Kristin Urbauer

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Garden Guides uses a knowledgeable team of editors, writers, and experts to create all our content. We dive deep into the ever-evolving conversations surrounding gardening and landscaping, striving to deliver the most current and helpful tips, strengthened by expert insight and tutorials from our talented team.

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Stories By Kristin Urbauer

  • What Is The Most Shade Tolerant Type Of Zoysia?

    What Is the Most Shade Tolerant Type of Zoysia?. Zoysia is a warm-season grass that has several species, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Certain species work better for homeowners with shady lawns. Additionally, the overall climate of a location affects the shade tolerance of zoysia grasses.

    By Kristin Urbauer November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • How To Cure Brown Patches In St. Augustine Grass

    How to Cure Brown Patches in St. Augustine Grass. Brown patch is a common fungal disease in susceptible types of St. Augustine grass, especially during humid weather, according to University of Florida Extension. It most commonly occurs in the spring and fall, and risk increases with high nitrogen levels. Lawns stressed by drought, heat, pests or other disease show higher susceptibility to brown patch as well. Curing this disease proves easiest in its early stages.

    By Kristin Urbauer November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Clean Shade Trees

    Clean Shade Trees. Shade trees provide aesthetic benefits while creating an ideal area for outdoor relaxation, increasing privacy and encouraging wildlife to visit. Shade trees may also increase yard litter by dropping nuts, seeds, berries, leaves or even branches. Such trees create a messy landscape, clog gutters and litter streets with their debris. Choosing a clean tree with limited litter provides the benefit of a shaded yard without the additional cleaning and maintenance required from other trees.

    By Kristin Urbauer November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Fast-Growing Shrubs For Zone 9

    Fast-Growing Shrubs for Zone 9. Shrubs benefit the landscape by adding height and texture along with blooms or fruit at various times throughout the year. They provide wind protection and increase privacy as well. Some shrubs take many years to reach the point of providing such benefits, but choosing fast-growing species eliminates this problem while quickly creating a mature-looking landscape. Many options exist for fast-growing shrubs in USDA growing zone 9, easily divided by their light requirements.

    By Kristin Urbauer September 6th, 2022 Read More
  • Empire Zoysia Grass Problems

    Empire Zoysia Grass Problems. Zoysia, a warm-season grass, thrives in full sun or partial shade. This slow-growing grass species requires less frequent mowing, but must be watered regularly. Many different types of zoysia exist, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Solve or avoid some of the more common problems of Empire zoysia by giving the grass suitable growing conditions and regular maintenance.

    By Kristin Urbauer September 6th, 2022 Read More
  • When To Aerate Zoysia?

    When to Aerate Zoysia?. Zoysia is a warm-season grass that grows well in poor soil conditions. However, plants perform best in ideal growing conditions, and zoysia is no exception. Aerating provides several benefits for zoysia grass, including reducing soil compaction and thatch buildup, especially in areas with clay soil or heavy foot traffic. In spite of these benefits, aerating at the wrong time damages the grass, resulting in poor growth and increased risk of disease.

    By Kristin Urbauer September 6th, 2022 Read More