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January 2008 GroundsKeeper provided tree services to the Morton Arboretum on two separate days in January. All of our winter crews participated in the pro bono field days. Our crews performed cleanup, removal and tree pruning over the two days. The crews enjoyed giving back to our industry by helping maintain such a beautiful property. APRIL NEWSLETTER The last several years have stressed your trees significantly. First, the severe drought of 2005, followed by a wet 2006 and the bitter cold of early 2007. Stressed trees have less ability to defend against disease and insects. Cultural, mechanical and chemical controls may be used to improve a trees ability to withstand these stressors. CULTURAL CONTROLS MULCH Applying organic mulch at the proper depth has the following beneficial effects on plants and soil:
MECHANICAL CONTROLS LAWN AERATION Core aeration is still best thing you can do for your lawn for several reasons:
TREE PRUNING Routine pruning to remove weak, diseased or dead limbs can be accomplished at any time during the year with little effect on the tree. There are several benefits to performing this work at this time:
Pruning large trees can be dangerous. If pruning involves working above the ground or using power equipment, it is best to hire a professional arborist. We have two certified arborists on staff. Our crews are trained and supervised by those arborists and can assist you with pruning, disease management and removals. CHEMICAL CONTROLS CAMBISTAT® Cambistat® is a growth inhibitor that can be applied once every three years to the trees in your landscaping. Reducing growth can lower the resource demands for the tree. This improves stored energy reserves, root/shoot ratio and tree durability. JULY NEWSLETTER As you know the last few years have been stressful for your trees and shrubs. Drought in 2005, wet 2006, bitter cold in early 2007 and cicadas this year. Stressed trees are more susceptible to attack from insects and other pathogens. Things that you can do to help your trees and shrubs MULCH: Applying organic mulch at the proper depth retains moisture, keeps the plants cooler and improves soil structure by preventing soil compaction. TREE PRUNING: Routine pruning to remove weak, diseased or dead limbs can be accomplished at any time during the year with little effect on the tree. This allows the tree to utilize its resources to defend parts of the tree that are not infected and reduces the ability of insects or pathogens to spread to healthy parts of the tree. Our crews are trained by our certified arborists to properly prune and manage your trees and shrubs. EMERALD ASH BORER UPDATE In North America, EAB attacks and kills all ash trees including healthy trees. Over 25 million North American ash trees have succumbed to this borer. It has now been found as close as DuPage County and northern Cook County. Often it takes 2 to 3 years of infestation before the damage is visible. At the present time the Dept. of Agriculture is removing infested trees only. However we now have some good news on the subject. Your ash trees can be treated with imidacloprid to protect them from infestation - These treatments should be done in the spring or early summer depending on the product. Our arborists can consult with you to determine if these treatments are necessary.Due to the location of EAB infestations, we are now recommending protective treatments, particularly for those of you who have highly desirable ash trees. Additionally, it is important to buy firewood from sources that acquire their firewood locally. GroundsKeeper has a large supply of firewood for the upcoming season (particularly oak), and all of the firewood is produced at our yard from locally removed trees that are free of EAB. LANDSCAPING Many of you delayed your landscaping projects due to watering restrictions and concern about cicadas. Cicadas are gone and watering restrictions will likely ease in the fall. As landscape designers with an arborist background, GroundsKeeper focuses its attention on planting the proper species for both aesthetics and for long-term plant health. While many of you know GroundsKeeper as the company that takes care of trees, we also have crews that install retaining walls, paver patios and ponds. Landscaping is well over half of our business and continues to grow. If you would like us to professionally design and install your landscaping, properly care for your trees, or if you have questions about any of our other services, please call us at 708-301-7441 to set up an appointment. SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER In August, we saw rain, rain and more rain. As winter approaches, there are several things to consider for your landscaping. TREES Emerald Ash Bore -- Your ash trees can be treated with imidacloprid to protect them from infestation. These treatments should be done in the spring or early summer depending on the product. Our arborists can consult with you to determine if these treatments are necessary. Due to the location of EAB infestations, we are now recommending protective treatments, particularly for those of you who have highly desirable ash trees. Additionally, it is important to buy firewood from sources that acquire their firewood locally. GroundsKeeper has a large supply of firewood for the upcoming season (particularly oak), and all of the firewood is produced at our yard from locally removed trees that are free of EAB. LANDSCAPING Fall is an excellent time to plant new trees and shrubs. They're root systems will grow quickly in the fall with the decreasing temperatures. Also, this is the best time of the year to divide perennials that bloom in the spring and summer such as phlox, daylilies and iris. Moreover this is the time of year to plant spring flowering bulbs. Additionally, if the weather is dry, water plants deeply before the ground freezes. Evergreens need moisture in the winter months ahead. Lastly remove and discard dead and diseased foliage as your plants begin to die to reduce infections for next year. LAWNS Maintain a lawn height of 3" to 3˝". This helps reduce weeds. During rainy periods, you can save your water bill by turning off your sprinkler systems. I saw a lot of sprinkler systems running during the heavy August rains. First, it wastes water. Second over watering is bad for your lawn. Over watering results in a shallow root system, making your lawn more susceptible to future droughts and weed infestation. For your last mowing of the season, lower your mower to 2" to prepare your lawn for winter.The fall is the best time to spray weeds that are active in your lawns (and beds). SHRUBS & PERENNIALS Because of the wet August, we again saw fungal diseases on leaves, the majority of which are aesthetic in nature and will not have a lasting impact on your plants. For most of your shrubs, the best time for pruning is in the winter while the shrubs are dormant. We do the heaviest pruning in the winter months of February and March so that we can prepare the beds for spring at the same time. While most of us don't think about doing anything to our landscapes in the winter, it is the proper time to do the heaviest pruning on your shrubs. It is also critical that oak and elm trimming is performed during from November to March. If you have questions or would like information on winter trimming or other landscaping services, please contact us at 708-301-7441. Thank you. EMERALD ASH BORER UPDATE In North America, EAB attacks and kills all ash trees including healthy trees. Over 15 million North American ash trees have succumbed to this borer. If EAB is not contained, the 130 million ash trees in North Eastern Illinois could be destroyed. At the present time, no insecticide controls EAB 100% of the time. Michigan State University recommends treatment only inside of quarantined areas. The quarantine areas in Illinois have yet to be determined, so treatment is not recommended at this time. The best course of action is to ensure that you do not transport firewood from out of state into Illinois and make sure that the firewood you purchase is generated locally. If you’re interested in any of our services, please contact us at 708-301-7441 to schedule a free estimate. As a reminder we provide a wide range of tree and landscaping services. Keith Pekau Emerald Ash Border Emerald ash border (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, is an exotic beetle that was discovered in southeastern Michigan near Detroit in the summer of 2002. The adult beetles nibble on ash foliage but cause little damage. The larvae (the immature stage) feed on the inner bark of ash trees, disrupting the tree's ability to transport water and nutrients. Emerald ash borer probably arrived in the United States on solid wood packing material carried in cargo ships or airplanes originating in its native Asia. Emerald ash borer is also established in Windsor, Ontario, was found in Ohio in 2003, northern Indiana in 2004, and northern Illinois in 2006. Since its discovery, EAB has:
What's Being Done A concerted effort to stop EAB has been launched by state and federal officials.
This Web site provides information from Michigan State University, Purdue University, the Ohio State University, the Michigan and Ohio departments of Agriculture; the Michigan, Indiana and Ohio departments of Natural Resources; the USDA Forest Service; and the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Our goal is to help you find answers to your questions about EAB. We also provide links to other EAB-related Web sites. Please check this site often because information changes frequently. What to know about EAB:
If you suspect you may have EAB in your ash trees, call these numbers:
Scientists are studying methods of controlling EAB. The latest information on insecticide evaluations can help homeowners, arborists and landscapers decide if and how they can treat trees for EAB in certain areas in southeastern Michigan. IMPORTANT NOTE: Using insecticides to control EAB on ash trees is an option in Michigan and the EAB quarantined counties in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. If your tree is located within an area designated for eradication or suppression activities, it may be removed by regulatory agencies even if it has been treated. In those cases where government-ordered tree removals occur within the contiguous EAB quarantine counties, consideration will be given to ash trees treated by certified applicators utilizing methods and materials recommended by Michigan State University. If your ash trees are located outside of this area in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois or Ohio, using insecticides may not be recommended. If you are not sure about the regulatory status of your area or whether you should consider insecticides, please contact your county Extension office. WINTER NEWSLETTER Looking for the opportunity to shape your career in the landscaping industry? If you are a dynamic, responsible, self-motivated So far this winter has been unusually warm and fairly wet. This should be good for your perennials and shrubs next spring and summer. This is a welcome change to last year’s drought. You may be asking, why is GroundsKeeper sending a winter newsletter? While few people are thinking about their landscaping and trees during the winter, it is a great time of year to do several things. TREE CARE The dormant season is a great time to prune your trees. In fact, it is the only time that life wood should be pruned off of your OAKS and ELMS. Pruning in the dormant season allows us to easily visualize the structure of the tree. In addition it maximizes wound closure in the growing season after pruning, reduces the chance of transmitting disease, and discourages excessive sap flow from wounds. Recent wounds and the chemical scents they emit can actually attract insects that spread tree disease. In particular, wounded elm wood is known to attract bark beetles that harbor spores of the Dutch elm disease fungus, and open wounds on oaks are known to attract beetles that spread the oak wilt fungus. Take care to prune these trees during the correct time of year to prevent spread of these fatal diseases. SHRUBS The dormant season is the proper time to prune many of your shrubs (think of them as small trees). Similar to trees, it is easy to visualize the structure, maximizes wound closer, decreases disease transmittal and discourages sap flow from wounds. Additionally, we see many shrubs topped that should not be. Not only does this practice ruin the natural shape of the shrub, but it increases susceptibility to diseases and results in narrow angles between the trunk and side branches. These narrow angles are weaker than wide ones and more susceptible to damage from wind and ice. MONTHLY GARDENING TIPS February
March
Our crews are working through the winter, primarily trimming trees and shrubs. Please contact us at 708-301-7441 if you have any questions or would like to set up an estimate for any of your tree or landscaping needs. Thank you. Keith Pekau Illinois Landscape Contractor’s Association article, February, 2006 
PRESS RELEASE, MARCH 15th GroundsKeeper Named Unilock® Authorized Contractor Unilock® recognizes GroundsKeeper Landscape Care's installation and workmanship quality Orland Park, IL 60462: GroundsKeeper Landscape Care was recently named a Unilock® Authorized Contractor. GroundsKeeper, locally owned by Orland Park resident, Keith Pekau, provides landscaping services to residential and commercial customers in the SouthWest suburbs. Unilock® Authorized Contractor's meet rigorous quality control standards and guarantee their work for a minimum of two year. According to Mr. Pekau, "We are proud to team with Unilock® to provide the highest quality standards, a warranty of 5 years, and the latest installation expertise to our customers." PRESS RELEASE, MARCH 20th GroundsKeeper Presenting Seminars at Homer Glen Home Show March 28th-30th GroundsKeeper Landscape Care will conduct seminars on landscaping and ponds at the upcoming Homer Home Show Homer Glen, IL 60462: Keith Pekau and Jeff Jarr, owners of GroundsKeeper Landscape Care will provide seminars at the Chicago Home Show of Homer Glen being held at the Homer Mega Plex from March 28th - 30th. Mr. Pekau is a Certified Arborist and Landscape Designer and will speak about caring for your landscaping after installation. The seminar will focus on proper planting, good cultural practices, structural tree pruning and shrub pruning in order to keep your landscaping looking great. Mr. Jarr is a Certified Arborist and pond installation expert. The pond/water feature seminar will focus on how to properly install a water feature, with some insight on design and maintenance as well. GroundsKeeper Landscape Care is a locally owned full service landscaping company who's Sustainable Landscape System™, combines proper design, building and maintenance to maximize landscaping enjoyment. PRESS RELEASE, APRIL PALOS PARK GREEN EARTH FUN DAY GroundsKeeper Proudly Sponsors Palos Park Green Earth Week GroundsKeeper Landscape Care sponsors Palos Park celebration of Arbor Day Palos Park, IL 60462: GroundsKeeper Landscape Care is a proud sponsor of Palos Park's Green Earth Week celebrated from April 20th to April 26th. The celebration includes activities on Arbor Day ( April 20th), National Earth Day (April 22nd), and Green Earth Fun Day (April 26th). Activities include a poster contest, an essay contest and a pet walk. For more information, call the Palos Park administration center at 671-3700. |
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