Q: How is KNOLL Landscape Services, Inc. different from other landscape maintenance companies? A: KNOLL Landscape Services, inc. provides full service landscape maintenance. Not only are turf areas mowed, but a timely schedule of fertilization and weed control is implemented to keep turf weed free and healthy. Where other landscape maintenance companies stop there, KNOLL Landscape offers a complete ornamental tree and shrub care including properly timed pruning, fertilization, bed edging and cultivation. The care and maintenance of perennials and ornamental grasses is also provided. Extra services are also available for our customer's convenience. These include the installation of hardwood mulch, core aeration, the design and installation of seasonal color and/or plantings of shrubs and trees, dormant pruning restorative pruning and pest control. Our staff and crews are continuously being trained in the most up-to-date horticultural practices including the proper and efficient use of all tools and equipment. KNOLL Landscape Services, inc. prides itself on the quality of our work and the courteous professionalism of our staff and crews. Q: Who can I speak with when the KNOLL Landscape Services crew is at my property? A: All of the foremen of KNOLL Landscape crews speak English. The crew foreman wears a gold polo shirt for easy identification. Foremen also carry with them a phone for communication with your Account Manager and office personnel. Q: When are my trees and shrubs fertilized? What types of fertilizer is used? A: One application during the spring of a granular fertilizer is broadcast (spread) onto tree and shrub beds. The fertilizer is formulated taking several factors into consideration: the type of tree or shrub, size of plant, soil type, etc. Once applied, the fertilizer will stimulate root and leaf growth and promote flowering in blooming trees and shrubs. Just the one application of concentrated, slow-release fertilizer will maintain the plants' health throughout the growing season. Q: How will our perennials be maintained? A: Beds are fertilized once in spring with slow-release fertilizer. Dead Flowers are removed to encourage new blooms. In the fall, the foliage of most perennials will be cut back to prevent foliar diseases from overwintering in the soil beneath them. Perennial beds are hand-weeded. Staking, dividing, and winter mulch are done at an additional charge. Q: When will the Lilacs, Hydrangea and Forsythia be pruned? A: Early spring flowering shrubs should be pruned immediately after flowering. These plants produce flower buds during the summer and fall for the following spring. Pruning them late in the season or in the fall would mean a few to no flowers in the next season. Summer flowering shrubs, like Spireas, flower on the current season's growth and usually start flowering much later in the season. They can be pruned in early spring without effecting the flowering for that season. Q: It's late spring and the yews on my property have not been pruned. Why not? A: New growth on yews occurs in late spring to early summer. It is best to prune yews after the new growth has appeared and the plant is actively growing. This timely pruning will help to maintain a desirable shape. Typically, the pruning of yews will be done in late June or early July so that new growth has a chance to harden off before first frost. Q: The evergreen shrubs on our property are getting too big. Can they be cut back to their original size? A: Most evergreens, including junipers and yews will not green up again after being cut back to bare wood. The shape and proportion of the shrub will be destroyed and can never be restored. In these situations, when plants are at a mature stage, and no longer suitable to the original landscape plan, it is recommended that the evergreens be removed and replaced with younger, smaller plants. This way, the integrity of the original plan can remain in tact. Q: What is Dormant Pruning and why should I consider it for our property? A: Dormant Pruning is a beneficial horticultural practice that is performed in the late winter months when deciduous trees are dormant and before new growth begins. The benefit of dormant pruning is primarily less stress to the tree, but the leafless condition of a dormant tree allows for the greatest visual and physical access to the tree's structure. First, all the damaged or broken branches are removed. Next, all rubbing or crossing branches are removed. Last, the trees' aesthetics are considered and it is pruned to maintain best shape and form. Q: Why do we need to put down new mulch every year or every other year? A: KNOLL Landscape Services, Inc. offers a premium hardwood mulch to our clients. Although there are several types of mulch available, we believe a 2" to 2 1/2" layer of hardwood mulch provides the best protection against erosion, moisture loss, weed growth, and declining soil structure. Being an organic mulch, the hardwood does breakdown slowly. As it breaks down, it adds valuable nutrients to the soil and improves the soil structure adding to the air spaces and water availability so critical to plant health. This, of course, means that the mulch layer needs to be replenished. The frequency of reapplication depends on many factors such as the amount of moisture applied to the mulch which actually assists in the breakdown, and on the amount of foot traffic. Q: Late in the summer my lawn has unsightly patches of yellow and brown in it. What is this and will it kill all my turf? A: The patches of dull green, to yellow, to brown grass that occur in some lawns during the mid to late summer are due to a fungal disease called 'Summer Patch.' Good cultural practices are the best control of this disease. KNOLL Landscape crews maintain the appropriate grass length of 2 1/4" to 2 1/2" which helps conserve moisture in the soil and helps the blades produce sufficient food for the plants. KNOLL Landscape lawn care program also provides a balanced fertilization program providing the turf with the right amount of nitrogen at the right time of the year. Most importantly, watering should be thorough in the hot months of summer. Very frequent, light waterings only add to the problem. KNOLL Landscape also recommends core aeration at least one time per year to remove thatch and to open up the soil for greater exchange of air and water. Finally, an overseeding of resistant varieties of grass is recommended for problem areas. Q: Does KNOLL Landscape Services, Inc. provide any other landscape services besides maintenance? A: KNOLL Landscape can provide extra service such as mulch installation, core aeration, dormant pruning, grub control, seasonal color design and installation, shrub and tree replacements, new bed design and installation to name a few. Contact your account manager to discuss enhancements to your landscape. Quality landscaping is an investment and increases the value of your property! Q: What is the difference between "Clay Pavers & Concrete Pavers"? A: Clay pavers are made with real clay that is mixed, extruded and baked in a kiln at very high temperatures and concrete pavers are made with a special blend of concrete and coloring that is compacted at very high pressures in a special machine. Q: Which type of paver is better? A: There is very little difference between pavers in general. The important difference is the maker of the pavers. Paving materials can vary from one manufacturer to next. The qualities that make a paver perfect are its compressive strength, water absorbtion rate and abrasion index. Q: What happens if I have to do a repair job below the paving? Does it leave an unsightly patch mark? A: No, that is one of the long term benefits to installing Flexible paving. Because all interlocking paving is flexible it can also resist cracking. This is especially beneficial in California which has very expansive soils. Q: Can you do any other types of specialty masonry? A: Yes, our tradesmen are fully train masonry professionals. We specialize in matching almost any material and seamlessly installing it so that the repair is undetectable in most cases. Q: What does "Interlocking Paving" mean? A: Interlocking paving is a misleading term. What actually constitutes interlocking is really a dynamic function containing three different componets. They are "rotational interlock" (resistance to tipping) "horizontal interlock" (resistance to spreading) "vertical interlock (resistance to sinking)". So, that means for lasting quality you need good containment, good subbase and proper paver thickness. Thicker pavers for driveways thinner pavers for patios. Q: After you're done Paving the work surfaces should I Seal It? A: Yes, it protects it from leaky cars that might leave oil stains and it stays cleaner for much longer if you seal it right away before it has a chance to get stained. Remember when it's sealed it only takes a hose to clean it off. We use breathable type sealers that protect against just about anything. Q: What can be done to to restore ugly faded old concrete? A: In most situations faded concrete can be renewed by recoloring it using various Tints & Stains.