Now offering soil testing

 Mr. Backyard soil testing!

Hello friends and neighbors. I want to share with you some of the many benefits of choosing me to do your soil testing.

1) soil test can be hard to understand and its helpful to have someone explain it to you.

2) I offer soil testing from M.S.U soil and science department. Having a lab test done on your flower beds or lawn can save you a lot of money by measuring needed amendments

3) No commitment. You can hire me to take the lab test and explain it so you can add amendments yourself. Or ill do it all for you.

Below is a sample reading I took earlier in late Aproril 

"Flowers, Perennials" Soil Test Report for Andrew Dail "back" (Apr 25, 2022, #6T6T93)

		Below Optimum	Optimum	Above Optimum
Phosphorus (P)	34 ppm
Potassium (K)	159 ppm
Magnesium (Mg)	284 ppm
Calcium (Ca)	2754 ppm
CEC	16.5 meq/100 g
Soil Type	Mineral (Loam)	*For more information on each individual nutrient, or the bar graph, click on the underlined word.
Soil pH	7.3
Lime Index	0
Organic Matter	17.2 %

sample recommendation  #2

Organic Matter Recommendation

Organic matter in your soil is 17.2%. Your soil has an adequate level of organic matter and no further actions need to be taken. Mulching gardens annually with 1" of organic mulches can help maintain soil organic matter and reduce the amount of commercial fertilizer you need to apply. You can reduce your fertilizer rate by 1/2

                                                       Chewy loves healthy grass!

Conclusion. 

Not knowing the exact nutrients in your soil leads to some or all of the following. 

1) overfeeding

2) overpaying

3) over polluting 

Soil testing is recommended once a year or every two years. Overfeeding leads to paying more for fertilizer than needed. It can also leach into underground waterways causing algal blooms in nearby ponds and lakes. 

When you call for your landscaping needs, don't forget to ask about soil testing for garden beds and for your lawn. It will save you lots of money by testing before feeding and keep your plats healthy at the same time. 

Why work so hard! Call Mr. Backyard!

www.andydail.com

(517) 507-9494

andrewd668@gmail.com

www.faceook.com/mrbackyardllc

                                                                                        

Hydreangea care post from May 2021

(post saved from 2021 Mr. Backyard. LLC website)

    Hydreangea care and what I have learned

    The Nextdoor website has been a big part in my business since the first gardening help-for-hire post I made in 2013. I wanted to find a way to help everyone by sharing some insight from what I have learned since that first post, to now, after years tending to Hydreangeas. I can go into Hydranga types and prunning basics in another post but the support stand advice can be used for all or most over grown medium-large Hydreangeas. You most likely won't find these couple tips and tricks in basic tutorials. The tips about prunning are specific to the types of Hydrangas that you prune late winter, early spring in which new growth is budding from last seasons left over stalks. I notice a lot of intrest with Hydrangas on the nextdoor.com/Okemos area, so I'm excited about this post and I hope it will either help you, or maybe you have something to add or some input.

                                    





Reading information online, watching turtorials and even reading books that are highly respected in the gardeneing book section, gives a great start in learning these beautiful perennials. Im jumping right into some things that are not covered or to my knowledge are not covered anyway. The nomal pruning reccomendations for these type of Hydrangas often say that you prune them back in the winter or early spring to a height of 18 to 24 inches.




PROBLEM:




Often times I'm seeing Hydrangas that have been pruned to the suggested heights still have problems with the blooms getting top heavy in the mid-late summer and they droop down. Trick! So the first part of this trick, if you're having this problem with hydrangas that cannot support their blooms you most like seeing it now. Also your most likely seeing this on older, bigger hydrangas you have had for some time. You'll need measuring tape, and perhaps bamboo stakes and garden twine to support the Hydranga stalks for now. If you skip that step, that's fine, but I want you to meaure where it is they start to bend and droop. Go from the ground up and find a close guess, since they do bend, so its tricky and take a guess. Let's say you measure your stalks and you see them bending around the 24 inch mark. Well thats funny you were taught to prune them that height so why are they beginning to bend at the exact same height as they were pruned and some you pruned at 19 or 24 in and they are bending in that area as well. As hydrangas get older and bigger as they fill out, its no longer addequet to just prune these well established hydrangas at the originial suggested prunning height you're used to. After you measured where that bend starts at, I want you to write that down and then below it, write prune this hydranga 4 inches past the point or measurement they started to bend last year. This may verywell be 28 to 30 inches. Remember, if dont prune the hydrangas that bloom from last years stalks you can always prune later when you dead head the dying blooms. There is no reason you cannot cut a little lower if the plant seems a bit over grown.




PROBLEM SOLVED


So what this does is it gives you a way to prune not just by a suggested height, this gives you a better idea of your specific Hydranga and where it needs to be pruned so it has the most support. If your Hydrangas are bending even at the suggested 24 inch height, you want to shoot for punning not lower than than 28 to 30 inches.


NEXT TIP


Okay, so your Hydrangas are big and you're not prunning as far down next year, but you are going to make sure this year's blooms are beautiful, upright, and perfect the way you want them to. These are not sold at Home Depot but I'm providing a link below to order it. What you may need is an actual hydranga (cage) specific to hydrangas the way peoniey cages are made for them and the way tomato cages are made for tomatoes. The reason I put cage in parentheses, is becasuse thats just the way I describe them so you know what I'm talking about. They are more decorative and they dont stick out like a peoiny cage or a tomatoe cage. They are a cute, green, mental enclosure that almost looks like a fancy privacy fence. These support systems are the right height to support hydrangas, they are green and decorative to accent your plant, not look gauty and they are 100% worth it! You'll thank me for this later. Pruning your Hydrangas not by a suggestion but based on the age, the size and 4 to 5 inches highter than the bending starts, is a much more accurate way to manage larger, mature, and more established ones in your garden. Then with a beautiful extra support decritive system your hydrangas will be looking better and you will now never have that drooping Hydranga look in your garden. Below is the links for premium Hydranga / Plant supports

This plant support system is very decrotive and will showcase as well as prodive support. Cheaply made plant supports work well for some plants but larger mature plants neee a bit extra, This is perfect for your favorite in the garen, the one outside your bedroom winow or the main focus of your perennial garden. When the support needed isnt the center piece as well there are other options or if you need several of them

What I like about these is that even though they look like a peony support, they sell the xl size at $84. You will have to select which size is best for your plant but the smallest ones are $44. Both the large and small options are nice because there not just one size available for a still custom looking study plant support that is sutible for supportng several other types of perennials

You may see these often when shpping for Hydrangea Plant supports. These may work for some plants but not large Hydrangas. Im not attaching a link to this for you to buy because well, dont do it they lean as the plant grows, they are to short to provide needed support and personally, I dont like the look of them.(You may have some of these supports all I am saying is they arnt the best for larger Hydrangeas, they do work well for other plants.)

To leave or not to leave?

To Leave, or not to leave, that is the question. 

Hello again. The reason for this post is in a response to some ideas from a blog post about the benefits of leaving your leaves on the ground in the fall. 

The article is posted here.

Leaf Litter

The article basically explains the reasons why people should leave their leaves to naturally decompose instead of raking them up each year. My opinions of this topic are from the vantage point of a professional gardener.  I believe leaving the leaves on the lawn has a few draw backs.
.

1) Properties with multiple oak trees would destroy their grass if they left that many leaves on the ground. Oak trees and maple trees for example are not good for this practice where many smaller trees would not be as big of a problem.

2) Mold spores, bacteria and insect eggs could all be inhabiting those leaves allowing more of a chance to come back in force the following season if left on the ground. If you have issues with your trees and plants this may be of concern to you.

If a homeowner would like to be more organic and just let the leaves fall and save on clean up costs here are a few ideas to apply this approach practically .

1) Designate one "natural area" in your yard where you can blow or rake your leaves to. A natural area is just a an area generally untouched by landscaping material for native plants trees ect to grow organically.  This could be under some big maples or oaks, along the side of a property or in a back corner of the lot.

Having an area to blow your leaves to will save your grass, cut down on disposal costs and minimize clean up time. If you have a compost area or a natural area on your property whether you or a landscaping company does your fall clean up you will save both time and money for each clean up.

2) Avoid planting and maintaining a mono-culture of plants or trees. A mono-culture when you plant only one variety of cultivar of a plant.  Try planting a few different things around the property to encourage diversity. The reason this is important when leaving your leaves on the ground is that you will avoid a infestation of mold, bacteria, mites and other insects by controlling the threshold of the pest. If you have lots of trees of many varieties you will have less of a problem compared to a mono-culture where a bug or mold can easily spread around the property from the same species.

3) Consider mulching leaves. You can kill mite eggs and control other diseases by mulching the leaves as well. Mulching leaves allows less space for bugs to lay eggs on and  multiply. Mulching also provides several benefits to your lawn and garden areas by adding nutrients to the soil in the form of organic compost when the leaves brake down.

By using a few of these practices you can cut down on disposal charges on leaf disposal, protect your property from pest infestation, and minimize fall clean up time. Blowing the leaves off the grass onto your own property is much more efficient than paying a company to dispose of them for you. When I do fall clean up jobs the properties with natural areas to blow the leaves save %50 the cost.  Half of the expense from fall clean up is labor to bag or haul the leaves into a trailer and the expense of the recycling company you pay for disposal. I hope these tips can help you save money while enjoying your property at the same time.

Mr. Backyard
Andy Dail
www.mrbackyardllc.com

Mr. Backyard update

Mr. Backyard, LLC

seasonal update

This year has been a big year for Mr. Backyard. I am entering the fall season with some new equipment and services that I want to share with you.

Plant sales

- I currently have in stock

-Zebra stripped ornamental grasses  

- perennial herbs
- hens and chickens
- herb gardens
- container peppers
- container tomatoes

Mr, Backyard LLC is licensed threw the Michigan agriculture department to grow sell and install plants. All of my plants are given special care. Some of the steps I take to ensure plant health is proper pest management, proper feeding, and building perfect soil conditions

Master Gardening program threw the M.S.U Extension. 

This year I am participation in the MGP to learn new skills and to give back to the community. I will attend training threw December 7th. I am excited to learn new skills in class and I hope to learn as much in the volunteering side as well. I am required to volunteer 40 hours of my time to obtain certification. Some of the volunteering will be thew MSU programs while others will be educational opportunities to inform or help the community. 

One more benefit of the MGP is the manual and reference book I have to use to look up anything you would like to try in your lawn and garden. I have many other books to help point us in the right direction with a multitude of projects.

Stump Grinding

This year we did multiple stump grinding projects. I require a 4 hour minimum and my hourly rate is $50 dollars an hour for this services plus rental cost. I am insured and experienced in running stump grinders so call today to get a quote from a trained professional. (Okemos, Haslett, East Lasning, Williamston. 

Organic Pest Management solutions

- I can apply organic pest sprays for landscape and veggie plants effected by mites and bugs. 

- Diagnose pest problem

- install deer resistant plants

- spray organic deer replant on plants. 

Please visit Andydail.com for a list of my other services and for more before and after pics. 

What I learned about fresh water and farrming

Inroduction

Hello everyone. My name is Andy Dail, and I'm a professional gardener. I also volunteer with The Nature Conservancy. Last week, I participated in the monthly Twitter chat (#talknature) with The Nature Conservancy's team. This month was about farming practices and fresh water. I learned a lot from this chat that I'm concerned about, which I would like to share with all of you. This post will organize some of the points covered in this month's Twitter chat as well as organize some of the thoughts and content expressed. 

1) Farming practices are having a huge impact on our Great Lakes. 

2) Nitrogen buildup caused from inorganic n-p-k fertilizers are one of the causes of algae blooms in the Great Lakes

Wait! I thought the Great Lakes were supposed to be blue?

Some other things I observed.

1) It's very important that as consumers, we are aware of the effects of some farming practices.

2) Consumers need to know what produce is grown  eco-friendly and which are not by labeling.
3) While the government and farmers need to be concerned, it's the consumers job to encourage the demand of the products they want to consume.

I do not believe that farmers are not intentionally trying to damage the environment, they want to maximize production. And there are a lot already farming eco-friendly. There are inconstancies with laws and regulations and until funding catches up, there is more that needs to be done. Farmers are market driven and supporting the farmers that implement The Nature Conservancy's recommended practices will help the demand for eco-friendly grown produce. Even the plants that are inorganically grown need to be done so safety. It's not just the tomato you buy for your dinner plate that needs to be grown eco-friendly. It's the tomato in your spaghetti sauce, school lunches, and Little Caeser's pizza, virtually every tomato. It's not just humans that need organic fruits and veggies. It's the whole planet. The lakes, the fish, the birds are all demanding organic or more sustainable farming.

Check out this link to a video from The Nature Conservancy explaining more about the connection between fresh water and farming. 

http://www.nature.org/photos-and-video/video/fresh-water-and-farming-in-the-great-lakes

Should we really be concerned?

America’s Great Lakes — Erie, Superior, Michigan, Huron and Ontario — hold 21 percent of the world’s surface fresh water and host habitat for a variety of fish and wildlife species of concern. They provide drinking water for more than 40 million people and economic benefits from fishing and recreation. The Great Lakes Region is also a major agricultural area, with more than 55 million acres of land under production. - See more at: http://blogs.usda.gov/2015/01/16/rcpp-to-help-improve-water-quality-in-lake-erie-other-american-waterbodies/#sthash.t1MU8Ym7.dpuf 

Also, please read more of what funding is available for this problem

http://blogs.usda.gov/2015/01/16/rcpp-to-help-improve-water-quality-in-lake-erie-other-american-waterbodies/

So what's the answer?

The Nature Conservancy has come up with a simple strategy for farmers to implement. The following is a quote explaining the procedure:

The Nature Conservancy facilitated the Committee meetings over the last year, and a primary outcome has been the 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification, a program that identifies and promotes proven best practices. The 4Rs of nutrient stewardship are:

• using the Right Source of fertilizer
• at the Right Rate
• at the Right Time and
• in the Right Place.

This science-based framework helps to achieve sustainable plant nutrition management while also considering the environment and economics

Click image below for article to learn more 

Using the 4Rs helps achieve sustainable plant nutrition management while also considering water quality.

What else can we do?

From what I'm noticing, this issue is being given funding and is being considered a big problem by the national government. The way these problems are handled can be influenced by the rate in which they are being implemented. Let's build up more awareness and demand for these issues to speed up the process.

1) Share this blog on Twitter and social media.

2) Participate in the twitter chats (see http://nature.org/talknature for a schedule of topics and dates) or search #talknature after to share the information with everyone, even those not living or directly affected by the Great Lakes.

3) Donate to nature.org any amount to contribute to this cause.

How you're already helping. And thank you.

Twitter and Facebook have contributed to spreading awareness on many issues around the world. This allows everyone to show concern not just those directly affected by the algae blooms in the Great Lakes, for example. The funny thing is everyone is affected by the Great Lakes. Fresh water, food, and entertainment are provided to everyone. 

Donation efforts this year have already made an impact. Let's keep it going in 2015.

Next month's Twitter chat

Next month's Twitter chat will talk about fresh water again, but this time talking more about fresh and fish. The science expert is @etheostomatt, a good person to follow on Twitter. Please join the talk using #talknature in Twitter, and share the information. Join me in supporting The Nature Conservancy in spreading awareness. They will be discussing new issues every month. A full schedule of the Twitter chats is online at http://nature.org/talknature. 

Conclusion

By simply participating in the #talknature Twitter chat, I learned lot of information that inspired me. I hope you all can experience the same effect by participating in the next one about fresh water and fish in the Great Lakes on Friday, March 20 at Noon. You are already helping by reading this blog right now and by spreading awareness, so pat yourself on the back while you share this blog post. I want everyone to know about the algae blooms. I want to see vegetables in the store with the 4Rs on the packing label. I also would like people to request more organic fruits and vegetables. What other things in the ecosystem are happening right now that I'm not mentioning in this blog? Pesticides, rototilling, etc. Even if you don't think you need to consume organic produce, remember, your choices affect you and others.

One more thing

I would like to thank everyone at The Nature Conservancy for participating in that chat. There were scientists taking their time to answer questions. I am very thankful they took the time to dedicate to this. I felt especially involved in the solution when my questions were answered by professionals. I felt like they really care and I was moved. I want to get more people involed in this amazing experience to ensure that they continue doing these chats. Thank you for reading this and I will see you online. Follow me @mr_backyard. Thanks again.

Mr. Backyard LLC

Andy Dail

website andydail.com

email: andrewd668@gmail.com

Twitter @mr_backyard

2015 Spring season

What's New In 2015

Intro

Hello, for those of you I have yet to meet, my name is Andy Dail -- a professional gardener and owner of the recently formed company Mr. Backyard, LLC servicing the Okemos, Haslett, Williamston, East Lansing and Lansing areas. I grew up gardening and my grandparents were all farmers. I developed my green thumb from them at a young age. I started using my plant knowledge professionally in 2014. I have since then formed into a company working in the surrounding area. Thank you for learning about my business, whether you're a potential client or just looking.

Snow / Ice removal

For my clients' winter needs, this year I began snow removal. I started with a shovel and worked my way up to buying a snow blower. Many of my clients were people enjoying winter in warmer climates and relying upon me to keep their property clear of snow while they were away. If you're not in town, I will maintain your drive way and sidewalk for you. Find out more at Andydail.com                            or call me at (517)-303-3602







Are you snowed in? I start working on snow removal early so your little ones will have a clear walk way.

Mr. Backyard, LLC

IT'S OFFICIAL!!! On Feburary 11th, I purchased the name Mr. Backyard, LLC to operate in Michigan in 2015. Andydail.com is the current domain name for my business also known as Mr. Backyard.







In March, I am obtaining liability insurance to protect my clients. I want my clients have to security and protection in case of any accident on private property.

Services

Plant starts

This year, I will be offering my clients vegetable and flower plant starts. I will stick with veggies, flowers and grasses this season. I have already begun planting. Currently, I am starting tomatoes, herbs, mix flowers, lavender and purple coneflowers. lupine and many more varieties. If anyone would like anything specifically grown for them, please contact me. I will announce locations of a booth or two where I will be selling my plants in the spring.

Veggie gardening

This year, I will start working early enough to help you with your vegetable gardens. Veggie garden services include: rototilling, planting, making raised beds and providing plant starts. I have organic plants starts already started indoors for all of your gardening needs.

Visit Andydail.com for pricing , gallery and to get started with an estimate

Equipment rental

This season, I'm partnering up with the local equipment rental companies to provide services with additional equipment . Examples of equipment we can use on your projects include: power washer, two-stage rototiller, log splitter, etc. I am flexible, however, most of these services will need to be scheduled a week in advance. Call today to schedule and for a cost estimate.
Billing



To simplify billing and to provide electronic payment, you can pay now with your credit card / debit card through my website. I set up a pay pal account at andydail.com/pay_now



This option is perfect for a lot of my out-of-town clients. I make bill-paying simple with three easy options: 1) website 2) send paper bill/mail 3) e-mail bill/mail.

Employees

I will hire up two part-time employees to help me maintain properties. I will be spending time training to ensure quality work and also monitor progress. Employees will be added on as soon as April. Interested? Contact me.

Equipment

Each season I will be purchasing new equipment to further my services. This season, I have purchased the following:

-Extension ladder
-Chainsaw
-Single-stage snow blower
-Backpack leaf blower

I have everything I need to safely clean gutters in spring and fall.



I plan on buying the following:
-4x4 pickup truck
-Power washer
-Utility trailer

Volunteer work

This year, I will be doing multiple projects to give back to the community. I am enrolling in the Master Gardener Program through MSU Extension. This is going to give me the opportunity to learn new gardening techniques as well as being able to give back. One project I have in mind already is the volunteer or community garden. If you have any ideas of other community landscapes that could use some volunteer gardening, please email me at andrewd668@gmail.com



I volunteer with The Nature Conservancy and help inform others about nature and conservation. I'm an active participant in the Digital Marketing team and support efforts such as reaching out to others on Twitter. Follow them on Twitter @nature_mi.



Thank you for looking at my hobby, my passion and my business. I look forward to working with you. Please share this with anyone that could use my help. Thanks again.

Mr.Backyard LLC
Andy Dail
Ph:(517)-303-3602
email: andrewd668@gmail.com
website: andydail.com
Twitter: @mrbackyard



Follow me on Twitter @mr_backyard. Spread the word, not the weeds!

Planting grass seed

3 steps to increase growth rate of grass seed

When applying grass seed, you or the company choose could to just throw on some grass seed. I took the extra time with this client, building up his soil and this is before and after pics of just 7 days. It still has some filling in to do, however, I'm very impressed so far with the results.

1) I got as much of the dead grass out of the area and broke the ground up. This step is very important. Here is an applicable quote (citation below): "A healthy lawn begins with good soil. Grass seed will germinate more quickly if all weeds and debris are removed from the soil before planting seed. Infertile soils should be amended with compost, manure or moistened peat moss

Read more: Grass Seed Germination & Growth Rate | Garden Guides http://www.gardenguides.com/130304-grass-seed-germination-growth-rate.html#ixzz3A7HZMVa2"

2)Next I applied some Mycorrhiza to the soil and raked in. This is to build healthy beneficial microbes to the soil that aid in plants nutrient intake. Next I added a light organic plant fertilizer diluted with some added vitamin b supplement for plants. I watered heavily.

Typical Grass Seed Germination Time Periods

Grass Type	Number of Days to Germinate
Bentgrass	10-15
Bermuda	10-30
Bluegrass	20-30
Buffalo Grass	14-28
Centipede	14-21
Fescues	7-15
Rye Grass	5-10

ttp://www.garden-counselor-lawn-care.com/grass-seed-germination.html

3) Now all you need to do is protect the grass from birds and from drying out. By lightly raking in the grass seed, you make it diffciult for the birds to eat the bird seed. You can add a light layer of mulch or topsoil as well as a barrier.
                                   

When I went to check on the yard on the 7th day, I was so surprised that grass was already growing. And it was more than a just a few blades. I believe building up the soil properly before seeding increased my growth rate. I don;t know for sure because it's been 7, but a lot of times grass can take 10 - 14 days to start coming in

This time of year is perfect to start this work in your yard. The temps are cool and its looking like we will get plenty of rain for your lawn. Please visit my website at www.andydail.com