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Landscape and Gardening Tips for April
What our Pros are doing:
September turf tips
Fertilizing your lawn in early fall greatly improves turf density; the grass develops new shoots and stems, improves root structure and sets up food stores for winter. Choose quality fertilizers that contain micro nutrients as these are essential to the overall health of the grass plant. Toward the end of September, start cutting your lawn a little bit shorter. (My target height by the end of October is 2.25 inches).
If you have over seeded your lawn in late Aug. to filled bare spots and increase density, don’t forget to water lightly and frequently until the grass seeds have germinated. After germination, water less frequently but, for a ...
July turf tips
Continue to mow lawn at 3 inches to shade the plant crown and roots. Pull any weeds that may show up in the yard. Long, hot summer days tend to dry out your lawn and turn it brown. Don’t worry! Cool season grasses like bluegrass, fescues and rye grasses are better suited for cooler weather and as a result will naturally brown for a while but, green up again as the weather cools and the rains return. Avoid high Nitrogen fast release fertilizers as the natural salts in nitrogen can dry and burn your turf. If you irrigate your lawn, it is better to water less frequently but, for a longer period of time. This promotes deep saturation of the ground ...
June turf tips
Time to check on your lawn mower, are the blades still sharp? Dull mower blades tear the grass which promotes plant desiccation, it’s better to ‘cut’ the grass blades than to tear the grass blades, sharpen if needed. When the temperature rises, so should your mower deck. Cut your lawn at about 3 inches, this will allow the grass blades to shade the roots a little bit and keep them cooler. Watch out for White lawn Grubs! The most common grub in our area is the larval stage of Japanese Beetles and June Bugs. These larva or otherwise known as lawn grubs live in the soil and eat your grass roots which produces browned out spots made ...
May turf tips
Mow your lawn in different directions each time you mow; this will help prevent rutting your lawn and leaves a distinct pattern to your yard. Dandelions and other broadleaf weeds will start to show themselves. Now is the best time to apply a selective broadleaf herbicide. As the name suggests; a selective broadleaf herbicide targets weeds in your lawn that have broad leaves, most common are dandelion and clover, this herbicide will not damage your desirable grass plants such as bluegrass, ryes and fescues which make up a typical lawn in our area. Be careful when applying as these chemicals can burn grass if too much is applied in one area. ...
April turf tips
Time to get out and rake that lawn! Snow cover tends to mat down the lawn, raking your grass loosens it up and allows air flow to dry your lawn out after a long winter. This can help prevent fungal diseases in your turf and reduces the amount of thatch in your lawn. Voles; a mouse like critter, can create a lot of surface damage to your lawn…don’t worry about this; voles do not damage the plant but, simply eat the tops and not the crown of the grass plant as they ‘tunnel’ through your lawn. Simply rake up the debris; the turf will typically recover on its own. Applying a spring fertilizer to your lawn will help. If need be, ...
Moon garden
White is the last color we see before sunset and so with some planning, your garden can become a magical moon garden in the evening. In planning your moon garden, using plants with white flowers and bright foliage will give you spectacular impact. Annuals like impatiens, wax begonias, dusty miller, geraniums, salvia, daisy and shrubs like white rose fothergilla and hydrangea are a few choices. There are also plants that bloom just in the evening; four-o’clocks, angels trumpets and moonflowers. Most importantly, you have to take the time to sit, relax and enjoy the view of your beautiful moon garden.
My five other favorite annuals
My other 5 favorite annuals are the base of annuals plantings. They are the spaghetti the meatballs are put in. The Ice cream the cherry goes on top of. They are the base because they all are easy to grow, fill in nicely and bloom continually through the summer.
Marigold: Love sun, many yellows and oranges some with red. 6" to 3'
Begonia: Like shade but will take sun, red pink and white flowers green or burgundy leaves 6" to 12"
Impatiens; Like shade to some sun, flower white, pink, red, salmon and color in between, 8" to 18" tall. New Ginny varieties are getting more popular because of some soil problems.
Petunias: Love sun, white, ...
My five favorite annuals
Plant these annuals in your containers, perennial garden or an area designated just for annuals. You’ll have wonderful color from spring till fall!
Verbena bonariensis – 5ft.tall, bright lavender – purple flowers, reseeds and a butterfly favorite!
Dusty Miller – attractive silvery gray foliage, great winter interest, looks great with everything!
Blue Salvia – excellent deep violet – blue flowers, blooms well into the fall.
Sweet Potatoe Vine – fast growing vine in a container or front of a garden, many different colors.
Elephant Ear – leaves are as big as an elephants ear, creates a bold, tropical look, a fun accent plant!
Planting
Whether you are planting an annual, perennial, shrub or tree, proper planting is necessary for the health of your plant. The hole you dig must be the same depth as the plant in its container, but 6” to 12” wider, depending on the size. Remove plant from its container and loosen the roots, cut any that may be root bound. Gently place plant in previously dug hole, making sure it is 1” to 2” above grade. Begin filling the hole with your amended soil, water when half filled. Finish filling the hole after water has dissipated and water again. If plant was in burlap, be sure to cut all the ropes and remove the burlap from ...