Shrubs and Trees

• November is an ideal time to plant or transplant trees, shrubs and fruit crops. Be sure to water thoroughly, then mulch newly planted plants with a good 3- to 4-inch layer of mulch. Newly planted evergreens should be checked regularly during the winter to ensure they are getting enough water.
• Mulch existing trees and shrubs to reduce weeds, provide insulation from freezing temperatures and conserve moisture.

Perennials, Annuals and Bulbs

• Reduce peony botrytis blight and hollyhock rust by removing and disposing of all leaves and stems this fall. Roses should have all their leaves raked from beneath to prevent black spot. Dispose of plant materials in the trash, not the compost pile. This will reduce the carryover of disease during the winter and you will have less trouble next year.
• Cut chrysanthemum and other perennials’ stems close to the ground once they have begun to die back. Leave ornamental grasses to provide winter interest until spring.
• You can continue to transplant perennials throughout the fall and winter unless they are marginally hardly in your zone. Those marginal plants are best planted in spring. Now is also an ideal time to plant spring-flowering bulbs. Consider planting some of the minor bulbs such as winter aconite, glory of the snow, species tulips, crocus, narcissus and grape hyacinths.
• Winter annuals such as pansies, violas, Dianthus chinensis, red mustard, snapdragons, ornamental cabbage and kale can still be planted – the earlier in the month, the better.
• Mulch flower beds with 2 to 3 inches of good compost or fine mulch to keep soil temperature stable and prevent winter plant injury from frost heaving. As the compost or fine mulch decomposes, it will enrich your garden soil as well.

Lawn Care

• It’s not too late to fertilize your cool-season fescue lawn. Use a turf fertilizer and follow label directions. This encourages good root development and helps improve the color of the lawn.

• Keep heavy layers of leaves raked from the lawn. They should be composted. Another option is to mow over a light layer of leaves, turning them into mulch, which adds important nutrients back to the lawn.
• November is the month for the first herbicide application for wild garlic and wild onion. Ask your county UT Extension office for information on herbicides and rates of application.

Fruits and Vegetables

• As soon as leaves fall from fruit trees and berry plants, spray for the first time with a dormant horticultural oil. This helps control overwintering insects and disease. Apply according to label instructions.
• Incorporate compost in the annual and vegetable gardens for next growing season.
• Complete removal of fallen leaves and debris to help eliminate overwintering insects and disease organisms.
• Cut the tops off asparagus plants and mulch with a good layer of compost.
• Cover strawberries 2 inches deep with hay or straw to reduce weeds and increase winter protection.
• Secure raspberry and blackberry canes to stakes to protect them from wind whipping.

Davis Kee Outdoor offers professional landcape services all year-round to ensure your yard is beautiful and vibrant in the spring. Contact us today!

Source: University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Office

Autumn Leaves-The Beautiful Nuisance

It may surprise you how much autumn leaf litter falls here in the Chattanooga Metro Area. The sheer volume of leaf build-up is astounding as fall wears on. It is bad enough that leaf build up is unsightly, but it can also cause property damage and also become a safety hazard. As a property owner or manager it is absolutely essential to prepare for the leaf season to eliminate or mitigate unwanted problems. A failure to address the leaf build up issue can lead to landscape damage, flooding, slip/trip/fall hazards and result in less efficient usage of your parking facilities.

Leaf Damage-What Can I do?

Another important facet of leaf build up mitigation is to ensure that your property’s gutters and drainage systems are cleaned before and during leaf season. Significant leaf fall can clog gutters, drainage grates, and catch basins, leading to exacerbated flooding which can result in significant property damage. One important mitigation technique is to trim trees and shrubs prior to the start of the autumn season, this will significantly help to reduce the volume of leaves.

We recommend hiring a professional company such as Davis Kee Outdoor to handle the leaf fall and build up. We will bring in our manpower and leaf vacuum trucks to clear and dispose of leaf debris to control excessive leaf litter and thus minimize potential flooding issues or safety hazards. Removal and hauling is the best approach. Contacting Davis Kee Outdoor and letting us remove your autumn leaves and haul them away is the best practice to ensure your property and parking lot is trouble free.

At Davis Kee Outdoor, we have the equipment and eperience to keep your paved surfaces free of leaf litter. Contact us today!

Neglecting to remove dead leaves from your lawn suffocates your grass and kills it, inhibits water evaporation, and conceals dangerous pests. This is why fall leaf removal is important for your lawn here in greater Chattanooga. Davis Kee Outdoor can help. We have the tools and the professional crew to tackle leaf removal projects of any size or scope.

Leaf Removal Allows Your Grass to Grow

Allowing a thick layer of leaves to accumulate across your lawn suffocates your grass by blocking its access to sunlight and air. When your grass is unable to receive proper sunlight and air, it is unable to grow. A lack of nutrients contributes to weaker grass that is less resilient and unable to fight off diseases and pests. Removing leaf clutter from your lawn ensures your grass can breathe properly and soak up the sunlight and air it needs for proper growth. Davis Kee Outdoor can remove leaves to help ensure your grass is able to grow optimally.

Leaves Hold Water & Promote Mold Growth

Your lawn needs to breathe and having access to air is pivotal for effective water evaporation. When leaves acuumulate on your lawn, they prevent water evaporation and trap moisture underneath their layer. This moisture creates the perfect environment for fungi, diseases, and mold. Mold is harmful to your lawn andcan also be harmful to your health. When you walk across the leaves on your lawn, it disturbs and kicks up mold, thus releasing mold spores into the air. Breathing in mold spores can cause respiratory and other health problems. To prevent mold growth on your lawn, vigilantly remove all leaves and keep your lawn well-maintained during the fall season. Davis Kee Outdoor can handle leaf removal professionally and efficiently so you don’t have to.

A professional leaf removal company such as Davis Kee Outdoor makes leaf removal fast and efficient, so you can keep your lawn, and your family, healthy and safe during the season.

Dangerous Pests Nest In Leaves

Your yard hosts pests. Leaf clutter that collects on top of your lawn increases the number of pests that are able to infest your yard. Snakes and spiders in particular love dark, damp places where they can seek solace and warmth A layer of wet, rotting leaves provides them with just that. This increases your risk of encountering one of these pests in your yard. To decrease your potential of running into these pests, it’s best to keep your lawn free and clear of leaves and other debris.

We are quickly approaching autumn, and soon our lawns will be covered in thousands of dead leaves. Now is the time to start thinking about leaf removal and yard cleanup services for your lawn in Chattanooga and other nearby areas. Our professional team at Davis Kee Outdoor can quickly remove any leaves or other debris from your lawn and ensure your yard is safe from dangerous pests and mold. Contact us today!

FALL MULCH APPLICATION & LAWN MAINTENANCE

Autumn is your last opportunity to prepare your yard before winter arrives. One relatively easy and very effective solution is to give your landscape plants a helping hand is the application of a 2-3″ new layer of fresh mulch. Mulch is very effective at protecting plant roots from frost or freeze damage. It also assists plants with retaining critical moisture during the cold season. This will ensure your plants survive and their beauty is preserved for blooming next season. Davis Kee Outdoor can efficiently and professionally apply new mulch to keep your outdoor green spaces beautiful.

This is the perfect time to apply winterizer lawn fertilizer. This step is the most crucial of all of the steps in your lawn fertilizer regimen. A winterizer application ensures the health of your grass is properly supported so normal growth can occur right up until freezing occurs. This step also ensures that nutrients can be absorbed and stored by the roots to spur lush growth once spring arrives. At Davis Kee Outdoor, we can apply a premium witerizer fertilizer to ensure your lawn is lush and beautiful when spring arrives.

CULLING THE DEAD & DYING

Contrary to popular belief, autumn is not the best time for heavy pruning. Autumn is, however, the perfect time to remove any dead and dying shrubs, trees, plants and leaves from your landscape. Remove dead annuals and blooms and cut back dead and dying perennials and grasses. Lightly prune any dead or dying branches from shrubs and trees. Remove dead hydrangea blossoms, but leave the stalks as these will blossom again in the spring. At Davis Kee Outdoor, our professional leaf removal and landscape maintenance services can help you ensure that your yard is ready for winter.

WATERING TIPS FOR FALL

Proper watering is a crucial element of a healthy yard and garden. Your lawn and beds do not require as much water in the fall as they did in spring and summer. Overwatering is extremely harmful, so it is important to keep to a steady moderate watering schedule. Twenty minutes of watering twice a week in the morning hours should be sufficient in our climate. Once frost is forecast, discontinue watering as this will be when your lawn enters a dormant state. Pull weeds as necessary, and cut your lawn shorter-down to 2-3 inches of height. This ensures sufficient height to help your lawn retain moisture, but minimizes issues with lawn pests and fungal infections.

Spring is absolutely a critical season for lawn and garden care and ensuring your yard is healthy, lush and beautiful, but autumn preparations are every bit as crucial. A well executed and consistent lawn and garden care routine during the fall months will ensure that your entire landscape is healthy when spring arrives. For professional assistance with maintaining your outdoor spaces, contact Davis Kee Outdoor today.

Neglecting to remove dead leaves from your lawn suffocates your grass and kills it, inhibits water evaporation, and conceals dangerous pests. This is why fall leaf removal is important for your lawn here in greater Chattanooga. Davis Kee Outdoor can help. We have the tools and the professional crew to tackle leaf removal projects of any size or scope.

Leaf Removal Allows The Grass to Grow

Allowing a thick layer of leaves to accumulate across your lawn suffocates your grass by blocking its access to sunlight and air. When your grass is unable to receive proper sunlight and air, it is unable to grow. A lack of nutrients contributes to weaker grass that is less resilient and unable to fight off diseases and pests. Removing leaf clutter from your lawn ensures your grass can breathe properly and soak up the sunlight and air it needs for proper growth. Davis Kee Outdoor can remove leaves to help ensure your grass is able to grow optimally.

Leaves Hold Water & Promote Mold Growth

Your lawn needs to breathe and having access to air is pivotal for effective water evaporation. When leaves acuumulate on your lawn, they prevent water evaporation and trap moisture underneath their layer. This moisture creates the perfect environment for fungi, diseases, and mold. Mold is harmful to your lawn andcan also be harmful to your health. When you walk across the leaves on your lawn, it disturbs and kicks up mold, thus releasing mold spores into the air. Breathing in mold spores can cause respiratory and other health problems. To prevent mold growth on your lawn, vigilantly remove all leaves and keep your lawn well-maintained during the fall season. Davis Kee Outdoor can handle leaf removal professionally and efficiently so you don’t have to.

A professional leaf removal company such as Davis Kee Outdoor makes leaf removal fast and efficient, so you can keep your lawn, and your family, healthy and safe during the season.

Dangerous Pests Nest In Leaves

Your yard hosts pests. Leaf clutter that collects on top of your lawn increases the number of pests that are able to infest your yard. Snakes and spiders in particular love dark, damp places where they can seek solace and warmth A layer of wet, rotting leaves provides them with just that. This increases your risk of encountering one of these pests in your yard. To decrease your potential of running into these pests, it’s best to keep your lawn free and clear of leaves and other debris.

We are quickly approaching autumn, and soon our lawns will be covered in thousands of dead leaves. Now is the time to start thinking about leaf removal and yard cleanup services for your lawn in Chattanooga and other nearby areas. Our professional team at Davis Kee Outdoor can quickly remove any leaves or other debris from your lawn and ensure your yard is safe from dangerous pests and mold. Contact us today!