TDI Blog

Here is your Round 6 Newsletter! Subscribe to our blog to stay informed! www.tdi.services | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | (800) 461-6909

Consistent hot and dry weather over long periods can lead to heat stress for your lawn, turning grass brown. Grass naturally adjusts to hot weather by entering a dormant condition to conserve energy. However, prolonged severe drought and heat can damage or even kill your lawn. What can you do to help your heat-stressed turf? The first step is spott...

Here is your Round 5 Newsletter!

Fireweed is a common, leafy, annual broadleaf weed that germinates after April 1 across the Southeast. It grows quickly and can appear in massive amounts that seem to take over the lawn. Fireweed spreads through seeds carried from lawn to lawn by wind, rain, shared mowers, etc. Even if you didn't see any Fireweed in your entire neighborhood last se...

Soil nesting ants construct mounds or small hills by bringing granulated soil to the surface from the nest below. Mounds may be unsightly, may cause lawn unevenness, and if large, may smother out the surrounding grass.  Anthills can be annoying, especially when trying to mow the lawn. They can also be a literal pain, depending on the kind of a...

 That inch-long, gangly-legged insect that sneaks into your house and bounces around the walls and ceiling is a crane fly, and despite rumors to the contrary, it is neither a predator of mosquitoes nor a colossal mosquito. And it's harmless. Although the Internet abounds with reports of adult crane flies biting or stinging, they do neither. "T...

Here is your Round 4 Newsletter!

Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) is a sparsely hairy winter annual with greenish to purplish, tender, square stems. Its opposite leaves are broadly egg shaped with bluntly toothed margins and prominent veins on the underside. Upper leaves are sessile (directly attached to the stem) and lower leaves have petioles. It has a fibrous root system and can gr...

Chickweed is a low, spreading, winter annual weed that germinates when we receive lots of cool, wet weather. Its leaves are opposite each other, smooth and elliptical in shape. It is tolerant of a variety of conditions and thrives in moist, shady locations. This weed can produce seeds five weeks after germination and will continue to produce seeds ...

 Fireweed is a weed that pops up in lawns every spring (April – June) and seems to be increasing over the last few years in North Alabama. Fireweed is more difficult to control that broadleaf and grassy weeds. The roots of the Fireweed plant do not stretch down into the soil. Instead, the plant grows exclusively in the thatch layer. Becau...

A grub preventative application in late May through early June can be one of the best tools for preventing grub infestations. The threshold for grub populations is 10-12 grubs per square foot. Turf cannot recover from infestations nearing the threshold. A preventative application is all about the timing of the treatment. Applications only work if a...

If you have an abundance of mosquitoes in your yard or garden, you know they can be very unwelcome guests. These pests carry and spread dangerous diseases like the West Nile virus and other nasty illnesses. But how can you prevent these pesky insects from taking up residence in your yard? If it’s too late and they have already moved in, how c...

Green kyllinga (Kyllinga brevifolia Rottb.) is a warm-season, perennial sedge weed common throughout the southeastern United States. It spreads through seed as well as rhizomes (underground stems) below the soil surface to form a dense mat that can choke out stands of desirable turf species. It is a close relative of yellow nutsedge. Gree...

Aeration is a lawn care procedure which alleviates compaction and allows water, air, and nutrients to penetrate your lawn while stimulating beneficial bacteria, fungi, and protozoa to grow. These beneficial organisms are aerobic ("good guys"), meaning they need air to thrive. When the soil is compact, it has less air-holding capacity and becomes an...

 Fireweed is a common, leafy, annual broadleaf weed that germinates after April 1 across the Southeast. It grows quickly and can appear in massive amounts that seem to take over the lawn. Fireweed spreads through seeds carried from lawn to lawn by wind, rain, shared mowers, etc. Even if you didn't see any Fireweed in your entire neighborhood l...

Treating your lawn in the fall depends mostly on the type of grass you have. For cool season grasses like Tall Fescue or Rye Grass, aerating and overseeding is the most important service done to your lawn over the course of the year. This is the time of year to promote new seedlings with the correct nutrients so that the seedlings can mature quickl...

What is a ground mole, and how can you identify its presence in your yard or garden? Moles are small, rodent-like insectivores that live underground, spending most of their time digging intricate tunnels to find worms and insects, feeding mainly on earthworms, but they also feed on snails, slugs, millipedes, and centipedes. They actually prefer to ...

In North Alabama, there are both warm season and cool season grasses that grow in the transition zone. The U.S. has a region known to the turf industry as the transition zone that extends through the central part of the country and includes parts of each of the other four zones. This is the most difficult region in which to grow grass. Both cool-se...

Aeration is a lawn care procedure which alleviates compaction and allows water, air, and nutrients to penetrate your lawn while stimulating beneficial bacteria, fungi, and protozoa to grow. These beneficial organisms are aerobic ("good guys"), meaning they need air to thrive. When the soil is compact, it has less air-holding capacity and becomes an...

Termites date back more than 120 million years to the time of the dinosaurs. Termites cause more than $5 billion in property damage to homes and structures in the U.S. annually. Damage costs that are not covered by homeowner’s insurance. Termites are known as “silent destroyers” because of their ability to chew through wood, floor...