VHW Lawn Maintenance

06/01/2024

Summer is in full swing

Watering is crucial for the yard to survive this brutal heat during what seems to be an endless drought.

Help your lawn person out.

Don’t leave boobie traps out in their way. It could cause a hazard or at a minimum require them to stop and move stuff out of the way. It’s just not fair to expect them to pick up your yard just so they can do their job!

Be mindful of these obstacles that can cause them to skip areas you have made impossible for them to do.

This goes for not only you but the pets and kids too…

Watering is not only for your yard but also so the dry sand isn’t causing a health hazard for the lawn person, let alone maintenance issues to their equipment. This can not only affect them but other clientele by dulling out blades and delay service because of maintenance issues.

Remember they did not agree to deal with the boobie traps that you have set. In reality they should skip you or charge you extra.

Please think about it and try to see it from their perspective.
They will appreciate it immensely !

01/19/2024

Central Florida Wind chill advisory cover delicate plants 🥶

Just a reminder to cover the plants or bring in with Bruno (the pup) 🐶

Some plants are more susceptible than others mostly the Subtropical and Tropical non native plants are the most sensitive to frost.
For instance citrus, fuchsia, bougainvillea, succulents, salvia, hibiscus, jasmine, tree ferns, penstemon, Ixora plants, violets, begonia , most tropical palms, most grass varieties, seriously there’s far to many to list them all. But those types are the ones to protect as best possible.

Factoid; you can’t possibly cover everything and you must be diligent about keeping up with the weather conditions and plan to remove any covers before it gets to hot and damaging the plants. Try to avoid plastics because these don’t breathe and if it gets too hot it will damage or kill your plants. I’ve seen it happen.

Also some plants will die back but once spring starts they will recover. Best to cut them back just below the first sign of new growth.

For future planning (replacing the dead stuff) try to consider natural native plants that are less susceptible to freezing.

All this for the occasional frost or wind freeze, and the least likely freeze. We usually get just brief cold fronts but I’ve seen it get really cold, snow even. It’s Mother Nature, she’s pretty unpredictable 😜

Plants are like Floridians, they don’t do cold 😜

11/26/2023

I’ve seen this before and told folks about it but unless you see it in action it’s hard to imagine how easily it works. There’s a couple of local companies/tree farms that have equipment like this. Mostly done for Palm trees.

09/19/2021

Just a reminder

03/28/2020

COVID19 Advisory

Never thought it would be necessary to send this type of an advisory to my customers. But this is a serious situation and we must all take it seriously.

I value you and your safety.

I am taking precautions and have been from the onset - constantly washing my hands between stops.

Avoiding close contact. It’s nothing personal just respectful.

I plan on working until it’s forbidden because I work by myself. I do ask not to be approached (feel free to call or text) and am asking please don’t leave anything out that I might have to touch/move. I will avoid touching for mutual safety reasons. Note that gates are obviously an exception and I have no choice. Please use caution on these areas after service.

Stay safe!
Slow the spread!

07/11/2019

Surely by now everyone has seen the news and ads for law suits against Bare - Roundup.

Lots of folks getting caught up in the BS these groups are throwing out for their own gain.

Truth is it’s all BS. I’ve been spraying roundup for nearly 30 years. Sure at first I was concerned and did a good bit of research. The studies from all the research of many different scientists have the same basic results. There are no significant chemicals in roundup that causes cancer.

In fact, roundup dissipates with contacted soil. Doesn’t cause skin irritations or burns. Not really harmful if ingested (not that it should ever be consumed or come in contact with your skin).

Also folks are hung up on a name.. Roundup, it is only one of many that contains glyphosate - the chemical in question. But yet you don’t hear anything about them.

The alternative and what I believe is the driving force behind a lot of the negative publicity is the manufactures of the so called Organic w**d control alternatives.

Well I did some research on these. I got to tell you this stuff is a lot more dangerous and smells horrible.
This stuff will burn your skin. It never dissipates, extremely harmful to invertebrates, pets, fish and yes humans 😳 Did I mention it stinks and the fumes burn your eyes... you don’t want to get this stuff on your skin and god forbid in your eyes.

I have tested many of these and my results are all the same.

Some of the current products that contain Vinegar will appear to be working and at an amazing rate... but... wait for it... While the plant in hours turns brown, it burns the Chlorophyll out of the leaves (it burns the plant much like your skin). However, in a week that same plant will return to full health.

Others that claim to get to the roots and kill the plant (supposed to be like Roundup). Have a few requirements;
Plant must be in full sun for at least 6-8 hours.
No water for at least 48 hours (good luck with that in my area of Florida).
If no results are notable respray after 48 hours 😳
Note that the plant once dead will likely come back and need to be sprayed again in a few weeks 😳 What - I know this doesn’t make sense but that’s clearly what the label states.

All results seem to be epic failure - this stuff is such a crock. Down right rip off IMHO. Their claims of environmental friendly are an out and out lie. Safe to use, not!

There’s always some exceptions. There are a few prominent w**ds in my area that don’t respond to Roundup or the w**d requires multiple (as in 3-4) applications. I have found that cleaning grade vinegar to be effective in burning them out. So there’s a use for an Organic w**d killer (burner) after all. But I would only use this on those particular species of plant.

With what I found my company will not use these alternatives for my safety, my customers safety and the environment.
The only exception is the specific use of vinegar type on plants that require it’s use.

Don’t fall for these so call safer alternatives because they are far from it.

So if you want to avoid using glyphosate and these so called organic alternatives, there’s a solid solution. It’s been around for as long as mankind, safe for the environment and as long as used properly safe for humans...
Mechanical and/or hand w**d.

Which I will do but it’s $100.00 an hour (especially since most folks don’t ask until it’s in the heat of summer).

I hope this helps folks

01/03/2018

Don’t neglect your plants...

Baby it’s cold outside, keep your tender vegetation out of the wind and save from the bitter cold coming.

If they can be moved out of the wind/freezing temperatures do so.

If not, cover with blanket or quilt (thicker is better) but don’t do more damage than the cold would.. Sheets will work too.

Idea is to block/reduce wind burn and create an insulation that will allow ground heat to rise and protect the plant.

Some are just to darn big to do much. Try wrapping trunk... most of the time if it burns and dies back it will recover in the spring. Wrapping the trunk will improve its chances.

Freeze damage can be reduced by watering once it warms above freezing and will remain above feels like freezing most of the day...

Remember wind freezing is still a damaging freeze and will damage plants. So feels like temperature is wind + temperatures = actual temperature outside.

After a cold snap it’s usually clear and sunny. In the winter that means plants dry out faster. Water them to help them recover.

Florida is a tropical zone and unfortunately most of our plants can’t handle freezing.

Grass can burn but will usually come back. In some cases when we get hard frost and temps stay to low to thaw completely for extended time it’s possible that graphed grasses (like St Augustine) might die back and only the hardiest (Bermuda) survives.

On the bright side most hardy shrubs are winter hardy.

Ixora is not one of them

Some helpful links;

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/home/florida-gardening/os-plants-affected-by-winters-cold-20150108-post,amp.html

http://solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu/lawn-and-garden/cold-protection-of-ornamental-plants/

The University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

02/17/2016

Check it out finally bit the bullet and brought my business into the 20th century.. Had to happen sometime... lol Hey, give me a like please..

02/16/2016

Had to make a new logo real quick for manta listing.. Not to shabby lol

02/16/2016