With the spring right around the corner, we all know what that means in Arizona. The weather begins to change, with more rainfall and nutrient availability for plant material. This means a big boost of new growth going into the year. Remember, this does not apply to just turf, or just flowers, everything will be seeing a big boost in the new year, including weeds. They too will feast on the new nutrients available in the soil, looking to spread into and infest your landscape. Now, this is a universal problem for properties of all types. And property owners are all asking themselves how they can head off this inevitable weed onslaught. Not to mention the other common culprits of landscaping issues; disease and pests. Well, we have a few recommendations for how you can take action now to prevent these problems.
Why Should You Take Action Now?
To answer this question about why disease, pest, and weed control are important, we wanted to quickly go over the damage that these predators can cause if left unchecked. They can affect just about anything in your landscape, from turf to plants, and trees. Initially, they will likely show small symptoms like brown patches in the turf, or withering bark on a tree. However, this decay will not stay isolated, as their nature is to spread as far and wide as possible. Turf can be destroyed well beyond a chance for rehabilitation, and a tree can need removal due to disease. This is why your best bet is to take the necessary action to prevent them from getting onto your property in the first place.
What to Do: Pre-Emergent Treatments
Luckily for you, at Zebrascapes we offer pre-emergent treatments that can provide your landscape a sound defense when these predators come knocking. This applies to both pests, and weeds, which can be specifically identified by particular chemical components in our treatments and turned away at the door. This also means that anything that does get through this layer of defense will be much more easily managed. These treatments control the germination processes of weeds that cause their spread, and the reproductive processes of pests in the same manner. Simply have these applied at the beginning of the year, and once again in the fall and your landscape will be protected.
Routine Landscape Inspections
In combination with these pre-emergent treatments, you should engage in routine landscape inspections to ensure that nothing is getting through. The earlier you catch these symptoms the easier they will be able to treat. These can be done by a professional, or by you with a few of these symptoms to look out for. Brown patches are a big one, as are chewed-up pieces of turf, and turf that is spongy in feel. Trees that become discolored, or plants that begin to wither with no other explanation are probably victims of one of the aforementioned issues. This is where a professional might be needed, as the distinction is tough to make. Once identified, pest and weed control treatments can be applied to kill off the offender.
We design, build and maintain fully functioning yards that meet our clients’ needs and exceed their expectations through quality, integrity, efficiency, teamwork, and relationships. Give us a call at (928) 830-4061 today.