At Ecoyards, we pride ourselves on our professionalism, knowledge, and high standards in the landscape industry. This year, owner Andy Nicholls took the extra step to become a Landscape Industry Certified Manager through the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET). On Sept. 21, PLANET announced that Andy has successfully earned his certification. He is now a nationally-certified landscape manager in Seattle. PLANET is an international association serving lawn care professionals, maintenance contractors, installation/design/build professionals, and interiorscapers.

To get his certification, Andy underwent an exhaustive written examination that tested his knowledge, skills and theory in all aspects of working in the landscape industry. He had to demonstrate mastery of seven topics covering leadership and corporate citizenship; production operations/horticulture; sales and marketing; strategic planning; human resources; risk, law, and contracts; and corporate financial management. The program requires that he maintains certification through mandatory continuing education.

For our customers, it means you can expect the same high quality and professionalism that you’ve come to expect from Ecoyards. Andy’s certification, however, means he’s taken the extra step to validate his skills and knowledge in the industry.

For more information, visit landscapenetwork.org.

It rains a lot in the Northwest, so it’s inevitable that many of us deal with moss in our lawns and on our roofs.

Mosses are opportunistic, thriving in just about any location where there is access to nutrients and moisture. Mosses spread in a number of ways, but they depend on moisture to reproduce, according to Oregon State University. Some mosses are extremely absorbent and are able to take up nutrients from water that flows over them (for example, under a shady tree where it’s wet and moist). Other mosses take up nutrients directly from soil (i.e. bare patch in your lawn) or substrate on which they are growing (i.e. cedar shake or composite roofs). So it’s no surprise that mosses take hold on our sidewalks, rooftops, driveways, trees, and in our gardens.

Moss in lawns
Many people view moss in lawns as a problem. With the exception of rooftops, mosses don’t necessarily cause damage. Moss doesn’t kill your grass. Moss in your lawn is usually symptom of a stressed lawn. Most likely, you’ve got poor drainage, excessive shade, poor fertility or compacted soil. Moss grows because these conditions aren’t idea for turf. Unless you address these underlying problems, moss is likely to return. Consider improving soil conditions, or planting something other than grass in that area. Some good substitutes for grass in areas where mosses thrive include blue-star creeper, beach strawberry (a Northwest native) and sweet woodruff.

beach strawberry

If you’re determined to get the moss out, there are both physical and chemical controls. Moss can be killed with a number of products containing ferrous sulfate, ferrous ammonium sulfate, including Moss-Out and lawn fertilizers that contain some type of moss control. According to the Washington State University Extension, none of these materials pose serious threats to the environment; iron and sulfur are essential nutrients for grasses and tend to improve their color. Using chemical controls such as Moss-Out can be quick, easy and relatively cheap. But they won’t actually fix the problem in the long run. Why? You can kill the moss, leaving bare dirt. Since the conditions weren’t great for grass in the first place, moss will continue to grow and invade that particular area of your lawn.

To fix the underlying problems that promote moss growth: improve soil conditions by aerating or amending the soil with compost; trim tree limbs or shrubs that shade out portions of your lawn; plant shade-tolerant grass seed or ground covers; improve grass growth by mowing at the right height and cutting off no more than one-third of the blade at a time. For areas where drainage is a problem, you may also consider installing a French drain or trench to prevent water from pooling up in certain areas of your property.

Moss on rooftops
Moss on rooftops can damage shingles, cause water leaks and other problems. Cedar shake and composition roofs are more vulnerable to moss problems than metal roofs (remember how moss takes up moisture and nutrients?) Again, there are chemicals you can use to get moss off of rooftops. The Washington Toxics Coalition has this handy fact sheet with suggestions on how to prevent moss on your roof:

• Keep tree limbs from touching your house or roof;
• Trim overhanging branches to reduce shade and falling leaves;
• Keep your roof clean;
• Sweep off pine needles, small branches, leaves, which are breeding grounds for moss;
• Use a garden blower or a broom; don’t pressure wash composition roofs because it’s the quickest way to reduce the life of your roof;
• Look out for early signs of moss growth, indication by green or black discoloration. Spot treat with moss-killing soap;
• Consider mounting zinc strips along your roof peaks or beneath shingles.

If you do use chemical controls, the Toxics Coalition recommends soap-based products over acid-based ones. It lists some of the least-toxic moss-killing products: Safer Moss & Algae Killer and Surface Cleaner II; Bayer Advanced 2-in-1 Moss & Algae Killer; Worry Free Moss & Algae Control; St. Gabriel Laboratories Moss Killer. The group recommends that you avoid products containing zinc sulfates or copper sulfates because these chemicals are not biodegradable. Also, the group says, be sure that rinse water does not run off the roof or street and directly into a body of water.

When I was growing up, one of the chores my dad assigned us four kids was to keep the front and back lawn evenly watered and emerald green. My dad never installed an automatic sprinkler system, let alone put a timer on it. Why would he need to? He had four perfectly capable children whom he could assign to hand-water the lawn. I remember countless mornings when my siblings and I would take turns going out to water the lawn before the hottest hours of the day descended. We would methodically move the spray nozzle from section to section, making sure to moisten but not over-saturate the grass.

Thank goodness for advances in technology. My dad was trying to be efficient with his water use — i.e., watering in the morning so as not to lose too much to evaporation; avoiding excessive run-off by not watering too much — but smart irrigation technology has made the whole process so much easier. Much like smart technology that has allowed us to set and control the thermostats in our homes, smart irrigation technology allows us to set how often and how much we water our lawns or landscape beds.

Traditional timers allow you to set a sprinkler system to turn on and off when you want. Smart irrigation technology senses weather changes and adjusts the irrigation accordingly. If it rains, it stops watering. (How many times have you seen sprinkler systems running when it’s raining out? This would certainly put an end to that.) If it’s hotter or the soil is drier than usual, the controller will increase watering. The controllers do all the work, and they are a much more efficient and sophisticated way to reduce outdoor water use. Studies show that weather-based irrigation technology help reduce outdoor water use anywhere from 15 to 30 percent, depending on the type of controller and where it was used. One study involving Denver, Colo. and two locations in California found that average individual homes save between 7 and 25 percent in water. If you’re interested in reading more, the U.S. Bureau of Interior did a literature review of studies involving smart controllers.

Many cities such as Seattle offer rebates for households that install smart irrigation controllers. In Seattle, the rebates range from $50 to $500, depending on what you install and whether it is on a new or existing sprinkler system. A smart controller on a new sprinkler system can net you rebates of between $225 and $375. You have to submit your rebate application within 90 days of installation. Click here to read about an irrigation project we completed in North Seattle using the latest in smart irrigation technology, which qualified the homeowner for a $480 rebate from Seattle Public Utilities.

Rotating spray-head sprinkler nozzles are also a new innovation in irrigation technology (shown above in top photo). They apply water more slowly and evenly than conventional sprinkler nozzles. The nozzles shoot multi-trajectory, rotating streams that apply water more uniformly. The water that shoots out of these rotating nozzles is less likely to mists and more resistant to wind. Applying water slowly allows soil to absorb it without running off into the sidewalks and streets.

Check out this city of Seattle brochure for more information about how to water wisely while keeping your landscape healthy and beautiful.

Ecoyards is now a proud member of the Professional Landcare Network.  PLANET cultivates and safeguards opportunities for the dedicated professionals and companies that create and enhance the world’s landscapes.  PLANET’s mission is to be the respected leader and voice of the green industry.

Learn more about planet at the following site:

http://www.landcarenetwork.org/

Ecoyards Earns Coveted Angie’s List Super Service Award

Award reflects company’s consistently high level of customer service

Ecoyards has been awarded the prestigious 2010 Angie’s List Super Service Award, an honor bestowed annually on approximately 5 percent of all the companies rated on the nation’s leading provider of consumer reviews on local service companies.

“Our Super Service Award winners are the cream of the crop when it comes to providing consistently high quality customer service, as judged by the customers who hired them,” said Angie Hicks, founder of Angie’s List.

Ecoyards is thrilled to have one this 2010 award in three different categories – Landscaping; Lawn and Yard Work; Hardscaping and Pavers.  Thanks to all our great customers for posting positive reviews on Ecoyards.

Angie’s List Super Service Award winners have met strict eligibility requirements including earning a minimum number of reports, an exemplary rating from their customers and abiding by Angie’s List operational guidelines.

Service company ratings are updated daily on Angie’s List, but members can find the 2010 Super Service Award logo next to company names in search results on AngiesList.com.

Angie’s List collects consumer reviews on local contractors and doctors in more than 500 service categories. Currently, more than 1 million consumers across the U.S. rely on Angie’s List to help them make the best hiring decisions. Members get unlimited access to local ratings via Internet or phone, exclusive discounts, the Angie’s List magazine and help from the Angie’s List complaint resolution service. Take a quick tour of Angie’s List and view the latest Angie’s List news.

1. Plant a tree in honor of National Arbor Day, which is April 30.

2. Give your lawn a face-lift by aerating, overdressing and topdressing about every two years. (Read more about how to do so in this blog post). Otherwise fertilize your lawn with a good organic slow-release fertilizer.

3. Mow weekly, removing no more than 1/3 of the blade.

4. Add compost to your vegetables, trees, landscape beds.

5. In the vegetable garden, continue to plant cool season crops, such as lettuce, beets, snap peas, chard, radish, spinach and parsnip.

6. Plant seeds for annuals such as cosmos, asters, marigolds and zinnias.

We have six large swords ferns available for free.  These ferns were salvaged from a landscaping project on Mercer Island.  If you are interested in picking up the ferns, please send us an email though our contact info in the right sidebar.  We will update/remove this post when the ferns are gone.

Update on 2/23/10 – the ferns have found a new home and are no longer available.

sword fern

If you’re looking for some ideas on how to transform your yard into a spectacular garden, mark July 19 on your calendar. This is the date of the 15th West Seattle Garden Tour. Eight residential homes will be open to the public for viewing. Tickets are on sale for $15.

You can preview some of the homes online, including “Chez Hugh the Yew” which makes fabulous use of low-maintenance, drough-tolerant plants for year-round interest.

Ciscoe Morris will be lecturing from noon to 1 p.m. at the Kenney Retirement Home. Cost is $10, though children 12 and under are free.

One of the most common questions we get from clients is how to get rid of weeds without using pesticides. If only there was a magic wand that allows you to sweep it over weeds and make them disappear. Too bad there’s not. But there are many ways to keep up with weeding so it doesn’t take the joy out of gardening.

1. Hand pull weeds when they’re young and don’t allow them to go to seed. Pull them in the winter and spring time and keep at them throughout the summer.

2. Where possible, mulch your landscape beds to keep weeds down. A thick layer of bark mulch, applied once a year, will work miracles.

3. Build good soil underneath lawns to help crowd out weeds. If you spend time properly establishing your lawn, the grass will grow thickly and help prevent seeds from germinating. Weeds, however, are inevitable, but you can prevent many of them in your lawn by properly watering your lawn, mowing it frequently (and high) and keeping it fertilized. Avoid weed and feed products that simply broadcast herbicides over the entire lawn. It’s overkill. Rather than directly targeting a specific weed, it “sprays” the entire lawn with the stuff. All of this washes into our drains and into the Puget Sound. If you hand-pull large weeds, be sure to fill in the gaps with a mixture of compost and grass seed. This prevents weeds from filling in the space.

4. Use cover crops (crimson clover is one of our favorites) to fill empty spaces during the winter where you’re not growing anything. Cover crops, also called green manure, build healthy soil.

5. Fertilize and water plants directly and avoid areas where you’re not growing plants.

It’s tempting for many of us to pull out the heavy-duty bottle of pesticide when we find insects, diseases or weeds in our landscape. We want the problem to go away, and go away fast, whether it’s powdery mildew on our squash or aphids on our roses. But before you bust out the sprays, consider that pesticides are toxic to pets, birds, bees, and fish, and end up in our waters. (Check out the Washington Toxics Coalition site to read more about it).

You can adopt a more gradual approach to dealing with pests and plant diseases by identifying the problem and then trying less-toxic methods of getting rid of it. You’ll often hear people call this process IPM, or Integrated Pest Management, but really it’s about using common sense to tackle the problem.

First, identify the problem. It’s possible that it’s not a nasty disease attacking your plant, but symptoms that you’re watering too little or too much. Or you may find out that the bugs in your garden are actually good, beneficial insects such as lady bugs and lacewings that eat bad bugs.

Once you’ve identified what’s wrong, find the least toxic way to get rid of it. Aphids, for example, can be controlled by hosing the plant down with water. Other pests and weeds can be removed simply by hand-plucking them from the plant.

Prevention is also a good way of keeping these problems at bay. Pick plants that are disease resistant, thrive in your climate, and grow well in the site you chose for it. Reduce plant stress by watering, pruning and fertilizing properly. Use barriers like mulch to suppress weeds or floating row covers to keep bugs away. Check out these fact sheets on less toxic ways to deal with snails & slugs, spider mites, roses, and more.