It’s been a real pleasureworking with you throughoutthe past growing season,and we hope you’ve beensatisfied with our services.As always, we appreciatethe confidence you’veplaced in our abilities.

To keep your confidence,we’re always working toexpand our knowledge andstay current with any newdevelopments that mighthelp us to serve you better.

We’re here to take theresponsibilities of care andmaintenance off yourschedule and off your mind.After all, we want you to beable to enjoy your propertyrather than working on it.

If there is a certain aspect ofour service that you’ve beenespecially pleased with,we’d love to hear about it.And of course, if there’ssomething you think wecould be doing better,please let us know. Yourinput will help us to improveupon our services in thegrowing seasons ahead.

Have a great winter season.We look forward to seeingyou again in the spring!

THANKS FORANOTHERGREAT YEAR!

f you haven’t yet provided your lawn with a fall feeding, now is definitelythe time to do it. Nobody likes going to bed hungry, and that applies toyour turf as well.

Your lawn consumes much more food in the fall than during the rest of theyear. That’s because your turf is going through a natural process of prepara-tion as the winter season approaches. At this time, top growth slows downand may stop altogether, and your grass plants no longer need to continuesending nutrients and water to their leaves.

Instead, your lawn is now focusing on two things: expanding its rootsystem, and filling that root system with food to be used next spring. Yourlawn will undergo this process naturally every fall, but providing a heavydose of fertilizer will make it much more effective. This will lead to fatterand healthier roots for better spring growth.

Converting fertilizer into food

There is always a delay between the application of fertilizer and the firstsigns of change in color and growth. This is because your grass plants mustfirst convert the nutrients in fertilizer into usable food. They’ll spend theirenergy doing this throughout the fall and winter. That way, when springarrives, they’ll have a strong foundation upon which to grow.

In addition to better green-up in the spring, heavy fall feedingwill result in increased resistance to cool-weather fungusdiseases by improving overall plant health.

You may also notice improved color over the winter,since well-fed grass will have an easier timeretaining moisture. This will make it harder forcold winter winds to dry out your grass bladesand turn them brown.

Remember, fall is for fertilization. Be sure totreat your lawn to a nice, big dinner beforewinter arrives!

• Grass plantsconsume morefood in the fall.

• With heavy fall fertil-ization, your lawnwill grow healthier,thicker and greenernext spring.

YOUR LAWN’S

FINAL MEAL OF

THE SEASON

II

A Last

Request

Before Winter

Bring on the Birds!SET UP FEEDING STATIONS FOR WINTER ENTERTAINMENT

The dreary days of winter can be a lot more exciting when there are birdsaround to watch! The trick is attracting them to your property.

Feeder basics

A trip to your local home goods store will reveal a wide variety of choices infeeder types and styles.

Or, if you’d like to save money, you can make your own feeder. Just keep inmind that birds need rough surfaces where they can gain a secure hold with

their sharp toenails. It’s also a good idea to create some sort of barrier that willkeep squirrels from stealing the bird food.

Food types

If you don’t have a feeder, you might want to try covering pine cones with hard-ened bacon grease or peanut butter, then hanging them from a tree branch.

Hanging a bag of suet will work well too...winter birds need fatty foods tohelp keep their body temperatures high in cold weather.

As far as seed goes, sunflower, hemp and millet are all favorites. Just besure to store any seed in an air-tight container (wet, moldy seed can pass

a deadly fungus on to birds).

And above all else, be patient. It will take a while for the birds to discoveryour feeding stations, but once they do, you’ll be treated to a daily flock of

beautiful, feathered friends.

What you need: paper plate or sturdy cardboard, glue, yarn, scissors,assorted beans and small leaves.

Cut a hole in the center of the paper plate, or cut a wreath shape from a piece ofsturdy cardboard. Punch a small hole in one area near the outer edge and run apiece of yarn through it, tying securely in a knot to hang your wreath.

Collect an assortment of seeds, beans and small leaves. Glue the leaves on theouter and inner edges of the cardboard or paper plate. If you want the leavesto stay flat and not curl up, press them first between pieces of newspaperplaced under several heavy books.

After the leaves are in place, use the seeds and beans to form patterns aroundthe wreath. You might want to arrange them by size, shape and color, or gluethem randomly without following a specific pattern.

Live holiday trees are agreat way to protect our nat-

ural resources while keepingmemories of the holiday season

going for years to come!

Tree selection

The first step is to visit a nursery ortree farm and ask for a tree that is either

container-grown or balled and burlapped,with a strong root ball. Pines, firs and spruces

all make great live trees.

Before the holidays

Bring your tree home a few weeks before the holidaysand store it in a cool place such as a garage or shed. Keep

the root ball moist, and bring the tree into your home fordecorating roughly a week before the big day arrives.

Live Holiday TreesTIPS FOR CARE AND PLANTING

Ingredients:

Lightly brown ground sirloin and drainexcess grease. Mix sirloin together with allingredients (except spaghetti and cheese)and let simmer on stove top (or on medi-um setting of a crock pot) for 3 to 4 hours.

Pour chili over serving of spaghetti and add shreddedcheddar cheese (optional) on top. Serves 4...enjoy!

• 1 lb. ground sirloin

• 1 – 14 oz. can of chili beans(e.g. Chili Magic)

• 1 – 14 oz. can ofdiced tomatoes

• 1 large onion (finely diced)

• 2 Tbs. cocoa (or cocoa mix)

• 2 Tbs. chili powder

• 1 Tbs. jalapenos (or to taste)

• 2 tsp. granulated sugar

• 1 Tbs. brown sugar

• 1⁄4 tsp. cinnamon

• 1 box of spaghetti

• Cheddar cheese (optional)

When a lawn doesn’t respond to regular fertilization, chances are there’s a problemwith the soil’s pH. If soil is acidic (low pH), fertilizer gets “locked up” and grassplants have trouble absorbing it. This can lead to a lawn that is thin and off-color,with too many weeds and undesirable grasses.

To find out what your soil’s pH level is, we recommend performing a soil test onceevery three years.

If a low pH condition exists in your property’s soil, an application of lime will help.Lime will “sweeten” the soil, raising the pH to a level that encourages good grassgrowth and better use of fertilizer.

This will result in a thicker, greener lawn with much less competition from weedsand crabgrass. Improved soil activity from lime treatments can also help to reducethatch build-up in your lawn, making it easier for air, water and fertilizer to reachthe root zone.

After the holidays

Once the festivities are over, take the tree back outto your garage or shed and let it sit for a few daysbefore planting.

When you’re ready to plant your tree, dig a holethat’s as deep as the root ball and three to fivetimes as wide.

Next, remove any plastic covering, rope or burlapfrom the root ball, insert it in the hole and cover itwith dirt. Then, cover the dirt with mulch andwater thoroughly.

That’s all there is to it. Enjoy your new tree!

A Cincinnati favorite for decades, this chili has a taste all its own...not your conventional chili! Caution: can be addictive.

While it’s a known fact that spiders and many other insects can be beneficial, we don’t want thesecreepy, crawly pests overwintering in our homes. Unfortunately, however, your warm house becomesvery attractive to insects once temperatures start dropping in the fall.

Just like us, insects don’t like being left out in the cold. And if they do gain access to your home, they’llprobably multiply...which can make matters even worse.

The best way to keep insects outdoors is to have a perimeter pest control treatment applied to yourhouse. With this treatment, a deterrent spray will be applied to your home’s foundation, window wells,

door sills and anywhere else that might give bugs access to your house.

Remember...the sooner you have a perimeter treatment applied the better.Cold weather will be here soon, and chilly insects are looking for a warm

place to stay!

Lobster was so common in18th century Maine that itwas used for fertilizer. And in19th century Europe, oysterswere the luxury food of theday...lobster was actuallyconsidered a poor man’s food!

© 2004 Focal Point Communications B6-04

• After raking leaves from your lawn, use them as a mulchin your garden or add them to your compost pile.

• Keep watering your lawn if it’s receiving less than 1" ofwater per week from rainfall.

• Keep mowing your lawn until the grass has stopped grow-ing for the season.

• For a beautiful spring flower display, plant floweringbulbs such as tulips and hyacinths now.

• Add a layer of mulch to your landscape plantings. Thiswill help to keep the soil temperature more consistentthrough winter.

• If you have a water garden, you may want to cover itwith netting to keep the leaves out.

• Let your mower run completely out of gas before storingit for winter. This will help to avoid carburetor and gasline problems next spring.

Late Fall Lawn and Landscape Tips

Protection from Heat-Seeking Insects

P.O. Box 4605, Roanoke, Virginia 24015 • 540-389-2208 • 1-800-540-7215 • www.guysinpurple.com

Green Up follows the Virginia Nutrient Management Standardsand Criteria established by

The Department of Conservation and Recreation.Our participation demonstrates our commitment

to protecting Virginia’s environmentwhile providing responsible lawn care service.