Even though spring's less than a month old, it's time to think about what to do to get that backyard nice and green for summertime. This is the perfect time of year to fertilize, but make sure you get the right one. You'll want a fertilizer that is slow release. This means that the nitrogen in the fertilizer will slowly penetrate into your lawn making the whole plant stronger. It's also important to fertilize a day or two before a gentle rain. When you're filling your spreader, make sure to not fill the reservoir over the lawn. Start on a sidewalk or driveway in case some is spilled. Applying too much fertilizer will cause a burn to the lawn. Should any fertilizer spill, just use a dustpan and broom to scoop the excess into the spreader. Finally, don't forget to fertilize at the end of the season to make sure your lawn makes it through the harsh winters. If you'd like to read more tips on how to make your yard the envy of the neighborhood, check out this page from hometips.com.We'll be blogging about the planting season in the next few weeks. Be sure to check back frequently!
4 comments:
In case anyone is interested, you can also have a green, lush lawn the organic way :-)
Here is a link to an article in Organic Gardening on how to have a green lawn with fewer chemicals.
Organic Lawns
I'm with you Renee. Here's a link on how to use native plantings and perhaps even do away with your grass type yard altogether. I'm slowly working toward that myself.
http://www.for-wild.org/
You all are on the ball! What tips would you share to others on keeping the chemicals off the lawn/garden? I could use some help in that department! -ERIC
I know it can be difficult in subdivisions, where there is some peer pressure to have a "carpet" in your front yard, but did you know that dandelions were originally imported to America to add green to yards?
If your yard is nothing but perfect turf, and especially if you use a pesticide on it, there's a chain affect you might not like: no diversity and no bugs means very little wild life --there's nothing for the birds, squirrels, chipmunks, etc. to eat.
I live out in the county, so I don't get the peer pressure. And personally, I love dandelions. I like looking out over a sea of yellow sunshine on the ground, and I like it when they all go to seed at once --it's like having dancing bubbles floating above the lawn. And then I enjoy mowing them all down when they start to look ragged --it's like vacuuming a really dirty carpet, there's certain sense of satisfaction in the swaths of cleaned up yard.
My husband used to think I was crazy, but he was slowly converted. Now he has a new reason to like dandelions --he's going to start a bee hive this spring, and dandelions are an important source flower for honey bees!
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