I think Fall is here. These temps that we have had in Early September has us so very thankful it isn't so hot while we are out in the field. It also give our air conditioners a break; at least for a moment or two, right?
When you think of Fall what do you think of? I think of college football, Halloween, hoodies, bonfires and drinks with friends and/or my adult kids. I think of high school football and watching my nephew play. Sometimes there is NFL thrown in there as well. Just sometimes though.
So now that you have enjoyed your backyard oasis all Spring and Summer it is time to prepare it for Winter. Which will give you a great head start for next Spring!
How do you prepare your yard for Winter you ask? Well let's chat about that. Believe it or not, Fall is a great time to plant. By planting in the Fall it encourages good root development. This allows the plants to establish themselves before the Spring. This is also a great time to divide or separate your perennials and let them flourish in another part of your yard. This is also the time that you are going to get your perennial bulbs ready for planting, you will do this prior to the first frost of the Winter. Remember to pull those cold sensitive bulbs such as Canna's and store them in a cool dry place to be ready for the upcoming Spring season.
Let's go over somethings that you can do to your turf to make it look it's best. Did you have work done this Spring or Summer and your turf is looking less than stellar? This is the perfect time to lay some fertilizer and aerate your lawn so it can breath. While we are at it lets take care of that grub issue that you may have. Now is the time to throw some seed in the spots that it's needed or maybe it is bad enough that you need to re-sod.
Final cut of the year shouldn't go below the crown. However, it needs to be as low as possible without causing damage. Our final cut is at 3 inches on all of our properties. We cant forget those leaves! Mulching the leaves is a great source of nutrients for your grass. Make sure to remove the excess leaves, those will cause dead spots in the turf that you just worked so hard to repair. Why give yourself more work? Thankfully most cities around the Dayton, Ohio area have a service to come and pick up the leaves that you put on the curb or as close to the street as possible. Please do not just blow them into the street. That causes many more problems for motorist, bikers (there are more than fair weather bikers out there ) and pedestrians. This organic matter will freeze and cause an extremely slippery situation that can be avoided.
Your last step is to do an inventory of all of your tools, sharpen blades and your cutting tools. Replace your old with new, if needed so you are ready for next season.
Look at those smiles!
Gravity Games
This year a team member took part in Gravity Games here in Moraine, Ohio. This took place on September 24th. This is an event where the community gets together and showcases their homemade, creative, four-wheeled “vehicles” and race them down Main Street’s hill in Moraine. This is the 6th annual event and there were 3 divisional age groups, giving the littlest of drivers a chance to win and of course there are prizes. Our Brunner's car didn't place, but they definitely had fun, just look at the smiles on the kiddos faces.
October Rock Star
October's Rock Star of the month is someone who exudes our core values; Integrity, Dependability, and Respect. He has been apart of the team since 2018 and is our Training Officer here at Brunner's. On Monday mornings you can find him at "Tailgate Talk" where he is educating our crews on something new, or going over a previous topic. During the day you'll find him out in the field training, teaching the newer crew members how to do their job efficiently and effectively. Matt's positive attitude and up beat mood, make him perfect for the the role that he plays are Brunner's. We appreciate all he does for Brunner's!
(Matt and his son are pictured above.)