Landscaping, Snow Removal, & Property Maintenance during these times of the Corona Virus and Covid-19

Dear Clients - and those just wanting to get out and use your (Green Thumb) for something other than texting your kids or grandkids! (Click on any of the bold/underlined text to follow a link to a referenced web site/info sheet). 

Our Grasshoppers website is updated periodically to keep us abreast of all relevant Covid-19 developments.  

This from the Director of the Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado (ALCC), John McMahon.

We recognize that there has been much confusion over the governor’s latest executive order and what that means for landscape business operations. We have attempted to clarify the following points:

As you are all aware, as of March 26, the entire state is under a Stay-at-Home order. Based on the Public Health Order dated March 25, ALCC believes that most businesses in the green industry fall into one or more exemption categories. For horticulture growers, your business determination as ‘critical’ is pretty straightforward – you are considered agriculture. For landscape contractors, suppliers and other green industry professionals, the determination is a bit more nuanced.

As you can see from the categories on the list, they are very general (see below) and while we can offer guidance, businesses must make the determination for themselves and communicate carefully with employees and customers. Further clarifications and details are on page 2, below.

Please understand that all of us at Grasshoppers take this stay at home mandate seriously, it is also in place in NM where a number of our staff live, and whenever possible, we will be at home with our families and pets.  However, if we do venture out to do critical work, we will abide by all of the appropriate health and safety and distancing guidelines. For the past two weeks, we have had protocols in place that ensure that our staff are sanitizing their equipment and vehicles.  We are also no longer ride-sharing, nor are we sharing tools.

So, in the coming days, you may see us out working in 1s and 2s, at most, 3s. What you won't see, is us kissing, and hugging, and high-5-ing the bunnies!

Stay well, stay healthy, and stay apart!

David and Staff @ Grasshoppers

Further clarification about agricultural businesses from Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture Kate Greenberg. This order is in effect through April 10.

From the Colorado Public Health Order:

Critical Business. Any business, including any for profit or non-profit, regardless of its corporate structure, engaged in any of the commercial, manufacturing, or service activities listed below, may continue to operate as normal. Critical Businesses must comply with the guidance and directives for maintaining a clean and safe work environment issued by the CDPHE and any applicable local health department. Critical Businesses must comply with Social Distancing Requirements and all PHOs currently in effect to the greatest extent possible and will be held accountable for doing so. Critical Businesses do NOT include health clubs as defined in C.R.S. § 6-1-102(4.6), fitness and exercise gyms, and similar facilities, or any of the other businesses required to close by PHO 20-22. 

“Critical Business” means:

Critical Infrastructure, Including:

• Food and plant cultivation, including farming crops, livestock, food processing and manufacturing, animal feed and feed products, rendering, commodity sales, and any other work critical to the operation of any component of the food supply chain

• Any business that produces products critical or incidental to the construction or operation of the categories of products included in this subsection

Critical Manufacturing, Including:

• Agriculture/farms

Critical Retail, Including:

• Farm and produce stands

• Hardware, farm supply, and building material stores

• Establishments engaged in the retail sale of food and any other household consumer products (such as cleaning and personal care products)

Construction, Including:

• Other related firms and professionals for who provide services necessary to maintain the safety, sanitation, and critical operation of residences and businesses

Critical Services Necessary to Maintain the Safety, Sanitation and Critical Operations of Residences or Other Critical Businesses, Including:

• General property maintenance whether employed by the entity directly or a vendor

• Snow removal

Additionally, ALCC recommends that you verify that each crew member arrives at the job site with the following documents:

• A state-issued identification, such as a driver license

• A copy of the executive order for the jurisdiction in which they are delivering services

• A letter from your firm (on letterhead) verifying that the crew member is an employee of your company and asserts that they are on-site to perform an essential service

Grasshoppers Quick Tip - Dandelions

Dandelions can be pretty to look at, a nice addition to a summer salad, and can be used to make a sweet wine. Only in the twentieth century did humans decide that the dandelion was a weed. Before the invention of lawns, the golden blossoms and lion-toothed leaves were more likely to be praised as a bounty of food, medicine and magic. Gardeners used to weed out the grass to make room for the dandelions. But with the expansion of lawns as a major component of many landscapes, dandelions were considered weeds.  Dandelions are thirsty, and are not good for the health of your lawn because they require a lot of water to grow and will not hesitate to steal it from your lawn.

“Dandelions can be pretty to look at, a nice addition to a summer salad, and can be used to make a sweet wine.”

“Dandelions are thirsty…they require a lot of water…and will not hesitate to steal it from your lawn".”

Here is a Grasshoppers Quick Tip to tackle those small dandelion trouble spots on your lawn. Nobody likes to spray harmful chemicals around their property, especially if there are any kids or dogs running around. So we recommend a homemade natural solution of white vinegar and biodegradable dish soap for those pesky dandelions. The acetic acid found in white vinegar is an effective natural herbicide. The dish soap helps the solution stick to the dandelion so the vinegar can work more effectively.

Ingredients:

• 1-Half gallon of White Vinegar

• 2-Tablespoons of Biodegradable Dish Soap

• ...and as with any good recipe, a dash of salt

“Mix the white vinegar, dish soap and a dash of salt together and put it in a spray bottle.”

Directions:

Mix the white vinegar, dish soap and a dash of salt together and put it in a spray bottle. Spray onto dandelion plant while being careful not to spray onto your lawn. The last step is to wait it out. You should see the dandelion plants begin to wilt within three to four days, and the plant should die within weeks (remember, timing is critical - you need to treat the dandelion problem before they develop a seed head).

“…timing is critical - you need to treat the dandelion problem before they develop a seed head.”

Mechanical extraction by hand weeding is also a solution to smaller patches of dandelion. They have a tap root, and can be difficult to pull in hard, dry soil, so it is best to water the area first to soften soil, and then get to work pulling the plants.

Obviously, both of these approaches will be difficult if there is a dense mat of dandelions - if they persist and become a nuisance that you want to get rid of, please give us a call.

Thank you for visiting our blog! We hope this natural dandelion solution helps take care of those small problem spots.

Five Steps to Spring Yard Prep

1. Clean up any loose debris

• Leaves, broken branches, and other dead plant matter builds up over winter. It is important to clear the debris to make room for new spring growth. If you compost, most of your yard waste can be thrown in there.

2. Prune Trees and Shrubs to promote healthy growth.

• For summer-flowering shrubs (e.g. rose plants, butterfly bushes, fruit trees...) prune before the buds swell. These plants buds are found on new wood that will be grown this season.

• Spring-flowering plants (e.g. azaleas, lilacs…)  on the other had sprout their buds on wood growth from the previous seasons, therefore you can prune these after the flowers are gone. For lilacs, prune immediately after blooms have fallen.

Rose buds on new wood growth.

3. Deal with weeds early.

• A healthy soil is the best defense against weed proliferation! So, continue to nurse your soil by adding organic matter, compost, peat moss, etc. to promote good soil structure and a healthy soil biome.

• If weeds persist, you have two options: mechanical removal (roots ‘n all) or chemical treatment. If you opt for chemical treatment, try organics first.  There are many examples of organic growth suppressants in your local nurseries, and even local big box stores.

• Chemical treatments come in two forms: Pre-emergents - these reduce the likelihood of seeds germinating; Post-emergents - these kill plants once they’ve sprouted.  

  1. Step 1 - apply re-emergent herbicide (preferably a natural and organic one) to help stop weed growth before it becomes a major problem. If you already see weeds it is not too late for a pre-emergent as seeds may still exist in your beds.

  2. Step 2 - apply post-emergent herbicides (preferably a natural and organic one)

• If you do happen to get some weeds don’t panic, get outside, enjoy the spring air and do some good old fashion hand weeding in your flower beds. For trouble weeds spot treat with an herbicide (preferable a natural and organic one) wait for it to die and then remove.

Tackle weeds early.

4. Proper early Spring Mowing Practices to help prevent weeds.

• Do not mow too early in the growing season. Allow the grass to reach at least 3 inches in height (this is also a good practice for weekly mowing). This extra growing period helps strengthen your grass and preserve moisture down in the rhizosphere (root zone) while the shade your grass provides helps prevent weed growth

• DON’T BAG -  the first few times you mow allow your grass clippings to return to the ground. Grass will dry out quickly and as it decomposes, it will provide natural nutrients and fertilization to your lawn. It is a good practice to continue this throughout the year if you can tolerate a few blades of grass blowing around.

• Do not over or under water your lawn. With the proper amount of water your lawn will be healthier and greener. Healthy lawns require at least 1”-1 ½” of water per week during the growing season. Water deeply 2-3 times per week, rather than daily. Water as early in the morning as you can, when possible, so that the water feeds your lawn’s roots rather than evaporating. If you can't push a 6” screwdriver into your lawn, you're not watering enough. If water ponds on the surface, you’re watering too much.

DON’T BAG IT! Let that grass fertilize your lawn.

5. Get your mower ready early.

• Make sure you give your lawn mower a full inspection before using.

• Replace any filter and oil you need to.

• If you need more professional help make sure you get your mower into a shop early to beat the spring rush.

• Sharpen your blades. Sharp blades provide a cleaner cut which helps prevent lawn diseases and torn grass.

Inspect your Lawnmower

Sharpen your lawn mower blades

Thank you for reading! We hope these tips help bring fresh life into your yard! If you need any assistance with your spring maintenance, lawn care, or landscape design and installation please visit our Get a Quote page and we will be happy to assist you!

We're deep in the winter, but planning for spring.

Even though most of us still have 3-5ft of snow lining our driveways, now is the time plan for your spring landscaping. Contact Grasshoppers on our Get a Quote page to help bring your landscaping to life!