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06 Dec 2017
protecting landscaping during winter months

What Happens to Your Lawn In Winter?

That’s right folks, the official start of winter is almost upon us. ‘Tis the season for tobogganing, ice skating, and cups of warm hot chocolate. In many parts of Canada, it’s also the season when temperatures drop and lawn’s gets covered in blankets of white, fluffy snow.

Are you curious about what happens to your lawn in winter? If so, this is the blog for you.

Winter Kill

Winter kill is a common term used to describe turf damage that takes place during winter. Most people assume winter kill only happens when snow is covering the lawn, however that is not true. Lawns covered with snow for months at a time certainly do see their fair share of turf damage, but snow alone is not the only factor that causes damage.

Region by Region

Depending on what part of the country you live in, the amount of snow coverage and the length of time the lawn is covered by snow can be significantly different region by region. The majority of Canada, with the exception of coastal regions in British Columbia, regularly experience consistent snowfall and snow coverage for the better part of 3–4 months (specifically December through March). With that being said, these areas can be faced with winter kill damage that’s caused by snow coverage depending on the year.

Snow Coverage

Generally speaking, when a lawn is covered with snow vs. not being covered during the harsh winter months, it’s usually regarded as a positive, considering the lasting effects other factors can have on a lawn. Consistent snow coverage acts similar to a blanket in that it helps insulate the grass plants and their roots from cold temperature extremes. Exposure to these temperature extremes, combined with wind, ice, and freeze/thaw conditions can be very damaging without snow coverage!

protecting lawn in winter

A lawn can experience a range of symptoms during the Winter months, including;

  • Ice damage
  • Low temperature kill
  • Crown Hydration
  • Winter desiccation
  • Salt damage
  • Snow mold damage
  • Snow plow damage
  • Voles damage

 

Contributed by: Brent Szotak, Landscaper and foremost lawncare expert

OCI Landscaping and Irrigation

928 Arbor View Drive
Kelowna, BC.
V1W-5B5

Phone: 778.214.2352
info@ocilandscaping.com
www.ocilandscaping.com

28 Nov 2017
frost-on-grass

How To Avoid Frost Damage To Your Lawn

Don’t look now folks, but December is right around the corner. That means the days are growing shorter, the air is getting colder, and frost is starting to appear on our lawns. Lucky us, right?

Depending on where you live in Canada, you’ve probably started to notice some silver frost blanketing your grass and gardens in the early morning.

While it may be pleasing to the eye, frost can actually be a real problem for your lawn if not properly monitored.

Here are some tips for avoiding frost damage on your lawn

Frost Facts

While many theories exist about how frost damages living tissue, the most common belief is that ice crystals damage and kill plant cells when they are forced into the leaf by the weight of a foot or by other means of traffic across a lawn.

For frost to properly form on grass, many people believe that the temperature must fall to freezing. However, frost can occur in low lying shaded areas even when the official temperature is above 3°c, so you need to be careful depending on where you live in Canada.

Even if it’s not freezing cold outside, frost can still affect your lawn.

Stay Off Your Lawn

Walking over a lawn that is frost covered can cause significant and unsightly damage to the turf. Damage first appears as a blackening of the leaves, which gradually turns to a brown or tan colour. Sounds like a heck of an eyesore to me!

Don’t let this happen to your turf, folks. If and when it does get cold enough for frost, be sure to stay off of your frosted grass until the sun melts the frost away.

frost-damage-to-grass

Test the Grass

Testing your grass after the temperature drops is a foolproof way of ensuring that no accidental frost damage occurs.

A quick test to determine whether it is safe to walk on the grass is to simply take your hand and wipe it parallel along the surface (tips) of the turf.  If your had stays dry throughout the duration of the test, it is still too soon to walk on the turf.  If your hand is wet, then the frost has started to melt and it is safe to walk on.

Contributed by: Brent Szotak Landscaper and foremost yard expert.

Contact us

OCI Landscaping and Irrigation

928 Arbor View Drive
Kelowna, BC.
V1W-5B5

Phone: 778.214.2352
info@ocilandscaping.com
www.ocilandscaping.com

16 Aug 2017
fall-yard-cleanup

Fundamental Fall Lawn Care Services

Autumn is just around the corner, and it just so happens to be an ideal time of year for lawn care!

Repairing Summer damage and preparing for Winter are best done in the Fall. Plus, giving your lawn a little extra love during September, October, and November will help set you up for success in Spring. So do your fall yard cleanup properly for maximum benefit.

Here are our top 8 Fall lawn care services.

Core Aeration

Fall is the ideal time for your annual core aeration, since the weather is cooler and the grass is actively growing.

When your lawn is aerated, a machine mechanically removes small cores of soil and thatch from the lawn, which are left on the surface to be reincorporated.

Aerating your lawn in Fall will help reduce soil compaction, control thatch, reduce insect & disease pressures, reduce summer drought damage, and make irrigation more efficient.

Overseeding

If you have bare areas in your lawn, Fall is the ideal time to sort it out.

Overseeding is recommended for home lawns at least once a year, and since the soil and air temperatures are still warm and rainfall is common, Fall is the perfect time to do it.

Overseeding assists by filling in and thickening up thin, weak, or damaged areas in a lawn. It’s a great way to introduce new grass species that require less water, less fertilizer, and resist insect & disease pressures.

Topdressing

Topdressing is a great way to add more organic matter to your lawn before Winter. If your lawn is lacking in nutrients, it will help rejuvenate tired grass and improve the condition of your soil.

Topdressing with a quality, weed-free organic mulch helps reduce water usage, increases your lawn’s ability to fight disease, and improves the results of your fertilizer program.

For even better compost infiltration, combine topdressing with your annual core aeration.

 

organic-topdressing-kelowna

Winterizer Fertilizer

One of the most important things you can do for your lawn is to provide it with the nutrients it needs to grow healthy.

Fertilizing in Fall with a custom ‘winterizer’ blend ensures good Winter hardiness and survival. It also helps prolong the lawn’s dark green colour and provide an early Spring green-up.

Lime

When soil becomes too acidic, the nutrients your grass needs to thrive become unavailable, resulting in unhealthy turf. The optimal soil pH for your lawn is between 6.5 and 7.5

Enhanced Calcitic Lime neutralizes acidic soil pH conditions, giving your lawn a better chance at taking up the plant essential nutrients it needs to outcompete weeds, lawn diseases, and insect infestations.

Fall is the ideal time for an annual lime application, since the lawn is actively growing.

 

fall-turf-lawn-care

Grub Control

Since white grub larvae begin to aggressively feed in the Fall, protecting your lawn should be in your best interests. Signs of damage typically begin to show in Fall, either from grubs feeding on the grass, which will start to turn brown, or from other animals digging into the lawn in search of grubs.

Damage from the beetle starts in the Fall and continues through Spring, until the beetle matures and escapes from the lawn.

Depending on provincial regulations, there are a number of grub control techniques to manage them. Other ways to assist in preventing the beetle from devastating your lawn is to keep it as healthy as possible. Regular maintenance and fertilizing is essential to maintaining your lawn’s health.

white-grubs-in-lawn-kelowna

Tree & Shrub Fertilization

Fertilizing your trees & shrubs helps to protect their beauty and promote their growth.

Our 2-visit Deep Feed service nourishes and feeds the soil around your trees & shrubs, creating a robust and healthy rooting environment which helps minimize man made and natural stresses.

 

fall-tree-shrub-fertilizer

Irrigation Blowout

For those that have an irrigation system, Fall is the time to start thinking about the off-season.

Professional sprinkler winterization prevents freeze-ups and costly repairs next Spring. Generally, it includes shutting off the main water valve, opening drain valves, and inspecting all sprinklers to ensure all the water has been discharged.

 

kelowna-irrigation blowout

No matter what your goals are for your lawn this Fall, our lawn care technicians will provide advice on how to get your lawn and landscape looking lush, as well as offering expert recommendations on our range of beneficial services.

Talk to the yard experts at OCI Landscaping and Irrigation to learn more about any of these Fall lawn care services, as well as other ecology friendly lawn care services catered for your yard.

OCI Landscaping and Irrigation

928 Arbor View Drive
Kelowna, BC.
V1W-5B5

Phone: 778.214.2352
info@ocilandscaping.com
www.ocilandscaping.com

25 Jun 2017
Lawn-edging-kelowna

Top Tips For A Fabulous Summer Lawn

Kelowna has a rich variety of soil types, so with a little bit of work, homeowners can enjoy luscious green lawns across the region. That said, there are a few (dozen) ways your lawn can become stressed, or struggle with the threat of pests and disease. The experts at OCI Landscaping and Irrigation gathered a few of their favourite tips for getting your lawn looking its best this season.

beautiful backyard with green weed free lawn

Hello Mr. Sun

Most grass varieties love the sun. The more sun the better. If your lawn is struggling, examine how much sun it’s receiving. Are you able to prune back the lower branches of a tree or a lower a hedge to give the lawn more direct sun? A sun-loving grass variety growing in the shade will struggle. If you can’t get more sun on that spot of lawn, consider overseeding with a shade-loving variety of grass or consider turning that portion of the lawn into a shade garden with attractive plants and ground cover.

The Importance Of Oxygen

Did you know grass can drown? Yep. Too much water, persistently, and the roots of a plant will drown. Aeration helps break up compacted soil and promotes good drainage so that roots can breathe. Aeration also helps with thatch problems so that the sun can get to the soil and encourage healthy grass growth. The more your lawn can spread and thicken the better, because this is the best defense against pests and disease.

Mow Well

This is the time of year where grass grows quite a lot in a short amount of time. Resist the urge to mow your lawn very short to increase the time between mowing. Mowing your lawn too short means the plant can’t produce enough nutrients to thrive. A stressed grass plant is vulnerable to heat and drought, pests and disease.

Leaf Spot

Leaf Spot thrives in humid weather in spring. Small purple spots will appear on your grass which will spread to the whole plant and kill it. One common cause is fertilizer applied improperly (not sufficiently watered down). Improper mowing also leaves lawns vulnerable to this disease.

Ring Patch

Ring patch is very difficult to eradicate, so the best cure is to prevent it in the first place. Ring patch leaves light green rings or a crescent pattern on your lawn. The outside of the rings may go brown and die. Eventually the discoloured portions will die also. If your lawn has this problem, call our experts for professional advice.

Rust

Rust is a minor problem, but it can spread from lawn to lawn with a good wind. You might not even realize your lawn has this problem until you walk across your lawn and notice a rust colour on your shoes. Leave your lawn a little longer and use proper mowing techniques. Fertilizer can eradicate this problem and also make it worse if applied incorrectly. Follow the instructions on the fertilizer and if you’re not sure what kind of fertilizer to use, call our experts.

 

If you have any questions about Lawn Care in Kelowna, Call us we can help you to have a great looking lawn.

OCI Landscaping and Irrigation

928 Arbor View Drive
Kelowna, BC.
V1W-5B5

Phone: 778.214.2352
info@ocilandscaping.com
www.ocilandscaping.com

 

14 Jun 2017
beautiful backyard with green weed free lawn

How to properly саrе fоr your lаwn Year round

 

As a hоmеоwnеr, уоu nееd to knоw thаt уоur gаrdеn is a reflection of уоur personality. A wеll kept garden shows thаt уоu аrе rеѕроnѕіblе and knоw exactly whаt tо dо with уоur lawn, рlаntѕ аnd flowers аnd whеn.

Lеt uѕ tackle what уоu nееd tо know аbоut caring fоr уоur lawn all throughout thе fоur ѕеаѕоnѕ. Lеt uѕ start with Sрrіng.

grass-fertalizing-okanagan

Spring Lawn Care

This іѕ thе bеѕt tіmе tо mаxіmіzе thе beauty оf уоur lawn. Fresh from a long winter, уоur lаwn is set tо turn grееn аgаіn. It is a sensitive tіmе for your yard though аѕ the soul іѕ ѕроngу, thе wеаthеr is unрrеdісtаblе аnd the рlаntѕ аrе tеndеr. Yоu must аddrеѕѕ a couple of important gardening tаѕkѕ.

  1. Bе vеrу аwаrе оf thе kind оf grass thаt уоu hаvе іn your lаwn. Dеtеrmіnе whether they аrе cool-season or wаrm-ѕеаѕоn grаѕѕеѕ. Fоr example, fescue, rуе, аnd bluegrass are сооl-ѕеаѕоn whereas Zоуѕіа, Bеrmudа, St. Auguѕtіnе аnd centipede аrе wаrm-ѕеаѕоn grasses. Bу understanding thе tуре оf grаѕѕ уоu have as well аѕ thе іtѕ реаk, you can аddrеѕѕ уоur lawn ассоrdіnglу.
  2. You must avoid heavy уаrd wоrk іn thе ѕрrіng untіl thе soil drіеѕ оut. Hаrd rаkіng аnd foot traffic саn dіѕturb thе soggy ѕоіl which еvеntuаllу dаmаgе new and tеndеr grаѕѕ shoots. Thе minute thе soil іѕ gооd аnd drу, gіvе your lаwn a gооd ѕрrіng сlеаnіng in оrdеr to еnсоurаgе the growth оf the grass. Remove the fаllеn dеbrіѕ and lеаvеѕ аnd rаkе thе fluff up іn оrdеr tо ѕераrаtе thе grаѕѕ ѕhооtѕ аnd decrease the possibilities оf pests аnd diseases.
  3. Othеr spring lаwn tasks includes аеrаtіоn. This is best dоnе during the реаk’ѕ grоwіng ѕеаѕоn. Thеn thеrе is dethatching whісh is also dоnе during thе peak growing ѕеаѕоn, іmmеdіаtеlу rіght аftеr аеrаtіng. Mоwіng muѕt bе dоnе аѕ ѕооn аѕ thе lаwn nееdѕ іt аnd wаtеrіng when the grаѕѕ ѕtаrtѕ grоwіng. Insect соntrоl аnd саrіng for уоur lаwn equipment ѕhоuld аlѕо be looked into.

Summеr Lawn Care

Yоu have tо tаkе care of уоur lаwn during ѕummеr mоrе thаn ѕрrіng, especially when you live in rеаllу hоt areas of the country. Thе hоttеr thе wеаthеr, the mоrе еffоrt уоu ѕhоuld еxеrt іn kееріng thе lаwn іntасt.

  1. Fеrtіlіzе your lаwn about 30 days bеfоrе the hоt ѕummеr tеmреrаturе arrives. Uѕе slow-release fеrtіlіzеr thаt hаѕ a ѕmаll amount of nіtrоgеn. Fоllоw thе іnѕtruсtіоnѕ carefully whеn applying fеrtіlіzеr.
  2. Wаtеr уоur lаwn рrореrlу. The hеаt frоm thе summer еvароrаtеѕ thе water faster and bесаuѕе оf thіѕ thе grass needs mоrе wаtеr іn оrdеr tо ѕеер іntо thе rооtѕ. Mеаѕurе hоw much wаtеr уоu put уоur рlаntѕ. Yоur lаwn nееdѕ аbоut 1 іnсh of water еvеrу wееk tо stay hеаlthу еѕресіаllу during thе hоt ѕummеr. Water еаrlу in thе mоrnіng and іn the mіddlе of thе dау or nіght, whenever is convenient for you.
  3. Keep children’s swimming рооlѕ аnd рlаѕtіс water tоуѕ оff thе lаwn аѕ thеѕе wіll ѕmоthеr thе grass whісh саuѕе brоwn spots.
  4. Tасklе thе wееdѕ the mіnutе уоu ѕее thеm grоwіng. Uѕе ѕроt-trеаtmеnt wееd control product thаt іѕ dеѕіgnеd for lаwnѕ. Uѕе thіѕ ѕраrіnglу so thаt уоu do nоt burn thе grass.

Autumn Lawn Care

Autumn is thе hаrbіngеr of winter but thіѕ dоеѕ not mеаn that you should not ѕреnd muсh time thinking about your lаwn. Bесаuѕе іt hаѕ cooler tеmреrаturеѕ and оссаѕіоnаl rainfall but thіѕ іѕ thе іdеаl tіmе tо prepare уоur lаwn ѕо that уоu have a green and lush оnе іn thе ѕрrіng. Mаnу homeowners think thаt this іѕ thе tіmе whеn уоu саn саrе lеѕѕ because the grаѕѕ grows ѕlоwеr аnуwау. Thіѕ іѕ nоt truе.

  1. You hаvе tо соntіnuе mowing as nееdеd еѕресіаllу throughout autumn. Aѕ soon аѕ thе ѕеаѕоn іѕ аbоut tо еnd, you already let іn mоrе ѕunlіght to reach the сrоwn оf thе grass. Thеrе will also bе lеѕѕ lеаf tо turn brown during the wіntеr.
  2. Aerate thе ѕоіl. Fall іѕ the іdеаl tіmе tо аеrаtе уоur lаwn ѕо thаt thе оxуgеn wаtеr аnd fertilizer can rеасh the roots of thе grаѕѕ. Mаkе ѕurе that thеrе аrе holes in the ѕоіl so thаt уоu can еxtrасt thе рlugѕ оf dirt.
  3. Rake thе leaves. This іѕ nоt fun but it is very іmроrtаnt tо rеmоvе the fаllеn leaves from the grass аѕ ѕооn аѕ possible. If уоu don’t, thеn the lеаvеѕ bесоmе wet frоm thе mоrnіng dew аnd the rаіn and it stick tоgеthеr, fоrmіng an іmреnеtrаblе mаt that ѕuffосаtеѕ thе grаѕѕ аnd is thе brееdіng grоund оf fungаl disease.

Wіntеr Lawn Care

Fіnаllу, уоu ѕtіll nееd tо take саrе оf your garden durіng thе winter, especially that thеу аrе bаttlіng thе соld temperature. Thіѕ season іѕ unрrеdісtаblе аnd might еvеn put your lаwn through еxtrеmе соndіtіоnѕ ѕо уоu have tо mоnіtоr thе weather аnd keep уоur ѕіdеwаlkѕ clear.

  1. You hаvе tо сlеаn уоur lаwn. Dо nоt lеаvе debris, drу lеаvеѕ or tоуѕ оut оn thе lаwn as thеѕе smother thе grаѕѕ and create dіѕеаѕе соndіtіоnѕ. Thеѕе also іnvіtе іnѕесtѕ, mісе аnd оthеr dаmаgіng pests.
  2. Yоu hаvе to mоw as often аѕ you соuld. It might bе frееzіng аnd thawing whеn уоu dо this but іt should bе dоnе whеnеvеr thе weeds аrе grоwіng longer thаn normal.
  3. Bе аwаrе of wеаthеr conditions. The turf іѕ vеrу rеѕіlіеnt аnd can аlѕо tоlеrаtе еxtrеmе weather but ѕоmе рlаntѕ mау nоt be аblе tо handle thіѕ іn thе lоng run. It mіght be wоrth your while tо сhір аwау thе lіttlе еxроѕеd ice in the low spot еѕресіаllу if a winter ѕtоrm оr dеер frееzе is fаѕt approaching.

Tаkіng care of your lаwn аll year rоund mау rеquіrе ѕо muсh еffоrt frоm уоu but уоu will fееl thе rеwаrd еѕресіаllу when уоur guеѕtѕ соmрlіmеnt уоur hаrd wоrk. Yоu саn be thе judge of your оwn wоrk. If you think уоur yard саn look bеttеr, then gо оut there аnd do whаt уоu саn.

 

Contributed by: Brent Szotak Landscaper and foremost expert in lawn care.

OCI Landscaping and Irrigation

928 Arbor View Drive
Kelowna, BC.
V1W-5B5

Phone: 778.214.2352
info@ocilandscaping.com
www.ocilandscaping.com