Blog

Your Source For Organic Tick Control

Ticks are all too common on Long Island, particularly in Suffolk County where wooded areas serve as nesting grounds for the tiny pests. From here, ticks can hop their way onto lawns and gardens, wreaking havoc on adults, children, and pets! It’s not uncommon for ticks to carry diseases such as Lymes, Powassan, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and ehrlichiosis, making the need for organic tick control urgent.

When faced with a tick infestation, it’s important to act quickly with organic tick spray. Organic tick spray ensures a tick-free environment without any collateral damage.

However, there is no such thing as “one size fits all” organic tick control. That’s why we use both tailored organic tick spray and chemical spray methods that best suit the individual needs of each property.

State-Of-The-Art Organic Mosquito Control

Among some of the most common pests during Long Island’s summer season, mosquitoes are notorious for ruining barbecues, picnics – you name it! Swarms of bugs that bite and leave itchy, sometimes stinging marks on you are just the beginning of the problems that ensue.

Believe us when we say organic mosquito control shouldn’t be an afterthought!

Did you know that mosquitoes can (and often do) lay their eggs in just about anything that holds water? This can range from clogged gutters, stray bowls/cups, tires, vases – anything in your yard that can hold rain or excess moisture is a possibility. To make matters worse, mosquitoes can transmit viruses like West Nile, which several Long Islanders tested positive for in 2018. In fact, we’ve seen an increase in Asian Tiger Mosquitoes, which are aggressive feeders during the day.

But your outdoor adventures don’t have to be so stressful (or itchy)! You can avoid pesky, potentially dangerous mosquito infestations with our organic mosquito control and chemical spray options. Our organic mosquito control remedies will get the job done pain-free, without adverse effects on your plants, pets, and children.

Interested in owning a tick and mosquito-free garden without a catch? Click here to request an estimate on our organic tick control and organic mosquito control services.

Helping Winter Pollinators: What You Can Do

You see them buzzing around all spring and summer; the birds and insects that act as our pollinators. From giant lumbering bumblebees to tiny flies and beetles, these tireless workers spend the growing season moving pollen from one plant to another as they feed on the pollen and nectar. They are the reason we have flowering plants and a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. 

You already know that planting pollinator-friendly flowering plants during spring and summer helps these tiny creatures, but is there anything you can do for them in the winter? Yes, there is. 

As it turns out, having a messy winter yard is a great help to pollinators. 

Planting fall-friendly flowers—such as late-blooming aster, sedum—or even allowing goldenrod (often considered a weed) to remain in your garden can help these pollinators fatten up for the winter before they set in to hibernate. The dead husks of these plants also provide great hiding places for these insects through the winter, so consider waiting until spring to cut them down. 

Many of our native pollinators overwinter in leaf litter and deadwood that collects in your yard during the fall. Native bees make their nests in undisturbed soil, while bumble and other larger bee species look for nooks and crannies in bark, or holes made in trees by beetle larvae the previous season. If there’s a dry, sunny spot in your yard with exposed soil you may even see little mounds that look like anthills, which are actually bee nests. 

Even butterflies such as Tiger Swallowtails and certain moths use leaf litter and other plant matter to endure the winter. The list of insects that depend on leaf litter and decaying matter in your yard is almost endless, and the work they do for us is irreplaceable. So if you have a messy garden this winter, congratulations! You’re already doing your part for the pollinators in your life. If you haven’t, don’t worry, just plant lots of flowering plants this spring and consider leaving them be next fall. It’s never too late to help out our insect helpers. 

Organic Living Calendar

January Tips:

  • Check on dahlia, canna, and gladiolus bulbs for rotting and/or drying out
  • Prune away storm-damaged branches promptly to prevent tearing of the bark
  • Prune forsythia, pussy willow, quince, etc. for forcing indoors
  • Determine types and quantities of plants/seeds to order

February Tips:

  • Prune summer and fall blooming shrubs
  • On frigid nights continue to protect indoor plants from freezing; move them away from the glass or cover glass with thick newspaper or cardboard
  • Sow seeds of annuals which require a long growing season, e.g. lobelia, petunia, vinca, browallia, snapdragon, verbena, etc.
  • Check on winter plant protection; add mulch and adjust plant stakes as necessary

March Tips:

  • Plant cold weather vegetables like spinach, peas, lettuce, and broccoli as soon as soil is workable
  • Cut back ornamental grasses to new shoots
  • Prune late-flowering shrubs such as buddleia and Hydrangea paniculata but wait until after flowering on early-flowering shrubs like forsythia, Hydrangea macrophylla, rhododendron, and syringa
  • Carefully remove winter mulches from planting beds
  • Add compost in four to six inch layers and work into planting bed soil

April Tips:

  • Prune early spring-flowering shrubs immediately after flowers die.
  • Make sure to leave bulb foliage until yellowed to ensure beautiful blooms next year! ( my idea!)
  • Can begin dviding some late flowering perennials.
  • Re-seed bare lawn areas.
  • Place peony ring supports.
  • Plant out cool-season annuals like pansies and snapdragons

May Tips:

  • Dig and divide early-blooming perennials after flowering
  • Lift, divide, and replant late summer and fall-blooming perennial
  • Deadhead bulbs but allow foliage to remain until yellow to nourish bulbs for next year’s display
  • Sow seeds of corn, cucumber, and melon directly in the garden
  • Harden off tomato, eggplant, and pepper transplants before planting out at end of month
  • Plant summer-flowering bulbs such as gladiolas and dahlias after last frost date
  • Take out houseplants as temperatures moderate; move to partially shaded, wind-protected location

June Tips:

  • Leave grass clippings on lawn to improve availability of nitrogen
  • Harvest cool-weather lettuce, radishes, and scallions
  • Sow seeds of heat-tolerant vegetables
  • Fertilize annuals and container plants
  • Set supports for floppy plants, vines, and vegetables

July Tips:

  • Deadhead annuals and perennials to encourage continuous bloom, and cut back any rampant growth
  • Lift, divide, and replant late summer and fall-blooming perennial
  • Remove any fallen leaves and debris that can harbor insect pests and disease organisms
  • Finish deadheading rhododendrons and lilacs
  • Continue to fertilize annuals and container plants each month
  • Leave nitrogen-rich grass clippings on lawn
  • Sow seed of lettuce, kale, broccoli, cabbage, radishes, and arugula for fall harvest

August Tips:

  • Order spring-flowering bulbs for fall planting
  • Plant out seedlings of cool vegetable plants for fall harvest
  • Shape and pinch back houseplants before returning them indoors
  • Check houseplants for insect pests and treat as necessary before bringing them in
  • Sow seed of late-harvest vegetables such as carrots, beets, and turnips

September Tips:

  • Complete ordering spring-flowering bulbs and other plants for fall planting
  • Plant and transplant broad-leaved and needle-leaved evergreens through October 15
  • Continue to divide and transplant early-blooming perennials
  • Divide daylilies after flowering

October Tips:

  • Compost fallen leaves and garden debris such as annuals and spent vegetable plants
  • Continue to plant spring-flowering bulbs; begin planting tulips before month’s end
  • Prune late-flowering shrubs and trees when dormant
  • Bring in all houseplants before frost

November Tips:

  • Cut back perennials to 4-5″, but leave ornamental grasses to provide winter interest until spring
  • Mulch flower beds to keep soil temperature stable and prevent winter injury from frost heaving
  • Continue to plant deciduous trees and shrubs until the ground freezes
  • Complete planting spring-flowering bulbs
  • Fertilize trees and shrubs before the ground freezes so that food is available to plants in early spring

December Tips:

  • After ground freezes, mulch perennial and bulb planting beds. The mulch will prevent heaving during the alternate freeze/thaw cycle
  • Avoid the use of salt to melt snow as it is toxic to most plants. Use sawdust, sand, or cat litter
  • Keep bird feeders filled throughout winter
  • Continue to protect shrubs from deer with burlap or netting
  • Hold off on fertilizing indoor plants until spring
  • Set up Christmas tree in a reservoir stand. Cut on a slant about 1″ above existing cut for optimum water absorption
Call Us