The integration will be gradual and we intend to utilize the first year to leverage each of our strengths and identify best practices to better the organization as a whole. Konrady’s will continue to operate as a separate branded entity.

The addition of Konrady’s team, location, equipment and facility provides us the opportunity to improve routes, focus resources and better serve our customers. Signature Landscape operates from our headquarters located in Olathe, KS and our North Branch office in Kansas City, MO. The addition of Konrady’s Kansas City, KS facility provides us with a greater citywide footprint that will benefit both snow and grounds maintenance customers.

Ah, the joys of landscaping in winter time – getting rid of the ice on our walkways and driveways. The most effective way to remove ice is to melt it with salt. Did you know, that like snowflakes, no two salt grains are alike?

There are actually a number of salt mixtures to choose from. Let’s learn some basics about the various ice melt products.

SODIUM CHLORIDE
Actually, table salt will melt ice, but it has the highest melting point of all sodium varieties. It is very low in cost, but it is highly caustic to the dormant turf grasses adjacent to paved areas. And, once the ambient temperature dips to about 20 degrees, it becomes less effective.

CALCIUM CHLORIDE
Calcium chloride is the hottest of the choices; it will definitely leave you with a dead zone of turf adjacent to walkways where you use it. You can even hear the ice pop and crackle as you apply it. In fact, it is actually caustic, and you can even rust nearby iron structures. It promotes rapid cycles of freeze and thaw that wreak havoc on paved surfaces. As ice melts, it trickles down into tiny cracks, then as it re-freezes, it forces cracks in asphalt and concrete pavements. If it is applied too heavily, it forms a goo that is easily tracked indoors by pedestrians. It will continue to melt ice even when temperatures dip down toward zero, and it is also the most expensive product. 

POTASSIUM CHLORIDE
Potassium chloride is far friendlier to vegetation than calcium chloride. It’s low in cost, but its melting ability is the weakest of the choices. Being the least effective on the list, Signature does not use this product.

MAGNESIUM CHLORIDE
The happy medium, magnesium chloride offers the best of all worlds. It is less caustic on concrete and metal in comparison to calcium chloride, and it has a good melting point and is cheaper and kinder to plants and turf grass.

So, what does Signature Landscape use? We use a variety of products depending on a number of factors:

• For parking lots, we actually use a sodium chloride product that is coated with magnesium chloride on large parking lot areas. Many times you will see it mixed with sand to add traction. We don’t do that. We just spread it on heavy enough to eliminate the ice.
• When the temperatures drop really low and the ice is really thick, we will use calcium chloride on sidewalks.
• Magnesium chloride is the product of choice for sidewalks under milder conditions. Because is is the least harmful to the pavement and landscapes, it is primarily what we use.

When decorating for the holidays this year, look no further than your own front yard. After pruning your trees and shrubs, save some of the trimmings to make your own holiday wreath.

You’ll need a wreath frame, which can be purchased from a craft store, or you could make your own using a coat hanger or grapevine formed into a circle.

Next, you’ll need your greens. You can use any variety, depending on what is available to you. Juniper, pine, fir, spruce and cedar are all good options if you can get your hands on them. Some are easier to work with than others, so if this is your first attempt, stick with fir or white pine. Juniper and spruce can be more difficult to handle. Depending on the size of your wreath, the length of the branch you use can vary. If you are making a smaller wreath, go with 6 to 8 inch branches. For larger wreaths, use 8 to 12 inch branches.

Start by creating small bundles with your trimmings. Wrap floral wire around your bundle and attach it to the wreath frame. Once it’s secured, add a second bundle. Place it so that the leaves overlap the first bunch and cover the wire. Continue overlapping until you close the circle.

When your wreath is complete, add whatever adornments you have around the house. Ribbon, pinecones or small ornaments work well to dress it up for the holidays.

Winter is a great time of year to prune many of the trees and shrubs in the area. Horticultural specialist Chris Carter says, “When the tree is dormant, it’s a great time to correct flaws like crossed branches because you can see them without the leaves.”

Pruning deciduous trees and shrubs stimulates blooming and improves growth. In addition, there are many other benefits of pruning. Pruning helps to combat disease by ridding the shrub of old dead wood and allows you to control the shape and size of the plant. Carter adds, “You can make a 20 to 30 year old shrub like a 2 to 3 year old shrub with proper pruning.”

It’s important to understand when to prune certain trees and shrubs. The first flowering plants of the spring, like forsythia and lilacs flower on wood from the previous season, so if you prune them in the winter you are cutting off the buds. Junipers and other evergreens can be pruned at any time. Deciduous shrubs like spirea and shrub roses should be pruned later in the winter. If pruned to early they are more susceptible to winterkill. Maple trees will bleed during the winter and can provide a site for disease, so it’s best to avoid pruning them in the winter.

There are a couple ways to go about draining your irrigation system. Many systems are equipped with automatic drain valves, but these can fail and it would be difficult to detect these failures. You can manually drain your system, but that method will only drain the main line and can leave water in the lateral lines.

The most effective way to drain your system is to use compressed air or the “blow out” method. Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor, David Carter, says “It’s best to use a high-volume, low-pressure compressor.”

The air compressor that you have in your garage may not be the right one for the job. Signature uses a pull-behind compressor. A low-volume, high-pressure compressor can cause damage to your system by creating a surge of pressure. Your system may be able to withstand 120 psi of water pressure, but it will not be able to handle 120 psi of air pressure.

To obtain proper air pressure, it’s wise to use a pressure regulator. Carter adds, “Stay around 30 to 45 psi.”

In addition to monitoring the pressure, you’ll need to monitor the temperature as well. Hot air can cause damage inside your backflows. This can be avoided by using a longer hose on your compressor.

Extreme caution must be taken when using compressed air. Always wear safety eye protection and don’t stand over any irrigation components.

Regardless of the method you use, don’t forget to set your system to rain-mode and store your above-ground backflow preventer indoors for the winter.

If you’re uncomfortable performing the irrigation winterization process alone, it is a good idea to hire a reputable company to do it for you.

If a freeze is in the forecast and you have yet to winterize, you’ll want to make sure to protect your irrigation system. Carter recommends using black trash bags or blankets to cover the backflow preventer. These will create a heater effect and will protect the backflow preventer from freeze damage.  Make sure to turn the controller to “rain mode” when a freeze is expected.

What will this winter bring – heavy snow and ice, or relatively dry conditions?
We can’t predict this winter’s weather with certainty, but we can ensure our properties are safe and clear after the first storm hits. For many of you, that means contracting with a snow and ice removal provider.

Have you received a bid for this service that was so low it seemed too good to be true? We all know the saying: If it’s too good to be true, it probably isn’t true. Snow bids are made up of four basic services: lot clearing, lot treatment, walk clearing and walk treatment. Adding the bid price for these four services doens’t, however, add up to the true price you’ll pay. You must also multiply each by the number of times it is likely to be performed. A quality service provider, with client’s safety and best interests in mind, will typically perform twice as many lot and walk treatments as they will lot and walk clearings over the course of the winter.

But some service providers will charge a loss-leading low fee for clearing (which has low margins anyway), then go on to perform more treatments (a high margin service) than are really needed, even skimping on the de-icing chemicals. In this way, they can make up for their deceptively low clearing pricing.

What does this all mean to a property manager? Watch out for vendors making up for their low clearing price by calibrating the salt spreaders down and doing a fe extra salt treatments each season. Every storm and every property is different, but in general, pre-treatment should be rare and always pre-approved by the property manager. Applying salt during a heavy snow event is rarely a good idea. If snow is piling up, salt will be ineffective until the lot is cleared. If your snow vendor ends up under-servicing on large events and over-treating small events, you will likely incur higher overall costs for these services than you would have with that higher-bid vendor.

We invite you to compare your current vendor’s clearing and treating frequencies with Signature’s record of service. It is our intention to provide the highest level of service to our customers during a winter storm. It is also of the utmost importance to us to do so with complete integrity.

Pruning trees early and often will enhancethe structure as the tree ages,” says MattEvans, Master Arborist.

Matt suggests pruning every two to three years for the first 20 years of the tree’s life to head off a lot of problems down the road. Develop a management strategy for your trees. You want to prune the trees to mimic the way they are meant to grow naturally.

Trees with a natural leader, like a pin oak, will require less pruning than trees with a broad canopy, like maple and ash.When pruning young trees, the focus needs to be on promoting strong structure, directing growth and correcting flaws.

One characteristic to look for in your growing trees is co-dominance. Co-dominance means that there are multiple main leaders or trunks. This can create weak structure in trees. Without proper pruning when the tree is young, the tree will develop upright branches with weak, narrow crotch unions. These unions can be identified by the excessive bark (included bark) that forms in the branch crotch. These are hot spots for failure during harsh weather and ice storms. It’s important to correct these to reduce and eliminate the failure.

These subtle reductions will have a dramatic impact on the future structure of the tree. For more information on caring for your trees, visit the International Society of Arboriculture’s website.

This illustration demonstrates the concept of co-dominant leader subordination.The tree on the left boasts three co dominant stems: A, B, and C. A and B are subordinated with heading or reduction cuts to allow C to grow faster. This allows A and B to grow in a more horizontal direction. The void that is created in the canopy above the cuts will allow more light to reach the branches that were previously shaded by the stems. This will stimulate growth on those branches.