Carroll Country Landscape


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	The three photos this month are all photos of mole or vole activity. The difference between the two are that moles are carnivores while voles are herbivores. Our most frequently asked question this time of year is the reason for including these photos in our What's New page. We receive many questions about what to do about the winter damage similar to the photos seen here. The damage to the smaller stems on the Amelancier are from the teeth of voles. We will probably have to prune the damaged stems back to the ground as the damage will affect the transport of water up the stem and food produced by the leaves coming back down the stem. These stems may actually leaf out this season but are not likely to live a second year. As for the other two photos; these are of vole or mole damage to a lawn. It shows the results of their tunneling under the surface of the lawn which was under snow cover most of the winter. The moles or voles that caused this will not remain active in the open part of the lawn where they would become prey to predators such as birds, foxes etc. Most will head to the wooded areas for cover. As for the lawn, once raked out it should come back as the root system and hopefully most of the crowns are still viable. Healthy turf around the damage will also grow back into the damaged area by way of stolens as most of your lawns are predominantly bluegrass. If a dead patch still remains into late May or early June some overseeding can be done but March is far too early to give these areas last rights.


Other news: Our crews have been active this winter at the many educational events provided by the landscape associations Carroll County Landscape is involved in. The most recent conference was on March 17th at the New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord. Our whole staff attended this event put on jointly by the New Hampshire Landscape Association and the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension. Educational sessions included subjects such as landscape design, pruning, wetlands and sustaining wildlife with native plants. The keynote speaker was Doug Tallamy, professor of entomology and wildlife ecology at the University of Delaware. Our two gardening crew managers, Jan and Sue just got back from the Boston flower show where they perused supplier's booths for new plants and gardening ideas and took in all the beautiful landscape displays. Earlier in the winter our general manager Mike Nicolay and owner Dave Alessandroni attended the annual joint winter meeting of the New Hampshire Landscape Association and the New Hampshire Plant Grower's Association. This meeting includes an array of educational sessions and a small trade show. Speakers included Lorraine Merrill from the NH Department of Agriculture. In February Dave Alessandroni attended the Techo Bloc contractor showcase in Portsmouth, an all day educational workshop on installations, industry facts and myths and new paver products for both permeable and impermeable paving. The biggest venue that our staff attended was the 18th annual New England Grows, at the Boston Convention and Exposition Center. This is one of the largest trade show and educational session events in North America. It is the premier industry event, offering education, exhibits and networking opportunities. It is sponsored by the New England Nursery Association, the Mass. Arborists Association, the Mass. Association of Landscape Professionals, the Mass. Nursery and Landscape Association and more than 35 allied Green Industry organizations.