Baseball had opening day and so do Ohio gardens. Despite the fact that it seems like there isn’t much happening in the garden right now, it is time to get into the perennial beds and vegetable gardens and start prepping for the spring. It’s coming, believe it or not. First, cut back any plants that you didn’t get to last fall. Old asparagus fronds in the vegetable garden should be cut back to the ground.
We have all heard the lawn care ad with the tag line, “feed your lawn. Feed it!” Perhaps this is a technicality, but good luck with that!
You see, we don’t feed plants. They feed themselves! Plants produce their own food through photosynthesis. Fertilizers provide some nutrients which can be utilized in the process. Improper types or amounts of fertilizer, particularly the chemical fertilizers this company promotes, can sometimes increase the plant susceptibility to insects and disease, and weaken the grass plant overall. That is why Arbor Doctor utilizes an organic fertilization approach which aids root development, increases plant cell wall thicknesses, and does not push growth.
To further complicate the picture, the lawn care company’s ads say lawns are “starving” this time of year and need to be fertilized. Really? Research shows the optimal time to provide fertilizer to lawns in our area is fall. If lawns are starving this time of year, it is more because they haven’t been photosynthesizing so much, not that I think they are starving! This does not mean you should turn your lawn care company away.
There are legitimate lawn care functions this time of year, including weed control, pre-emergents, and mild amounts of fertilizer. However, be wary of any lawn care company promoting multiple springtime fertilizations and high nitrogen in the spring. Low inputs and attention to good cultural practices is the most environmentally friendly approach to good lawn and landscape care. Our partner, Turfman Lawn Care, does a good job at this balanced approach.
The presence of either moss or lichen does not affect the health of plants. Lichen is especially sensitive to pollutants and prefers areas with clean air, so its presence is always a good sign! Read more here>>>
I would like to think that we approach tree and landscape care and preservation with an equivalent degree of stewardship and reverence. Furniture fit for The Kingdom link here>>>
March 1 is the first day of meteorological spring. While the calender says spring starts later in March, average temperatures and plan t behavior are actually becoming more spring like now.
Here at Arbor Doctor, we are already busy taking care of landscapes. We have spent the winter at conferences gathering as much information as possible to help make your landscapes healthier and your life easier! Ron met with another arborist specializing in organic plant health care and continues to work to modify and improve our one of a kind, organically based and green friendly plant health care program. Organics, good for nature and good for you!
You will likely be seeing us shortly if you haven’t already. Don’t hesitate to call or contact us with any questions in the meantime.
Arbor Doctor Ron Rothhaas will be speaking this year at the Dayton, OH Home and Garden Show at the Dayton, OH Convention Center.
Ron will be speaking on the subject of “What does bad weather do to your plants?”, a timely topic with the heat waves and droughts of recent years. Many of our trees are suffering, and understanding how weather interacts with other environmental factors can help you to do a better job managing the health of your landscape.
Ron’s presentation will take place on Stage 2 at 3:00 PM, March 22, 2013.
Arbor Doctor Ron Rothhaas is scheduled to appear this Saturday, March 2, 2013, on In The Garden with Ron Wilson on 550 AM, WKRC radio. Ron will appear from 6:30 AM to 9:00 AM as a member of a panel of experts including host Ron Wilson; Steve Foltz, Director of Horticulture at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden; and respected horticulturist Liz Jacobs from Natorp’s, Inc.
In advance of the show, Ron Wilson remarked, “I thought it would be a great idea to have a panel discussion about trees, and of course the three of you came to mind. You all three represent different aspects of the industry, and I value (highly) all three of your opinions and expertise!”
Ron Rothhaas remarked, “It is an honor to be asked to appear with such highly credentialed colleagues. Hopefully, I can avoid my daughter’s flu bug and be able to be present on Saturday!” Ron is a 1988 graduate of The Ohio State University, a 1985 graduate of Cincinnati Technical and Community College, an ISA Certified Arborist and member of the American Society of Consulting Arborists. He has worked in the horticultural field for three decades.
About 90% of the time, an arborist trained in tree risk assessment could foresee damage such as that seen in this video. To be clear, without having seen this tree one cannot comment on its pre-failure condition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=NnIodcwdPM0
Feb. 17, 2013 — While many people recognize that clean water and air are signs of a healthy ecosystem, most do not realize that a critical part of the environment is right beneath their feet, according to a Penn State hydrologist. Read more in Science Daily>>>
Groundhog Day, February 2nd, is a popular tradition in the United States. It is also a legend that traverses centuries, its origins clouded in the mists of time with ethnic cultures and animals awakening on specific dates. Myths such as this tie our present to the distant past when nature did, indeed, influence our lives. It is the day that the Groundhog comes out of his hole after a long winter sleep to look for his shadow. Read the article here>>>