Borst Landscape and Design Offers Tips for Summer Lawn and Garden Care

By admin • August 25, 2009

ALLENDALE, N.J., July 28, 2009 – The professionals at Borst Landscape and Design (Borst), a full-service landscaping and garden care firm in Allendale, are reminding area homeowners of the importance of summer season “to-do” list activities for optimal lawn and garden care in hot, sunny weather.

“A popular question we are asked at Borst concerns lawn watering during hot weather,” said Mike Cioffi, sales and service manager. “The best time to water the lawn during the summer is very early in the morning. Water three or four times in a week to allow the ground to fully absorb the water and avoid wasteful run off,” he said. Cioffi added that shrubs should be watered for 10 to 15 minutes within the same time span.

Fertilizer and weed killer can be put down together without any harm, however weed killer must not be watered for 24 hours after application. In addition, homeowners are advised to wait a full four weeks after application to seed their lawns as the weed killer does its work. For weed control between interlocking pavers, Cioffi recommends using water-based Roundup.

Shrub maintenance during the summer months often means controlling pests that feed on plantings. Cioffi suggests spraying as needed to control scale, mites, lacebugs and other hot weather insects. Borst, a leader in organic lawn and garden care through its Borst Organic® program, offers an environmentally sensitive treatment option with its Guardian Integrated Pest Management program, which significantly reduces the amount of chemicals used on the property by targeting specific problem areas and avoiding unnecessary “blanket” sprays.

In addition to spraying, homeowners should prune ornamental trees, shrubs, and hedges for a more natural appearance and improved plant longevity and health, and thin out shade trees on the property to improve overall light penetration. “Many people plant flowers around the base of a tree, or ornamental shrubs and ground cover near a shade tree, which might need more sunlight than a fully bloomed tree allows,” he explained. Cioffi also noted that the summer months are when gardeners and landscapers plan ahead for fall plantings.

Borst Landscape and Design offers helpful tips for year-round lawn and plant care on its website, www.borstlandscape.com.