Simply Horticulture

04/11/2026

Sergio and the boys did an amazing job this week installing a surface drainage and preparing the soil at this park in Frisco. Next week, we will have some minor touch ups following the anticipated storms.

Our teams worked very hard to accomplish this job before the weekend. If it rains several days next week, this park would be too wet to work. We are glade it is done for now. It will be ready for hydromulch the following week.

03/25/2026

Sometimes the safest way to remove a tree… is to go up. 🌳⬆️

This project required a crane-assisted removal to safely navigate tight spaces and this beautiful home in Highland Park. Crane work isn’t just about equipment—it takes experienced arborists who understand proper rigging, load dynamics, and how to accurately estimate the weight of green wood to determine safe pick sizes.

Our team follows industry best practices, keeping all lifts within 80% of the crane’s capacity to maintain a strong margin of safety. Proper rigging is critical—it allows us to control movement, manage forces, and execute each cut with precision.

I’m proud of our crew and the professionalism they bring to every job. Special thanks to Guillermo for leading the work, and to our partners Johnny and Juan for providing the crane and expert operator.

This is what collaboration in the tree care industry looks like—skilled people, working together, to safely serve our clients.

03/18/2026

There’s no better classroom than the field.

This morning, Sergio, Alberto, and Mario took time to teach the boys how to properly prepare beds, hand water, and install seasonal color across our communities in Dallas. From soil prep to spacing and planting technique—these are skills they need to know to ensure future plantings are successful.

03/17/2026

Spring break at the Nelson house doesn’t mean sleeping in — it means going to work.

Bradley and Guillermo taught Elijah the basics of ground work — how to tie a line and drag brush like a pro.

Felipe and Mario have been teaching Easton how to prep beds and install seasonal color.

Both of these boys are naturals, and it’s been fun watching them learn from the crew.

I actually started working in this industry when I was 11 years old, so seeing these boys get a taste of hard work early means a lot to me.

And of course… if you hang with me, you’re going to eat well.

Yesterday: Chilosos
Today: Hutchins BBQ

Hard work. Good people. Great food.

03/02/2026

While attending my daughter’s golf tournament, I could not help myself. These bermudagrass greens are showing signs of Take-All Root Rot.

This disease has become increasingly common on bermudagrass putting greens across the southern United States, especially where soils are stressed, compacted, or biologically imbalanced.

Visual symptoms include:
• Irregular chlorotic (yellow) patches
• Distinct circular rings and thinning turf
• Progressive decline that can mimic nematode damage or nutrient stress

Below the surface is where the real damage occurs:
• Shallow, weakened root systems
• Dark lesions on roots and stolons
• Brown-to-black root rot leading to turf failure

The disease is often associated with Gaeumannomyces graminis var. graminis, but research shows multiple fungi can produce similar symptoms. Because of this, the broader term “root decline” is often more accurate when diagnosing warm-season turf failures.

Key takeaway:
Above-ground symptoms are only part of the story. Without addressing soil chemistry, drainage, organic matter, and root health, recovery will be slow—or impossible.

Early diagnosis and a soil-first management approach are critical to protecting high-value playing surfaces like putting greens.

Healthy roots = playable turf.

02/20/2026

02/06/2026

One of those days where science, stewardship, and a little sunshine all came together ⛳️🌿

I had a great conversation earlier with a representative from the Tarratn Regional Water District, diving into PFAS, water quality, and the long-term implications of biosolids and soil management decisions that don’t show up immediately—but matter for decades.

That discussion tied directly back to research by Bryant Scharenbroch, whose work I’ve followed closely. I had the chance to meet Bryant personally and talk biosolids back in 2018 at the American Society of Consulting Arborists conference in Stevenson. Those conversations have aged very well as PFAS continues to move to the forefront of water and soil discussions.

After Day 1 of the Professional Grounds Management Society conference, we shifted gears and took the conversation to the fairway—playing a round at Lady Bird Johnson Golf Course.

Blue skies, dormant turf, big ideas, and some of the best university landscape managers in the State of Texas all in one group. Solid swings, better laughs, and the kind of peer conversations you can’t manufacture in a meeting room.

We wrapped the day with a great social event and some outstanding BBQ from Eckers BBQ—because no good conference day in Texas should ever end without brisket and good conversation.

Conference home base is the Inn on Barons Creek, which made it easy to keep the dialogue rolling even after the scorecards were turned in.

Grateful for:
• thoughtful science-based discussions
• relationships that span years and disciplines
• and moments where important work is balanced with a little fun

Looking forward to more education and my family arriving tomorrow afternoon.

02/02/2026

Our seasonal color program includes freeze cover protection, plant healthcare treatments, hand watering, dead-heading spent blooms, and weekly rabbit deterrent applications.

After being under freeze cloth for nearly 1.5 weeks, these flowers are performing extremely well considering the recent weather. This is a great example of why closely monitoring weather patterns and taking a proactive approach to horticultural management matters.

01/13/2026

It is a great day to be an arborist. Our technicians are structural pruning these live oaks at the center city plaza. Looking for to applying our training and techniques for all our clients in 2026!

12/24/2025

We are closed Wednesday-Friday to give our crews time with their families. We had one more estate to service today, so I had an opportunity to work on my own this morning. I really enjoy working in gardens. It clears the mind and gives me peace. I hope you get to outside and enjoy this weather. Merry Christmas to all!

12/20/2025

Emmalyn joined the team for our Christmas lunch at EG Steakhouse. Our dedicated team has completed so much for our clients this year. The team has grown so much and we are absolutely ready for 2026. This group is the best in the horticultural business and I am grateful to lead them.