March Landscape Tips
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| It's Almost Spring!! |
It's starting to warm up down south. Here in Tennessee we have
temperatures in the 60's pushing 70 sometimes. It's time for a few
things to be done.
Lawn and Landscape Pre-emergent weed control.
If you haven't already done it, its time to get some weed
control down. Using the pre emergent products are easier to control
most weeds with. If you stop the weed before it gets out of the
ground the lawn looks better, and for landscape beds if you can stop
the weed from coming up, you don't have to pull them later. Some
landscape plants like ground covers are particularly hard to control
weeds, so pre emergents are the only option. Pick your brand of
product, there are several available if you don't know which to use,
go to our online store and there are a few choices available Lawn and
Landscape Chemicals and Products
After you find a product you like, apply the weed control granules or
spray according to the label instructions. Most pre emergent weed
control products wont control all the weeds so you will still have to
pull a few weeds. Another good weed control chemical we like is
Vantage, it is a grass killer that will kill grasses growing in your
landscape bed without hurting your landscape plants. You can have
Bermuda grass crawling all over your plants and smothering them,
but with a couple of applications of Vantage, your Bermuda is put in
check and the plant is unharmed. Just don't spray this on your lawn,
it is a grass killer, so it will kill all grasses, good and bad. On the
other hand, it will not kill dandelions or other broadleaf weeds in
your beds. It is a selective grass killer. Put down 4 applications of
the weed control granules through the year and spot spray with
vantage when ever you see weeds or grasses starting to take hold in
your beds.
Aerating is a great and inexpensive thing you can do for your
lawn. It is one of the cheapest things you can do and for the money,
does more good for your lawn than anything else you may do. Aeration
is the equivilent of repotting a house plant when it becomes root
bound. Use a Core Aerator instead of the spike aerator. The core
aerator leaves a plug of dirt on top of the ground leaving a hole in
the ground, this does far more for the lawn than the spike type
aerators, they basically just compact the soil pushing the dirt down
and to the sides making a hole.
Lime applications are best done in Fall, followed by Spring. If
you haven't already done some lime applications put it down now.
Some will say to get a soil test first, but look if you don't know your
lawn by now, you can get one, if you have lived in your home and
around your area for years you probably know from history and
talking to other people what your lawn needs. Most of the time you
cannot hurt your lawn with lime anyway. If you have a lot of trees,
and a clay soil you for sure will need lime. Only if you have an alkaline
soil will you not need lime, and that isn't very often, especially in the
south.
Broadleaf weed control for the lawn should be done now also.
You probably have some winter annual weeds that started growing in
the fall and winter. They can be killed now to get rid of them and
prevent them from producing seeds and coming back thicker next
year. As I have said many times, what you do now is going to help
next year as much or more than this year, keep the long term
picture in your mind when doing some of the Lawn and Landscape
maintenance items we talk about. For more detailed information on
weed control look at our Weed Control Page.
Mulching and Pruning of the Landscape Beds is usually done now.
Most people like to get this done in spring so the beds look fresh
through the early season when every one is out with landscaping on
their minds. Keep in mind that some plants don't need to be pruned
in spring, it depends on the blooming pattern. Azaleas for example if
pruned in early spring before they bloom will not bloom as well this
year because you will cut off most of the blooms. A general rule of
thumb is to prune after the plant blooms. But it will pay you to do a
little research on your particular types of plants to see if they
bloom on this years wood or last years wood. That will tell you when
to prune.
If you have any questions about anything in your Lawn and Landscape
you can Email us we are happy to answer your questions.
Lawn and Landscape Questions
temperatures in the 60's pushing 70 sometimes. It's time for a few
things to be done.
Lawn and Landscape Pre-emergent weed control.
If you haven't already done it, its time to get some weed
control down. Using the pre emergent products are easier to control
most weeds with. If you stop the weed before it gets out of the
ground the lawn looks better, and for landscape beds if you can stop
the weed from coming up, you don't have to pull them later. Some
landscape plants like ground covers are particularly hard to control
weeds, so pre emergents are the only option. Pick your brand of
product, there are several available if you don't know which to use,
go to our online store and there are a few choices available Lawn and
Landscape Chemicals and Products
After you find a product you like, apply the weed control granules or
spray according to the label instructions. Most pre emergent weed
control products wont control all the weeds so you will still have to
pull a few weeds. Another good weed control chemical we like is
Vantage, it is a grass killer that will kill grasses growing in your
landscape bed without hurting your landscape plants. You can have
Bermuda grass crawling all over your plants and smothering them,
but with a couple of applications of Vantage, your Bermuda is put in
check and the plant is unharmed. Just don't spray this on your lawn,
it is a grass killer, so it will kill all grasses, good and bad. On the
other hand, it will not kill dandelions or other broadleaf weeds in
your beds. It is a selective grass killer. Put down 4 applications of
the weed control granules through the year and spot spray with
vantage when ever you see weeds or grasses starting to take hold in
your beds.
Aerating is a great and inexpensive thing you can do for your
lawn. It is one of the cheapest things you can do and for the money,
does more good for your lawn than anything else you may do. Aeration
is the equivilent of repotting a house plant when it becomes root
bound. Use a Core Aerator instead of the spike aerator. The core
aerator leaves a plug of dirt on top of the ground leaving a hole in
the ground, this does far more for the lawn than the spike type
aerators, they basically just compact the soil pushing the dirt down
and to the sides making a hole.
Lime applications are best done in Fall, followed by Spring. If
you haven't already done some lime applications put it down now.
Some will say to get a soil test first, but look if you don't know your
lawn by now, you can get one, if you have lived in your home and
around your area for years you probably know from history and
talking to other people what your lawn needs. Most of the time you
cannot hurt your lawn with lime anyway. If you have a lot of trees,
and a clay soil you for sure will need lime. Only if you have an alkaline
soil will you not need lime, and that isn't very often, especially in the
south.
Broadleaf weed control for the lawn should be done now also.
You probably have some winter annual weeds that started growing in
the fall and winter. They can be killed now to get rid of them and
prevent them from producing seeds and coming back thicker next
year. As I have said many times, what you do now is going to help
next year as much or more than this year, keep the long term
picture in your mind when doing some of the Lawn and Landscape
maintenance items we talk about. For more detailed information on
weed control look at our Weed Control Page.
Mulching and Pruning of the Landscape Beds is usually done now.
Most people like to get this done in spring so the beds look fresh
through the early season when every one is out with landscaping on
their minds. Keep in mind that some plants don't need to be pruned
in spring, it depends on the blooming pattern. Azaleas for example if
pruned in early spring before they bloom will not bloom as well this
year because you will cut off most of the blooms. A general rule of
thumb is to prune after the plant blooms. But it will pay you to do a
little research on your particular types of plants to see if they
bloom on this years wood or last years wood. That will tell you when
to prune.
If you have any questions about anything in your Lawn and Landscape
you can Email us we are happy to answer your questions.
Lawn and Landscape Questions