Introduced in North America during the 1800s, garlic mustard is shade-tolerant and thrives in mature wooded areas. While European immigrants brought it over for medicinal and culinary purposes, they did not understand the detrimental effect this plant has on our natural forest floor flora.

Garlic mustard kills native plantlife with the following one-two punch:
• It grows in dense clusters, blocking sunlight and stealing nutrients from native plants
• And produces allelopathic compounds that inhibit seed germination of native plant species

Garlic mustard is a biennial plant; this means it has a two-year life cycle. The first year, seeds germinate early in the spring and grow as a basal rosette that is close to the ground. In the second year, the plant will grow taller and produce flowers and thousands of seeds. These seeds are dormant and may remain viable in the soil for several years.

Control strategies are somewhat limited and must reflect the location of the garlic mustard infestation. There are effective mechanical, cultural and chemical tactics available for garlic mustard management.

At Quality Care, we have used a combination of these methods for garlic mustard control. We take care to preserve native flora in the area wherever possible.

If you are managing Garlic Mustard on your own, or would like to learn more about it, please contact the Iowa State Extension office in your county.

You may also visit the following websites for more information. These are also linked throughout this blog post.
• http://www.weeds.iastate.edu/mgmt/qtr00-1/garlicmust.htm
• http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/pdf/alpe1.pdf
• http://dnr.wi.gov/invasives/publications/pdfs/GarlicMustardHandout.pdf

Many Cedar Rapids lawn care companies offer the design and installation of irrigation systems because proper hydration is absolutely vital to creating and maintaining a healthy Cedar Rapids lawn. Many homeowners find that watering their Cedar Rapids lawn is more of a guessing game than anything else. Knowing precisely how much water your Cedar Rapids lawn needs is important because without enough water, your Cedar Rapids lawn’s color and growth will suffer. If you water too much, you run the risk of soil erosion, drowning the roots and if the watering takes place late in the evening, the development of mold.

Lawn care specialists can help you determine the correct watering procedures, but the installation of a sprinkler system can take the guesswork out of the picture. Hydration systems are designed to give your Cedar Rapids lawn just the right amount of water without overburdening the roots or causing them to go thirsty. Sprinkler systems can also be programmed to be sensitive to weather conditions, so you are experiencing a few days with heavy rainfall, your sprinkler system will not activate.

Irrigation systems are also designed and installed to make sure every inch of your landscape is covered. Many store-bought and self-installed hydration systems only cover one part of your Cedar Rapids lawn or landscape, whereas Cedar Rapids lawn care professionals will know how to install the system so that all your plants benefit.

If you are worried about the cost, think of how much money you waste by watering too much or forgetting to turn the sprinkler off. Professionally installed sprinkler systems can actually save you money, not to mention save water from being wasted.

Call your Cedar Rapids lawn care company today to find out more about the many benefits of an expertly designed sprinkler system.

Lawn aeration involves the removal of small soil plugs or cores out of the lawn. Quality Care provides aeration done with a machine that has hollow tines mounted on a drum. Known as a core aerator, it extracts 1/2 to 3/4 inch diameter cores of soil and deposits them on your lawn. Soil cores are best left on the lawn surface; they typically work back into the grass in 2-4 weeks.

Aeration holes are typically 1-6 inches deep and 2-6 inches apart.  Aeration relieves soil compaction, improves water and nutrient movement in the soil, increases rooting, and prevents thatch accumulation. Aeration improves the growing conditions for the turfgrass plants and results in a healthier, more vigorous lawn. If your property has an irrigation system or invisible pet fence please contact us so that your technician can properly mark these utilities prior to service in order to avoid any  possible damage.

As lawns age or sustain heavy use from play, sports activities, pets, vehicle traffic and parking, soil compaction can result. Soil compacting forces are most severe in poorly drained or wet sites. Compaction greatly reduces the pore space within the soil that would normally hold air.

Roots require oxygen to grow and absorb nutrients and water. Compaction reduces total pore space and the amount of air within the soil. It has a negative impact on nutrient uptake and water infiltration, in addition to being a physical barrier to root growth. This results in poor top growth and lawn deterioration. Core aeration can benefit your lawn by:

•        Increasing the activity of soil microorganisms that decompose thatch.
•        Increasing water, nutrient and oxygen movement into the soil.
•        Improving rooting.
•        Enhancing infiltration of rainfall or irrigation.
•        Helping prevent fertilizer and pesticide run-off from overly compacted   areas.

The frequency of aeration is largely determined by the soil type and the amount of use. Lawns growing in heavy, clay soils and those subject to heavy foot or pet traffic should be aerated twice a year. Once a year should be sufficient for lawns that are established on well-drained soils and experience little traffic.

In Iowa, September and April are the best times to aerate Kentucky bluegrass and other cool-season lawns. While the overall results are beneficial, core aeration does cause some initial damage. Aerating in September or April allows the grass to quickly recover during the favorable growing conditions in early fall and spring.  Lawns may be fertilized and seeded either before or quickly-following aeration.

At Quality Care, our focus is creating beautiful, healthy turf; but it is hard to ignore the splendor of a spring garden. So we present to you, the best tips for garden planning and care from Purdue!

Purdue Extension offers several gardening publications that can help you get started, many are free.

Establish a garden at your home today! It makes a great hobby and helps beautify your property.

Get Started: Before you start gardening, it’s important to:

• Find Out What’s Right For You
• Check the Numbers
• Have the Right Tools

Planning: Planning is the first and most basic step in home flower and vegetable gardening. Planning not only saves time when you’re ready to plant, it also gives you an idea of the types and quantities of seeds or plants you’ll need. Most importantly, planning helps assure that the home garden will satisfy your needs and desires.

Planting: You can plant flowers or vegetables from seed or from transplants. Either way, it is important to first prepare your soil.

Growing: Working in your garden doesn’t stop after you plant. As the flowers or vegetables grow, you will need to water, irrigate, remove weeds, and check plants for insect and disease problems.

If you are looking for professional landscaping help, we recommend giving any of Iowa City’s and Cedar Rapids’ local landscaping companies a closer look!

There are several different varieties of mulch to choose from, but many homeowners and commercial property owners seem to prefer cedar mulch. Cedar mulch offers the landscape a hint of rich color, and of course there is the aromatic cedar smell that adds an extra incentive. Cedar mulch also offers landscape beds superior protection against soil erosion and compaction, weed growth and protects the roots of your plants from the hot sun. If you think cedar mulch is only useful when the weather is warm, you’ll be happy to know that mulch also protects the roots from freezing during spells of cold weather. So now that you know all the benefits of cedar mulch, you may wonder how you can make your own.

In order to make your own cedar mulch, according to lawn care experts, you will need cured cedar wood in the form of a stump or logs, a chainsaw, a hatchet and a hammer. Using the chainsaw, cut the cedar stump or the logs into two-inch sections, stacking the pieces atop one another. Once you have a complete stack, use the chainsaw to cut vertically down the stack again in one- to two-inch sections. Gather the stack back together and proceed to perform another vertical cut, this time forming a crosshatch pattern. All of the resulting wood shavings and pieces will serve as part of your mulch.

You will still have some smaller pieces that need to be broken up into tinier pieces. Use your hammer and hatchet to bust them up in whatever sizes you prefer. Place all the wood in a large container and add an amount of water that is proportionate to the wood chips. Lawn care professionals say for this project, a gallon of water is usually plenty. Make sure all the wood chips have been dampened by the water and let sit for three days. Drain the water from the container and let the cedar mulch dry in the sun for a day, turning it occasionally to make sure the undersides of the wood chips have a chance to dry out as well. Once all the pieces have dried, you have your very own source of cedar mulch to adorn your lawn!

Making your own cedar mulch may be a fun activity, but perhaps you’re looking for a more professional approach. Call your local lawn care company and ask about their mulching services.

Ever wonder what to do with those scraps of food that shouldn’t go down the disposal, but create a terrible smell if left in the garbage for more than a day? Or perhaps you’re looking to enhance the growth of your landscape plants in a more natural and cost-effective manner? Lawn care experts recommend using your kitchen waste to make your own all-organic mulch.

The first step in this journey toward a more eco-friendly way to fertilize your Cedar Rapids lawn and landscape is by choosing the right type of composter. Many Cedar Rapids lawn care experts recommend using worm bins. Filling the bin with live worms, your kitchen waste will be broken down by the worms and voila! You have a nutrient-rich fertilizer for your Cedar Rapids lawn and landscape! Using a worm bin is also beneficial because you can keep it inside your home if you wish for easy access. The only rule when it comes to worm bins is to not leave it in direct sunlight.

If you’re not sure how to use a worm bin or where to get the materials (or the worms), check with your community’s Department of Water and Power; they may offer worm bins as well as instructions on how to use them.

So what can you throw in the worm bin? The ingredients that make up worm bin mulch can range from fruit and vegetable rinds and pieces to most Cedar Rapids lawn and landscape debris, according to Cedar Rapids lawn care experts. So instead of throwing your kitchen scraps in the trash, or even to the dog, think about creating your own personal brand of all-organic mulch.

If making your own mulch is too much of a hassle but you still want to bring a more organic approach to fertilizing your Cedar Rapids lawn or landscape, call your local Cedar Rapids lawn care company and ask about their organic fertilization program.

Each spring, we get several calls about moles and voles and turf damage caused by these pests. While the name ‘mole’ sounds very similar to the name ‘vole’ – the two are quite different animals. Even though both can damage your turf, it is important to understand their differences and the different methods needed to eradicate them.

The East­ern mole (Scalopus aquaticus) is the most numerous and widespread, and is responsible for most of the complaints concerning mole damage to lawns and gardens.

Moles are not rodents. They belong to the group of mammals known as insectivores, and thus are related to the shrew. Eastern moles have pointed snouts, greatly enlarged, rounded front feet with stout claws, and a short, nearly naked tail. They are six to eight inches long with short, velvety fur that is usually gray to silvery-gray. The eyes and ears of moles are very small and are concealed in the fur.

It is a common misconception that treating a lawn for grubs will prevent an infestation of moles. Moles feed primarily on earthworms, but may also feed on spiders, beetles, centipedes, grubs and other insect larvae or pupae.

Moles make two types of underground burrows:

1. Shallow surface runs, which they use to find food. These tunnels leave create pushed up ridges as the mole “swims” through the loose topsoil. While these surface tunnels may be used frequently at first, they are eventually allowed to collapse, leaving a cracked depression in the lawn.
2. Deep burrows are also created as the mole’s main home. The deep burrow is marked by volcano-shaped mounds of dirt that the moles push up when digging.

During their burrowing activities, they produce mounds and ridges that disfigure lawns and sometimes dislodge plants or injure plant roots. Their mounds also provide a medium for the germination of weed seeds.

Moles’ tunneling can cause cracks in concrete sidewalks and can even affect your foundation. Long-term damage can also be extensive. Moles are exceptional diggers and can tunnel up to 12-15 ft per hour. This can cause deep tunnels that can sink your entire soil level or cause large sunken areas in your lawn.

Gophers are burrowing rodents and members of the zoological family Geomyidae. The designation “pocket” before the word gopher refers to the pockets in the gopher’s cheeks which are used by the gopher to carry food, nesting materials and other small supplies into their tunnels.

Your Quality Care technician can place mole baits in the runs to kill the moles and keep save your lawn from potential damage. Please call the Quality Care office for more information.

 Again, the Iowa State Extension office can provide you with alternatives to our bait-method of mole control. Their phone number is 319-337-2145. We highly recommend such alternative methods for dog owners- particularly for breeds that are likely to dig baits out of the runs.

Our friends at the University of Missouri Extension have additional information on Controlling Nuisance Moles if you are interested.

Voles are true rodents, and belong to the order Rodentia and family Arvicolidae . The word vole refers to “field”– earlier uses of the word were used as vole-mouse, and eventually became simply voles. People often refer to voles as meadow mice, or “field mice”.

Voles are of pest significance in turf and landscaped areas for two reasons:

1. They tunnel and burrow in turf areas
2. They gnaw on the trunks and roots of various trees and ornamental plants
   

   In general, voles are compact rodents with stocky bodies, short legs, and short tails. Their eyes are small and their ears partially hidden. They usually are black, brown or gray, though many color variations exist. The adult vole ranges from 3.5 to 5 inches in length and weighs 1 to 2.5 ounces.

Voles are herbivores. The stems and leaves of grasses comprise the majority of their diet, but they will also consume other green vegetation and fruits. Voles do not hibernate and are active throughout the year. During severe winters and snow cover, when green vegetation is scarce, voles often burrow around the roots of trees, which may cause damage to trees and shrubs. Voles are active during dawn and dusk, but may be seen active during the day and night as well.

Vole runways in turf are formed by a combination of the vole eating the grass blades, and the constant traveling over the runway. Voles also spread excavated dirt from the burrow system in the runway, resulting in a dirt-bare path in some areas.

One of the major keys to managing voles is to realize that, in many cases, voles are associated with dense cover. Inspections should begin along building exteriors. First inspect the immediate landscaping outside of the building looking for runways leading from any dense areas cutting through turf. Landscape plantings with low-lying plants such as arborvitae, creeping yews, junipers, and similar species are good candidates for vole activity.

By eliminating weeds and dense ground cover around lawns the capacity of these areas to support voles is reduced. Lawn and turf should be mowed regularly.

The meadow vole constructs well-defined, visible surface runways through turf areas, measuring about 1.5-2 in./4-5cm. in width. It is the sight of these paths that cause concern in March and April.

For more information about Voles, please read this article from Purdue.

Most homeowners know what services are necessary for good Cedar Rapids lawn care: proper mowing, aeration, overseeding, adequate hydration and fertilizer. Aeration is one of the most beneficial Cedar Rapids lawn care services, especially if you live in an area that experiences episodes of little to no rainfall. Aerating your Cedar Rapids lawn will allow the water from your irrigation system to reach the grass roots directly and be immediately absorbed. However, even though aeration ensures that your Cedar Rapids lawn and soil are manipulated, you should go one step further and also have your soil periodically tested by a Cedar Rapids lawn care professional.

A soil test is a fairly simple procedure and many Cedar Rapids lawn care companies offer the service for free in conjunction with their Cedar Rapids lawn care programs. The Cedar Rapids lawn care technician will take a small soil sample and have it sent to a lab. A qualified soil expert will examine the sample and look at the pH level (acidity); the presence or absence of such macronutrients as phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen; the presence or absence of such micronutrients as iron, calcium, zinc, boron, manganese, copper and other nutrients that deter weed growth and enhance the Cedar Rapids lawn’s resistance to insect and disease infestations; the soil type, which can help your Cedar Rapids lawn care technician create a preventative plan to reduce the incidence of compaction; and levels of decomposed plant material, also known as thatch.

Once the results are back, your Cedar Rapids lawn care specialists can consult with you on what the best plan of action is regarding your Cedar Rapids lawn care regimen. To schedule a soil analysis, call your local Cedar Rapids lawn care company today.

At Quality Care, our staff and technicians are what some call “pet people.” We love our dogs and cats (and assorted gold fish and other pets too!)  But we are aware that sometimes they can leave “spots,” and no, not the kind you find on your average Dalmatian.

A pristine, evenly green lawn is a human invention that our pets have difficulty understanding.  The brown spots caused by their urine are simply the result of too much nitrogen concentrated in a small area.  You can recognize pet spots or burn spots by a small crater of brown grass surrounded by a ring of overly-green grass.

Urine damage has nothing to do with acid, so canine dietary supplements that alter the urine’s pH have no effect on pet spots.  For this same reason, lime treatments tend to be ineffective at treating or reducing burn spots caused by pet urine.

Female dogs do not have more potent urine than males, but female dogs (and puppies) do tend to “squat” and concentrate their urine in one small spot.

Watering the lawn will help flush excess nitrogen from concentrated areas and reduce the damage done by pet spots.

Create a dog run, or fenced area on your property that is in a low-visibility part of your lawn.  You can also train your pet to use a mulched area for their bathroom needs.

Our friends at Purdue Extension have some great tips for pet owners who want to keep their lawns looking healthy and green!  Animal Urine Damage In Turf (PDF)

 . . . . And as always, if you have any questions or concerns regarding lawn applications or mole bates, please contact our friendly office staff for more information.

Be safe this winter

Don’t let an icy sidewalk bring you down.

We have received some calls and emails regarding the icy conditions out there. We appreciate being recognized as the experts and we want to share our knowledge with you!

There are so dizzying number of different kinds of ice melt available and it can be difficult deciding which one is best.

Like anything you would buy at the store, you should always read the label and look for the #1 ingredient.  Each of these has its benefits and disadvantages.

Some brands may include colored crystals and the size of the salt crystals may be finer in some brands than others.  Additionally, salt is a common element in nature, so you do not need to look for “natural” ice melt, simply choose the brand with the fewest additives. 

As always, if you have questions and would like to speak with one of our friendly and professional staff members, we are only an email or call away!