By Admin Uncategorized • Weather Updates 0 Comments

Weather Update – Change to Code Yellow

Dear Customer:

We are experiencing above-average temperatures and infrequent measurable rainfall. For this reason, we are updating our “Current Mowing and Watering Conditions” from Code Green to Code Yellow. Below is the explanation for Code Yellow and what our company is recommending that you do under these conditions.

Code Yellow:  No measurable rainfall for a week or more regardless of the temperature range.

For customers who manually water their lawn and landscape, start your watering program by watering the large areas for at least 1 hour or 1 inch of water once a week.  For more detailed information on manually watering your lawn, go to our “Watering Your Lawn and Landscape” bulletin.

For customers with sprinkler systems without a Smart Controller, you should have your controller set to water the large zones 3 times a week at 20 minutes per zone, for a total watering time of 1 hour or 1 inch per week.  For more detailed information on watering your lawn, go to our  “How to Prepare Your Sprinkler System” bulletin.

Set mowing height to 4 inches for regular size lawn and 4 to 4-1/2 inches for larger lawns.  Mowing at this height will reduce weeds, weed grasses and turf diseases.  Recycling or mulching clippings returns moisture and nutrients back to the soil, which will require less fertilizer and water.  If you have a professional mowing service, instruct the grass cutter to mow at the heights recommended above.  For more information, go to the “Mulching Mower Guidelines” on the website.

Finocchiaro Lawn & Landscape, Inc.

By Admin Newsletter • Uncategorized 0 Comments

Summer Newsletter

Our Summer Newsletter

 

Dear Customer:

It is hard to believe that it is the end of June and we will be starting our Summer Service soon.   Before we start the service, there are some things we would like you to be aware of. July and August normally are the worst time for your lawn and landscape. The above-average temperatures, high humidity, normally below-average rainfall and sometime drought conditions make for tough growing conditions. To help you navigate this period, we have developed a code system for proper maintenance practices. Please visit our website, www.finolandco.com, and tap on the current watering and mowing conditions to learn more about what you need to be doing. In addition, we will be sending and posting emails on our updates concerning the changing growing conditions and what cultural practices you should be performing. We invite you to also visit our website to learn more about the proper mowing and watering instructions in detail.

 

Lawn Mowing

Please follow our mowing instructions on the Summer Bulletin which the men leave at your home at the time of your service and is posted on our website. Proper mowing will reduce stress on your lawn. Please note that most lawns are still mowed at less than 4 inches which is unhealthy for the grass.

Vacation Mowing: For our customers who do not have a professional mowing service, please be advised that if you need to have your lawn mowed, feel free to contact us and we will make arrangements to have your lawn cut while you are away.

Summer Watering

Please follow our watering instructions on the Summer Bulletin. Proper watering will reduce the stress to your lawn and landscape which enables the plants to naturally protect itself from insects, diseases and drought damage. It is worth noting that watering regularly this time of year may eliminate the need to reseed a lawn or replace a plant in the Fall, which would require extra water and is an additional expense.

Trees and Shrubs

Spring flowering trees and shrubs should be pruned after they lose their flowers usually before June 15. Pruning after the plants form their buds for next season will cause them to lose next year’s blossoms.

For your evergreens, such as junipers and yews, please note that if you didn’t have an opportunity to prune them in late March or early April before the new growth started, the pruning may be performed in late June and early July. Please avoid Fall pruning so that the bush has a chance to fill in before it goes dormant.

Please note that it is not too late to properly mulch your trees and shrubs if you have not already done so. By applying a thin layer of mulch you protect the roots from drying out and it helps them to retain moisture during the hot, dry summer months.

Insects and diseases are the most active this time of year. If you see a problem on your landscapes, please feel free to contact us on 302-792-2201 or at Finolawn@gmail.com. We will be happy to come out and evaluate the problem.

Fall Extra Work

The Fall is the best time to upgrade your lawn and landscape. If you have a project in mind, please contact us now in July or August so that you don’t miss this prime planting window.   Our company can handle your lawn concerns. For your landscape needs, we work side by side with the best companies in this area and would be happy to recommend the right contractor for any size project. If you know someone who is looking for lawn and landscape work, we would appreciate your recommending our company and we will handle the rest.

Please note that the company’s new mailing address is:

Finocchiaro Lawn & Landscape, Inc
PO. Box 9524
Wilmington DE 19809

For those who pay for our service through their bank’s online pay site, please be sure to go in and correct our name and mailing address to this new one.

We hope that you have a fun-filled Summer. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us on 302-792-2201 or at Finolawn@gmail.com.

Gabriel L. Clouser, President

Eric M. Plummer, Vice President

By Admin Newsletter 0 Comments

Late Spring Newsletter

Our Late Spring Newsletter –  Print       

           

Dear Customer:

We are pleased to say we have finally completed the Spring Service last week. Because of the late snows, the rain and the below-average temperatures in March, we started out the service three weeks behind schedule. But with hard work and long days, we were able to complete the Spring Service just three days behind our normal completions date which is April 30th. We would like to thank Bob and Kathleen for their assistance in the office and the field, which also helped us to finish on time. Hopefully, they will now be able to retire for the second time.

 

Our Late Spring Service

One of the main elements of the Late Spring Service that usually goes unnoticed is the “grub proofing”. Unlike the other lawn services, we feel that grub treatment is a necessary element in order to have a consistently healthy lawn and landscape. That is why we include it in our regular program and do not charge extra for it. The chart below shows how applying grub proofing product not only protects your lawn but also your trees, bushes and flowers.

The product we use was developed by the DuPont Company a few years ago and targets the grubs along with other insects in the soil so that they can be controlled there in order to avoid above-ground application that may harm the beneficial insects, such as bees, ladybugs, etc.

 

Mowing Height

The single most important thing you can do for a healthy lawn is to mow it at

4 inches or 4-1/2 inches for larger lawns. The higher mowing height encourages a deep root system plus deters weeds and fungus. We recommend returning your clippings on the lawn, which will require less fertilizer and less watering, since the clippings are composed of 90% water and 10% nitrogen. Please refer to our Mulching Mower Bulletin on our website, www.finolandco.com.

Bushes and Small Trees

With the extremely cold December we had last year and the late cold, snowy weather this March, you will need to start to look for any permanent damage you may have, especially with your evergreens, boxwoods and English ivy. If your English ivy is not growing back as it normally does, we would suggest raking out or blowing out the debris. To help encourage growth on your evergreens, now is the time to prune out the dead so the plant can fill in the rest of the season with the only exceptions being the flowering evergreens, such as azaleas, rhododendrons, etc.   Please note you will need to wait until after they flower. If you have any questions about your plants, please feel free to ask any of your technicians. They are trained in landscape plants as well as being certified lawn care applicators. If they don’t immediately know the answer, they can find out the information for you. In addition, if you need a spot application of insect or fungus control, they are prepared to apply it.

Finally, please be advised that we will be using the Late Spring Service to get your lawn back on schedule; so, you may see us a little sooner than normal because of the late start we had this Spring.

                Please note that the company’s new mailing address is:

Finocchiaro Lawn & Landscape, Inc.
P.O. Box 9524
Wilmington   DE   19809

For those who pay through their bank’s online pay site, please be sure to go in and correct our name and mailing address.

We hope that you enjoy the remainder of this lovely Spring and if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us on 302-792-2201 or at Finolawn@gmail.com.

Gabriel L. Clouser, President
Eric M. Plummer, Vice Presidenty

By Admin Newsletter 0 Comments

Spring News Letter

OUR SPRING NEWSLETTER –  Print

 

Dear Customer:

This week, weather permitting, we will be starting our Spring Service. As you know, we perform the Spring Service for half of our customers in March and the other half in April. But if you need to know when your particular service will be done, you can contact us on 302-792-2201 or at Finolawn@gmail.com. Therefore, please think about your Spring Cleanup before we come; if you do it yourself. If you have someone that does it for you, please contact them to see when they are coming so that we may coordinate our Spring treatment with them. Additional details are on the back page of the Spring Startup Letter that we sent out in January. If you need any help in doing your Spring Cleanup, please contact us.

Alex League, the youngest member of our team, passed the State of Delaware Division of Agriculture’s Certification for applying plant protection material. It is a hard test; so, if you see him on the job, please congratulate him.

Finocchiaro Lawn & Landscape requires that all of our employees be certified even though the State does not make that mandatory. Presently, the law only requires one person per company be certified. The companies then are able to send out crews who are not certified to do the applications on customers’ lawns.

That is what makes our company different from our competition. Every employee is certified.

 

Bushes and Small Trees

Please complete the following jobs.

  1. Clean beds of all winter debris. Turn up old mulch. We recommend using a Garden Weasel, as seen in the picture. http://www.gardenweasel.com/
  2. Add new mulch- no more than 2 to 3 inches, if needed.
  3. Trim out winter dead from winter damage to bushes and small trees.
  4. Check health of bushes and your ground cover
  5. If you have any concerns about the health of any of your trees and shrubs, please contact us.

 

Some special issues to look for:

Lesser Celandine: It has fleshy dark green, heart-shaped leaves and distinctive flowers with bright yellow, glossy petals. It is now introduced in North America, where it is known by the common name fig buttercup or marsh marigold and considered an invasive species. This invasive weed may require multiple application of weed control. More information can be found at: https://www.invasiveplantatlas.org/subject.html?sub=3069 Poa Trivialis: is a light green grass that creates thick mats of stems, choking out areas of lawn. Because of the off color and rapid growth, it is aesthetically unappealing, as are the thin areas it can leave when it goes dormant in summer. The timing and appearance of the dormancy can look like a fungal infection and is often mistakenly treated as such. At this time, there is no selective control for Poa Trivialis. For more information: http://oak.ppws.vt.edu/~flessner/weedguide/poatr.htm Finally, we presently have a few openings. If you know anyone who may be interested in our service, we would appreciate your recommending us.

Star of Bethlehem: The flowers are typically bright, waxy and white yet occasionally bluish. They are present April through June on branched, open clusters that reach to about 30 cm high. They consist of 6 petals with a characteristic green stripe on the underside. The leaves are succulent and pale to dark green with a whitish grooved midrib on this cool-season perennial herb. Following this, plants die back to the ground. This invasive weed may require multiple applications of weed control. For more information: https://oak.ppws.vt.edu/~flessner/weedguide/otgum.htm

Poa Trivialis: is a light green grass that creates thick mats of stems, choking out areas of lawn. Because of the off color and rapid growth, it is aesthetically unappealing, as are the thin areas it can leave when it goes dormant in summer. The timing and appearance of the dormancy can look like a fungal infection and is often mistakenly treated as such. At this time, there is no selective control for Poa Trivialis. For more information: http://oak.ppws.vt.edu/~flessner/weedguide/poatr.htm

By Admin General Announcements • Uncategorized 0 Comments

2018 Season Transition

Dear Customer:

Effective 2/1/2018, Finocchiaro Landscape Company, Inc. will be selling its assets and transferring your lawn account to Finocchiaro Lawn & Landscape, Inc. operated by Gabriel L. Clouser and Eric M. Plummer, former employees of Finocchiaro Landscape Company, Inc.

Finocchiaro Lawn & Landscape Inc. will assume the entire responsibility for and management of your account effective 2/1/2018. The personnel and the lawn care program will remain the same.
The new company’s contact and billing information is as follows:

Finocchiaro Lawn & Landscape, Inc.
P.O. Box 9524
Wilmington DE 19809
Phone: 302-792-2201
Website: www.finolandco.com
Email Address: Finolawn@gmail.com

After 40 years of operating Finocchiaro Landscape Company, Inc., Kathleen and I will be retiring.   We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our customers, both new and old, for their patronage, but especially those customers who have been with us from the beginning. I am proud to say that now we are not only working for the sons and daughters, but also grandsons and granddaughters of our customers.   Someone once said “that if you love what you do for a living, you never work a day in your life.” It has not only been a pleasure to work for you, but also a delight to get to know you and your families throughout the years.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the office.

Sincerely,
Finocchiaro Landscape Company, Inc.
Robert M. Finocchiaro

By Admin General Announcements • Uncategorized 0 Comments

Spring 2018 Startup Letter

Dear Customer:

As you can see from Bob’s letter, 2018 is going to be a year of exciting changes. The first is that Kathleen and Bob will be retiring. The second is that we have started our own corporation, Finocchiaro Lawn & Landscape, Inc. and will be assuming the responsibility for and management of your lawn care. As Eric and I step into our leadership roles, we are committed to ensuring that our customers will continue to receive the high level of care and attention to which you are accustomed.

Through on-going education and training, we are able to offer new solutions to our customary services. We can re-evaluate your lawn, taking into account your entire landscape, rather than merely the turf. We can now provide plant health care for groundcovers, shrubs and small ornamental trees, as well as meadow care programs. We are not only prepared to provide this information for you, but also any new customers you may recommend.

Unless we hear from you otherwise before March 1st, your lawn is on our schedule for lawn care service this 2018 season. If you need to hire a new grass cutter, landscaper or sprinkler system company, please feel free to contact us. We work with a variety of quality companies that we would be happy to recommend. If you no longer want us to continue our lawn care service at your property, please let us know on or before March 1st for scheduling reasons. We would ask that if you have any changes in your information, whether changes in your property or your personal information, please let us know so that we may update your account. In addition, if you have any questions or concerns about your lawn, please contact us as soon as possible on 302-792-2201 or at Finolawn@gmail.com.

As we enter into the 2018 Season, please remember that weather permitting your Spring service will be performed for half of our customers in late February and March and the other half in April. If you have any questions concerning the timing of your lawn service, please call. Listed below are some suggestions to follow before your receive your Spring lawn service this year.

  1. Check over your lawn mower completely. Make sure that all wheels on the mower are set at the same height. Be sure to get the mower blade sharpened. If your mower needs to be serviced, do so in January and February before the Spring rush. If you need to purchase a new lawn mower, act now and take advantage of the pre-season sales. If you want any advice on a mower, please feel free to give us a call. We have a special bulletin available on our website entitled, “Servicing Your Lawn Mower or Purchasing a New Mower.”
  2. Check over your outside faucets and hoses. Do they leak and need to be replaced? Do you need to replace your old or broken lawn sprinklers? Please go to our website under “Manual Watering Procedures” and check out our recommended sprinklers that will water large and small areas more efficiently, and water timers that will conserve water by not allowing overwatering.
  3. or our customers who have an underground sprinkler system, we ask that you have your sprinkler company come out to do a Spring startup for which they would check over your entire system. If you have not converted your old controller to the new Smart controller, we would recommend that you have this done at the time of the Spring startup. If you do not have a Smart controller, have your sprinkler system technician show you how to program your water budget or seasonal controls to reflect the changing weather conditions throughout the entire growing season. To help with this task, we have a more extensive “How To Prepare Your Sprinkler System” bulletin available online from our website. We would recommend that you have your system ready to water by the middle of May if not sooner.
  4. Give your lawn a good raking, where needed, using a leaf rake making sure to remove any embedded leaves, twigs, etc. Be careful in wet areas so that you do not pull up good turf. If you need any assistance in this task, please call our office soon so that we can make arrangements to have your yard cleaned.
  5. Cut your lawn at 3 inches picking up the grasses and other debris with a grass catcher for the first few lawn mowings after which you may begin to mulch your clippings. The proper height at this time of the year is 4 inches for regular lawns and 4-1/2 inches for larger lawns. Please perform this necessary Spring cleanup as soon as the weather permits. As we both know, the weather in the Spring is usually very unpredictable and we do not want to delay your Spring service.

We would like to thank you for your continued cooperation and patronage as well as for recommending our company to your friends and neighbors, especially since we do not advertise. We do have some openings for new customers this year. We would like to assure that our first priority is and has always been to you, our present customers. Therefore, we never take on more jobs than those the company can properly handle.

If you have changed your email address or if you have not yet provided an email address for our records, we would like to ask that you contact us as soon as possible with that information so we may update your account. It is a great way for us to send out weather alerts or notifications.

Sincerely,
Finocchiaro Lawn & Landscape, Inc.
Gabriel L. Clouser, President
Eric. M. Plummer, Vice President