Annual Budgets

Annual Budgets are a helpful tool to manage commercial landscapes.   At The Growing Company, we provide an annual budget for all of our propeties.   The annual budget outlines all expenses throughout the year.  It provides a monthly breakdown of costs such as annual color, merit injections and tree trimming.   Please click here to view a sample annual budget sheet that we provide to all our clients. 

Lush Green Lawn

There are several maintenance practices that will help to sustain a lush, green grass through hot and dry summers.

• Aeration is the process of mechanically poking thousands of holes in the soil. These holes provide a direct passage way for water, oxygen, and nutrients to the roots of your turf. Aeration reduces compaction, and runoff while improving root growth. The best time to aerate is in the summer months.

• Effective Water Application. It is best to water your grass during the early morning hours before daybreak (12am – 5am). Weather conditions are more stable and less wind is prevalent during early morning hours. It is not advised to water late in the day (6pm-11pm) because water has the opportunity to remain stagnant and create an ideal environment for fungus. Turf fungus spreads rapidly during warm humid evenings.

• Mulching mowers allow us to recycle nutrients and conserve water. These mowers finely shred grass clippings and return them to the turf area. The rate of decomposition increases during hot summer months and rapidly returns nutrients to the soil (25% of fertilizer needs). In addition, the layer of mulch within your turf shades the soil and slows down water evaporation.

• Sharpen Mower Blade. A dull cutting edge will cause tearing and leave brown tips on each blade of grass. Damaged turf is more susceptible to disease and also needs more attention to ensure survival. In addition, a sharp blade allows a mower to perform efficiently during the summer when grass is cut at a longer length. Longer turf length helps to shade the ground/root area and prevents water from evaporating rapidly.

Heat Island Effect

A heat island is an area with consistently higher temperatures than surrounding areas because of greater heat retention from buildings, concrete, and asphalt. Heat islands increase summertime peak energy demand, air conditioning costs, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Click here to learn about modifications that can be made within your landscape to reduce heat island effect.

What is LEED?

The U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is the most adopted and recognized measure for green building standards (http://www.usgbc.org).  The USGBC created LEED to emphasize sustainable building practices and to provide a practical tool to measure results for building owners and occupants.  The Growing Company currently maintains several LEED certified properties.  Water usage, chemical applications, and maintenance equipment are monitored closely.   If you have any questions regarding LEED and how it applies to landscape, please contact our Vice President, Anne Sandoval LEED AP.

Basil as a Companion Plant

Through some recent gardening research, we have learned that herbs can be used to attract beneficial insects and repel pests.  One of the more interesting facts we found is that Basil can be used to deter two of the most annoying pests to humans, flies and mosquitoes.  The plant supposedly gives off a fragrance bugs and flying insects do not like.   Try planting some of these plants around the patio area in your backyard during the summer.  It can only help.

A New Endeavor

The Growing Company decided to create this blog as a communication tool for our clients and prospects. 

• We anticipate that this will be a great tool for us to discuss and illustrate landscape practices in Northern California.   
• This blog will be updated monthly with current landscape information and tips.
• We will feature some of our properties, projects, and standard practices through multi-media.
• All information will be archived for future reference and demonstration.
• Feel free to ask questions or comment on our articles.
• Please subscribe to receive updates on the right tab of this page.

Merit Injections Currently Being Applied To Local Landscapes

Merit applications are used on trees such as crape myrtle, hackberry, pin oak, white birch and flowering plum to prevent aphid infestation. Merit applications are injected into the soil around trees and shrubs during January and February. 

To see see the process, click on the video below:

Merit injections are a cost effective and environmentally friendly method for controlling aphids because the application last for approximately one year.  The main alternative to merit injections is spraying the trees with an insecticide that is more expensive, less effective, and can be a logistical challenge. If not treated, the common side effect is a waxy residue/sap that drips onto cars and grounds and is transferred into the buildings by foot traffic.  Also, infestations can distort leaf growth and appearance, taking away from the beauty of your plants and trees.

The Interior Plant Company Receives 2010 Best of Sacramento Award

NEW YORK, NY, November 5, 2010—The Interior Plant Company has been selected for the 2010 Best of Sacramento Award in the Interior Design Services category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA).

The USCA “Best of Local Business” Award Program recognizes outstanding local business throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2010 USCA Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties.

About U.S. Commerce Association (USCA)

U.S. Commerce Association (USCA) is a New York based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USCA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing, and advertising.

The USCA was established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chambers of commerce and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to be an advocate for small and medium size businesses and business entrepreneurs across America.

http/www.uscaaward.com

Earthworms

Worms improve your garden’s soil quality.   They help to increase the amount of air and water that gets into the soil and increase soil fertility.  They help to "turn" the soil, bringing down organic matter from the top and mixing it with the soil below. They break down organic matter, like leaves and grass into nutrients that plants can use. The worm's output, castings, is a high-quality organic fertilizer rich in basic plant nutrients. Odorless and innocuous in appearance, looking much like a handful of finely screened compost, castings are pure garden gold.  If there are 500,000 worms living in an acre of soil, they could make 50 tons of castings. These same 500,000 worms burrowing into an acre of soil can create a drainage system equal to 2,000 feet of 6-inch pipe. Pretty amazing for just a little old worm, don't you think?

Leaf Drop

During the late fall and winter months, The Growing Company focuses on the removal of leaves and debris prevalent at this time.  We switch from mulching mowers to bagging debris.   It is important to clear leaves and branches from our properties to improve drainage during winter storms.   Clogged drains can create puddles that have the potential cause problems.

There are a number of reasons for leaf loss, but essentially, deciduous trees lose their leaves to conserve energy over the winter and prevent damage to the tree. Cold dry winds will readily strip moisture from trees through the leaves, which have a large surface area. By losing their leaves, trees can conserve their moisture in the trunk and branches, rather than drying out and dying.

As the leaves stop producing chlorophyll, they start to change color. Ultimately, trees lose their leaves once the chemicals they secrete have effectively cut the leaves off from the parent branch. The bright yellows, oranges, and reds that make fall color distinctive are actually already there, but the chlorophyll masks them. As the days get shorter, the trees have less sunlight to work with, and the efficiency of the leaves starts to decrease.  The leaves fall to the ground when trees lose their leaves, providing a layer of protective mulch to insulate their roots, and the tree conserves its energy for the next year and a new growing season.