Insect and Disease Control

Bowman’s Pro Turf, LLC’s Ornamental Tree and Shrub Program consists of scheduled treatments that are designed for year-long plant health and vigor. Pest control agents are used as needed to minimize insect and disease problems. Insect and disease controls often begin while the pant is still dormant in the spring, and may continue until fall.

Common insect treatments that we preform include:

• Emerald Ash Borer
• Tent Caterpillars
• Bag Worms
• Beetles
• Aphids

Tree & Shrub Fertilization

Trees and shrubs have a very unique growing cycle throughout the year. We time our tree and shrub fertilization program to best meet the growing needs of the plants in your landscape. In the spring, plants take up nutrients and spend much of their energy producing new foliage and seeds. During the summer months, plants begin to store water as heat and drought stress may occur. In the fall, plants being to transfer nutrients into the root system for storage over winter.

Our fertilization program will match the growing cycle of the plants and foliage as the plant needs change. A healthy tree and shrub program will greatly increase color, longevity, and curb appeal of your property!

Bed Care

During your regularly scheduled lawn care treatment, you may ask your technician to spray the weeds growing in the landscape beds. While this can be done, special products need to be used to ensure your flowers and other desired plants are not harmed by any weed control products. If you wish for our technician to spray for weed in your landscape beds, an additional charge will be added to your account. 

We apply a special pre-emergent herbicide and fertilizer to your landscape bed to help keep many weeds from growing in your landscaping. Please keep in mind that as you add new mulch, dig in the soil, or disturb the protective barrier made by the products we use, some weeds will grow between applications. Some hand pulling will still be required as the weeds die after the application. Because your landscape is such a delicate area, sometimes weeds will not be able to be properly sprayed as they might be too close or even in with desired plants.

Emerald Ash Borer

Over the last few years, the Emerald Ash Borer has destroyed millions of ash tress across the United States. Here in the Wabash Valley, we can see the damage first hand almost anywhere we go. From local parks to subdivision tree rows, ash trees are being destroyed by this invasive insect. The city of Indianapolis will be spending almost $20,000,000 just to remove all of the dead ash trees from this insect. The average cost of tree removal is around $1,000. The cost to replace a fully grown tree cannot really be measured.

We are trained to identify Emerald Ash Borer damage and know the best methods to treat your ash trees. From direct injection into the tree trunk to deep root soil drenching, we can provide your ash trees with the protection it needs.

If you do not treat your ash trees, they will become infested with the Emerald Ash Borer and will die within just a few years after being first infested. Treatment after a tree has been infested can save a tree, but remember that the part of the tree that has already died will never recover.

Lawn Care

At Bowman’s Pro Turf, LLC., we realize that no two lawns are alike. Therefore, we carry a variety of products on our trucks at all times. This allows us to custom tailor a program to fit your lawn and soil requirements while staying in tune with changing weather conditions. Our Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs are designed to create a healthy and beautiful lawn by improving plant strength and density to control weed, insect and disease attacks with minimum pesticide use. Pest control materials are carefully selected and applied to minimize risk to human health, beneficial and non-targeted organisms, and the environment.

Healthy Basic Lawn Program Schedule

Our preferred and most popular lawn care program is called the Health Basic Lawn Program. Below is a summary of what is provided through this service.

Lawn applications begin in early March and run through mid-December, applied at six- to eight-week intervals. Our recommended full-service IPM program consists of five applications of balanced fertilizer, broadleaf weed control, crabgrass pre-emergent and surface insect control. Surface insect control is for the management of turf destroying insects like sod web worms and army caterpillars. (Nutsedge & disease treatments are available for an additional charge.) Free service calls and on-site consultations are included in our Healthy Basic Lawn Program.

Early Spring
Granular, slow-release fertilizer
Crabgrass pre-emergent
IPM program

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Spring
Granular, slow-release fertilizer
Broadleaf weed control
Surface insect control*
IPM program

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Summer
Granular, slow-release fertilizer
Broadleaf weed control
Surface insect control*
IPM program

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Fall
Granular, slow-release fertilizer
Broadleaf weed control
Surface insect control*
IPM program

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Winter
Heavy rate of granular fertilizer for winter feeding
Broadleaf weed control
IPM program

*We will apply insecticide to the lawn if army caterpillars or sod web worms are present.

Fertilizer

We specially select slow-release, granular fertilizers to provide a steady source of food throughout the growing season, which is an excellent value to you and your lawn. Fertilizers are refined and upgraded products of nature obtained from synthetic processes, natural mineral deposits, by-products and organic sources containing plant food elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potash and many other essential nutrients. Fertilizers contain nothing that is not already present in productive soil. Your lawn is a living, breathing organism. It required food and water to survive. By supplying your lawn with the right amount of fertilizers and nutrition, you will notice significant improvement in overall health of your turf.

Weed Control

Different weeds will grow in your lawn throughout the year. As the weeds in your lawn change, we also change our products to specifically target these actively growing weeds. We manage our weed control program by monitoring these growing conditions and making adjustments to the products we select throughout the year.

When we apply the first application with crabgrass pre-emergent, the temperatures may likely be too cold to safely and effectively apply a weed herbicide. While it may be annoying to see a few weeds in your lawn between the first and second application, know that it is for the safety of your lawn that we do not apply products when they are not labeled for use. As soon as the temperatures allow, we begin spraying for weeds (usually April 1st).

Some weeds are easy to eradicate, while some may take repeated treatments. Post-emergent controls will be applied to broadleaf weeds actively growing in your lawn as needed throughout the year. Springtime applications of pre-emergent crabgrass control will be applied before germination begins. All weed control products are applied through IPM strategies.

Insect Control

Insects can destroy a lawn in a very short time. Applying controls for these grass-attacking insects is part of your regular program. This sometimes requires the careful and responsible use of effective pesticides through IPM strategies. Every material we use is selected to deliver the best solution to a specific problem. Safety to you and your family is our commitment. (Grub prevention applications – extra charge.)

Lab Testing

Sometimes we encounter scenarios where there is something unusual happening in either the lawn or landscaping. To provide a definitive answer, we will send plant samples to Purdue University Plant Diagnostic Laboratory for testing. When lab testing is requested, a small charge may be added to your account to cover the cost of testing and shipping.