A doctor must diagnose the problem before he/she can prescribe a cure. Bug problems are no different. You have to know what (or who) the problem is before you can select the proper control (if any) to use for that bug.
Pests of the West is a fabulous resource book for just that. I just discovered it and it has tremendous pictures of lots of common pests and suggested plan of attack to mitigate the problems. I love the pictures! I have been trying of late to get better up close pictures so I can document the pest issues I come across on my yard and clients' yards.
Most of the time, identifying the pest is the hardest task. Once that is done, you are all set to decide how and IF to apply controls.
Check out the section on Grubs. They will be an issue for you with lovely pretty scarob-like beetles by next month if you haven't applied some control by now. Do it before it is too late and the beetles start flying.
OK folks, your free ride from all the recent rains is over. You will have to start up the sprinkler systems now. The soil moisture is really depleted from the warmer temps we have had lately, and with no rain on the horizion, you better get crackin on tweaking up the sprinkler clock.
I would reccommend in our little High Desert Valley to be watering the planters and shrubs once to a couple of times a week for established plants and maybe a couple of times a week for the lawns.
Remember to check your drip emitters on your plants to see that they are working properly. Replace them if they are clogged or broken. Clean the Drip Y-Filter out. Just un-screw it, and wash it out and re-assemble snugly. Oh yeah, make sure you do this when the valve is not operating or you will get quite wet. 
We will be really busy this week in preparation for the High Desert Home Show in Victorville at the fairgrounds. Thats this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Stop by and see me.
Hey, Its soooo nice out. I’m enjoying the sun. It’s been so wet lately. We had 5 inches of rain in just 5 days last week here in Phelan. I KNOW that all that rain here in the high desert is going to stimulate all the weed seeds lurking under the soil just waiting for the opportunity to pop up and ruin your weekends this spring. It’ll be really nice and warm and all those weeds will be calling your name.
Get rid of them before they start. Put down a weed preventer, called pre-emergent. It works amazingly. We put down a lot of it this time of year for our clients. Some of our clients are smart and do it every year, sometimes twice a year before the weeds show up. Others, just wait it out hoping the weeds won’t show and they won’t have to spend the money. Dry years the gamblers sometimes win. Wet years, not so much.
I think Benjamin Franklin said “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” I think this applies here.
Well, the relatives are on the way home from a hearty and fun Thanksgiving weekend and the "Holiday Season" has officially arrived. I like to think of the Fall and Winter months as a kick back time. As a landscaper, we get so busy from March through October, we barely have time to think. I LOVE the fall! The landscapes we install this time of year get a kick start next spring and look fabulous wayyyyy early. And this time of year, we actually have time to plan, organize and make improvements that will carry us through the next year and beyond.
Ask anyone who is responsible for the Thanksgiving or the Christmas dinner… fail to plan and you plan to fail! And just try to tackle the Black Friday sales without a plan and come up empty handed or worse, with something you have to wait in line to return. In holidays past, it sometimes took several women several hours to plan the attack on the various store sales to get just the right thing. I dont know how we did it without cell phones!
We have become an instant society and we are paying the price. In our parents day, they planned for every major purchase and most of the minor ones too. Now we are paying the price with our current economy for our desire for instant gratification to buy the biggest, best, car, house, boat, ….fill in the blank.
I get people all the time wanting to landscape their back yard right away for a big landmark birthday or anniversary party or wedding reception. Two weeks to the party they call you and want the landscaping in the next week, I mean really…you knew last year you were gonna be 40 this year didn't you?
With landscaping it is no different. Hey with a plan, there are very few surprises and things come off as expected and on budget and on time. I always say no, you dont need a landscape design to landscape unless……. you dont care if you spend too much and take too long and have to re-do something. Dont get me started on the landscape plans, bidding, scheduling and legal notices and wait times we have to do.
Here's to your Christmas list! Oh, and your New Year's Resolutions. Happy Planning!
- My Favorite Recipes-Fall 2014 October 30, 2014Fall is for FOOTBALL! Football season means Sundays are casual. Have some soup and some chips and dip. Get your onion fix. Homemade Onion Dip ( no comparison to store bought) 2 Tablespoons olive oil 1 ½ cups diced yellow onions ¼ tsp kosher salt 1 ½ cups sour cream ¾ cup […]
- The Drought is No Joke October 27, 2014The last few years have been crazy dry ones. California is solidly into drought territory now. Oh, I know, we toy with it every year. We hear the same old stuff like “fix leaks” (duh) , Take shorter showers” (awww) and ”Make every drop count” (YES!), and my favorite “If it is yellow, let it […]
- Trees are Valuable September 8, 2014Did you know that studies of comparable houses with and without trees place a markedly higher value on the homes whose yards are sheltered by trees? Trees help clean our air. Trees provide shade that can reduce air conditioning costs as much as 15%. So get planting! Fall is the best time.
- Fall is Coming Up, Just not yet. August 25, 2014By Cindy Poore Where did the time go? It is almost fall. I long for fall the way a kid longs for Christmas. (that’s just around the corner too!) Fall is my time. The time for shorter, hopefully cooler days. Time to regroup and plan that last frenzy of activity you just HAVE to […]
- Life Transistions and the Summer Garden July 7, 2014By Cindy Poore Yes, I know. You all have been wondering what has happened to our newsletter. No, you aren’t unsubscribed, as if that could happen. We have been wrapped up in a bittersweet time. Some of you may not know that Darrell and I have been helping a good friend who has […]
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