NEWS LETTER       PRESS RELEASES FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER JULY NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER EMERALD ASH BORER UPDATE MONTHLY GARDENING TIPS Illinois Landscape Contractor’s Association article, February, 2006 Enter your email address:   FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER SPRING IS COMING This is first newsletter in 2010. Like you, at GroundsKeeper we are looking forward to the spring. As you read this, I'm sure you are waiting for the weather to warm, leaves to bud and your perennials to push through the soil. Economically, times remain tough and we remain committed to bringing you quality service at a fair price. This year, we are continuing to hold our prices steady. We will continue to send paper copies of our newsletters periodically as we transition the newsletter to email. For this reason, if you would like to continue receiving this newsletter, please send your e-mail to office@ groundskpr.com. Also, if you have any comments, suggestions or requests, please let us know.   GROUNDSKEEPER NEWS We are coming up on our first anniversary at our new office at 13204 W. Route 6 in New Lenox. The building is 1000' east of Parker on the north side of the street. Our landscaping and restoration is approximately 80% complete with seeding and sodding the only remaining upgrades. Please feel free to stop in and say hello at anytime. Also, please take notice of our building and how the landscaping and wetland restorations takes shape over the next several year. We intend for this previously undeveloped and lifeless wetland to grow into a habitat for many native species and serve as a show case for our business. This winter we again provided tree work to Morton Arboretum pro bono. Our service day went well the Morton Arboretum expressed sincere thanks for our help. In an effort to bring more services to our customers, we are providing information on quality companies that offer excellent service in their areas of expertise. We thank all of our customers for making our growth and success possible and look forward to taking care of all of your landscaping needs in the years to come. Sincerely, Gardening Tips FEBRUARY MARCH Monitor tree health, it's easier to spot problems in the winter Rake the lawn and remove leaves and twigs Prune trees and shrubs. The ideal time to prune is the dormant season. Check for winter snow and salt damage Clean and sharpen garden tools Cut ornamental grasses back to a few inches Clean and sharpen garden tools Prepare new planting beds   SHRUB TRIMMING There are several reasons to prune during the winter when your shrubs are dormant. The bareness of deciduous shrubs in the winter allows us to see crossing branches, errant and damaged branches. The most common type of dormant pruning is structural pruning. With structural pruning, you first want to remove damaged and diseased branches. After this remove crossing and rubbing branches. Lastly thin the plant by remove the oldest branches and leave newer branches in place. This type of pruning is more of an art than a science. In total 25 to 30% of the branches may be removed and the pruning should try to keep the shrub in its natural shape. Another type of dormant season pruning is rejuvenation pruning. This involves cutting the shrub down to 3 to 6 inches from the ground. Shrubs that respond well to this type of pruning every 3 to 5 years include spirea and potentilla. Our crews are trained to properly identify and prune the shrubs that are found in landscaping in our area. If you would like us to provide this service, please call us at 708-301-7441.   EAB UPDATE The Emerald Ash Bore (EAB) has been found in several towns in the area. There is a high likelihood that it is already in your town. The above information is new, the remainder of the article is a repeat, but it is worth repeating again. EAB only attacks ash trees and will kill your ash trees if they are left untreated. Some municipalities are choosing to treat their ash trees while others are removing them. Two chemicals can be used to protect the trees on your property. These treatments should be done in the spring or early summer depending on the method of application. Our Certified Arborists can consult with you to determine if these treatments are warranted or if removal is recommended.   LAWN FERTILIZATION There is a lot of information about lawn fertilization available to you via various sources. Some of this information is good, some not so much. In the end, we recommend putting 3 to 4 lbs of nitrogen on your lawns throughout the year. This should be accomplished with lighter nitrogen amounts in spring which will keep your lawn from growing to rapidly, little to no fertilizer in the summer to avoid burning out your lawn, and higher nitrogen amounts in the fall to encourage root development. Most lawn programs include pre-emergent herbicides in your spring applications. The pre-emergent chemicals will stop weeds that grow from seeds. The pre-emergent needs to be down by mid-April to be most effective. After this time seedlings will start to germinate. Pre-emergent stops annual weeds such as crab grass. Post emergent herbicides can be applied in May or after. These involve chemical spray that kill weeds that have already surfaced. For retail weed & feed products, read the labels carefully. Post emergent weed control that is included in the fertilizer often has specific conditions that are required to make it effective. This is why most commercial companies, like GroundsKeeper, spot spray weeds. Post-emergent weed control kills on contact and will not be effective against weeds that are not already visible. Another way to handle this problem is to use Weedb- Gone®, which is an effective spot spray for broad leaf weeds (not crabgrass). If you would like professional consultation about your turf, please contact Grounds- Keeper at 708-301-7441. We would be happy to give you advice and/or a quote for lawn & weed care. Top JULY NEWSLETTER ANOTHER SPRING This is first newsletter that we are sending primarily by email. Like every other year, this spring brought unusual weather. Here in Chicago, it seems that no spring is normal as far as the weather is concerned. April was much wetter than usual and cooler. By my count, we had only three days that reached 60 degrees in April. May was also cool and wet. In fact we had a frost one week after Mother's Day. June started off in much the same way only to give way to a week in the 90's. As a result, we are seeing many problems in our landscaping. Usually, Mother's Day is a good rule of thumb for planting annuals, but the late frost caused many annuals to look poor for a time. Most of them recovered, but some did not. Additionally, there will be problems with Apple Scab and Cedar Hawthorne Rust diseases as the year progresses. Additionally , economic conditions remain difficult. Here at GroundsKeeper we understand these difficulties and have lowered pricing on some items while keeping the rest of our pricing steady. We hope this helps our customers through these tough times. We also appreciate your loyalty and continued support you give us by continuing to use our services. We look forward to helping you with your landscape installation, landscaping maintenance and tree service needs in the future. Sincerely, Keith Pekau, President Gardening Tips JULY AUGUST Remove watersprouts and suckers from ornamental fruit trees Remove faded flowers on roses, annuals, and perennials Monitor all plants regularly for insect and disease problems Cut flowers during the early morning Pull weeds before they go to seed Late summer or early autumn is the best time to divide perennials that bloom in the spring and summer. In hot weather, let grass grow longer by raising the height of your mower Continue regular weeding   TREE PRUNING Routine pruning to remove weak, diseased or dead limbs can be accomplished at any time during the year with little effect on the tree. This allows the tree to utilize its resources to defend parts of the tree that are not infected and reduces the ability of insects or pathogens to spread to healthy parts of the tree. Our crews are trained by our certified arborists to properly prune and manage your trees and shrubs.   APPLE SCAB ON CRABAPPLES Without question, the most common and aesthetically damaging disease of apples and crab apples in Illinois is apple scab. Susceptible varieties can be defoliated by midsummer in severe years. Cool, wet conditions in April and early May favor early disease development. Under those conditions, both leaf and fruit infections can occur. In severe cases of early infection, there may be fruit drop. Early defoliation weakens trees and increases the likelihood of winter injury or injury from other pests. Infected fruits are blemished and often severely deformed and leaves are characterized by black spots and yellowing leaves. Many of you have your trees sprayed to help prevent apple scab (or at least minimize the aesthetic damage. This year's weather will likely render those treatment less effective than in the past and I have already observed apple scab on many treated trees. Rest assured , barring cool wet weather extending into late May and June, future treatments should be as effective as they've been in the past. PLANTING & TRANSPLANTING Without question, the most common and aesthetically damaging disease of apples and crab apples in Illinois is apple scab. Susceptible varieties can be defoliated by midsummer in severe years. Cool, wet conditions in April and early May favor early disease development. Under those conditions, both leaf and fruit infections can occur. In severe cases of early infection, there may be fruit drop. Early defoliation weakens trees and increases the likelihood of winter injury or injury from other pests. Infected fruits are blemished and often severely deformed and leaves are characterized by black spots and yellowing leaves. There is a lot of information about lawn fertilization available to you via various sources. Some of this information is good, some not so much. In the end, we recommend putting 3 to 4 lbs of nitrogen on your lawns throughout the year. This should be accomplished with lighter nitrogen amounts in spring which will keep your lawn from growing to rapidly, little to no fertilizer in the summer to avoid burning out your lawn, and higher nitrogen amounts in the fall to encourage root development. Research has shown that a tree can lose up to 95% of its root system as a result of transplanting. This causes a great deal of stress. After transplanting, the tree may form fewer and smaller leaves and grow very little. How long the stress period lasts depends on the size of the tree, its site, and the care it is given. A small tree (2-3 inch diameter), planted on a good site and given adequate water, should return to vigorous growth in 2-3 years. Large trees take longer to recover from transplanting than small trees; approximately 1 year for each inch of diameter. As long as branches are not dying and growth improves each year, the tree is doing well. Top SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER ANOTHER SPRING Like every other year in Chicago, this year brought unusual weather. This summer was much cooler than usual and the spring was extremely rainy. The cold weather we had a few weeks ago "tricked" a few of our trees into fall behavior. Hence, some of our trees are losing their leaves and changing colors. Overall, it was good season for planting, but a very difficult year for fungal diseases such as Apple Scab and Cedar Hawthorne Rust. Economically, conditions remain difficult but hopefully the worst is behind us. Here at GroundsKeeper we have either lowered or kept our pricing steady. We hope this helps our customers through these tough times. We appreciate your loyalty and the continued support you give us by continuing to use our services. We look forward to helping you with your landscape installation, landscaping maintenance and tree service needs in the future. Sincerely, Keith Pekau, President Gardening Tips JULY AUGUST Remove watersprouts and suckers from ornamental fruit trees Remove faded flowers on roses, annuals, and perennials Monitor all plants regularly for insect and disease problems Cut flowers during the early morning Pull weeds before they go to seed Late summer or early autumn is the best time to divide perennials that bloom in the spring and summer. In hot weather, let grass grow longer by raising the height of your mower Continue regular weeding   TREE PRUNING Routine pruning to remove weak, diseased or dead limbs can be accomplished at any time during the year with little effect on the tree. This allows the tree to utilize its resources to defend parts of the tree that are not infected and reduces the ability of insects or pathogens to spread to healthy parts of the tree. Our crews are trained by our certified arborists to properly prune and manage your trees and shrubs.   APPLE SCAB ON CRABAPPLES Without question, the most common and aesthetically damaging disease of apples and crab apples in Illinois is apple scab. Susceptible varieties can be defoliated by midsummer in severe years. Cool, wet conditions in April and early May favor early disease development. Under those conditions, both leaf and fruit infections can occur. In severe cases of early infection, there may be fruit drop. Early defoliation weakens trees and increases the likelihood of winter injury or injury from other pests. Infected fruits are blemished and often severely deformed and leaves are characterized by black spots and yellowing leaves. Many of you have your trees sprayed to help prevent apple scab (or at least minimize the aesthetic damage. This year's weather will likely render those treatment less effective than in the past and I have already observed apple scab on many treated trees. Rest assured , barring cool wet weather extending into late May and June, future treatments should be as effective as they've been in the past. PLANTING & TRANSPLANTING The planting hole should be wider than the roots or root ball, two to three times wider is recommended. Also, do not dig the hole any deeper than the depth of the roots or root ball. Make sure the root collar, or area of the trunk that flares out near the soil line, is visible. The uppermost lateral roots should be just below the soil surface. Additionally, the sides of the hole should slope up gradually, making it saucer- or bowl-shaped. Once the plant is in the hole, remove twine and cut as much burlap as possible. If the plant is in a wire basket, remove as much wire as possible   Research has shown that a tree can lose up to 95% of its root system as a result of transplanting. This causes a great deal of stress. After transplanting, the tree may form fewer and smaller leaves and grow very little. How long the stress period lasts depends on the size of the tree, its site, and the care it is given. A small tree (2-3 inch diameter), planted on a good site and given adequate water, should return to vigorous growth in 2-3 years. Large trees take longer to recover from transplanting than small trees; approximately 1 year for each inch of diameter. As long as branches are not dying and growth improves each year, the tree is doing well. Top EMERALD ASH BORER UPDATE In North America, EAB attacks and kills all ash trees including healthy trees. Over 15 million North American ash trees have succumbed to this borer. If EAB is not contained, the 130 million ash trees in North Eastern Illinois could be destroyed. At the present time, no insecticide controls EAB 100% of the time. Michigan State University recommends treatment only inside of quarantined areas. The quarantine areas in Illinois have yet to be determined, so treatment is not recommended at this time. The best course of action is to ensure that you do not transport firewood from out of state into Illinois and make sure that the firewood you purchase is generated locally. If you’re interested in any of our services, please contact us at 708-301-7441 to schedule a free estimate. As a reminder we provide a wide range of tree and landscaping services. Keith Pekau Emerald Ash Border Emerald ash border (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, is an exotic beetle that was discovered in southeastern Michigan near Detroit in the summer of 2002. The adult beetles nibble on ash foliage but cause little damage. The larvae (the immature stage) feed on the inner bark of ash trees, disrupting the tree's ability to transport water and nutrients. Emerald ash borer probably arrived in the United States on solid wood packing material carried in cargo ships or airplanes originating in its native Asia. Emerald ash borer is also established in Windsor, Ontario, was found in Ohio in 2003, northern Indiana in 2004, and northern Illinois in 2006. Since its discovery, EAB has: Killed more than 20 million ash trees in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. Most of the devastation is in southeastern Michigan. Caused regulatory agencies and the USDA to enforce quarantines and fines to prevent potentially infested ash trees, logs or firewood from moving out of areas where EAB occurs. Cost municipalities, property owners, nursery operators and forest products industries s tens of millions of dollars. What's Being Done A concerted effort to stop EAB has been launched by state and federal officials. Research is being conducted at universities, as well, to understand the beetle's life cycle and find ways to detect new infestations, control EAB adults and larvae, and contain the infestation. Eradication efforts by state and federal agencies in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Canada are under way to prevent small infestations from growing into large infestations. Quarantines are in place to prevent infested ash firewood, logs or nursery trees from being transported and starting new infestations. This Web site provides information from Michigan State University, Purdue University, the Ohio State University, the Michigan and Ohio departments of Agriculture; the Michigan, Indiana and Ohio departments of Natural Resources; the USDA Forest Service; and the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Our goal is to help you find answers to your questions about EAB. We also provide links to other EAB-related Web sites. Please check this site often because information changes frequently. What to know about EAB: It attacks only ash trees (Fraxinus spp.). Adult Beetles are metallic green and about 1/2-inch long. Adults leave a D-shaped exit hole in the bark when they emerge in spring. Woodpeckers like EAB larvae; heavy woodpecker damage on ash trees may be a sign of infestation. Firewood cannot be moved in many areas of Michigan, Ohio and Indiana because of the EAB quarantine ( Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Maryland) It probably came from Asia in wood packing material. If you suspect you may have EAB in your ash trees, call these numbers: Illinois - contact your county Extension office. The Illinois Department of Agriculture also will offer a toll-free hotline at 800-641-3934 for extension-confirmed infestations. USDA APHIS 1-866-322-4512. Scientists are studying methods of controlling EAB. The latest information on insecticide evaluations can help homeowners, arborists and landscapers decide if and how they can treat trees for EAB in certain areas in southeastern Michigan. IMPORTANT NOTE: Using insecticides to control EAB on ash trees is an option in Michigan and the EAB quarantined counties in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. If your tree is located within an area designated for eradication or suppression activities, it may be removed by regulatory agencies even if it has been treated. In those cases where government-ordered tree removals occur within the contiguous EAB quarantine counties, consideration will be given to ash trees treated by certified applicators utilizing methods and materials recommended by Michigan State University. If your ash trees are located outside of this area in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois or Ohio, using insecticides may not be recommended. If you are not sure about the regulatory status of your area or whether you should consider insecticides, please contact your county Extension office. Top WINTER NEWSLETTER Looking for the opportunity to shape your career in the landscaping industry? If you are a dynamic, responsible, self-motivated So far this winter has been unusually warm and fairly wet. This should be good for your perennials and shrubs next spring and summer. This is a welcome change to last year’s drought. You may be asking, why is GroundsKeeper sending a winter newsletter? While few people are thinking about their landscaping and trees during the winter, it is a great time of year to do several things. TREE CARE The dormant season is a great time to prune your trees. In fact, it is the only time that life wood should be pruned off of your OAKS and ELMS. Pruning in the dormant season allows us to easily visualize the structure of the tree. In addition it maximizes wound closure in the growing season after pruning, reduces the chance of transmitting disease, and discourages excessive sap flow from wounds. Recent wounds and the chemical scents they emit can actually attract insects that spread tree disease. In particular, wounded elm wood is known to attract bark beetles that harbor spores of the Dutch elm disease fungus, and open wounds on oaks are known to attract beetles that spread the oak wilt fungus. Take care to prune these trees during the correct time of year to prevent spread of these fatal diseases. SHRUBS The dormant season is the proper time to prune many of your shrubs (think of them as small trees). Similar to trees, it is easy to visualize the structure, maximizes wound closer, decreases disease transmittal and discourages sap flow from wounds. Additionally, we see many shrubs topped that should not be. Not only does this practice ruin the natural shape of the shrub, but it increases susceptibility to diseases and results in narrow angles between the trunk and side branches. These narrow angles are weaker than wide ones and more susceptible to damage from wind and ice. Top MONTHLY GARDENING TIPS February Monitor tree health. It's easier to notice dead branches, hollows, and cankers on tree during the dormant season. Cankers are signs that the tree has disease. Prune trees and shrubs. The ideal time to prune is in the dormant season, just prior to new growth. Wait to prune spring flowering plants to avoid removing this years buds. Clean and sharpen garden tools. Get ready for the upcoming growing season. March General clean up: rake the lawn and remove leaves, twigs, and debris. Check for winter snow and salt damage. Prune dead tips and broken branches. Cut ornamental grasses back to a few inches before new growth begins. Prevent soil compaction. Avoid walking across saturated lawns and garden beds. Our crews are working through the winter, primarily trimming trees and shrubs. Please contact us at 708-301-7441 if you have any questions or would like to set up an estimate for any of your tree or landscaping needs. Thank you. Keith Pekau Top   Top   PRESS RELEASES Top PRESS RELEASE, Homeshow Participation, 2010 PRESS RELEASE, MARCH 25th 2009 PRESS RELEASE, MARCH 20th 2009 PRESS RELEASE, MARCH 15th 2009 PRESS RELEASE, APRIL PALOS PARK GREEN EARTH FUN DAY PRESS RELEASE, Homeshow Participation, 2010 GroundsKeeper Participating in Several Home Improvement Shows this Spring GroundsKeeper Landscape Services will participate in St. Charles, Naperville and Tinley Park Home Improvement Shows New Lenox, IL 60451: Keith Pekau and Jeff Jarr, owners of GroundsKeeper Landscape Care will participate in home improvement shows in St. Charles, Tinley Park and Naperville this spring. The St. Charles show will be held at Pheasant Run resort from Feb 12th to 14th, 2010. The Tinley Park show will be held at the Tinley Park Convention Center March 5th thru 7th. Lastly, the Naperville show will be held from March 19th to 21st at the North Central College Recreation Center in Naperville. Mr. Pekau is a Certified Arborist and Landscape Designer. Mr. Jarr is a Certified Arborist and pond installation expert. GroundsKeeper Landscape Care is a locally owned full service landscaping company who's Sustainable Landscape SystemTM, combines proper design, building and maintenance to maximize landscaping enjoyment.   Top   PRESS RELEASE, MARCH 25th 2009 GroundsKeeper Opens moves into new location GroundsKeeper Landscape Care restores property in New Lenox New Lenox, IL 60451 GroundsKeeper Landscape Care recently completed a brand new building at 13204 W. Rt 6 in New Lenox. GroundsKeeper is locally owned by Orland Park resident, Keith Pekau, provides landscaping services to residential and commercial customers in the SouthWest suburbs. The new building has 3,500 sqft. of warehouse space and 1,500 sqft. of office space. Additionally, GroundsKeeper restored a one acre wetland along Route 6. The restoration included planting native species, removing invasive species and planting approximately 30 native shade trees throughout the property. According to Mr. Pekau, "We are happy that we could develop a vacant property that will help bring jobs to the local area and at the same time restore a dead wetland. Hopefully, in the next few years we will see some wildlife return to the wetland."   Top   PRESS RELEASE, MARCH 20th 2009 GroundsKeeper Presenting Seminars at Homer Glen Home Show March 28th-30th GroundsKeeper Landscape Care will conduct seminars on landscaping and ponds at the upcoming Homer Home Show Homer Glen, IL 60462: Keith Pekau and Jeff Jarr, owners of GroundsKeeper Landscape Care will provide seminars at the Chicago Home Show of Homer Glen being held at the Homer Mega Plex from March 28th - 30th. Mr. Pekau is a Certified Arborist and Landscape Designer and will speak about caring for your landscaping after installation. The seminar will focus on proper planting, good cultural practices, structural tree pruning and shrub pruning in order to keep your landscaping looking great. Mr. Jarr is a Certified Arborist and pond installation expert. The pond/water feature seminar will focus on how to properly install a water feature, with some insight on design and maintenance as well. GroundsKeeper Landscape Care is a locally owned full service landscaping company who's Sustainable Landscape SystemTM, combines proper design, building and maintenance to maximize landscaping enjoyment.   Top   PRESS RELEASE, MARCH 15th 2009 GroundsKeeper Named Unilock® Authorized Contractor Unilock® recognizes GroundsKeeper Landscape Care's installation and workmanship quality Orland Park, IL 60462: GroundsKeeper Landscape Care was recently named a Unilock® Authorized Contractor. GroundsKeeper, locally owned by Orland Park resident, Keith Pekau, provides landscaping services to residential and commercial customers in the SouthWest suburbs. Unilock® Authorized Contractor's meet rigorous quality control standards and guarantee their work for a minimum of two year. According to Mr. Pekau, "We are proud to team with Unilock® to provide the highest quality standards, a warranty of 5 years, and the latest installation expertise to our customers."   Top   PRESS RELEASE, APRIL PALOS PARK GREEN EARTH FUN DAY GroundsKeeper Proudly Sponsors Palos Park Green Earth Week GroundsKeeper Landscape Care sponsors Palos Park celebration of Arbor Day Palos Park, IL 60462: GroundsKeeper Landscape Care is a proud sponsor of Palos Park's Green Earth Week celebrated from April 20th to April 26th. The celebration includes activities on Arbor Day ( April 20th), National Earth Day (April 22nd), and Green Earth Fun Day (April 26th). Activities include a poster contest, an essay contest and a pet walk. For more information, call the Palos Park administration center at 671-3700.   Top
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