Newsletter

Welcome to the ProGrass information center! My name is Steve Varga and each month I will be providing you with updated seasonal information on landscape care. Please check back regularly for current information that will help you have a better landscape and get the most out of your ProGrass services. Also be sure to check my care tip sheets and if you have any questions please click on my question and answer icon.

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Past Newsletters

April 2006

Introducing NaturalCare Services We're very excited this Spring to introduce NaturalCare as our exclusive lawn and ornamental plant care program. NaturalCare is the result of years of in-house research, independent field testing and product evolution. This program is exclusive to ProGrass, developed by our horticulture team.
It features top-quality organic fertilizers with soil enhancements and biological and botanical controls for pests. The soil-amending fertilizers will build up organic matter in your soil while making vital nutrients available to the root systems of your lawn, trees, shrubs and flowers.

Both the lawn and ornamental plant programs feature soil enhancements like sea kelp to encourage healthy soil micro organisms, liquid humus to build soil structure, and naturally occurring soil mycorrhizae which allow plant roots to absorb water and nutrients more efficiently.

And, of course our programs do not have added phosphates which can cloud our sensitive rivers and streams.

As a current ProGrass customer, you will continue to receive all the same traditional benefits you're used to seeing. With the NaturalCare Plus program, you'll have a green, thick lawn, healthy plants and effective control of stubborn insects and weeds.

In addition, you'll know that with these new NaturalCare Plus additions, your soil and plants will actually be healthier than ever before.

And, if you're interested in truly all-natural landscape care, NaturalCare is for you. NaturalCare has all the same benefits as NaturalCare Plus with the exception of weed control, select synthetic fertilizers and treatment for difficult-to-control damaging insects. If you have any questions about the NaturalCare programs, we encourage you to call or email us. We want to know what you think about these exciting changes.

Ask Steve

Q: What's the most important part of my landscape?

Steve: If your answer is the hammock, you're wrong. The answer is the soil--that dirty layer that we all try to cover up with grass, plants and bark mulch. Covering it is fine as long as you don't forget about it. If you do it will get back at you. How you may ask? Most likely by yellowing your lawn, browning your shrubs and sickening your plants. When a plant lives in bad soil it is like you living in a smoke-filled room, eating junk food and drinking muddy water. Get the point? Healthy soil is made up of tiny particles of clay, organic material, good and bad fungus and various enzymes. A typical landscape may only have the clay which does nothing but retain water and common synthetic fertilizers--a bit like a plant SlurpeeTM. ProGrass believes in adding some healthy supplements to your landscape's diet. In addition to the high quality products that we have always used, we are also adding soil-building materials. These natural and organic components will give your landscape long-term success rather than short-term responses. It's the equivalent of a high-fiber, low-fat, vitamin and mineral-filled meal to help your landscape thrive!

ProGrass Supports Therapeutic Gardening

ProGrass is proud to announce our new partnership with Garden Partners, a non-profit organization in Portland, Oregon, which promotes therapeutic gardening for residents of long-term care and Alzheimer care facilities. We're very excited to bring our expertise and volunteer help to this wonderful and very important project.

Time For Spring Pruning

Proper pruning allows you to control potential problems and enhance the appearance of your trees and shrubs. Pruning can also help reduce pest disease issues by clearing out dense inner growth which is good habitat for insects and allows for more air circulation which can reduce disease problems. This is a great time of year to finish up pruning fruit trees and other deciduous trees before they bud.

Prune roses down to about 18" and thin out weak or broken canes. "Bleeder trees" such as maples, beeches and birches should not be pruned until early summer.

Your first step in pruning is to remove any damaged or diseased branches to reduce the spread of disease. Next, carefully remove any crossing branches and thin out heavily branched areas to increase air circulation. Make the smallest cuts first, working out toward removing the larger branches. Always use sharp, clean tools.

If you decide it's best to enlist a professional, call ProGrass for a free pruning estimate. We offer superior results from our highly trained pruning staff. And remember, it's often less expensive to call a professional first and avoid damage that's costly to repair.

Happy Gardening!

If you have any other questions, check my technical bulletins or contact ProGrass for more information at 1.800.PROGRASS or customerservice@prograss.com.