Blog Archive

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Tree Disease & Fungus Treatment Services

Tree Disease & Fungus Treatment Services

Tree disease diagnosis and tree protection treatment begins with a comprehensive inspection of your landscape by one of Zeal Property Maintenance industry-certified arborists. During a consultation, your arborist will be able to determine the overall health of the landscape, identify specific tree diseases, and recommend any needed tree services to preserve the vitality of your property. Zeal Property Maintenance experience, expertise and state-of-the-art equipment enable us to quickly diagnose tree diseases and recommend specific treatments for tree protection and vitality.

 

Treatment for Tree Diseases

 

Tree service programs designed to maximize the health and beauty of your landscape need to take into account the specific conditions of the trees at your home. Tree disease treatment is most effective when the type of tree, disease characteristics and your personal preferences are all taken into consideration.

Zeal Property Maintenance foliar tree disease treatments are designed to protect your valuable evergreen and deciduous ornamentals from damage due to foliar tree diseases.

Most of these are caused by fungi that are prevalent during spring when the weather is rainy. Treatments provide a protective barrier on the leaf or needle surface that will prevent the germination and growth of spores that cause tree diseases.

Common Tree Diseases and Treatments

 

Professional tree disease treatments can help protect your landscape investment and enhance your property value. Our arborists are experienced tree doctors who diagnose and treat many types of trees, including pine, elm, dogwood, maple tree varieties, cherry, ash, willow, magnolia and many others. Below are some of the most common tree diseases and their treatments:

Dutch Elm Tree Disease

 

Dutch Elm Disease has felled feature elm trees on many northeastern landscapes. As a preventive measure, specimen elm trees (Ulmus americana) can be successfully trunk injected during the spring/summer with a treatment that will prevent the development of the Dutch Elm Disease fungus for up to three years. However, this tree disease treatment is not always effective against previously infected trees.

Fruit Tree Diseases

There are specific fungal infections, as well as insect and mite activity that commonly affect orchard trees and which may impact the production of edible fruit. Zeal Property Maintenance fruit tree disease treatments follow a protocol developed by several leading universities, utilizing the minimum number of treatments required to facilitate a productive harvest.

Sycamore Anthracnose

 

Sycamore Anthracnose is a common tree disease that results in extensive defoliation, shoot dieback, and twig death of your sycamore trees especially when extended periods of wet weather occur in the spring. Because it is very difficult to control through conventional disease treatments, Zeal uses a macroinfusion system that will prevent infection of your sycamore specimens for two years.

Zeal can also help prevent and treat other common tree diseases including dogwood anthracnose, apple scab, cedar apple rust and more.

Call 1300882787. today for a complimentary consultation with Zeal Property Maintenance fully trained professionals and certified arborists

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Top dressing for your lawn at the beginning of the growing season

Why Topdress?


The main reason for topdressing is to level the lawn or build it up to the desired level. Topdressing fills holes or low spots and encourages the grass to spread by giving it a medium to grow in.

Tools

Successful topdressing requires a few tools and some suitable soil. A good wheelbarrow with an inflatable tyre will make wheeling the soil easier. For shoveling and spreading the soil, an aluminium shovel is priceless. A small level-lawn is also a worthwhile investment for leveling and rubbing the soil in.
Soil selection is up to you but it is best to use a soil that is consistent with the soil that the lawn is growing in. This is usually sandy type loam. I prefer use a clean sandy loam rather than some of the lawn topdressing mixes available today which may claim to contain organic matter and fertiliser. My reasons for this are that a clean soil is easier to work with, resulting in a better looking finished job and you can make more money by fertilizing your client's lawns at a later date. It is up to you as a professional lawn contractors to determine the required amount of soil that is needed to complete the job.

Preparation

Before you actually spread the soil, make sure the grass is actively growing. Don't top dress dormant grass. You will damage it, if not kill it. A good idea is to give the lawn a fertilize a couple of weeks before topdressing, this will help the grass push through the soil quickly. Also, mow the lawn the day before you do the job. Long grass takes more soil to cover properly and the thicker the soil layer, the harder it is for the grass to emerge.

Doing the Job

Alright, you've fertilized, you've cut the lawn, purchased the soil and you are ready to go, but it looks like rain! DON'T DO IT! Why? Besides making a big mess, wet soil does not rub in well and can sometimes dry like a hard crust on top of the grass, making it very difficult for the grass to grow through.
Okay, now the sun is out, lets get into it. Start by spreading an even layer of soil over the lawn covering the entire area. I've seen many people topdress their lawns but only covering it roughly. If you are going to the trouble, at least make sure you do it right.

Once the lawn is completely covered, don't rush in to level it off, give it a couple of hours to dry first. This will allow you to rub in the soil more effectively and you will be able to fill up holes rather than smoothing wet soil over the top. This couple of hours will allow you to go and mow another lawn or work out what to do with any soil you have left over.

Once the soil is dry, start to rub it in with the level-lawn. This can be done in any direction, just as long as you go over the whole lawn. Pick up any excess with a shovel and make sure the job is as neat as possible. Leave the site clean and tidy. Sweep up any soil off paths and drives as clients really appreciate it and it makes you look more professional. Don't water the lawns for a couple of days. This will let the grass punch through the soil.

 

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Effective Composting

The Zeal Group




 What is composting?
 Composting is nature’s own recycling program. In time, organisms will break down the ingredients listed below into rich, dark crumbly compost - nature’s own nutrient-rich fertiliser.

How does composting work and how long does it take?
Natural composting, or decomposition, occurs all the time in nature. Home composting generally takes two months or more. The more you turn and mix the contents - adding air in the process - the more rapid the composting action will be.

The right conditions include
the right ratio of nitrogen to carbon - equal amounts of ‘greens’ (kitchen scraps) for nitrogen and ‘browns’ (fallen leaves and woody material) for carbon
the right amount of water (feels like a damp sponge)
good drainage (to remove excess moisture)
enough oxygen (turned often)
What can you compost at home?
Vegetable and fruit scraps
Fallen leaves
Grass clippings
Finely chipped branches
Used vegetable cooking oil
Tea leaves, tea bags
Coffee grounds
Vacuum cleaner dust
Egg shells
Sheets of newspaper
Paper bags
Shredded paper
What can’t you compost?
Metal, plastic, glass
Meat and dairy products (attract rodents)
Large branches
Bones
Plant bulbs (need specialised treatment)
Droppings of meat-eating animals (e.g. dogs)
Grubs in your compost?
Sometimes in compost bins there are many segmented brown grubs. These are the larvae of the beneficial Soldier Fly. They are not pests, nor will they cause health problems.

Mulches
Mulches can prevent up to 73% evaporation loss and they are one of the cheapest and easiest ways to make the most of water in the garden.
The best mulch is a well-rotted compost which will also improve the soil structure and stimulate the biological life of the soil. Place the mulch away from the trunk to prevent collar rot.
Do not apply mulch more than 75-100 mm in thickness or water may not easily penetrate into the soil.