New England Landscape & Gardening Blog

Snow Removal Law and Regulations

New England winters are characterized, whether we like it or not, by the accumulation of snow.  While all of us, on some level, look forward to the arrival of snow and the fun that it can bring, we are also aware of the work that is involved in snow removal.  For some of us snow removal means time spent in the driveway with a shovel, and for others it is yet another item in our budget.  Regardless, it is worth knowing what exactly is required of us in New England when it comes to removing snow.

Snow Removal Regulations

The simple response is that your responsibilities regarding snow removal depend upon where you live.  As a matter that falls under state jurisdiction, the state that you live in will have its own snow removal law.  In a lot of cases, municipalities are allowed to create their own snow removal laws or ordinances that determine the manner in which snow must be removed.  Typically the burden falls upon the property owner.

For those of us who are property owners it is especially important that we act diligently and ensure that snow is removed properly, and in a timely fashion.  Often there are penalties for the neglect, or improper removal of snow.  For specific details you would have to consult the snow removal laws in your local area.  However, in most instances property owners are held liable for injuries resulting from improper snow removal, and in states such as Massachusetts, can now be held responsible for injuries resulting from natural accumulations as well.

You can contact your town or city offices or DPW for more specific details on snow removal laws for your property.

Winter Treewrap

Winter is without a doubt the harshest time of the year on your landscape plants.  Wrapping your trees and shrubs for winter can protect them from a number of problems which are unique to the winter months.  As exposed vegetation, your trees and shrubs will undoubtedly attract animals such as deer and rabbits throughout the winter.  Similarly, winter treewrap can keep the salt and other chemicals used to control ice during the winter from falling on them and causing damage.  Wrapping trees can also provide a means of controlling their temperature.

While deer are perhaps the most famous of winter pests in New England, there are a number of critters that are eager to get at your trees and shrubs.  With food harder to find, your plants which may have been safe during the summer, will undoubtedly attract some extra attention during the winter.  Wrapping your trees and shrubs is an effective way to keep animals off.

As harmful as the ice can be to those of us who live in New England, the salt and other chemicals that we use to de-ice the areas around our homes can be just as harmful to our plants.  Providing some cover to trees and shrubs can keep that harmful salt from damaging their bark or foliage, while still allowing you to prevent your driveway from becoming an ice rink.

While New England winters are famous for their cold temperatures, your plants know them best for the harmful fluctuations in temperature.  While many of the plants that we have in our yards are capable of dealing with cold weather, the fluctuation between freezing and thawing conditions can cause significant damage both internally and externally.  Providing a layer of cover for your trees and shrubs will help protect against damage caused throughout the plant as a result of repeatedly freezing during the night and then thawing once the sun is back.

For the little effort involved in providing some cover for your trees and shrubs during the winter, the amount of damage that you can prevent is considerable.  There are numerous products available for protecting your plants, and for the small investment the payoff is certainly worth it.

Steps to Winterize Irrigation System

Probably one of the most important steps that a home owner can take to protect the long life of their systems is to properly winterize the irrigation system. In regions such as New England, where cold winter weather lasts for months on end, without draining your irrigation lines it is unlikely that your system will last the winter.

There are several different types of lawn irrigation systems available, and each is tailored slightly to its particular instillation.  However, there are certain similarities between systems that allow for a general list of steps to be taken in preparing for the winter.

Listed below is a list of steps that you can take to winterize your irrigation system:

1. Shut off the water supply.  Your shut-off valve needs to be in an area where it will not freeze, otherwise while you may preserve your underground lines, the rest of your system may still be damaged.  Typically there is a valve (or a controller/timing unit) located somewhere in your basement.  Make sure that the point of shut off is below the frost line or in a heated area.

2. To prevent possible damage to your pump, if you have an automatic lawn irrigation system, make sure that the controller for the system is shut down.  If it is not, it is possible that the controller could activate the pump while there is nowhere for the water to flow, causing unnecessary strain on the system.

3. On many irrigation systems there is a device to prevent "backflow."  This will need to be removed or opened before you will be able to drain your irrigation lines.

4. At this point you will be ready to drain your lines.  Drainage valves must be opened at each low point in the system, as well as each high point in the system, as water in the lines will not flow out without the ability of air to get in.  

5. One alternative to using drainage valves to empty your irrigation lines is to use the "blow out" method to remove the water from your system.  This method involves using compressed air to force the water out of the system.  While it is highly effective, it also carries the risk of damaging the system if too much pressure is used.  As a result, it is recommended that you do not attempt this method unless you are sure of the psi necessary to drain the system safely. 

Prepare Your Lawn for Winter

With cold weather on its way in New England, it is important to get your lawn ready for winter.  It is essential to prepare your lawn for winter weather if you want a healthy lawn in the spring.  Without taking the necessary steps to protect your lawn this winter it may sustain serious damage.

The most important step to prepare your lawn for the New England winter is making sure that it is free of clutter.  As much of a chore as it may be, raking the leaves and properly disposing of them will help your lawn stay healthy during the winter as much as anything you can do for it.  Also, remove rocks, twigs and branches, as well as other debris.

While it may seem odd given the season, winter is one of the most crucial times to look out for weeds in your lawn.  One clever way to deal with weeds during the winter is to add rye grass to your lawn.  Not only will rye help prevent weed growth during the winter, it will also keep your lawn looking full when it otherwise would not.  In the spring the rye will die off and your lawn will have a weed free head start in the spring.

Since your lawn will continue to grow throughout the winter, it is important that it continues to get water.  Watering your lawn during dry periods during the winter can be just as important as it is during any other season.  Just because your lawn is not growing quickly during the cold does not mean that it is entirely dormant.  

You want to enjoy your lawn in the spring, not have to nurse it back to health.  Spend a little time to get your lawn ready for winter and come spring, once when the snow starts to melt and you are looking forward to spending time outside, you will have a beautiful green lawn waiting for you.

2010 Summer Fungus Alert

Due to recent weather conditions and humidity in New England, we are seeing fungus appear on many of the lawns we maintain.  Fungus such as red thread, dollar spot and brown patch become more prominent in humid weather and can cause your lawn to quickly deteriorate.  

Red Thread, or Pink-Patch, known for its tan to reddish coloring can spread from a couple inches to several feet in diameter.

Dollar Spot Disease appears as small pancake size circles in your lawn.

Brown Patch Disease starts off as small patches with a smoky ring around the edges, and can quickly spread to several feet wide.

To encourage a healthy lawn, we recommend a preventative treatment of fungicide during the summer though curative treatments may be necessary in the future if fungus actually infiltrates the turf. 
Please contact the office at Rutland Nurseries if you would like someone to come out and evaluate your lawn condition or would like more information on fungicide treatments.

Watering Your Lawn in the Summer Heat

The current weather conditions in New England can quickly damage unwatered and underwatered lawns and plant material. Please remember that during times of prolonged summer heat and dry weather plants, trees, flowers, lawn sod and seed need extra watering.

SEED
(hydroseeding, slice seeding and overseeding)

From the time of germination, seed is particularly vulnerable to death from drying and must receive sufficient water until it is a well rooted established plant. During hot and dry weather, new seed should be watered for ½ hour 3 times a day. As the weather cools down the time can be decreased to ½ hour 2 times a day (early morning and evening).

SOD

Immediately after installation, sod should be watered thoroughly. Soak ( ½ hr) the sod twice a day for the first week then taper off to a normal watering program of ½ hour once a day (early morning or evening). Remember that it takes several weeks for the roots to knit and drying occurs faster than with established turf.

SHRUBS

All shrub plantings in and around your lawn need watering daily during extremely hot dry summer heat. It is important that you get deep penetration of water in newly planted beds. This means running a hose directly on the plants until the water starts to puddle. Also, remember that large shrubs and trees need large amounts of water.

DO NOT RELY ON AN IRRIGATION SYSTEM TO PROVIDE ENOUGH WATER FOR NEWLY PLANTED TREES AND SHRUBS. Most irrigation systems were designed for the watering requirements of lawn areas.

FLOWERS AND GROUND COVERS

Plants should be watered every other day normally. In hot, dry weather they should be watered daily.

IRRIGATION

If you have underground lawn irrigation, you should adjust the watering time during the summer heat to ½ hour per zone or more for rotary heads and 15 minutes per zone for spray heads. IF YOU DON’T CURRENTLY HAVE AN IRRIGATION SYSTEM, NOW MAY BE THE TIME TO CONSIDER ONE.