The 17 Year Cicadas are Near: Helpful Resources for Your Preparation

17 Year Cicadas - Country Springs Wholesale Nursery

17 Year Cicada Facts

17 year cicadas (also known as 17 year locusts) are the most feared of cicadas because of the damage they cause to trees. This 2016 Brood V (5) 17 year cicadas are currently emerging by the thousands, in parts of Virginia and Maryland. They begin emerging first in the southern-most ares and gradually emerge in the northern-most areas. For a list of the states and more detail on the geographic range of 17 year cicada, see this page. http://www.cicadamania.com/cicadas/brood-v-17-year-cicadas-due-in-spring-of-2016/
17 year cicadas normally begin to rise from the ground (when the soil 8″ beneath the ground reaches 64 degrees Fahrenheit) around the third week of May all the way through June in areas where they are expected to emerge.

What is a 17 year cicada exactly?

17 year cicadas look like giant flies. They are often referred to as locusts because of their size.
They are not harmful to humans and don’t bite or sting; however, they may mistake part of a human (such as the arms) as a tree or tree limb and attempt to feed. This will barely sting though, so simply remove the cicada from your person and continue your business.
They will feed with their long proboscis under their head, which they use to insert into plant stems in order to feed on sap.

Why 17 year cicadas are a problem17 Year Cicada Egg Scars - Country Springs Wholesale Nursery

So what’s the big deal about these insects? Well as you probably knew already, 17 year cicada are locusts that are known to wreak havoc on trees, particularly young trees as well as ornamental fruit trees.
Female cicadas will lay their eggs deep in tree branches, which will cause the branches to turn brown and wilt. This may result in young trees losing most or possibly all of their branches. 17 year cicadas are also particularly attracted to dogwood, oak, maple and fruit trees.

Where to find 17 year cicadas in your yard

Cicadas will emerge in sunny areas of your yard before cicadas in the shady areas, so check those areas first. Indicators of cicada presence include human finger diameter shaped holes in the ground. You may also find them under stones and slates.
For more information on their potential locations as well as the distinctive sounds they make, check out this page. http://www.cicadamania.com/where.html
For protecting your trees, use 1/4″ mesh cicada netting. This will make it iimpossible for the bugs to crawl through to the tree. Put the net over the entire tree and secure it to the trunk so they can’t crawl under the opening.

As mentioned earlier, Brood V is the one to watch for this year. The map below indicates the areas of highest risk.

17 year cicada calendar - CSWN

 

How Brilliant Landscaping will Increase Your Property Value Right Away

Landscape Property ValueIncrease Your Landscape Property Value Without Breaking a Sweat

Does landscaping increase property value? If horticultural studies are anything to go by, there can be as much as a 12% increase in property value from landscaping alone.

The value in a pleasing landscape is obvious. People want a weed-free lawn and attractive flower beds. When they host a family barbecue, they want to be proud and not embarrassed.

How to use Landscaping to Attract Buyers

The first thing that buyers will see is the outside of your house, so it must look as good as possible. Remember, a home that has a well maintained yard signals to buyers that the inside of the home is well maintained too.

To increase landscape property value and attract buyers, it is crucial to have a good landscaping plan in place before you do any actual landscaping. If you make landscaping decisions without looking at and knowing the big picture, the landscape will likely appear disorganized in the end, which will turn off prospective buyers.

A professional landscaper can provide you with clever designs that are suitable for your yard and climate.

If you don’t want to hire a professional, at least start by drawing up a master plan for the landscaping project and commit to small chunks each season. Even if you are an amateur, you can create a professional landscape for around $500 – $3000. Price factors include which landscaping company you choose as well as the plants and materials for the project.

Benefits of Landscape Property ValueLandscape Property Value Options

Speaking of plants, natural plants are worth the effort of planting. Native plants usually grow better than foreign, exotic plants. Healthy plants don’t need replacing as much, so you can save a lot of money as plants can be expensive.

The higher price you pay for plants is reasonable because landscaping will increase property value right away, and it is truly one of the few improvements that can do this. And the value will also increase over time; interior design and decor can go out of style, mechanical systems can wear out, but plants will grow and improve each year.

Finally, in case you aren’t experienced with gardening, gardening is fun and relaxing. It has been shown in studies to be a stress reliever. Therefore you will gain in health as well as increase your landscape property value.

Tips for Maintaining Plants

  • Do not let nature take its course. Do proper maintenance on the plants – they will be healthier and prettier.
  • The longevity of plants is a result of their health. Their roots must be healthy and unconfined. If there is a problem with the roots the plants will eventually show it.
  • When a shrub gets too big and bushy on the outside, the inside of the plant suffers, so make sure to keep them pruned.

Pruning Hydrangea – Everything You Need to Know in a Nutshell

Pruning HydrangeaHow Pruning Hydrangea Can Rejuvenate Your Plants… Or Ruin Their Beauty

Hydrangeas are strikingly beautiful flowers, and with minimal effort they can take care of themselves.
However, if there are any dead or faded flowers or stems, you may need to start pruning your hydrangeas. This should be done immediately.

There are two ways to go about pruning hydrangea. That’s because there are two types of hydrangeas: old wood hydrangea and new wood hydrangea. If you aren’t sure which type you have, you can check the plant label if you have it. If you don’t have it, you can still look at the leaves.

In this article we will go into more detail on how you can check which type of hydrangea you have and how to start pruning hydrangea of either type.

Old Wood Hydrangea

Old wood hydrangea includes mophead, lacecap and oakleaf flowers. This type of hydrangea is referred to as old wood because they have flowers that bloom on old wood. The term old wood refers to last year’s growth, which means that the buds are set in the fall and are projected to bloom in the spring.

Mophead and lacecap have serrated dark green leaves. Oakleaf, as you would expect, are just like oakleaves and they turn red in the fall.

Old wood hydrangeas are from the Macrophylla family. These include Nikko Blue, Endless Summer and several other blue and pink flowers.

When to Prune Old Wood Hydrangeas

It’s more important to know when not to be pruning hydrangea of this kind. Don’t prune these after August or you might prune away next year’s flowers. Before August you can cut flowers with long stems for floral arrangements. After August you can cut off flowers with short stems to avoid losing buds that will bloom the following year.

New Wood Hydrangeas

New Wood flowers include Annabelle and Paniculata Grandiflora (PG) flowers. These are usually white flowers (white can sometimes indicate oakleaf however). Annabelle flowers have leaves that are a fuzzy gray underneath.

When to Prune New Wood Hydrangeas

When should you start pruning hydrangea of this kind? You can prune these flowers anytime except during the spring (unless it’s early spring), when buds are being set to bloom in the summer. After they have reached three years of age, come winter you can prune them almost until they’ve reached the ground and they will still come back next year.

Additional Tips

  • Once a shrub has matured you should cut the stem back by 1/3 each year to make the plant stronger.
  • Hydrangeas thrive in sunny mornings and shady afternoons. They won’t do well in the shade.
  • They want lots of moisture and need extra watering during the first and second year after being planted, particularly during drought seasons.
  • Hydrangeas prefer following a fertilization schedule. Follow guidelines and instructions on the fertilizer label.

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<<< You can still grab our Info Guide Here. It has great information about hydrangeas and many other plants.

 

 

3 Benefits of Native Plants That Landscapers will Love

Benefits of Native Plants - Counytry Springs

Top 3 Secret Benefits of Native Plants That will Save You Time and Money

The benefits of native plants for landscapers are many. The benefits of using native plants for the environment are also great.
Native plants are plants that have lived in an environment for more than hundreds of years, without much human influence.
If you want your garden or backyard to look good all year round, you should consider the benefits of planting native plants.

Why not Foreign Plants?

Unfortunately, many people don’t know the benefits of planting native plants and instead plant invasive foreign plants.
Too many foreign, exotic plants contribute to less wildlife. This is because many species of wildlife are being threatened by habitat loss, which is being caused partly by the growing amount of foreign plants.

Native Plants Benefits

Planting native plants is the best thing for the environment and for landscapers as well.
Since domestic plants are so hardy, they tend to be slow growing at first, but after they have been established you can reap all of the benefits of having native plants in your yard.
Native plants will give your backyard or garden a more natural look without the maintenance and the costs. Learn why this is as we uncover 3 little known benefits of planting native plants.

Benefits of Native Plants Northern Virginia - Country Springs

1. Save Money, Time and Effort

Purchasing imported plants is more expensive (factor in the transportation costs). Imported plants also need more maintenance and more water.

You can conserve water by planting native plants. You only need to water them while they are getting established. They have existed for hundreds if not thousands of years in your environment, so they can survive on their own. Another benefit of native plants is that they are very drought resistant (due to their very deep roots).

With native plants there is less need for fertilizer and insecticides, they are easy to overwinter, and they are generally disease free.

With imported plants, if you miss one maintenance routine, the quality and look of the plant may wither.

2. Hidden Value

Many native plants are just as uniquely beautiful as foreign plants. They just aren’t as popular because they aren’t sold in nurseries as much as exotic foreign plants are.

Sadly, many Americans don’t get a chance to see the beautiful native plants because they aren’t as popular.

In fact, American tourists have visited other countries and been amazed at the beauty of their plants, only to realize later that they were plants native to America.

Here are a few more hidden benefits of native plants:

-cleaner air

-cleans the rainwater and runoff that goes into our aquifers

-stronger fragrance and aroma

3. Save the Wildlife

Native plants and trees have coevolved with native species for millions of years. Native species are fonder of plants and trees that are familiar to them. This is because the native species’ depend on the native plants for their survival.

By planting native plants, you can provide your local wildlife with their natural habitat.

Planting native plants in your yard will bring you many types of birds, butterflies, and bees (processes such as pollination are easier done with native plants).

In the end, you will enjoy reaping the benefits of native plants while ensuring the survival of many species, which is a win-win for you and the animals.

Landscaping on Slopes – 7 Practical Ideas That Work

Why Beautiful Landscaping On Slopes Is Not Impossible

Landscaping on slopes is, as you can probably imagine, not so simple. Still, landscapers, contractors, and outdoor property management companies can help make their customers ideal visions a reality by implementing these key landscaping ideas for slopes.

The main problems you may encounter when landscaping slopes are:

  • Maintenance
  • Erosion
  • Lack of sunlight (or lack of shade)

The first thing to understand is that you should avoid planting anything on a steep slope that requires maintenance. This will save you the headache of trying to maintain plants on a steep hill, as well as significantly narrowing down your landscaping options.

Next, erosion is a factor that cannot be ignored. It can be a pervasive problem when landscaping on slopes. Choosing the right solutions to counteract erosion is essential.

Finally, you need to determine how much sunlight your slope is exposed to. Certain plants grow better with more sunlight and some grow better with less.

With these three things in mind, here are 7 practical ideas for landscaping on steep slopes.

Landscaping Ideas For Slopes In The Sun Or Shade

1.Shrubs – The root system of shrubs will anchor to the soil and slow water runoff, which is helpful during storms. There are many types of shrubs that can be used for landscaping on slopes. Some grow best in sun and some grow best in shade. Be sure to choose the right type of shrub for your slope.

2.Azaleas – Azaleas will give the landscaping on slopes a beautiful view, especially in the spring and early summer. They will also help counter erosion. Most azaleas can grow in sun or partial shade exposure, but it really depends on the type of azalea that is being sold in your area. Your local garden center will know the best kind of exposure for azaleas in your area.

3.Stair  Steps and Terraces – This option will take a lot of digging work. You may also need to add a retaining wall depending on how steep your slope is.

4.Rock Garden – If you have interesting looking rocks on your slope, you may want to consider turning your slope into a rock garden. If you go with a rock garden, you should consider growing some perennials and low growing vines to add texture.

Retaining Walls and Landscaping

Slope Landscaping In The Sun

5.Trees – Like shrubs, trees also have a root system that will anchor to the soil and slow water runoff.

6.Wildflowers – Wildflowers are beautiful and can give the landscape on slopes a very natural look. They also have the benefit of keeping the topsoil from eroding or washing away.

Slope Landscaping In The Shade

7.Ferns, Perennials and Low Growing Vines – For landscaping on shady slopes, consider these three options. They will help slow erosion by catching rainwater on their leaves, and their roots will help prevent soil from washing away.

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