch Disease

As the name implies, this is a brown patch, but a fungus causes it.

Lawn Weeds

Weeds will grow in the same environment as grass, so you need to make sure that the weed population doesn’t get out of control. Some common weeds include:

Dollar Weed

This is a broadleaf weed that stands apart from grass and is easy to spot.

Crabgrass

This is a type of grass, making it a competitor for the grass you’ve planted

Bermuda Grass

This is another type of grass that can attempt to displace the grass you’ve planted.

If you don’t remove weeds early, they can proliferate. A professional may be required to remove them once they have become widespread.

When someone wants to give their landscape a tropical makeover, their go-to addition to the property is often a palm tree. It has become a staple in many areas in Florida, including Sarasota. Many residents grow palm trees to boost the curb appeal of their property.

Palm Trees Have Enormous Variety In Appearance And Cold Tolerance

A healthy palm tree dancing with the wind is always pleasing to look at. It can remind you of a relaxing time on a tropical island, and it can also add visual value to an otherwise bland property.

Their appearance isn’t the only good thing about palm trees. Many individuals opt for them because they can withstand hot and humid environments.

Cold Hardiness

There are thousands of varieties of palm trees. They come in different shapes, heights, and sizes. Each one has unique needs. Their ability to adapt to the weather also varies.

One mistake that many people make is that they fail to consider the cold weather. Many see Florida as a warm place. Although that may be true for the most part, the state also experiences lower temperatures.

When choosing a palm, you have to consider its cold hardiness. Generally, this refers to the capacity of a tree to resist injury when it gets exposed to low temperatures.

Varieties For Your Sarasota Home

The right palm tree can enhance the value of your community. It can also improve the overall look of your Sarasota home. When choosing a variety, do not only think about the hot climate. You also need to consider cold hardiness to make sure that your trees can tolerate lower temperatures.

• Cabbage Palm – A lot of people choose this palm because it looks attractive in all growth stages. It can survive in hot and humid summers. At the same time, it is cold-hardy and can survive short periods of low temperatures. It is wind-resistant, and you can even plant it in an area with partial shade. In 1953, the Florida legislature designated cabbage palm as the state tree.

• Royal Palm – This variety is a good choice for your Sarasota property. These trees can grow quickly if you water them and give them fertilizer regularly. They are also self-cleaning, so you do not need to think about regular pruning. These palms do well under the heat and can also tolerate cool winter nights. Additionally, they can survive even with inadequate drainage or inferior soil.

• Piccabeen Palm – This variety is cold-hardy. However, it is only moderately drought-tolerant, so you may have to water it regularly. Like the royal palm, piccabeen is also self-cleaning.

• Foxtail Palm – One of the most popular palms in Sarasota is the foxtail. Aside from being self-cleaning, it has a smooth and clean trunk. If you are only worried about light frost, this palm may be right for you. However, you may need to give it extra protection for freezing temperatures.

• Saw Palmetto – This Florida native is among the most cold-tolerant palms, and it can also survive droughts and floods. It can grow in the shade or under direct sunlight. What’s more, it is less vulnerable to pest infestations compared to other types of palm.

If you are one of those people who want to have a palm tree on your property, you need to take a lot of things into consideration. These include the soil you have, the amount of sunlight in your area, your proximity to establishments or residences, wind exposure, and your ability to look after the tree. Aside from these, you have to make sure your palm can survive the climate in Sarasota.

To avoid mistakes, consult a professional tree company near you like GreenTech Tree & Landscape. Our team can provide assistance for your landscape, treatment, and tree care needs. Contact us now to learn more about our services.

The state of Florida is known for its warm climate, wonderful beaches, and beautiful waterfront areas. Lush, tropical landscaping is a big factor in the appeal of Florida to residents and tourists alike. Often new Florida residents will want to improve their home with tropical palms and trees, however Florida is also known for hurricanes, and care should be given to selecting the trees that will be able to weather Florida’s frequent hurricanes without causing damage to the home or property.

In some years homeowners in Florida have to face multiple named storms, some of are strong enough to leave extensive property damage from wind and flooding. When that happens, large branches or entire trees will come down, often damaging homes or vehicles or other property and even bringing down the power grid.

While the importance of trees is apparent to all, they provide shade look beautiful, provide habitat for wildlife, improve soil and water retention, helping sustain the balance in the environment while providing economic value to communities. On the other hand when a major storm hits, falling trees and branches can result in large financial losses for property owners and utility companies.

Native Trees are resilient, and trees native to areas around the world that receive frequent tropical storms are also frequently resilient to high winds. They can develop enough strength to withstand forces like strong winds, or bend enough to withstand the wind without breaking or uprooting.

Many homeowners new to the Sarasota area will often select trees based on looks alone, and not realize the species does poorly during high winds. Even of you do have mature trees that are not resilient during storms around your property, steps can be taken to help such as pruning to keep branches from catching too much wind, improving drainage to keep soil from becoming overly saturated can be taken to reduce the probability of storm damage.

For a higher probability of success in preparing your landscape for storms, you may want to consider requesting the assistance of a professional tree company.

Planning

Perhaps one of the best ways to avoid having to face storm damage is to select the right tree species to grow. Before planting anything on your property, you need to have a plan. Consider the strength of a tree’s branches, trunk, and root system. Make sure to mind their placement. If you live near the waterfront, storms may flood your area with saltwater, so you will have to consider getting salt-tolerant trees.

You also have to think about the level of maintenance a tree requires. Choose the ones that will suit your lifestyle. Otherwise, you need to work with a reliable tree company to ensure the health of your trees. Consulting with a certified arborist can also help you understand what type of trees fit the weather conditions in your area as well as those that are more likely to survive on your property.

Prevention

The next thing you have to do is to give your trees proper care. If they are healthy and robust, they have better chances of withstanding the storm season. Make sure you understand their unique needs. Find out what substances or methods are essential to root development.

For this, you may need help from a professional tree company. They can test the soil composition, do proper preventative pruning, conduct necessary mulching, and remove severely damaged or dead trees.

Protection

Regular maintenance is crucial in ensuring healthy growth. Before the storm season, you may have to implement extra safety measures. Check if you need lopping. Inspect each tree for dead branches and diseased stems that may turn into decaying homes for unwanted hosts like pests and molds. If you think a tree has no chance of recovering, it may be best to hire a tree company to have it removed.

There are other things that only a professional tree care expert can do, so the best way to protect your trees and prepare them for the storm season is to have a certified arborist check them. An expert can evaluate potential problems and provide the best solutions.

Shade trees in forests usually have straight and tall trunks. As they grow, they tend to compete with other trees for sunlight. They also have the freedom to spread out and stretch their branches.

The case is different in a Southwest Florida property landscape. Since there is less competition and an abundance of sunlight, trees may end up developing a number of competing trunks. When this happens, the structure of a tree may end up weak and prone to breakage. Its longevity and resiliency are reduced due to various weather conditions. Additionally, you will have to consider other factors like safety risks and land area. To keep shade trees in good condition, you should do regular pruning.

How Is Tree Pruning Correctly Done?

The idea is to remove selected branches from a tree to help improve its structure and form while promoting healthy growth. When it comes to shade trees, regular pruning may also help in maintaining their shape. However, you have to make sure that it is done properly.

If you don’t have a regular pruning program or if you prune your trees the wrong way, this may lead to any of the following issues:

• Unwanted development of low limbs
• Formation of co-dominant stems
• Structural defects such as dead branches and included bark
• View obstruction
• Property damage from breaking or falling branches
• Accidents

Common Types

The method of trimming to be used depends on your goals.

• If you want to remove limbs all the way to the branch of origin, the tree care expert may use the thinning method.

• If you only want simple cuts to remove diseased, damaged, or dead limbs, the arborist may do a cleaning.

• To shorten branches or reduce the height and width of a tree, reduction may be necessary.

• If your goal is to improve the structure of the tree and ensure its long-term health, you can expect subordination cuts that may include one or more of the other three methods.

Improvement Of Health and Growth

As stated earlier, pruning regularly has a lot of advantages. It can enhance the overall look of a shade tree. What’s more, it can protect you, your family, your home, and your property from accidents.

Regular pruning makes shaded trees healthier. If your tree has infested or dying branches, you will need to prevent them from infecting other parts. A certified arborist can inspect the plant properly and determine which of its limbs has to be removed. In turn, this prevents insects, pests, and other organisms from causing more damage and saving the life of the tree. It can also increase sun exposure and promote better air circulation.

Pruning can help control the growth of shade trees. Your tree has to serve its purpose without harming the area around it, so you have to keep its growth in check. Pruning can help with that. A tree company can also suppress unwanted growth, if necessary. Additionally younger trees can be shaped with regular pruning. This way, they can have good branch structures and compensate for possible root loss.