One of the biggest weed concerns most homeowners have for their lawns is crabgrass. This nasty clumping weed can make a mess out of a lawn in no time, leaving unsightly dead patches when it dies off the following winter. The good news is that there is plenty of time to prevent next year's crabgrass from taking root in your lawn.

On of the keys to preventing crabgrass is understanding how it grows. This in turn will help you decide which cultural and chemical control options to use against it. Crabgrass is a warm-season annual grass that dies off every winter. It can only reappear the following year from germinating seeds that were created before the mother plants died.

Crabgrass will not start germinating until soil temperatures consistently reach and stay at 60 degrees. This can be as early as late January in Southern California and as late as the end of May in the Northeast. (In a few very warm areas like South Florida and Hawaii, it can germinate year-round.)

Crabgrass prefers full sun, lots of moisture, and thin lawns that allow light to hit the soil. The thicker and more vigorous your lawn is, the less of a favorable environment you provide for the crabgrass. This means you also need to keep your mowing height higher. If you keep your mower height between 2-3 inches, there will be fewer crabgrass plants in your lawn. Also, avoid frequent lawn watering. As temperatures rise, water deeper but less often.

Most pre-emergent crabgrass herbicides are available in combination with lawn fertilizers, so crabgrass prevention and spring fertilization can be done at the same time. This needs to be applied before the crabgrass germinates in early spring. (See temperatures and dates above.) We recommend using Greenlight Crabgrass Preventer If temperatures are unseasonably warm, you might have to apply this product earlier.

Sometimes a few crabgrass plants still manage to find their way into your lawn. If this is the case, simply remove the plants by hand--making sure to pull the entire root, too. If you miss the pre-emergent control season and crabgrass appears, control with a post-emergent spray We recommend using Greenlight Crabgrass Preventer. The sooner you spray or remove the plants, the less of a chance they will have of producing seed for the following season.

Are you considering a new landscape for next year? If you're tired of your old garden look or have a brand new yard that needs landscaping, consider our team for all of your design and installation needs.

Green Arrow Nursery are experts in landscape design. We know which plants grow well in our area, and our design team is knowledgeable in all of the latest plant introductions and landscape techniques.

We work with you to design and create a look that is unique for you and truly reflects your needs and desires. But many people make the mistake of contacting us in spring when we are already booked up for most of the year. It takes time to design a landscape plan for your home, and we invite you to plan ahead and let us design your landscape plan now so we can add you to our work schedule when the weather warms in spring.

Give us a call today at (818)894-8306. We're here to make sure all of your garden dreams come true!

Often considered queen of the indoor plants, the African violet was first discovered in Tanzania in 1892. Originally the flowers were limited to shades of blue, white and lavender, but thanks to years of hybridizing efforts many color variations are now available.

African violets also vary in size and form. There are miniature varieties that grow to less than 6” in diameter, standard varieties which average 8”-12” in diameter (but can exceed 18”-24” when grown for exhibition), and trailing varieties which can be grown as ground covers or as hanging plants.

Ideally, African violets prefer the natural light of a south facing window but they can grow well with artificial lighting, too. The key is to provide them with 8-12 hours of light per day. For more even growth, it is helpful to rotate the plants a quarter turn each day. They grow best in temperatures between 65ºF and 75ºF, which will help promote quick flowering cycles and better absorption of plant foods.

It is important to allow the soil for African violets to dry out completely between waterings. When watering, try to avoid watering the leaves, as this can leave behind unsightly stains. We recommend feeding them every two weeks, year-round, with a soluble plant food such as Schultz African Violet Plant Food. This will keep the foliage a nice shade of dark green and help the flowers produce a more intense color.

African violets are one of the most popular houseplants and very easy to grow. With good bright light and regular feedings, they will bloom joyfully all year long! We invite you to stop by soon and bring a few home.