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2020 Fall Newsletter

Fall Newsletter

As we start the Fall Season, we hope that everyone enjoyed their Summer!

This Summer the weather was very rough on the lawns and landscapes.  June had heavy rainfall and high humidity which promoted an abundance of turf disease and excessive weed and weed grass growth.  July brought excessive heat, with temperatures in the high 90’s, and very little rain. This was followed by heavy storms and flooding in August. Unsurprisingly, these conditions created an unhealthy environment for your lawn and landscape, causing damage to many of our trees, shrubs and lawns.  The good news: we have seen some recovery with the cooler temperatures at the end of August.

With the Fall Service we will be repairing the damage caused by the Summer weather.  Here are some suggestions for corrective measures you should consider for this Fall:

Caring for Your Lawn in the Fall

Certain areas of your lawn may thin out each year because of annual grasses, summer stress, insects and diseases. It will be necessary to have these areas reseeded; this work will be performed along with your Fall Service. Prior to your Fall Service, we would like you to be aware of the following:

  • This is an excellent time to give your lawn a good raking. As in the Spring, get your leaf rake and rake out the dead grasses in any damaged or thin areas. Doing this means that when your reseeding is done, the seed will be able to easily make the soil contact needed to germinate.
  • After raking you should fill in any thin, low areas, or holes in the turf by adding small amounts of topsoil. This “topdressing” can be done by lightly spreading ½ to 1 inch of soil onto the ground with a garden rake.  This soil can be purchased in 40 lb. bags from any garden center.
  • Note: For those who want topdressing, but cannot do it yourselves, our company offers this service at an extra charge. The topdressing will be done at the time of your Fall Service.

Entire Lawn Core Aeration is Available

During the Fall Service, we spot core aerate when we repair the damaged areas as part of the reseeding extra work.  However, if you are interested in having the entire lawn core aerated this Fall, please contact us and we will email you the cost for your property. For more information on the benefits of whole lawn core aeration, see our web page’s FAQ: Core Aeration

Leaf Removal

As we get deeper into autumn, it is important that you remove the leaves from your lawn for as long as they continue to fall. This means raking and clearing right into December and January.  Leaves left on the lawn cause dead areas and other problems. The easiest and safest way of removing leaves from your lawn is to use a lawn mower bag while cutting. For heavier amounts of leaves, raking is not a problem on established turf.  Please note on newly-seeded, shady, or shallow-rooted areas, heavy raking may be damaging to the lawn.  Either rake these areas lightly or (if you have one) use a leaf blower. A blower would move the leaves off the weak areas onto established turf, driveway, street or sidewalk where they can then safely be raked into bags.

 If you need help finding assistance with leaf removal, please contact us and we can make recommendations.

Watering Procedures

Please do not turn off your water until late November. In the Autumn, the lawns become drier than most people realize due to windy days, trees absorbing moisture before winter dormancy, and cooler temperatures. If there is no measurable rainfall for a week, make sure that you provide a good soaking, especially if extensive seeding was done in the Fall service. Continue watering until the weather prohibits.

For those customers who have a sprinkler system, you will need to water three times a week because of the amount of time needed to be sure each zone is properly watered – especially if extensive seeding was done in the Fall.  Due to the cooler temperatures this time of year, you need to set your sprinkler to start later in the morning, for example at 10 a.m. rather than 5 a.m.  You may also reduce the amount of time each zone is on.  Please do not set the system to come on the day your lawn is scheduled to be mowed. Unless directed otherwise by our company, you can schedule your sprinkler system’s winterization after November 15th.

We will be starting our Fall Service shortly.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us on 302-792-2201 or at Finolawn@gmail.com.

Have a wonderful Fall Season!

 

Gabriel L. Clouser, President

Eric M. Plummer, Vice President

By Admin Uncategorized • Weather Updates 0 Comments

Weather Update – Change to Code Yellow

Dear Customer:

We are experiencing above-average temperatures and infrequent measurable rainfall. For this reason, we are updating our “Current Mowing and Watering Conditions” from Code Green to Code Yellow. Below is the explanation for Code Yellow and what our company is recommending that you do under these conditions.

Code Yellow:  No measurable rainfall for a week or more regardless of the temperature range.

For customers who manually water their lawn and landscape, start your watering program by watering the large areas for at least 1 hour or 1 inch of water once a week.  For more detailed information on manually watering your lawn, go to our “Watering Your Lawn and Landscape” bulletin.

For customers with sprinkler systems without a Smart Controller, you should have your controller set to water the large zones 3 times a week at 20 minutes per zone, for a total watering time of 1 hour or 1 inch per week.  For more detailed information on watering your lawn, go to our  “How to Prepare Your Sprinkler System” bulletin.

Set mowing height to 4 inches for regular size lawn and 4 to 4-1/2 inches for larger lawns.  Mowing at this height will reduce weeds, weed grasses and turf diseases.  Recycling or mulching clippings returns moisture and nutrients back to the soil, which will require less fertilizer and water.  If you have a professional mowing service, instruct the grass cutter to mow at the heights recommended above.  For more information, go to the “Mulching Mower Guidelines” on the website.

Finocchiaro Lawn & Landscape, Inc.

By Admin Newsletter • Uncategorized 0 Comments

Summer Newsletter

Our Summer Newsletter

 

Dear Customer:

It is hard to believe that it is the end of June and we will be starting our Summer Service soon.   Before we start the service, there are some things we would like you to be aware of. July and August normally are the worst time for your lawn and landscape. The above-average temperatures, high humidity, normally below-average rainfall and sometime drought conditions make for tough growing conditions. To help you navigate this period, we have developed a code system for proper maintenance practices. Please visit our website, www.finolandco.com, and tap on the current watering and mowing conditions to learn more about what you need to be doing. In addition, we will be sending and posting emails on our updates concerning the changing growing conditions and what cultural practices you should be performing. We invite you to also visit our website to learn more about the proper mowing and watering instructions in detail.

 

Lawn Mowing

Please follow our mowing instructions on the Summer Bulletin which the men leave at your home at the time of your service and is posted on our website. Proper mowing will reduce stress on your lawn. Please note that most lawns are still mowed at less than 4 inches which is unhealthy for the grass.

Vacation Mowing: For our customers who do not have a professional mowing service, please be advised that if you need to have your lawn mowed, feel free to contact us and we will make arrangements to have your lawn cut while you are away.

Summer Watering

Please follow our watering instructions on the Summer Bulletin. Proper watering will reduce the stress to your lawn and landscape which enables the plants to naturally protect itself from insects, diseases and drought damage. It is worth noting that watering regularly this time of year may eliminate the need to reseed a lawn or replace a plant in the Fall, which would require extra water and is an additional expense.

Trees and Shrubs

Spring flowering trees and shrubs should be pruned after they lose their flowers usually before June 15. Pruning after the plants form their buds for next season will cause them to lose next year’s blossoms.

For your evergreens, such as junipers and yews, please note that if you didn’t have an opportunity to prune them in late March or early April before the new growth started, the pruning may be performed in late June and early July. Please avoid Fall pruning so that the bush has a chance to fill in before it goes dormant.

Please note that it is not too late to properly mulch your trees and shrubs if you have not already done so. By applying a thin layer of mulch you protect the roots from drying out and it helps them to retain moisture during the hot, dry summer months.

Insects and diseases are the most active this time of year. If you see a problem on your landscapes, please feel free to contact us on 302-792-2201 or at Finolawn@gmail.com. We will be happy to come out and evaluate the problem.

Fall Extra Work

The Fall is the best time to upgrade your lawn and landscape. If you have a project in mind, please contact us now in July or August so that you don’t miss this prime planting window.   Our company can handle your lawn concerns. For your landscape needs, we work side by side with the best companies in this area and would be happy to recommend the right contractor for any size project. If you know someone who is looking for lawn and landscape work, we would appreciate your recommending our company and we will handle the rest.

Please note that the company’s new mailing address is:

Finocchiaro Lawn & Landscape, Inc
PO. Box 9524
Wilmington DE 19809

For those who pay for our service through their bank’s online pay site, please be sure to go in and correct our name and mailing address to this new one.

We hope that you have a fun-filled Summer. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us on 302-792-2201 or at Finolawn@gmail.com.

Gabriel L. Clouser, President

Eric M. Plummer, Vice President

By Admin General Announcements • Uncategorized 0 Comments

2018 Season Transition

Dear Customer:

Effective 2/1/2018, Finocchiaro Landscape Company, Inc. will be selling its assets and transferring your lawn account to Finocchiaro Lawn & Landscape, Inc. operated by Gabriel L. Clouser and Eric M. Plummer, former employees of Finocchiaro Landscape Company, Inc.

Finocchiaro Lawn & Landscape Inc. will assume the entire responsibility for and management of your account effective 2/1/2018. The personnel and the lawn care program will remain the same.
The new company’s contact and billing information is as follows:

Finocchiaro Lawn & Landscape, Inc.
P.O. Box 9524
Wilmington DE 19809
Phone: 302-792-2201
Website: www.finolandco.com
Email Address: Finolawn@gmail.com

After 40 years of operating Finocchiaro Landscape Company, Inc., Kathleen and I will be retiring.   We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our customers, both new and old, for their patronage, but especially those customers who have been with us from the beginning. I am proud to say that now we are not only working for the sons and daughters, but also grandsons and granddaughters of our customers.   Someone once said “that if you love what you do for a living, you never work a day in your life.” It has not only been a pleasure to work for you, but also a delight to get to know you and your families throughout the years.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the office.

Sincerely,
Finocchiaro Landscape Company, Inc.
Robert M. Finocchiaro

By Admin General Announcements • Uncategorized 0 Comments

Spring 2018 Startup Letter

Dear Customer:

As you can see from Bob’s letter, 2018 is going to be a year of exciting changes. The first is that Kathleen and Bob will be retiring. The second is that we have started our own corporation, Finocchiaro Lawn & Landscape, Inc. and will be assuming the responsibility for and management of your lawn care. As Eric and I step into our leadership roles, we are committed to ensuring that our customers will continue to receive the high level of care and attention to which you are accustomed.

Through on-going education and training, we are able to offer new solutions to our customary services. We can re-evaluate your lawn, taking into account your entire landscape, rather than merely the turf. We can now provide plant health care for groundcovers, shrubs and small ornamental trees, as well as meadow care programs. We are not only prepared to provide this information for you, but also any new customers you may recommend.

Unless we hear from you otherwise before March 1st, your lawn is on our schedule for lawn care service this 2018 season. If you need to hire a new grass cutter, landscaper or sprinkler system company, please feel free to contact us. We work with a variety of quality companies that we would be happy to recommend. If you no longer want us to continue our lawn care service at your property, please let us know on or before March 1st for scheduling reasons. We would ask that if you have any changes in your information, whether changes in your property or your personal information, please let us know so that we may update your account. In addition, if you have any questions or concerns about your lawn, please contact us as soon as possible on 302-792-2201 or at Finolawn@gmail.com.

As we enter into the 2018 Season, please remember that weather permitting your Spring service will be performed for half of our customers in late February and March and the other half in April. If you have any questions concerning the timing of your lawn service, please call. Listed below are some suggestions to follow before your receive your Spring lawn service this year.

  1. Check over your lawn mower completely. Make sure that all wheels on the mower are set at the same height. Be sure to get the mower blade sharpened. If your mower needs to be serviced, do so in January and February before the Spring rush. If you need to purchase a new lawn mower, act now and take advantage of the pre-season sales. If you want any advice on a mower, please feel free to give us a call. We have a special bulletin available on our website entitled, “Servicing Your Lawn Mower or Purchasing a New Mower.”
  2. Check over your outside faucets and hoses. Do they leak and need to be replaced? Do you need to replace your old or broken lawn sprinklers? Please go to our website under “Manual Watering Procedures” and check out our recommended sprinklers that will water large and small areas more efficiently, and water timers that will conserve water by not allowing overwatering.
  3. or our customers who have an underground sprinkler system, we ask that you have your sprinkler company come out to do a Spring startup for which they would check over your entire system. If you have not converted your old controller to the new Smart controller, we would recommend that you have this done at the time of the Spring startup. If you do not have a Smart controller, have your sprinkler system technician show you how to program your water budget or seasonal controls to reflect the changing weather conditions throughout the entire growing season. To help with this task, we have a more extensive “How To Prepare Your Sprinkler System” bulletin available online from our website. We would recommend that you have your system ready to water by the middle of May if not sooner.
  4. Give your lawn a good raking, where needed, using a leaf rake making sure to remove any embedded leaves, twigs, etc. Be careful in wet areas so that you do not pull up good turf. If you need any assistance in this task, please call our office soon so that we can make arrangements to have your yard cleaned.
  5. Cut your lawn at 3 inches picking up the grasses and other debris with a grass catcher for the first few lawn mowings after which you may begin to mulch your clippings. The proper height at this time of the year is 4 inches for regular lawns and 4-1/2 inches for larger lawns. Please perform this necessary Spring cleanup as soon as the weather permits. As we both know, the weather in the Spring is usually very unpredictable and we do not want to delay your Spring service.

We would like to thank you for your continued cooperation and patronage as well as for recommending our company to your friends and neighbors, especially since we do not advertise. We do have some openings for new customers this year. We would like to assure that our first priority is and has always been to you, our present customers. Therefore, we never take on more jobs than those the company can properly handle.

If you have changed your email address or if you have not yet provided an email address for our records, we would like to ask that you contact us as soon as possible with that information so we may update your account. It is a great way for us to send out weather alerts or notifications.

Sincerely,
Finocchiaro Lawn & Landscape, Inc.
Gabriel L. Clouser, President
Eric. M. Plummer, Vice President