Terms we use on the job
Words already in our service pages and guides. One definition each, then the page that does the work. Not a second copy of that page.
Lawn
Floratam
The St. Augustine we install on a home lawn.
St. Augustine grass
The common lawn. We install Floratam and cut it high.
Bahia
The open-ground grass. Cheaper, tougher, and quick to seed out.
Zoysia
Denser and slower. We do not name a cultivar.
Chinch bug
A sunny thin patch may be this insect. We do not spray it.
Sod webworm
Chewed turf people ask about. We see damage. We do not spray.
Take-all root rot
A name for turf that dies in this sand. Not a treatment we sell.
Gray leaf spot
A fungus name. We do not spray it. Do not water at night.
Thatch
Clippings that smother the lawn. Weekly summer cuts keep them short.
Scalping
Cutting St. Augustine too short. The deck goes back to 3.5–4 inches.
Mowing height
The deck setting. St. Augustine stays at 3.5–4 inches.
Sod establishment
The first two to three weeks. Roots take, or the sand wins.
Shade lawn
Partial shade can stay grass. All-day shade should be a bed.
Soil and water
Sod seam
The joint between pieces. Staggered, tight, and not a dam.
Grading
Shape the sand so water leaves the house. Not a buried drain.
Soil compaction
Sand packed hard by ruts. We skip a wet mow instead of making them.
Soil pH
People ask if the sand is too acidic. We do not test it.
Watering in new sod
The drink that settles new sod. Morning water, for two to three weeks.
Sandy soil
Fast-draining sand. Hard on new sod, and shallow for oak roots.
Plants and beds
Salt spray
Wind-blown salt. It burns tender growth and spends ordinary mulch.
Mulch
Cover around plants. One page, no wood species named.
Rock bed
Stone as a bed, not a ribbon. River rock near the house.
Mulch volcano
Mulch piled on the trunk. We do not do it.
Foundation planting
The row along the house. Off the wall, and off the roof.
Privacy hedge
A living screen. The species sets how often it has to be cut.
Viburnum
The usual screen. Dense, and fast enough to miss a summer.
Podocarpus
The formal hedge. Slower than ligustrum, and it holds a line.
Ligustrum
A fast hedge. Plan on a short interval in the warm months.
Hibiscus
Color and speed. A short trim interval in warm weather.
Croton
Color in the sun. A poor choice for a tall screen or a dark wall.
Coontie
The low native under a window. Tough, and it stays put.
Trees and palms
Sabal palm
The cabbage palm. A full head stays. Dead fronds come off.
Queen palm
Same trim rule as a sabal. Tall queens over a roof take longer.
Palm boot
Old leaf bases on the trunk. Ask on the walk. Not a separate service.
Hurricane cut
A palm stripped to a tuft. We will not do it.
Crown thinning
Open the canopy so wind passes through. Not topping.
Crown raising
Lift low limbs off the roof and the drive. The top stays a crown.
Crown reduction
Bring a too-heavy crown down. No stub cuts, and no topping.
Deadwooding
Take the dead wood out before it drops on its own.
Lion-tailing
Inner limbs stripped so leaves sit at the tips. We do not do it.
Root plate
The shallow root mat under an oak in sand. Not a diagnosis.
Stump grinding
An add-on after removal. Grind, cut flush, or leave. No published price.
Laurel oak
Looks sound, often hollow. The walk decides trim or removal.
Brazilian pepper
Invasive growth. We cut it and haul it. We do not plant it.
Australian pine
Brittle and invasive. A removal, not a tree we plant.
Melaleuca
Canal-edge invasive. Cut and hauled. Not a tree we plant.