Gardening Tip:

We thought we would throw in a gardening tip this spring because now it the time for planting most vegetables!

Use good soil that has natural compost. The top 2-4 inches of soil should be good quality for small growth vegetables such as lettuce, raddish, and herbs. Plants such as tomatoes, peppers, corn and cucumbers need 4-6 inches of high quality soil. Keep in mind though, that most fruit rot occurs becuase of high nitrogren levels from over fertilizing.

Mowing Tip:

Contrary to popular belief, setting your mower blades at a very low height can actually increase weeds by exposing the soil surface to sunlight and removing stored nutrients in leaf blades. Cool weather grasses, such as bluegrass, rye grass and fescues, should maintain a height of 3 to 4 inches. Ware season grasses, such as bermuda, zoysia, St. Augustine and centipede, should keep a height of 1.2 to 2.5 inches tall.

Lawn Care Tip:

Keep an eye out for the emergence of the perennial weed, dandelions, during the spring season... Unless you find the presence of their cheerful yellow flowers in your yard desirable! At the very least, you'll want to snap off their flower stems before they produce seed. If you're more ambitious, you can dig them out by the roots. Remember, spraying dandelion weeds with postemergent herbicides is more effective in fall than spring. If you do choose to spray, select a herbicide for broadleaf weeds.

Lawn Care Tip:

If you know you have a problem with the annual weeds and crabgrass, then fertilization in spring should go hand in hand with the application of pre-emergent herbicides. As their name suggests, pre-emergent herbicides address weed control not "after the fact," but before their seedlings can even emerge. Pre-emergent herbicides are more effective in the fall than the spring. If you choose to spray, select an herbicide for broadleaf weeds. 

Spring Lawn Care Tip:

Is your lawn riddled with bare patches due to dog spots, heavy traffic or neglect? If so, you may need to apply grass seed to fill in those bare patches. This solution is known as "overseeding lawns." Apply a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer when you overseed. Five weeks after the grass germinates, apply a quick-release nitrogen fertilizer.

Lawn Care Tip: 

As you survey your lawn in spring, see if there are any matted patches in which the grass blades are stuck together. This can be caused by a disease known as "snow mold." New grass may have difficulty penetrating these matted patches. Lightly rake these areas, and it should resolve the problem.