Spring into Action

spring-action2aBuds on the trees…birds chirping…winter coats finally stashed away.  Time to spring into action and get serious about working in the yard!   Three-Z is your go-to source for the quality materials you need to get the job done!

Sit down, make a list, and set a budget — decide what you’d like to accomplish in your yard this year.  There are a number of seasonal maintenance activities to consider which include, mulching the beds; adding new flowerbeds; and reseeding dead patches in the lawn.  (For an additional list of “Smart Spring Yard Cleanup” options, visit this link.  http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20352366,00.html)

Whatever it may be, if your project requires soil, mulch, stone or compost, the earlier you place your order, the better. With Three-Z, you can always reschedule if the weather isn’t cooperating or your plans change.  Why put it off?  Wouldn’t you prefer to enjoy your newly revitalized yard all summer?  Three-Z has a large fleet and can respond quickly to deliver your materials to you, often the same day.  Call 216-524-4544 to place your order.  (Our delivery area covers the Northeast Ohio area. This includes: Cuyahoga County with Eastern Lorain, Northern Medina & Summit, Northwest Portage, Northwest Lake, and Western Geauga.)

Remember, in the landscaping world, the month of May is comparative to the dinner rush at a popular restaurant.  Everyone is trying to get in at the same time and without a reservation, so you may have to wait for an open table.  Same goes when it comes to the landscaping spring rush (especially Memorial Day weekend), the longer you wait to order, the longer you may wait for delivery.  Planning ahead will allow you to spend more time enjoying your yard!

Visit our website, http://three-z.com/ to check out our wide assortment of soils and amendments, mulches, sands, aggregates, limestone, and washed gravels.  We deliver the quality materials you need and provide the service you expect.

Super Spring Savings

It’s definitely time to think spring savings with Three Z Supply!  Take advantage of tremendous savings, April 1 – springa15, 2016, through our pre-season order program.  It’s pretty simple – the more you order, the more you save!  And deliveries can be made any time in 2016.  All orders placed and paid for by April 15, 2016 will receive the following discounts.  For example:

Order:
$100-$199, save $10.00
$200-$299, save $20.00
$300-$399, save $30.00
$400-$499, save $40.00

As an added bonus, by taking advantage of this offer, you’re locking in last year’s standard retail prices before they increase for the 2016 landscape season.  Or, use your own truck and receive 2015 pricing on all loads picked up before April 15, 2016.  Please note, the discount is based on material cost before standard delivery and sales tax is applied and cannot be combined with any other offers.  (2016 pricing takes effect on April 16, 2016.)

Visit our website, http://three-z.com/ to check out our wide assortment of soils and amendments, mulches, sands, aggregates, limestone, and washed gravels.  We deliver the quality materials you need and provide the service you expect.

Attention past customers — watch for a green flyer from Three Z with additional information!  Call (216) 524-4544 for details or to place an order.   Think spring…think savings with Three Z!

March Gardening

It’s been an exceptionally mild winter in Northeast Ohio, even setting record high temperatures in bulbsaFebruary.  Even Punxsutawney Phil predicted an early spring!  So with the month of March upon us soon, here are a few “to-dos” (from Rodale’s Organic Life) for those of you who just can’t wait to throw on the gloves – gardening gloves, that is!

•    With warmer temperatures, watch for hosta shoots poking up through the soil.  If the ground is fully thawed, dig up clumps that need to be divided, split them apart, and replant them. Water generously.
•    Free the foliage from spring-blooming bulbs that are tangled in mulch.
•    If the weather is mild, consider planting roses, trees, and shrubs towards the end of the month.
•    Move your cool-loving broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower outdoors to a cold frame or protected spot.
•    Now’s the time to start seeds of tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, perennials, and annual flowers indoors under lights.
•    As soon the garden soil is workable, plant peas, potatoes, sweet peas, poppies, rocket larkspur, and mignonette.
•    If there’s no snow, top-dress the lawn with compost; fill in low spots and reseed.

Gardening for the Greater Good

If you’ve ever driven by a nursing home or an assisted living facility in the spring or summer months, you may notice garden-settingaa resident or two sitting outside enjoying the grounds.   According to the University of Minnesota, “Roger Ulrich, a professor and director of the Center for Health Systems and Design at Texas A & M University, found that viewing natural scenes or elements fosters stress recovery by evoking positive feelings, reducing negative emotions, effectively holding attention/interest, and blocking or reducing stressful thoughts.  When viewing vegetation as opposed to urban scenes, test subjects exhibited lower alpha rates which are associated with being wakefully relaxed.”

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to lend a hand in creating those therapeutic environments for our seniors?
Why not call a local nursing home or assisted living facility – perhaps they’re looking for individuals to water, weed, prune, plant and mulch to help maintain their gardens.  Chances are, they’d be willing to work around your schedule if you’re willing to volunteer your time.   Or, if you have a loved one in a facility right now, and they do not have a garden, consider spearheading the effort to create one.  Given the benefits noted above, why not share your gift of gardening with others.

Not sure where to start?  Here’s a helpful link to help you locate a nearby facility — https://www.caring.com/.  You may also find some volunteer opportunities on this site — http://createthegood.org/

Getting Rid of Dandelions – Organically?

Oh, so sweet…your five-year-old just picked you a large, beautiful bouquet…of dandelions!  It’s time to eliminate dandelionsathem for good.

When dandelions are blooming, mow them often to prevent the yellow blossoms from maturing into seeds.  Prefer more manual labor?  Dig them out!  A “dandelion digger” is a specialized yard tool that removes a wide variety of weeds, including their roots, with little soil disturbance.  Getting rid of the root and all is definitely one way to eliminate them for good.

There are some other non-conventional, methods worth trying, too.  To control dandelions in much smaller, concentrated areas, try pouring boiling water over them.  You can also smother them with a variety of objects including black plastic (weighted down), grass clippings, compost, or bark mulch for a nicer look.   Lastly, a 5% concentration of vinegar (similar to household vinegar), is an effective weed killer against annual and perennial weeds such as dandelions, foxtail, velvetleaf, smooth pigweed and thistle.  (And it won’t pollute the soil.)

Probably the most effective organic weed and feed is corn gluten meal.  (This is a by-product of milling corn, primarily used in farm animal feeds and dog food.) This yellow, powdery substance can also be used as a “pre-emergent” weed control for lawns.  For dandelion prevention, it should be applied to your lawn about 4 – 6 weeks before weeds germinate.  If you’ve missed this window of opportunity; don’t worry.  Not all weeds sprout at the same time, so try applying the corn gluten meal a few times during the growing season.

Spring is in the air…among other things

It’s in the air…can you smell it?  No, not Spring.  It’s the awful, foul, noxious smell of a skunk!  Spring has sprung and skunkathose pesky, but useful, mammals have been making their presence known to homeowners throughout the area.   If you think you may have skunks regularly visiting your yard, there are a few things you can do to help prevent them from nesting in and digging up your yard.

Remove Food Sources
Keep lids on your trash cans and always tie off the trash before putting it in the can.  It’s important to regularly check under your porches, sheds, patios and crawl spaces for openings that may need to be sealed; this will keep skunks from coming into your home in search of food.  If you have trees or bushes that harvest fruits, berries or nuts, try and remove as many as you can from the ground.  Also, eliminate all water sources that skunks can easily access.

Light it Up
Skunks are nocturnal, therefore they prefer to come out and search for food at night. Light sometimes frightens them and sends them elsewhere to look for food.  Using a bright light at night can keep them from coming in your yard and digging for their supper.  It may be worth your while to invest in a motion activated light; however, animals can become immune to specific things after a certain period of time.  You may find yourself looking for another repellant before you have a chance to actually get rid of your little, smelly friend.

Spray a Skunk
Like the motion activated lights, the automated sprinklers are also a common way to deter skunks. The automated sprinklers have motion sensors that come on and spray the skunk (or any other animal) that comes within so many feet of it. (Let’s see how the skunk likes getting sprayed!)  Hopefully, the skunk then associates this frightening experience with your yard, and decides never return. You can place these sprinklers anywhere in your yard near the area you want the skunk to stay away from.

Hot Pepper Recipe
Store-bought repellents can get quite costly, so you may want to give this home-made concoction a try. Chop a yellow onion, two (2) jalapenos and a tablespoon of Cheyenne pepper.  Place all of the ingredients in (2) quarts of water and boil for at least 20 minutes.  After the ingredients have finished boiling, use a cheese cloth to strain the liquid, then pour the liquid into a spray bottle and spray it on anything that you don’t want the skunks taking a bite out of. This recipe has been known to produce effective results, but it only lasts about 3-5 days before you have to reapply it again.

Build Barriers
When it comes to barriers, this just might work.  Skunks aren’t the best climbers and even worse at jumping.  However, they are excellent diggers and can squeeze themselves into holes that are about four (4) inches wide.  So again, it’s important that you seal up any holes and ditches around your home, shed and decks.  Skunks won’t attempt to dig under a fence unless they are able to see an opening on the other side.

If you are unable to get a handle on the skunk problem in your yard, do not attempt to trap the animal.  Contact a local wildlife removal expert.