Annual voting for the “Greatest of the Great Lakes Bay” sponsored by Great Lakes Bay Regional Lifestyle Magazine has begun!   Voting continues through February 15, 2013, and we don’t get to hear the results until May!   At least that leaves everyone time to share their favorite people, places, and things throughout the area.

This year, we would love your vote for “Landscaper with a Vision” category under “Services”   on the ballot.   We like the creative twists GLB Magazine puts on their categories.

If you aren’t familiar with our company and services, you may enjoy reading About Reder and Our Story before heading over to the voting page.

Many thanks for your votes!

This past month we have been promoting Reder Landscaping’s Holiday Lighting Service that is new for 2012. This service is designed for our customers who find putting up, taking down and storing their Holiday lights to be a hassle and would rather have us do the job for them.

However, we understand that there are a lot of people who prefer to do it themselves. For these folks we’ve come up with our “Top 5 Tips for Holiday Lighting”.

1.  Start out Small

If you’re a newcomer to Holiday lighting, start out by highlighting just two or three items, such as roof lines or wreaths, to serve as focal points. Then you can add in new displays each year as you gain more experience. Read more »

We get excited each year when the Zonta Homewalk comes around!  Reder Landscaping is a Silver Sponsor of the Homewalk and we’re especially proud to support them as they celebrate 65 Years of supporting educational scholarships and programs that enhance the status of women and their families in our community!

2012 Zonta HomeWalk December 1 & 2 – More Info

Want to Win 2 FREE Tickets?   Read more »

Every year in early November we engage in a process in our nursery that is very important to us at Reder Landscaping; turning our compost piles into topsoil and planting mix. Recently we posted a video to our FaceBook page that shows how we do this:

This process represents recycling on a grand scale and in the purest sense.

Every year we landscape and maintain a lot of properties throughout Midland, Bay City and Saginaw. We generate a lot of grass clippings from all the lawn mowing we do. We generate a lot of leaves from all the fall clean-ups we do. And we generate a lot of other organic debris in the form of sticks, twigs, limbs, wood chips, sod, etc. from all the properties we maintain and the new landscapes we install.

All these grass clippings, leaves and debris are hauled to our nursery throughout the season and dumped into huge compost piles. The debris in these piles is regularly turned over with a front-end loader to facilitate the breaking down process. After 2 years of repeating this process the result is planting mix and topsoil that is high in organic content and a perfect growing medium for plants and turf.

The cycle is complete when we go on to use this planting mix and topsoil for new lawns and planting beds in our future landscaping projects.

Most landscaping companies don’t have the facilities that we do and have no option but to dump their clippings and refuse in the landfill.

It takes a lot of work to go through the process that we do to make our own plant mix and topsoil!   But we feel it’s worth it in terms of saving landfill space, helping the environment and producing a product that contributes to healthier landscapes.

The Holiday Season is a special time of year, and one of the things that make it so special are all the beautiful holiday lights that you see decorating houses and businesses around Midland.

And for the 2012 Holiday Season Reder Landscaping is introducing an exciting new service … Holiday Lighting Design and Installation!

So now you have a couple of options for getting your home shining brightly for the Holidays. Let’s examine them: Read more »

Although it has been a very mild fall so far, the leaves are tumbling and winter is fast approaching.

Late fall is a very busy time for Reder Landscaping since there’s a lot to do before the ground freezes.  For example, we’ve got landscape design/ build projects to finish installing, irrigation systems to winterize, fall clean-ups to perform, ornamental trees to prune, and lawns and shrubs to fertilize.

Also, this time of year our service representatives are busy visiting every one of our maintenance clients, as well as our 2012 landscape installation clients, in Midland, Saginaw and Bay Counties to assess the health and vigor of their plants and lawn.  We then perform a written evaluation for the owner to advise them on the best practices for the establishment and maintenance for their landscape.

For all you do-it-yourselfers out there, here’s a handy Landscape Winterization Checklist of things to do to ease your mid-Michigan landscape into the winter months and help ensure that it comes back beautifully in the spring.   You’ll also find some how-to for pruning your ornamental trees this time of year in this article.

However, if you feel like you’d rather leave it to the professionals to get your lawn and landscape ready for winter just give us a call.  We’re always happy to help.

The temperatures are falling and so are the leaves.  While it may feel like 2012 is winding down in terms of your lawn, there’s still a lot you can do this fall before the snow flies to improve the overall health of your turf and ensure that your lawn gets off to a good start in the spring.

Basically, this time of year you want to encourage root growth in your turf plants and discourage blade growth.

Like all plants in Mid-Michigan, grass plants go dormant in the fall as they prepare for winter. This involves “hardening off” or shutting down their growth mechanisms, losing their green color, giving up moisture in their leaves, and storing nutrients in their roots.  This process is designed to protect the grass plants from damage during freezing temperatures, prevent infestation from winter diseases such as Snow Mold, and allow your lawn to bounce back healthy in the spring.

So here’s our list of “6 Things to do This Fall for a Better Lawn Next Spring”:

• Fertilize:  A good “Winterizing” fertilizer applied late in the fall will promote root growth without the nitrogen that promotes top or leaf growth which can be damaged over the winter.
• Cut off irrigation: Excess moisture can impede the “hardening off” process that is beneficial to the turf plants.
• Reduce mowing height to 2”:  Cutting the grass lower will promote the “hardening off” process.
• Remove leaves:  Keeping your lawn free of debris impedes the growth of damaging molds.
• De-thatch:  Removing excess thatch reduces mold growth and promotes a healthier root system.
• Aerate (and over-seed):  By loosening compacted soils aerating allows more air, water and nutrients to get to the turf plant roots, promoting strong roots.  Aerating in the fall is also a great opportunity to over-seed to introduce new varieties to your lawn or to fill in bare spots.

For a more in-depth discussion of why these 6 things are good for your lawn you can link to this article on our website.

And if you need any help with irrigation winterization, fall clean-up, or lawn fertilization and aeration, contact us to speak with a Reder Landscaping lawn expert.

Join us this weekend at the 

Fall 2012 Parade of Homes!  

[This Contest Has Ended]

Enter a drawing to win 1 of 4 “Landscape Winterization Packages” designed to prepare your lawn, trees and shrubs for the harsh conditions of winter.

The package includes:

• Deep root fertilization for your trees and shrubs (up to 300 sq. ft.).  This is a liquid injection of chelated micronutrients designed to be stored by your plants over the winter for a good, healthy start next spring.  This application also aids in the development of a strong root system.
• Late fall fertilization for your lawn (up to 15,000 sq. ft.).  This is probably the most important application of the entire season, as it helps to promote strong root growth and an early recovery in the spring.

Everybody is a winner in this drawing, since all entrants are entitled to a free “Lawn and Tree Analysis” from one of our Reder Landscaping experts to assess your yard and recommend programs for the well-being of your landscape.   To schedule, just call our office and let us know you entered the drawing.

Enter up to 3 times!   Select one or all of the ways below to enter: Read more »

The summer of 2012 was a great one for spending time at the beach or out on your boat, but it was a tough one for your lawn!  Extreme temperatures and drought conditions combined with increased grub and insect activity added up to a death sentence for many lawns in the Midland, Saginaw and Bay City area.
If your lawn took a beating over the summer and you’re wondering what to do now, call the experts at Reder Landscaping and ask about our “Six Step Approach” to getting your lawn green, thick and lush.

Our “Six Step Approach” includes:

1. Evaluation and testing of the soil to ensure proper PH and nutrients.
2. Aerification and soil amendments to break up compaction and condition the soil for healthy turf roots.
3. Insect control to ward off turf-eating pests such as grubs and cinch bugs.
4. The right fertility and weed control program to ensure healthy turf plants.
5. Proper choice of seed mix and re-seeding method (slit seeding, broadcast seeding or hydro-seeding) tailored to the specific conditions of your yard to ensure successful turf germination and establishment.
6. A proper watering schedule for those with an irrigation system, or practical watering guidelines for those without an irrigation system.

Early autumn is the perfect time of year to establish a new lawn.  So contact us today to take advantage of these ideal growing conditions, and save money too!!!
Meet with a Reder lawn expert to have your lawn assessed using our “Six Step Approach” today and save 10%!

Hurry!  This Limited Time Offer is Only Good Through October 15, 2012