Landscape - Overseeding and Scalping

Well, here we are again; Over seeding time! The beginning of this renovation process usually occurs during the first week of October and sowing seed starts during the middle of October. There are many processes that occur during the over seeding season and we think it's important to let you know what is happening to your lawns.

De-thatching has already begun, as you may have noticed landscape crews running the renovators through the grass. This process will reduce the thatch build up and open up the stand of grass in order to allow seed penetration to the soil. We will be elevating the cutting height by 50% in the weeks leading up to renovation. Elevating the grass height will help elongate the grass stem and force the grass blades to the top of the plant so when cut shorter, the seed will drop through to the soil. The water will be reduced by 15%-20% on the turf grass. You should not see a real change in the quality of grass as we are simply trying to encourage the Bermuda grass to store sugars and carbohydrates for the dormant winter months.

One week prior to the final cut, the irrigation will be turned off to allow the grass to dry out, which aids in the vacuuming of thatch (Bermuda debris). The grass will then be cut at the regular height, and then cut 30% lower for the final renovation cut . This will start the reduction in turf height and start breaking down the bio-mass that has accumulated throughout the season. Some light follow up verti-cutting may still be necessary in some areas, and may need to be “cross thatched” again, lightly. Seed will be sowed in at "grower" recommended rates, in two directions to insure even coverage. Watering schedules will be as much as 4 times a day for short durations to insure good coverage while maintaining a moist environment for proper germination.

This schedule should last for about 10 days to 2 weeks until a good stand of seedlings has developed. After the rye grass has reached a height of 1-3/4” a light careful cutting will be performed at a height of 1-1/2”, which will encourage a fuller stand of grass. After two cuttings, a 3-way fertilizer will be applied for good growth and color. In late November, an application of ferrous sulfate will harden the color in our high PH soils and help insure good green grass for the holidays!

Announcing: Caretaker Tree Management!!!

Caretaker is constantly seeking innovative ways to be more competitive and is always striving to improve our services. To that end, we are excited to announce that in January of 2008, we started an Arboriculture (Tree Care) division to handle all of your tree care needs including; tree trimming, tree and stump removal, tree disease diagnosis, deep-root fertilizations, educational seminars, consultations and free proposals.

For those who are budget conscious, we will be offering Arbor services at a discounted rate. If a large number of Homeowners or Commercial projects request tree trimming/fertilizing services, a bulk savings will apply. Further, we will put together monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual payment plans to help mitigate the cost. We will also be happy to provide short and long range tree trimming budgets so you can help prepare you clients for the upcoming tree care needs.

Caretaker’s Tree Management division will be a “stand-alone” division of Caretaker Companies.

We know there are options for “Tree Care” but with our expertise, competitive pricing model and demand for the highest quality from team, we believe we are one of the best options available.

Our slogan remains, “We CARE for your community, and it shows!”