Many Sioux Falls residents have noticed lawn, tree, or landscaping service delays due to increased rain and standing water.
On June 21, 2024, Keloland News in Sioux Falls, SD, caught up with Weller Brothers Lead Arborist Phil Nystrom to talk about what clients can expect with the rain we have received and how we can combat standing water in the lawn.
We currently offer vole and pest control services at our Sioux Falls, SD, location only.
Voles are small rodents that can cause a big problem. If you have ever experienced voles, you have more than likely experienced the “vole runways” that they create in your yard. They can often be seen once all of the snow from the winter season melts in the spring.
The runways that voles form in your yard can damage the roots of grass, young trees, and other plants, making it difficult for them to grow. Not to mention the Voles travel pathway does not add to your home’s curb appeal.
The professionals at Weller Brothers are ready to develop a foolproof plan to safely remove the vole population that has taken refuge in your yard.
The best way to prevent a vole infestation is to make your yard less attractive to them. Nesting sites for voles are typically at the base of trees or shrubs, in mulch or in-ground cover. These sites can be removed by trimming back vegetation and removing mulch and ground cover.
Voles often search for areas that have food sources, such as nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables. Remove these food sources by cleaning up fallen fruit and debris from your yard regularly
Finally, keep vole populations low by regularly mowing your lawn, and removing weeds and brush from your property.
If you were not able to prevent vole damage, there are several different ways that you can work on bringing your yard back to life.
How to Repair Damage
Once you have prevented and repaired the vole infestation, the next step is to get rid of the voles for good. Weller Brothers offers a variety of different pest control options in Sioux Falls, SD, and voles just happens to be one of them.
Weller Brothers recommends using bait station traps to trap and remove voles from your property. While removing the voles from your property, you will want to set the traps in an area that is frequently trafficked by the voles and check the traps often to clear out the traps and replace the bait.
The lawn care professionals at Weller Brothers in Sioux Falls, SD, have the experience and equipment to properly and safely manage your vole infestation at your property.
Spring is here, and that means spring cleaning is in full swing! Don’t forget to include your lawn on your to-do list by dethatching the buildup from the winter.
Your lawn is a significant investment that you will make for your home and neighborhood. Knowing how to take care of it so that it continues to thrive year after year will be crucial. One of the most important things you can do to maintain a healthy lawn is to schedule a dethatching service.
The professionals at Weller Brothers are ready to spring into the details of what lawn dethatching is and why it will be beneficial for your yard!
Dethatching is also very commonly known as “power raking.” The purpose of this service is to remove thatch buildup in your yard. Thatch is a layer of dead and living organic matter that accumulates on the surface of soil. Thatch can consist of grass clippings, leaves, twigs, and other debris.
Thatch buildup can prevent water, air, and nutrients from reaching the soil and roots, making your grass more susceptible to disease and pests.
Traditionally, detaching is done each spring. However, it can also be alternated every other year with a fall aeration to improve drainage and help the roots grow deeper in your lawn.
Weller Brothers maintenance technician clearing out thatch buildup from their power rake.
The recommended and best time to dethatch your lawn is in the early spring, when the grass is starting to grow from the cold season. Dehatching in the spring will help give your lawn a head start on the growing season.
When dehatching your lawn in the spring, this also allows for lawn care programs, including fertilizer and weed control, to be able to work more effectively and efficiently. Weller Brothers commonly utilizes a 5-step fertilizer and weed control program. The first step is key to a green and lush lawn, as it includes pre-emergent for crabgrass and granular fertilizer.
The lawn care professionals at Weller Brothers in Sioux Falls, SD, and Rochester, MN, have the experience and equipment to properly power rake or dethatch your lawn this spring.
Another day at Weller Brothers, another big promotion.
Scratch that – three promotions in Rochester, Minnesota!
We are excited to share that Nino Medar and Ryan Derleth have been promoted to Maintenance Account Managers, while Kirk Olson is now our Minnesota Branch Manager.
At Weller Brothers, our employees’ ambition for individual growth and opportunity is the driving force behind our overall company growth. These three employees making moves in Rochester are the perfect example.
Read on to get to know each employee and how they contribute to creating the healthiest lawns for our Rochester clients.
Like many people, Kirk went to college for an entirely different industry than what he’s doing now. After graduating from Northern Iowa with a degree in criminology, he spent a year working inside a detention center in Colorado.
“I hated it,” Kirk says.
For a change of pace, he found a job with a local landscaping company as a laborer and quickly found a new love for working outdoors. He quickly moved up into a foreman position, and eventually into a project manager role before moving back to the midwest and taking a position doing grounds maintenance at the Mayo Clinic historic properties.
“I loved working with annuals, perennials, and different types of trees,” Kirk says. “During my ten years at Mayo, I gained a lot of knowledge about turf and plant health.”
Eventually, Kirk was ready for a new challenge in the Rochester landscaping industry. He came across Weller Brothers online and reached out to the team.
“I was impressed by the work I saw on the website and thought, ‘Yeah, that’s who I want to work for.’”
Within a few months of being in touch with Brent Weller, Kirk came on board in a dual role as a maintenance and fertilizer technician, while also doing sales. By the summer of 2022, he had worked fully into an account management role.
The thought of becoming the branch manager for the Weller Brothers Rochester, MN location hadn’t crossed Kirk’s mind until Brent and Cole Weller approached him about the opportunity.
With Brent moving his family back to Sioux Falls in January 2024 and stepping into a regional management role (overseeing the Rochester and Des Moines locations) there was a need for someone to handle the day-to-day operations locally in Rochester.
“This is something I wasn’t expecting,” Kirk says. “They [Brent and Cole] said they have confidence in my leadership skills and thought I would be a good fit for the position.”
Brent points to Kirk’s natural leadership abilities as key to having earned respect from both his clients and colleagues alike.
“Something that has stood out to me the past three years is Kirk’s ability to remain humble, while also inspiring and empowering his teammates,” Brent says. “He brings out the best in those around him, which was one of the primary characteristics we were looking for in a candidate for this position.”
Brent adds that Weller Brothers clients enjoy Kirk as much as the team does.
“Clients who have experienced Kirk’s professionalism firsthand often joke with me that they are going to hire him away from Weller Brothers.”
Despite these positive sentiments toward Kirk, he says that he still didn’t feel 100% confident in taking this new role, but both the Weller Brothers leadership team and his wife encouraged him to jump at the opportunity.
“My wife was my biggest cheerleader and pushed me into this,” Kirk explains. “A few years ago, I went back to school for project management. She asked me, ‘Why did you go back to school if not to jump into something like this?’ She was right.”
While Kirk’s new role as branch manager will have some overlap with his previous account management position – such as networking and business development – he will now be more involved in production and financials.
“I’ll be working on the business more instead of on the business; seeing what I can do from a high level,” Kirk says. “I’ll shift my focus to the profit margins for the entire branch vs. for a certain department, like I did before.”
Kirk says he is most excited about managing personnel in Rochester.
“I hope to have more time to be in touch with our team every day,” he says. “As a full-time account manager, I was busy most days meeting with clients and working on proposals. Now, I think I’ll be able to touch base with the team and make sure things are going well for them.”
Kirk adds that his goal is to keep building the culture that is already in place so that they can keep it alive as the team continues to grow.
When Kirk isn’t on the job, you can likely catch him around town coaching his kids’ sports or enjoying weekends outdoors with his family.
Congratulations, Kirk!
Despite having an experienced and professional team in Rochester, one thing that has been lacking in the office is someone who could “be a bit loud” and “get people fired up.”
Enter Nino.
Nino initially joined the team as a landscape technician and was on track to complete our proprietary Foreman Fast Track program. However, his experience in sales – paired with his energy – made him a great fit to move into a Maintenance Account Management position instead.
“I have worked in the construction industry since my early 20’s,” Nino says. “I’ve transitioned into different roles in other companies throughout the years, but fate always brings me back to my true passion – landscaping.”
Nino came to Weller Brothers through the encouragement of a coworker James, who he met through his son’s school. He says that having a simple conversation and seeing his excitement about work was enough for him to seek employment at Weller Brothers.
He says he can’t pinpoint just one “favorite part of his job.” He names the quality of craftsmanship, the teamwork he experiences at work, and the feeling of accomplishment in seeing a satisfied client.
When Nino isn’t on the job, he’s on the basketball court or cheering on his four children in sports.
Great work, Nino!
“He has experience in pretty much anything landscape maintenance-related.”
That’s what Kirk has to say about Ryan, who started with Weller Brothers as a Turf Specialist in November 2022.
Ryan brings nearly 20 years of experience in the landscape industry, having started right out of high school and gaining a horticulture degree. He took a short break to explore the retail world, but quickly found himself back in the green industry.
“I started working for Weller Brothers because I was looking for a change within the industry,” Ryan says. After sitting down with Brent Weller to learn about the company, I knew this would be the place for me.”
Nino certainly fits right in here, and we are grateful for his well-rounded skillset. Ryan is both a licensed fertilizer application and an experienced irrigation technician. He has experience in mowing and horticulture, as well as in production management and sales.
“This was an easy decision [to move Ryan into the account management role] due to his experience, knowledge, and sales record,” Kirk says. “He has in-depth knowledge of our lawn care services and how they can help our clients.”
He will certainly be an asset to our Rochester clients, as he says that his favorite thing about his job is interacting with clients and coworkers.
When Ryan isn’t outside on your lawn, he’s likely outside somewhere enjoying time with his family.
Welcome to the sales team, Ryan!
Our team is constantly growing. As we create positions and promote employees from within, we are always looking to fill roles with talented, team-oriented people.
If you’re interested in a lawn or landscape job in Rochester, MN, Des Moines, IA, or Sioux Falls, SD, you’re in the right place!
The holidays are here!
Perhaps you are stuck on gift ideas for several people in your life. It can be difficult to choose a gift that is thoughtful and useful.
If your loved one is in Sioux Falls, SD, or Rochester, MN, here is a gift option you may not have considered – lawn care!
This is a perfect idea for:
A parent who can’t quite do it all themselves anymore
A busy friend who can’t find the time to keep up with their lawn
A newlywed couple or first-time homebuyers in your life
We know that time is one of our most valuable assets. What better way to give the gift of time this season than to take lawn care off of someone’s plate?
We have three different lawn care packages to choose from for holiday gifting:
Starting prices are subject to the size of the property’s lawn.
To purchase a holiday lawn care package, reach out directly to your Weller Brothers account manager or designer or fill out the form here.
Maintaining a healthy lawn is no easy task.
Even if you don’t do the work yourself, it can still be time-consuming and frustrating to piece together professional services throughout the year.
“What’s my fertilizer guy’s name again? I need to get a quote. Maybe the college kid down the street will be around to mow this summer for really cheap. Shoot, I forgot to do an online search for an irrigation company to do my sprinkler start-up. Okay, now my grass is dying, and I don’t know who to blame!”
Yikes. Does that sound like you?
If you’re in Rochester, MN, and you want to eliminate this constant lawn care headache, it’s time to find a full-service, experienced lawn care company that you can count on all year long.
Here are the benefits:
When you have a contract with a full-service lawn care company, you will likely be assigned one dedicated point of contact to coordinate all of your lawn services, year-round.
At Weller Brothers Landscape Professionals, we call this your account manager.
You will have your account manager’s email and phone number to contact them should you have any questions about your contract, need to coordinate timing for a service, or general lawn health questions.
This means that not only will you not have to call around to coordinate your various lawn services throughout the year, but you also won’t even need to call our office, speak with our very friendly admin team, and wait for a callback. You can simply contact your account manager directly, anytime during the year.
How’s that for easy communication?
There are so many factors that contribute to a healthy lawn. And, especially if your lawn is in rough shape to begin with, the journey to a thriving lawn takes time and care over the seasons.
When you hire one full-service company to provide your lawn care, you can work together to craft a long-term health plan.
You and your account manager will be on the same page about what your lawn health goals are and what it will take to get there, both time- and investment-wise. Additionally, you will know each year what your financial investment will be for the full year of services, which allows you to budget accurately.
When one company is taking care of all aspects of your lawn health, such as proper mowing, irrigation, and fertilizer, there is less room for error.
At a full-service lawn care company, such as Weller Brothers, our employees have passed background checks and are required to follow our dress code policy while on the job.
We know this is important to homeowners because you don’t want just anyone in your yard or in your flower beds next to your windows. If someone is in your yard wearing a Weller Brothers navy shirt and khaki pants, you will know exactly why they are there.
Now, if you hire the random guy down the street for a one-off bed clean-up, you might look out your window to see some shmuck in a ripped cut-off tee and basketball shorts. Is he the lawn care guy? Is he a rambunctious neighbor kid? Is he running from the police and finding your bushes to be a good hiding place? Who knows . . .
This is especially important when it comes to pesticides. Our team of pesticide applicators are Minnesota state-certified, and they renew their licenses annually by attending an in-person course.
If you just have a “lawn mowing guy”, he likely isn’t licensed to spray herbicide and pesticide on your turf, rock beds, and around your house. This creates a potential risk of the chemicals being applied improperly. They could be mixed too strong (which kills your grass) or could be too weak (does nothing). Or, if someone applies more product than needed, this is bad for both the environment and your wallet.
When you work with a full-service lawn care company like Weller Brothers, you can trust that all applicators are up-to-date on their licensure. That’s because the company will be liable if an employee is spraying without a license – a liability any reputable company will avoid.
When lawn care crews and account managers communicate regularly, the customer – that’s you – receives even better lawn care service.
At Weller Brothers, our knowledgeable crews are in constant communication with the account managers. If, for example, a horticulturist notices that your sprinkler head is broken, she will let your account manager know. Then, your account manager will send an irrigation technician to your home to fix it. All this happens efficiently, and you probably didn’t even know about it!
Similarly, when you have the same crew of lawn care professionals at your home each week, they can keep an eye out for developing issues.
Perhaps a lawn mowing foreman notices that, despite following an appropriate irrigation schedule, your lawn is browning week after week. He can let your account manager know, and your account manager may recommend a moisture manager treatment that allows your turf to better maintain moisture during dry periods.
This high-level context and knowledge of your lawn allows the professionals to make the right recommendations, which is great for both your turf and your budget.
. . . probably not.
But, when you have a team, you get all of this experience in one. That includes a team of trained horticulturists who are dedicated specifically to caring for your landscape beds and plants throughout the year.
The members of our Weller Brothers horticulture team have degrees in horticulture as well as many years of combined experience working in different plant hardiness zones.
This means that your landscape beds will match the quality of lawn care you receive.
Are you interested in getting started on a full-service, year-round lawn health program in Rochester, MN?
Your first step is to contact our office so an account manager can reach out to you. He or she will learn about your lawn health needs, provide an estimate for services, and answer any questions you may have.
Whether you have a lawn irrigation system or a garden hose and sprinklers, regular irrigation is key to keeping your grass living and thriving.
If your turf becomes too dry, it will die; it’s that simple.
So, how often should you water? We’re glad you asked.
The general rule of thumb is to add supplemental water to your turf for a total of one inch per week for a lush, beautiful lawn. This should be a combination of rainfall and/or irrigation.
The first time you use your sprinkler, set out a dish in the lawn to measure how much you’ve watered and set a timer to know how long it takes to reach one inch. These days, you can purchase a programmable hose end or faucet water timer, so you can then set it accordingly for the future.
There are many types of sprinklers on the market; select one that best suits your application needs. Most homeowners prefer an oscillating one.
Regardless of the type of sprinkler you select and, depending on the size of your yard, you may need several sprinklers or need to move the sprinkler in order to evenly water each section of the lawn.
At the beginning of the watering season (spring in the Midwest), check the heads and pipes for any breakage from the winter.
In Sioux Falls, watering days are based on odd/even days of the last number of your house number. The last digit of your house number determines if you are on an odd/even watering schedule. Per city regulation, don’t water between noon and 5 p.m. — the hottest part of the day.
Before launching your irrigation system for the season, you should check the rain curtain on your rotors. A rain curtain refers to the uniform, rotating curtain of water emitted from the rotor head.
If there is no rain curtain, use an adjustment tool appropriate for the brand of your system and manually adjust the rotor body until you achieve a rain curtain from the rotor head. If you have a huge lawn, this could take hours, but once they are adjusted, they should remain so for the future.
The largest culprit of ill-adjusted rotors will be the heads along the driveway and sidewalks, which may have been hit by snow removal equipment during the previous months.
With all of the tiny moving pieces to an irrigation system, there are several other potential issues that should be checked at the beginning of the watering season.
This includes checking the sprays, which are the types of irrigation heads that are commonly placed near sidewalks and driveways, as opposed to the rotors which are on the open lawn.
If sprays are not emitting water, the nozzle or the screen may be plugged. You can remove the obstruction from the nozzle with a paper clip. As for the screen, you can raise it or just replace it.
Also, wiper seals can become worn out on both spray and rotor heads. If the system is running and water is gushing out around the bottom of the cap or out around the riser, the seal likely needs to be replaced. Be sure to match the make and models of the head for the cap replacement — they are not universal.
With all of the tiny moving pieces to an irrigation system, there are several other potential issues that should be checked at the beginning of the watering season.
This includes checking the sprays, which are the types of irrigation heads that are commonly placed near sidewalks and driveways, as opposed to the rotors which are on the open lawn.
If sprays are not emitting water, the nozzle or the screen may be plugged. You can remove the obstruction from the nozzle with a paper clip. As for the screen, you can raise it or just replace it.
Also, wiper seals can become worn out on both spray and rotor heads. If the system is running and water is gushing out around the bottom of the cap or out around the riser, the seal likely needs to be replaced. Be sure to match the make and models of the head for the cap replacement — they are not universal.
Many people are simply too busy to keep up with their lawn care. Consequently, their turf never lives up to its full, beautiful potential.
That’s why we are here! Weller Brothers Landscaping provides irrigation service, startup, and blowout services for residential and commercial properties in Sioux Falls, SD, and Rochester, MN.
As the winter season approaches in Sioux Falls, SD, and Rochester, MN, business owners and property managers of expansive parking lots understand the importance of reliable snow removal services.
Snow and ice can pose significant challenges, affecting safety and accessibility for employees and customers.
When it comes to commercial snow removal for large properties, partnering with the right company is crucial. Every business property is unique, and understanding the scope of the job will help you make an informed decision.
Let’s discuss five essential questions you should ask before hiring a snow removal company for your business.
One of the most critical aspects of commercial snow removal is the equipment used.
For large parking lots, you need a company with substantial machinery capable of efficiently clearing snow and ice.
Ask the prospective company about the types of equipment they have and whether they are well-maintained for optimal performance.
At Weller Brothers, our snow removal fleet includes:
In addition to having the necessary equipment for large snow removal properties, we also have a dedicated, on-site fleet mechanic, so our equipment is in good shape and fixed quickly when something goes wrong. That means no down-time for our customer.
Experience matters when it comes to snow removal for large business properties.
Inquire about the company’s track record with similar-sized lots and their ability to handle large-scale snow removal efficiently. A seasoned company will have a better understanding of the unique challenges that come with larger areas.
For example, are the crews experienced and trained to handle large sites in an effective and time-efficient manner? Do they know how to clear snow quickly (before you open for business hours)? Will they keep your parking lot flow in mind as they pile large amounts of snow, in order to inconvenience customers as little as possible?
If you hire an experienced snow removal team, you may never even notice they were there (except for the snow being moved!)
A well-thought-out snow removal plan is crucial for ensuring timely and effective service. Ask the company to outline its plan, including the frequency of visits, snow removal techniques, and their approach to ice management.
This will help you gauge their preparedness and reliability.
It’s important that you have these conversions before the first storm of the season so you are aware of the execution plan ahead of time and can communicate it with your team.
Should something come up during a storm, will you have one dedicated point of contact and a clear means of reaching them? Or, will you be stuck on hold with a busy office admin team? This during-storm communication protocol is just as important as the pre-storm communication.
At Weller Brothers, for example, you’ll have the contact information for your dedicated Account Manager, who you can call before, during, or after a storm.
We all know that winter weather can be unpredictable in South Dakota and Minnesota. It’s essential to have a snow removal company that offers 24/7 emergency services to handle unexpected snowfall or ice accumulation outside of regular business hours.
Ensure that they can respond promptly to maintain safety and accessibility for your employees and customers.
At Weller Brothers, for example, we have a dedicated team of managers who watch the forecast closely in the days and hours leading up to potential snow. They communicate frequently with their crews via a group messaging app so that our snow removal employees are ready to respond and dispatch as soon as the snowfall begins in Rochester or Sioux Falls. These logistics take time and planning on our end, but our commercial snow-hauling customers appreciate the quick service.
Discuss commercial snow removal pricing and contract terms upfront to avoid surprises.
Ask about their billing structure, whether it’s based on per-visit or a seasonal contract. Clarify if there are any additional charges for emergency services or extra-deep snow removal.
Understanding the financial aspects will help your business budget effectively for winter snow removal.
The Midwest winter cold can be a huge shock to your yard, garden, and landscaping. It’s important to prep your yard before the cold sets in so that your turf, plants, and flowers are ready to bloom again in the spring.
Here are five things you can do as part of your landscaping fall clean-up routine.
This is a good time to gather all of your seasonal flower pots and clean them so they are ready for next spring.
Remove all plant material from the pot. If the soil has become root-bound, remove this as well. Removing the plant debris reduces the possibility of diseases being carried over to next season’s plants.
Clean your pots and bring them inside for the winter to reduce the risk of damage.
Cutting back your annuals, perennials, and shrubs will keep your beds looking tidy throughout the winter, while also setting them up for a successful bloom next year.
As part of your fall cleanup, remove all of your annuals from pots and garden beds and till the soil, if applicable. If you have organic material like leaves and grass clippings, add these to the soil to help build nutrients.
Note that it’s important to completely remove your vegetable debris (vine crops, tomato vines, etc.) from the garden as they can harbor disease and insects.
Each type of perennial is different, but most should be cut back ahead of the winter frost.
If you want your lawn to be fuller and healthier in the spring, you should seed and aerate it in the fall.
You can purchase or rent an overseeder machine from a local hardware store. This machine has rotating blades that leave a groove in the ground, into which it deposits the grass seed. Confirm that the grass seed you purchase is right for the light conditions of the area (sunny vs. shady). You can then use this machine to plant the new seed in any thin spots of your lawn.
The benefits of overseeding include:
Before beginning the work, check the yard for any objects that can be thrown by the blades/machine. Rocks are a common hazard.
As an alternative to renting an overseeder, you can hire a professional like Weller Brothers Landscaping to take care of this. We have all of the equipment needed and use professional, high-quality seed mixes/blends.
After planting the grass seed, do nothing. You don’t want the seed to germinate until the spring because cold winter conditions could injure or possibly kill the young tender shoots The winter snow will help with insulation and soil moisture once spring does arrive, reducing the need to water the area as frequently.
You can put down an erosion control blanket to help protect the area until the seed germinates in the spring. This will naturally biodegrade into the ground over time.
Lastly, when mowing your new turf for the first couple of mowings, be sure to bag or rake the clippings. Removing the clippings prevents the clipping from collecting on the turf canopy and killing or injuring the young turf.
Have you ever noticed clumps of dirt on a beautifully green lawn? That’s the process of aeration.
There are many benefits to aerating your lawn before the winter:
To aerate your lawn, you can rent a machine or hire a professional.
In addition to aerations, a fall fertilizer application is very beneficial. If you chose to do both, apply the fertilizer first and then aerate your lawn. When applying a fall fertilizer, be sure to select a product that is low in nitrogen. Typical fertilizer bags will specifically say “fall” or “step four” on them.
This is one of the most important things to do in order to keep your lawn healthy come spring. Removing the leaves prevents disease and insects from damaging your turf in early spring.
After the kids have enjoyed jumping in the leaf piles all autumn, you need to remove the fall leaves from your yard to avoid having dead spots in the grass next spring.
It’s way easier to do this in the fall than to deal with gross, matted leaves in the spring — trust us!
You can also mulch your leaves. This will require several passes with the mower in order to mulch all the leaves into tiny pieces.
The last thing you should do as part of your lawn’s fall clean-up routine is to have your irrigation system winterized.
For this, hire a professional to blow out the irrigation system with an air compressor. This process removes any of the remaining water in your irrigation system so that it doesn’t freeze in the winter. If you skip this important step, it is possible that any remaining water in the irrigation system may cause damage to the irrigation system components, potentially causing a pipe to burst and creating water damage in your house.
Yikes.
Bonus tip: Don’t forget to remove the garden hose from your water spigot before the winter freeze!
At Weller Brothers, our team of landscape professionals does this kind of work day-in and day-out, all year long in the Midwest.
We know how to prepare your yard for each season ahead so that you can have the healthiest, most beautiful lawn on the block.
Want us to take care of prepping your yard for winter? Contact us today.
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