Charlie McGinty Receives Illinois Landscape Contractors Association “2010 Man of the Year” Award

Long Grove, IL – (March 14, 2011) Charlie McGinty, CEO of McGinty Bros. Inc., was presented with “2010 The Man of the Year” award by the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association at a dinner at Belvidere Banquets in Elk Grove Village on Friday, March 11. The award, the most prestigious honor presented by the Association, recognizes a member who has had a positive impact on the quality of the industry through extraordinary leadership, teamwork and innovation. ” I was deeply honored to receive the 2010 Man of the Year Award from the ILCA,” said McGinty. “It’s an honor to be recognized by the ILCA and all the wonderful people there.”

President of the ILCA, Bob Bertog, introduced Mr. McGinty and presented the award. In his acceptance speech, Mr. McGinty discussed the importance of the work Illinois landscape contractors provide and thanked the ILCA for their networking forum which provides the free exchange of ideas among landscape contractors, their suppliers and the government and for really bringing people together. McGinty has worked officially to support the industry by serving as a member of the Board of Directors of the ILCA, president of the Illinois Commercial Arborists Association and serving on the board of the Illinois Turf Grass Foundation and the The Professional Lawn Care Association of America (PLCAA).

In 1955, McGinty established McGinty Bros. Inc. with his late brother, John. Based in Long Grove Illinois, with offices in Lisle and Wauconda, McGinty has been servicing a regional clientele with sophisticated restoration, lawn and tree services for more than 50 years. The company has a staff that includes 60 full time employees and over 90 during peak season. His son, Brian, now President, runs the day to day operations, assisted by many long-standing employees. According to McGinty, his greatest accomplishment is the “McGinty team.”

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About Illinois Landscape Contractors Association (ILCA)
Since 1959, ILCA has provided its members with the resources needed to enhance their performance and ensure continued growth and success. The Association’s mission is to enhance the professionalism and capabilities of members by providing leadership, education and valued services while promoting environmental awareness within the landscape industry. ILCA is a 501 (c) (6) nonprofit trade association with more than 800 member companies.

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McGinty Bros. Provides turf restoration and native plantings for Kensington Park project

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Do You Want Your Ivy To Look Like The Outfield At The Famous Local Ballpark?

• Plant ivy in partial to full shade in well-drained garden loam enriched with peat moss, compost or leaf mold. 
• Ivy in full sun tends to winter-burn, so it is particularly important to provide the plants with some relief from the sun’s rays during the day.
• It is very important that both the plant and the soil are well watered prior to setting.  If the ivy is intended to grow up a wall, plant it as close as possible to the base of the structure. New plants should be pruned to 6' and not fertilized for the first 3-4 months.
• Once established, feed them every other month with an all purpose fertilizer during their growing season.  Regular pruning 2-3 times a year will promote fuller growth, but the plants can be trimmed at any time when bare spots occur.
• Ivy may be propagated by cuttings.

• Ivy grown as a house plant does best when it gets four or more hours of direct sunlight each day, but it will also grow fairly well in bright indirect light.

• Keep the soil evenly moist and feed it with an all purpose fertilizer, half strength, once a month.

• Ivy prefers a climate slightly on the cool side.  Night temperatures of 50° to 55° and day temperatures of 68° to 72° are ideal.

• Overcrowded plants may be repotted during any season. To induce bushiness, pinch off stem tips. Repot crowded plants at any time.

• Diseases such as bacterial leaf spot and stem canker can easily be controlled by following sound gardening practices and by prudent and careful application of pesticides.  These diseases initially produce light green spots on the plant.  Eventually, the leaf stalks become black and shriveled.

• Avoid high temperatures, high humidity, and wetting the foliage. Several different fungi can attack and cause leaf spots. Infected leaves can be easily picked off and destroyed.

What to look for watch out for:  spider mites, mealybugs, aphids, scale and white flies....

• Spider mites are very small and are very hard to see without a magnifying glass, but heavy infestations can quickly cover the leaves with very fine webbing. The plants gradually lose their green color and appear dusty or speckled. Submerging the plant in a solution of mild soapy water is oftentimes successful in combating mites.

• Mealy bugs look like white puffs of cotton. They suck plant juices, and heavy infestations will coat the leaves with sticky honeydew. Mealy bugs can be tough to eradicate. They have a waxy covering which tends to repel liquids. McGinty recommends systemic insecticides.

• Aphids are small flea size insects which suck plant juices. They are usually found at the leaf axis or stem tips. A serious infestation will coat the leaves with sticky honeydew, which may then develop a black, sooty mold. The insects can be green, white, pink or black, and are often accompanied by ants who farm them. They are easily controlled with diligent use of rose dust or other suitable commercial remedies.

• Scale are usually light brown or tan. They have hard shells and attach themselves to the stems or undersides of the leaves. Sprays are usually not effective since the shell protects the insects. Heavily infested plants should be discarded immediately.
  
  With baseball season underway, take a glance at the lush ivy in the outfield.  If your plants at home don’t share the same game-winning appearance, use some of the tips and advice outlined above.  In particular, check your plants every two weeks for infestation or sickness.  In a very short time, you’ll be hitting a home run in your own backyard.

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MCGINTY BROS. PROVIDES NATIVE PLANT AND RESTORATION EXPERTISE FOR JOHN JANEGA MEMORIAL PARK REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT

Lindenhurst, IL –(May 4, 2010)—When Lindenhurst, Illinois made the decision to redevelop John Janega Memorial Park, McGinty Bros., Inc. was called in to lend their native plant and restoration expertise. Based in nearby Long Grove, McGinty has been servicing a regional clientele with sophisticated restoration, lawn and tree services for more than 50 years.  In all, McGinty Bros. will be installing and planting more than 15 native species (and over 2000 plantings) specifically selected for the island located in the park along the boardwalk path. 

McGinty will be planting plugs of the forb (flower) species and seeding the native grasses. (*below is a list of species that will be planted).  Selecting deep-rooted native perennial species is necessary for vegetative stabilization of shorelines.  Live plantings are typically the weakest the day they are installed and get progressively stronger over time, whereas more traditional methods are strongest initially and weaken over time.  In addition to the obvious benefit of erosion control, native installations provide aesthetically pleasing environments while enhancing habitat and water quality.

Brian Wilson, Native Habitat Restoration, Erosion Control Manager, worked with Executive Director Tom Lippert to develop a very specific native plant restoration and management plan. That includes installing a bio-degradable straw blanket over the island to prevent soil loss while the native species establish.  The McGinty team of experienced conservationists will implement the plan, complete the work and perform maintenance activities for one year including: selective application of aquatic-approved herbicide, hand-pulling, and selective cutting and removal of invasive species.
 
Lindenhurst boasts one of the most aggressive and fastest growing park agencies in all of northern Illinois.  John Janega Memorial Park occupies nearly ten acres and the park is similar in nature to the entire community.  In addition to its open areas, wetlands play a prominent role.  Lindenhurst's motto is "Develop Today for Tomorrow," and habitat restoration, landscaping, and native plant incorporation were foremost in the minds of city planners when they selected McGinty Bros. for the job.

“As an environmentalist, my goal is to find an ecologically responsible, long term solution to shoreline erosion problems. When working in public settings, it is also important to find solutions that are attractive and pleasing to neighbors and visitors.  At John Janega Memorial Park, our design will successfully accomplish both of these goals," said Brian Wilson.  

*Species to be featured at John Janega Memorial Park

Blue Flag Iris (Iris virginica shrevei)
Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa)
Columbine (Aquilegia Canadensis
Ironweed (Vernonia fasciculata)
Culvers Root (Veronicastrum virginicum)
Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)
Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis
Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica)
New England Aster (Aster novae-angliae)
Ohio Goldenrod (Solidago (Oligoneuron) ohiense)
Ohio Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis)
Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata)
Sky Blue Aster (Aster azureus)

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Cold Weather Tree Care Tips to Live by… to Stay Safe

• One of the biggest hazards that can come from a neglected yard is a dead tree.  A strong wind can cause any dead tree to topple.  This condition is particularly dangerous if a tall tree is located near a home, and the hazard is doubled if the dying tree is overgrown and situated near a power line. If you find this is the case at your house or place of business, immediately contact the services of a tree removal company. The result should be total removal so that there can’t be any damage to home, property, or loss of life. 

• Another hazard is allowing trees to grow too wild, especially if there are power lines nearby. Tree limbs should never dangle above power lines nor be situated within feet of any line to avoid dangerous situations.
  
  
• As far as snow and ice- trees really need to be assessed by a professional individually to say how they will hold up to ice and snow. Brittle tree species normally take the brunt of heavy icing after a winter storm. Many of the elms, poplars, silver maples, birches, willows and hack-berries are tree species that simply can not handle the weight of the ice coating limbs, persistent leaves and needles. Brittle trees tend to be fast growers. Fast-growing trees often develop weak, V-shaped crotches that easily split apart under the added weight of ice. Because these trees usually take some damage from storms throughout the year, internal rot and decay (some of which you cannot readily see) lead to weakened trunks and limbs.
  
• A cardinal pruning mistake is cutting branches in the wrong place.  Amateurs tend to leave too much of a stub when removing branches.  Once the stub dies, it creates an entry point for diseased pathogens and destructive insects.  Unlike human beings, trees don't regenerate tissue. While our skin replaces itself, trees grow entirely new tissue around new wounds and then compartmentalize the injuries. Once a tree compartmentalizes, it has a much better chance of survival. A natural defense system is built into trees, located in the swollen area at the base of its branches.  This is known as the "collar" -- right where the trunk intersects the branch.  Flush cuts are important to make so that the collar is preserved.  Proper pruning should be made just beyond the swollen collar.
  
  
• Topping is the terrible “T” word in the tree industry.  It is the unacceptable practice of reducing the height or spread of a tree using “heading cuts” while pruning. Heading cuts reduce the trunk or branches of a tree to stubs.   They can also make lateral branches too small to assume the terminal (lifeblood) role of the branch being cut.  In spite of providing short-term control of tree size, “topping” can cause serious future problems. Although “topping” is ostensibly performed to make trees safer, trees can become even more hazardous after the procedure.  The preferred alternative is Crown Reduction, the selective removal of live branches to decrease the height or spread of a tree’s crown. The tree will produce fewer sprouts at the point of the pruning cut, and the tree’s natural growth habit will be preserved.

Last, with the holiday’s right around the corner, and if you plan to put up lights – Mr. Keppel offers the following advice.  “It's helpful to prune trees ahead of time.  It makes removal of lights easier too.  Do not nail or staple wires to branches – use gardening tape or twine instead.  Most importantly, to prevent girdling of branches, remove all lights from trees after use.  It might sound like a good idea, but please don’t keep them up all season.”

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McGinty Bros. Works Overtime to Save 350 Year Old Tree

Long Grove, IL - July 29, 2009 —When Grant High School in Fox Lake (IL) realized that its new construction project might cost its campus three venerable trees, McGinty Bros., Inc. was called in to lend a helping hand. Based in nearby Long Grove, McGinty has been servicing a regional clientele with sophisticated lawn, tree and restoration services for more than 50 years.  In all, three treasured Bur Oak trees were saved, one of which was over 350 years old.

Andrew Keppel, Manager of Tree Work & Plant Health Care, developed the tree protection plan. The McGinty team of Pedro Garcia, Victor Garcia, and Cerilo Ruiz successfully implemented the plan and completed the work. Keppel strategically initiated state of the art arboricultural practices such as: tree protection fencing; root pruning; proper directional pruning away from the new buildings; and soil treatments to facilitate fibrous root growth.  Mulching and aeration of the root system further enhanced the company’s chances of success. Thanks to a typical combination of McGinty teamwork and design, all three trees survived the new construction and are currently thriving.

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