Summer time is not a good time to spray your plants and lawns with chemicals. Due to the warm temperature, it is easy to burn them. If you have to spray your plants with either insecticides or fungicides spray them on a cool summer night.

Normally this isn't a good time but if we've had good rainfall and the weeds are actively growing, they may respond well to weed killers.

organic or time-release fertilizer balanced in all three elements: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (N-P-K). We use Nature's Turf 15-1-6, Turf Saver 4-3-4 and Tree Saver 3-0-20 from John Deere's natural line.

Flea beetles are obviously susceptible to insecticides. In some situations, however ? a severe grasshopper outbreak, for example ? the use of insecticides cannot be avoided. If the use of insecticides at an established flea beetle site is unavoidable, leaving small areas untreated can provide "reservoirs" of flea beetles that will help sustain populations.

It is a good idea to fertilize your lawn at least 4 times a year. The first application should be in early spring and your schedule should end in late fall. Shrubs only need to be fertilized twice a year to keep them healthy. Applications should be in early spring and late fall.

Plant damage is rare. Our roof cleaning mixture is definitely robust. We will take every precaution to prevent damage to plants, shrubs and grass. We will wet and cover possible affected areas with plastic tarps in advance. As the job progresses we will rinse as required to protect vegetation and then rinse some more. The rinsing dilutes the mixture enough that we don’t have much to worry about.

No, the chemical is effective and safe. Some flowers may wilt a little but come right back (we have not had any complaints of this nature however).

Yes. However, we recommend that plants be no closer than 18 inches (45 cm) to the unit. This allows for plenty of room for air circulation in and out of the unit. Without this room for air circulation, the unit could overheat, resulting in a premature need for service, excessive wear, excessive electrical consumption and possible compressor failure.

We are fortunate to have a strong relationship with a number of excellent nurseries and greenhouses. We are continually searching for the best plant materials for our customers and often buy directly from the grower or from a well-established nursery. Some of the materials we offer our customers is grown by us directly at our own licensed nursery in Maine.

Fall aeration is commonly done in other parts of the country. Aerating in the fall or spring would be fine, but we need about six weeks of good growing conditions after aeration.

Grass seed can be planted in spring, around Labor Day in the fall (before September 15) or just before winter sets in. The seed needs to be worked into the soil just slightly with a garden rake.

Yes. However, wait until the soil has a chance to warm up. Maintaining a 2 to 3 inch layer of mulch is all that is necessary.

Yes. Many plants are available for purchase during spring when weather conditions are generally favorable for plant establishment. Plant early, after danger of frost and before summer stress.

My feeling is that a person is better off not to buy new plants until you are ready to plant them. Develop the landscape plan before purchasing the plants.

Our gardening partner, the National Gardening Association, has step by step instructions for seeding a new lawn. They recommend starting a lawn in the fall, and using cool weather grasses. Having healthy soil is the first place to start. You can purchase a kit at a local gardening center to test your soil. Add to your soil what you're missing. Using organic compost is a great way to amend your soil.

Yes. The beetle is the adult stage of the insect. After defoliating the ornamentals, shrubs, and some trees, the beetle lays eggs in the soil. In a few days, grubs will hatch and begin feeding on grass roots. If you are on our Complete Care Program, you are protected with Scotts GrubEx®. If not, call our office for a protective treatment or lawn inspection.

No, this is not permitted. We recommend either towelettes wipes or OFF coils (they are like incense). No. The wildlife on our property, including nesting birds, may be disturbed by animals not natural to our property. With that in mind, dogs and other pets are not allowed.

FASST™ is non-selective. It will kill or damage grass, weeds and foliage that it comes in contact with. If you spray large portions of your lawn in an attempt to kill weeds you will cause browning and damage to large lawn areas. FASST should be used for spot treatment of weeds such as dandelions on lawns. Care should be taken to keep the spray nozzle close to the weed and minimize over spray.

Common lawn sprays such as Weed B-Gone and 2,4-D are not very effective in controlling Clover. A special Weed B-Gone for chickweed, clover and oxalis is more effective than 2,4-D or regular Weed B-Gone. A lawn weed killer containing Banvel or dicamba would work good but be careful when using this material in an area with tree & shrub roots.

No, flowers and leaves contain spores of various fungi that develop extremely fast in water. The small beads of water left on flowers and leaves after spraying will increase the spread of fungus and result in a flawed overall appearance.

Shrubs that are good for topiary usually have smaller sized leaves and are plants that respond well to pruning by getting thicker the more they are sheared. To view a list of plants that have worked well for Chris' Topiary Nursery see the Plant List page.

There is seldom only one mouse at any given time so it's easy to underestimate the total numbers involved. Double Strength Ratsak is a multiple-feed rodenticide. Each rodent needs to feed for between 7-14 days on Double Strength Ratsak in order to ingest enough to be killed. While this slows down the result, it is an added safety factor and reduces the risk of secondary poisonings.

There are currently two major methods of using insecticides to contol malaria - source reduction and indoor residual spraying (IRS). Source reduction involves many non-chemical methods, and also includes spraying mosquito habitats and breeding areas with insecticides such as DDT. IRS involves coating the walls and other surfaces of a home with residual insecticides.

Yes, pre-treatments are used to enhance color retention, prevent ultra-violet damage, and provide durability as well as shatter resistance. Post-treatments with polymers prevent moisture reentry and give flexibility. On a few occasions, color enhancer's are utilized. None of these chemicals are harmful once they dry.

Rabbit out is formulated to prevent rabbits from gnawing and eating your shrubs, Flowers, forest & fruit trees and fruits and vegetables…

We use the safest, most environmentally friendly adulticiding chemicals available. We spray adult mosquitoes with 3rd generation pyrethroids. We spray larvae and pupae (wrigglers and tumblers) with various larvicides that are selective and safe. Bacteria, monomolecular films and insect growth regulators are utilized in larvicide treatments. We also use small, predatory mosquito fish (Gambusia) for natural control. Yes, we do, but only with the express permission of the property owner.