landforminc – Landform of Central Florida Inc. https://landforminc.com Central Florida's Full-Service Landscaping Company Wed, 22 Jan 2020 03:38:17 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.2 https://landforminc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/cropped-Blue-Circles-1-32x32.png landforminc – Landform of Central Florida Inc. https://landforminc.com 32 32 How Much Oxygen Does One Tree Produce? https://landforminc.com/2020/01/how-much-oxygen-does-one-tree-produce/ https://landforminc.com/2020/01/how-much-oxygen-does-one-tree-produce/#comments Wed, 15 Jan 2020 14:45:16 +0000 http://amartha.local/?p=6681

You’ve probably heard that trees produce oxygen, but have you ever wondered just how much oxygen one tree makes? The amount of oxygen produced by a tree depends on several factors, but here are some typical calculations.

The atmosphere of the Earth has a different composition from that of other planets in part due to the biochemical reactions of Earth’s organisms.

You’ll hear a range of numbers and ways of presenting them because the amount of oxygen produced by a tree depends on the species of tree, its age, its health, and also on the tree’s surroundings. According to the Arbor DayFoundation, a mature leafy tree produces as much oxygen in a season as 10people inhale in a year.

Here are some other figures regarding the amount of oxygen produced by a tree:

A single mature tree can absorb carbon dioxide at a rate of 48 lbs./year and release enough oxygen back into the atmosphere to support 2 human beings.

One acre of trees annually consumes the amount of carbon dioxide equivalent to that produced by driving an average car for 26,000 miles. This same acre of trees also produces enough oxygen for 18 people to breathe for a year.

On average, one tree produces nearly 260 pounds of oxygen each year. Two mature trees can provide enough oxygen for a family of four.

As you can see, trees do a lot more for the environment and us overall than just producing oxygen. So the next time you are contemplating removing a tree, remember how much that tree does not only for the planet – But you and your family as well.

Perhaps we should be planting more trees, instead of inventing quicker ways of removing them from our planet.

 

 

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How to Water Your Lawn the Right Way https://landforminc.com/2020/01/how-to-water-your-lawn-the-right-way/ https://landforminc.com/2020/01/how-to-water-your-lawn-the-right-way/#comments Wed, 08 Jan 2020 14:45:49 +0000 http://amartha.local/?p=6683

A healthy lawn makes a very good filter for absorbing many things that can be washed into our streams. The ideal lawn is one that will grow best in your environment without lots of supplemental watering. We have all probably read about people living in desert areas in the country trying to grow lawns that require almost daily watering just to survive the summer heat. This is extremely foolish and short-sighted. Turf grasses were never intended to be grown everywhere.

That being said, there are parts of the country where various turf grasses are well suited without the need for daily watering. In many places, grass can be grown without any supplemental watering, or only very minor supplemental watering.The following information is specifically intended for those areas.

How much water does a lawn need? 

In general, turf grasses need about 3/4″ – 1″ of water per week to maintain green color and active growth. However, during certain times during the summer when high temperatures are the norm, you should allow lawns to naturally slow down in growth during those extreme conditions. You may let the lawn go almost completely dormant in hot weather. Many factors such as the soil and the weather all have a role in the lawn’s water needs. Here are a few guidelines to follow:

Decide Before Hand

Decide before summer heat and drought conditions arrive, to either water lawns consistently as needed throughout the season, or let lawns go dormant as conditions turn hot and dry. Do not rotate back and forth. In other words, don’t let the grass turn totally brown, then apply enough water to green it up, then let the grass go dormant again. Breaking the lawns dormancy actually drains large amounts of food reserves from the plant.

When is it time to water? 

The first few warm days of summer does not automatically mean to water lawns.In fact, allowing lawns to start to go under mild drought stress actually increases rooting. Watch for foot printing, or footprints remaining on the lawn after walking across it (instead of leaf blades bouncing back up). Grasses also tend to turn darker in color as they go under drought stress. Sampling the root zone soil could be another option.

Water as infrequently as possible

Thoroughly water when you do water so moisture soaks down to the roots.Exceptions to this general rule would be for newly seeded lawns where the surface needs to stay moist, newly sodded lawns that have not yet rooted into the soil, or when summer patch disease is a problem (see Lawn Diseases).Otherwise, avoid frequent waterings that promote shallower root systems and weeds (e.g., crabgrass).

Water early in the day if possible

Given a choice, water early in the day when lawns are normally wet from dew.Avoid midday watering due to excessive evaporation, and at night due to potential increased chances of some diseases gaining a foothold. The exception to this guide is when you are in extremely hot weather and nighttime temperatures don’t go below 68 degrees. Then it is better to water in the late afternoon or early evening, providing you don’t have watering-time restrictions. Early or late in the day reduces the amount of evaporation that takes place during the very hot day, allowing more water to reach the root zone.

Spread the water uniformly across the lawn

Sprinklers vary in distribution patterns, and require spray overlap for uniform coverage. Placing coffee cans or similar straight-sided containers on the lawn can help measure water application rates. Avoid flooding areas, or missing other spots. On heavy clay soils and slopes, watch for excessive runoff; it maybe necessary to apply the water in several applications to allow for adequate penetration.

Water conservation

To help conserve water, mow your lawn at a higher than normal height, avoid applying an excess of nitrogen as warm weather approaches, limit traffic over the lawn, improve turf rooting, control thatch and soil compaction, and avoid pesticide use on drought stressed lawns. Don’t allow water to hit the driveway or into the street. This is just wasteful.

Avoid over watering

Use a rain gauge to measure how much water you are applying. Over watering does more than deplete the water supply, it also makes plants prone to pests and adds to storm water runoff, which pollutes our water systems. By choosing and operating a watering system correctly, you can reduce water bills, insect and disease problems, and maintenance requirements. For example, the more you water your lawn, the faster it grows and the more it needs to be mowed.

Hold off watering after fertilization and when heavy rains are expected

To reduce the possibility of having fertilizer wash into our water system, don’t water heavily soon after fertilizing. Use light waterings to give the fertilizer the opportunity to be absorbed by the soil. Also, if heavy rains are in the forecast, hold off from fertilizing until the heavy rains have passed.

Monitor Rainfall

Don’t water the lawn if rains are expected soon. Keep track of rainfall for the week. Don’t apply more water to the lawn than what is absolutely necessary. The guide of about 1″ of water per week is only a guide. If your lawn doesn’t get that 1″ of water, it’s not going to die.

 
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Keeping Your Water in Place https://landforminc.com/2020/01/keeping-your-water-in-place/ https://landforminc.com/2020/01/keeping-your-water-in-place/#comments Wed, 01 Jan 2020 14:46:09 +0000 http://amartha.local/?p=6685

In this post, we will look at three areas to focus on for keeping that precious water in place, in your yard, where you want — Not wasting a drop where it can be helped. After all, quality irrigation is smart irrigation.

Always Hit Your Target Zones


Large water droplets offer greater wind resistance, helping you save water ongusty days. Rotary nozzles can be paired with pressure regulating spray heads(PRS) to dramatically reduce water loss from misting and airborne evaporation.

Make Sure Your Sprinklers Are Flush With The Ground

Check that sprinkler heads are high enough to clear plants that may have growntaller since the system was installed.

Clear The Spray Path

Make sure that your plant material hasn’t grown to a height that will block that spray from your sprinkler.

 

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Why Should You Fertilize Your Lawn? https://landforminc.com/2019/12/why-should-you-fertilize-your-lawn/ Mon, 23 Dec 2019 14:45:04 +0000 http://amartha.local/?p=6679
 

We hear this all the time from customers, “Why should I fertilize my lawn?”

The answer is quite simple. Turfgrass is a relatively fast growing plant that absorbs lots of micro-nutrients from the soil in order to replace plant cells.

Fertilizing a lawn is often referred to as “feeding” the lawn, but that’s not really correct. Lawns use solar power to create their own food, and they use that energy to convert the elements that are absorbed through the roots into plant cells. The new plant cells are why grass grows.

Lawn Fertilization

Fertilization of your lawn adds additional nutrients that will eventually be absorbed through the turfgrass’ roots. When those elements become scarce, root growth slows, top growth slows, and in time the plant will die and your lawn thins out making it easier for weeds to take hold.

A regular program of measured fertilization insures that your lawn and soil has the right balance of nutrients in the soil. Too many nutrients encourages too much growth requiring excess mowing which is not good. Our goal is to provide a balanced approach so that your lawn gets just the right mix.

Turf fertilization contributes greatly to lawn color, density, uniformity, and growth. Properly fertilized grass can compete with weeds and is able to recover from damage caused by environmental stresses faster than improperly fertilized lawns. When developing a turf fertilization program, a number of factors need to be considered.

These factors include:

·               Minerals required for turf growth and development;

·               Natural soil fertility;

·               Fertilizer selection;

·               Turfgrass species, desired quality, and use;

·               Environmental and management conditions; and

·               Application schedule

FREE LAWN CARE QUOTE

Call us today or use our Online Estimate Form, and we’ll include a FREE lawn survey and price quote for a quality lawn for your family. There’s no obligation, so you have nothing to lose and a better lawn to gain.

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