Seasonal Tips

Prepare for Spring

Spring is an ideal time for planting as warming temperatures and regular rainfall makes conditions ideal for plant establishment.  Make sure you wait until the threat of frost is over before planting.

It is also a good time to make sure your irrigation or sprinkler system is in good working condition, and your lawn tools and equipment are ready for the busy upcoming season.

It is important to make sure your trees and/or shrubs are properly mulched in an effort to moderate temperatures, maintain soil moisture, deter weeds, and enhance the attractiveness of your landscape. Avoid mulching directly around the trunks of trees and ornamental plants, as this can lead to rot.

Re-seeding Instructions

1. Make sure the soil is broken up to a depth of about 1 or 2 inches (a stiff rake works well).
2. Purchase good quality, sun blend or shade blend, rye grass fescue mix grass seed (about 10 pounds for every 1,000 square feet to be seeded).
3. After the soil is broken up, level soil and sprinkle seed evenly over bare areas so it has a good coating – little or no dirt showing through.
4. Top-dress all seeded areas with ¾” – 1” of turf mulch (or straw) – this greatly increases the percentage of seed that actually germinates.
5. Do not let peat moss dry out – best watering is 10 – 15 minutes in the morning and another 10 – 15 minutes in late afternoon.  If kept moist, you should see grass in 7 to 14 days
6. Avoid mowing re-seeded areas until new grass has become visible and has grown to 3” or 4” of height.

The Crane Fly Larvae Are Here!

Our specialists are seeing crane fly larvae in many of the lawns now.  Larvae, left untreated, can destroy your lawn.  We have seen cases where there is literally nothing left of a lawn but dirt and a few patches of undesirable native grasses.  Below are pictures we have taken from the outbreak this year. 

Areas of traditionally problematic Crane Fly larvae infestations such as Mt. Vista, Ridgefield, La Center, Camas and Washougal are spilling over into all our service areas.  Why such high populations this year?  No one knows for sure but the fact of the matter is they are more wide-spread than ever.  Worse than past years, which were also quite bad.

How is Tuff Turf, Inc battling these little buggers?  We developed a Crane Fly Larvae Control Program.  This two-spray program is designed to address the issue of more than one generation of larvae, uneven hatching cycles in the same lawn, lack of control materials with long residuals and the recent addition as a pest of the common Crane Fly.

For more information or to sign up for the Crane Fly Larvae Control Program, you can request service online, contact our office or ask your technician about this most destructive of all turf pests.