Ernie's Pro Lawn Co

Lawn Care for Frisco, Little Elm, Prosper, McKinney, Plano, Carrollton, Flower Mound, Lewisville,

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Tree Of The Month – May, 2017

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We at ProLawnCo are excited to bring to you the newest addition to our website, the Tree of the Month.  Thank You for spending time with us and we hope you find the information useful.  It just seems appropriate to make our inaugural Tree of the Month the State tree of Texas, the Pecan.  For any native Texan, this is a tree that should take one back to fond memories escaping from the Texas summer heat under the canopy of these beautiful trees, perhaps for a picnic or just a great nap.  Of course we could not discuss the Pecan tree without mentioning its greatest gift and sweetest memory, Pecan Pie!

PECAN

Tree Info
Most preferred conditions

Pecan trees are native to nearly all parts of Texas and there are numerous varieties available that do well in several different types of soil.  There are varieties found that do well even in the heavy black clay soils we have in the Frisco and McKinney area.  Pecan trees have a unique ability to adapt to our Texas climate because they can tolerate stress very well.  Pecan trees are drought tolerant and naturally manage stress by shedding pecans.

Considerations – which one for you?

With so many varieties to consider, it can be difficult to choose which Pecan may be right for you.  For areas such as Frisco, McKinney, Little Elm, Prosper, Celina and surrounding communities, a Native variety such as the Caddo would be a fantastic choice.  The Caddo Pecan is an excellent choice for a great shade tree because of strong limbs, high nut yield and scab resistance.  The pecans are small, but have very high quality kernels and will bear in 5-6 years.

As with any tree, there are spacing, water and fertilization factors to consider.  At ProLawnCo, we are eager to help you through these steps and find you the perfect pecan to shade you through the summer!

 

What to Consider When Selecting a Lawn Care Company

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What to Consider When Hiring a Lawn Care Company

There are many different reasons why one would hire a lawn care company.  Whether your reason is for medical reasons, time constraints, or simply you just don’t want to do the work, there are many considerations you should take into account when hiring a lawn care company.  Some of these considerations include:

  • Reputation of the lawn care company?  Does the lawn care company have a good reputation?  Ask for references, and check them out!  Drive by the reference addresses and look at the lawns.

 

  • Frequency of mowing the lawn.  Most lawns only need mowed bi-weekly in early spring, and late fall, and weekly during the active growing season.

 

  • What mowing height are the mower decks set at?  The first mow of the season should be lower than the normal but not scalped, then the deck should be raised to the next level until the afternoon temperatures reach consistently above 95 – 100 degrees, then the deck should be raised one more level.  Never, during the active growing season, should more than 1/3 of the blade of grass be cut off!

 

  • Do you have to sign a contract?  I would not sign one!

 

  • Will they be there each week/bi-week on the same day?

 

  • Is line trimming (weed-eating) done each time the lawn is mowed?

 

  • Do they edge around the drive-way, curbs, and sidewalk, each mowing, with a line trimmer, or an edger with a steel blade.  You get much better results with a steel blade edger.

 

  • Do they clean up afterwards, and not just blow the debris into the street (which if it doesn’t anger you, it will probably anger your neighbors).

 

  • Do they bag the clippings?  Using a mulching mower and not bagging the clippings puts the nutrients back into your lawn.

 

  • Do they mow your lawn in a different direction?  Your lawn should be mowed in a different direction each week to keep wear paths from developing, and to promote healthy growth in your lawn.  The directions should be changed weekly, using the directions of horizontal, vertical, diagonal from left to right, and then diagonal from right to left.  Then repeat the sequence.

 

  • How often do they sharpen their blades.  A good lawn care company will change to a sharpened blade each day!  Otherwise, your lawn is getting torn not cut!

 

  • Do they offer other services that you can order?  Fertilization, weed control, sprinkler repair, planting bed maintenance, etc.  Weed control and sprinkler usually require that the company be licensed, are they?

 

  • Are they insured?  You want them to be insured.  If the equipment throws a rock and breaks a window (yes, it happens), or worse, what if it hits a child, or passerby?  You would be liable, if they don’t have insurance.

 

  • Are their workers documented workers, legal to work in the United States.  You can be held liable for hiring undocumented workers.  Also, are the workers sub-contractors or employees?  Will the same people be mowing your lawn each time?

 

  • Do they charge sales tax as most state laws require?  If they are willing to cheat to be cheaper, they will also cheat you on the service?

 

  • What methods of payment do they accept (cash, check, credit cards).  If they only accept cash, they probably are cheating on their taxes, or are not a legal company.  Also, if you must pay in cash, that means you have to be there or hide the money somewhere. NO THANKS!  Most reputable companies will accept check and credit/debit cards.

 

  • How often do they collect the payment.  Do you really want to be charge each week?  Reputable companies will invoice and charge you monthly for the services that they performed.  By all means do not pay in advance!

 

Finally, don’t just look at the cheapest.  Talk with the representative.  If they are a reputable professional company, they will be able to speak with knowledge and authority about your lawn, plants, fertilization programs, weed control, sprinkler systems, and other landscape needs.  If they can’t, then the old saying “Buyer Beware” should be sounding in your conscience!

Zoysia Grass

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Zoysia Grass

Zoysia grass is a Warm Season grass.  Zoysia grass used for turf is available in three species, Japonica, Matrella, and Tenuifolia.  Zoysia Tenuifolia is a very fine bladed grass, has a low cold tolerance, and is usually used only as a ground cover in Southern California.  Therefore, it is not recommended as a turf grass.

Zoysia Japonica has a medium to high shade tolerance.  Its water requirement is medium compared to other Warm Season grasses.

Zoysia Japonica grass has a medium to high tolerance to salinity, and a high tolerance to cold. Additionally it has a high tolerance to traffic, and has a medium to low disease potential.  .  Zoysia Japonica grass should be mowed every seven to ten (7-10) days, and should be maintained at a height of one inch to one and one-half inches (1.0” – 1.5”).

Zoysia Japonica is the only Zoysia variety that can be grown from seed.  It can also be grown from sprigs or from sod.

Zoysia Matrella also has a medium to high tolerance to shade.  Its water requirement is medium compared to other Warm Season grasses.

Zoysia Matrella grass has a medium tolerance to salinity, and a medium tolerance to cold.  Its tolerance to traffic is medium, and its disease potential is medium to low.  Zoysia Matrella grass should be mowed at a height of one-half inch to one inch (0.5” – 1.0”), and should be mowed every five to seven (5-7) days.

Zoysia Matrella grass can be grown from sprigs or from sod, it is not available in seed form.

Zoysia grasses is a very versatile species, and are used for lawns, golf courses, parks and athletic fields.  They are tolerant to all types of soil including sand, loam, and clay.  Additionally, they do well in both acidic and alkaline soils.  Zoysia grasses are found along the Atlantic coast from Florida to Connectict, and along the Gulf Coast, and California.

What is the Best Turf Grass for North Texas?

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What is the Best Turf Grass for North Texas?

There is not a perfect turf grass for North Texas.  The most common turf grasses for lawns in North Texas include Bermuda, St. Augustine, and Zoysias.

Common Bermuda grass is the most popular.  It is inexpensive, easy to install, holds up well to foot traffic, and has a pleasant appearance.  Common Bermuda is not shade tolerant.  It requires approximately six (6) hours of sunlight.  Common Bermuda grows easily, and spreads.  It will invade your planting beds if you do not have a barrier.  It can be planted from seeds or sod.  Bermuda can stand up to our hot summer sun and is also very winter-hearty.

St. Augustine grass is the next most popular.  It is also inexpensive, easy to install, an holds up fairly well to foot traffic, but not as well as Common Bermuda.  The appearance is pleasant and it has a thicker blade than Common Bermuda.  St. Augustine is more shade tolerant than Common Bermuda, and requires only four (4) hours of sunlight.  St. Augustine grows easily, and spreads.  It is also invasive to your planting beds if you do not have a barrier.  St. Augustine can only be planted as sod.  St. Augustine is the lion of the grasses.  St. Augustine will over-take Bermuda or Zoysias.  St. Augustine needs more water than Bermuda, can stand up to our hot summer sun, but is not as winter-hearty as Bermuda.

Zoysias are still being tested.  Zoysia is showing promise, as it is in between the Common Bermuda, and St. Augustine.  So far, it can stand up to our hot summer heat, and has been cold tolerant.  Zoysia is not as shade tolerant as St. Augustine, but is more shade tolerant than Common Bermuda.  Unfortunately, there is just not enough experience with Zoysia to name it as a great grass for North Texas.  It will take at least another decade to determine the ranking for Zoysia in North Texas.

St. Augustine Grass

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St. Augustine Grass

St. Augustine grass is a Warm Season grass.  St. Augustine is a strong grass in warm climates.  It has a high shade tolerance, usually requiring a minimum of four (4) hours of sunlight.  Its water requirement is medium compared to other Warm Season grasses.

St. Augustine grass has a medium tolerance to salinity, and a low tolerance to cold, usually not surviving temperatures less than 15 degrees Fahrenheit.  Additionally it has a low tolerance to traffic, and has a high disease potential.  St. Augustine grass should be mowed every five to seven (5-7) days, and should be maintained at a height of two and one-half inches to three and one-half inches (2.5” – 3.5”).

St. Augustine grass can be grown from springs or from sod.  It cannot be grown from seed.

In the correct areas of the country, St. Augustine grass is one of the strongest grasses available.  Some of the varieties available include Floratam, Seville, and Raleigh.