I have noticed that quite a few trees appear to be dropping their leaves early this year.  We have a maple tree in our yard that has dropped almost half its leaves while another maple next to it looks fine.  If you have trees that are shedding their leaves early, you may be wondering what is causing the problem and will it harm the tree? 

What Are Virginia Green’s Lawn Care Payment Options?

Jane M from Manakin-Sabot called Virginia Green recently and stated “I am new to Virginia Green; how do I pay my bill?” That is a terrific question and I thought I would take a moment to discuss our many varied payment options.

Killing and Removing Wild Violets 

Controlling wild violets in the lawn is one of the most difficult tasks for homeowners. Wild violets are perennials (return every year) that can take over a lawn in a few seasons if left untreated.  They are usually first noticed in late spring/early summer. Virginia Green treats for wild violets, and if we’ve been working with you for some time, we have likely reduced their numbers. However, it might take 3+ years to rid your lawn of wild violets. 

Japanese beetles were first found in New Jersey in 1916 and have spread from Maine to the Carolina’s. The Japanese beetle has been well established in Virginia since the early 1970’s. The Japanese beetle can be found throughout Virginia and populations are dependent on soil type, soil moisture, and host plants. 

Recently in the Richmond area, there has been an introduction of another “Organic Lawn Care Company” offering an organic solution to reduce fertilizer and pesticide usage.  This approach has been around for years, but don’t think for a minute these companies are out shoveling fertilizer out of hog houses in Smithfield or chicken houses on the Eastern Shore of Virginia and applying these “organic fertilizers” to your lawn, they are using the same fertilizers and pesticides to provide services traditional lawn care companies utilize. 

Moss can become prevalent in Virginia’s lawns during times of wet weather. Moss are non-vascular plants typically found in moist, shaded areas with poor airflow. Lacking seeds and flowers, they reproduce via spores. The weed control applications contained in Virginia Green’s programs will not help eradicate moss. 

What Are Moles?

Moles are burrowing mammals that often inhabit residential lawns. They are especially common around wooded lots and natural areas of vegetation. Their tunneling habits destroy the root systems from your grass, potentially causing extensive and expensive damage. However, moles are also known to be natural aerators. These animals are insectivores, with earthworms being their main food source.

Nobody likes to pull weeds. While some weeds will inevitably germinate and need to be sprayed or pulled, a few simple things can be done to prevent these issues. 

What are these small green worms in my trees? 

The small green worms you find in your trees are called cankerworms or inchworms. Cankerworms overwinter as eggs in the top of shade trees and typically hatch at the end of March and early April.  

What do inchworms look like?  

Cankerworms can be green, brown or brown with a black stripe. They are called inchworms because of the peculiar movement they do.  

People aren’t the only ones affected by warm temperatures during the winter months, trees and shrubs are too. So, what does this mean for our plants long term?

What if plants are in bloom during a cold snap?

The buds or bloom can get frozen, but this depends on whether the buds are open or closed when a freeze happens. The damage will be greater when the flowers are open during a freeze. There are some flowers that will be okay during the cold like daffodils. However, other flowers will be zapped by the cold or start to fade away.