April: Spring Fertilizing.
Monthly Reminders by oscar on Monday, April 7, 2014
This time of year is the best for fertilizing for spring. Fertilize established trees, shrubs, turf, and other plants.
Compost is an excellent top dress for lawn, flower beds, and gardens. It replaces any organic matter lost to the plants or watering.
Don’t let weeds go to seed. Treat or pull them. Pulling weeds is still the most effective method for getting rid of them.
When mowing, leave the clippings on the lawn so that they break down and add organic matter to the soil.
The Hill Country can get freezes as late as Easter, and we know how many “inclement weather” days we’ve had in Austin this winter. Be prepared to cover delicate or recently planted plants in case we have a late cold snap.
Consider planting summer cover crops in uncultivated areas in your yard. Cover crops are sometimes referred to “green manures” and will greatly improve your soil.
When planting turf grasses or grass seed, consider a native grass mix for a full sun spot in your yard.
Fall and winter are usually the best times to plant trees and shrubs, but they can be planted with care in the spring. When planting a new tree or shrub, be careful not to use more than 20% compost, if any, in the hole that you dig. Too much compost may cause settling as it breaks down. For natives and well-adapted species, the backfill should ideally be the native soil that you dug from the hole and maybe some amendments depending on the quality of your existing soil and what you are planting. Some natives do not need any amendments.
Prune spring-flowering shrubs, trees, climbing roses, and other “once bloomers” after they bloom.
Divide and transplant late summer- and fall-flowering bulbs.
Mulch trees, shrubs, vegetable gardens, and flower beds with 2-4 inches of mulch.
Conserve landscape water with these rules:
- Use good design principles
- Thoroughly prepare beds
- Limit irrigated turf areas
- Make effective use of mulch materials
- Choose native or drought tolerant plants
- Practice smart general garden maintenance
(Travis County Master Gardeners’ Association – 4th Edition Garden Guide)
and the crew
Other key things to do: treat for ants, chinch bugs, de-thatch lawns and fertilize.
TAGS: April, fertilize, fertilizing, Hill Country, shrubs, Spring, trees, turf, weeds
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March: Conquering a weedy lawn.
Monthly Reminders by oscar on Thursday, March 6, 2014
Flowers and grass aren’t the only things about to bud in the coming weeks. Weeds, fungi and molds are set to take over if the proper precautions aren’t taken. Because conquering a weedy lawn is a challenge, the best thing to do is to ensure that your soil is in peak condition before your grass is established. If not, you lawn will need a lot of time and TLC to recover. Weedy lawns are not only an eye sore but can be extremely costly to cure. A weedy lawn is sign that your grass is not happy. And the only way to make your grass happy is to ensure that your soil quality is up to par.
Lawns that have aged or sustained heavy use from pets, play, sports activities and the like are susceptible to soil compaction. Soil compaction significantly reduces the porousness of the soil and prohibits oxygen intake. The result can be lawn deterioration and poor growth. I suggest a combination of aeration and top-dressing/fertilization to make your lawn strong and healthy.
To give a little more information, topdressing is basically the application of compost or a blended soil mixture over the surface of turf grass. Adding a layer of compost may not be a cure all, but it will help to increase your soil’s ability to hold moisture, increase soil depth and add the necessary nutrients and beneficial microorganisms to your turf. Topdressing will also help to fill in depressions and low areas as well as improve drainage, eliminate thatch (i.e. the collection of dead grass clippings which chokes and prevents grass growth) as well as increase the natural resistance to disease and pests. In order to be most effective, topdressing should be done annually. Call us for an estimate.
As always, please see below for our seasonal maintenance suggestions:
TREES: Spring is an ideal time to start feeding and treating your trees. Let’s get them in good shape to face the brutal summer to come.
IRRIGATION: Have you checked your sprinkler system lately? Your system should be checked at least twice per year in order make sure it’s in the best working order. Let us help you make sure that there are no mechanical problems or a build-up of lime, dirt or mud on nozzles so that the water can get to where it needs to go – your plants!
TRIMMING: Trimming is vital to the overall health and growth of your plants. Although we haven’t had too many cold snaps this year, the temperature fluctuations and high winds of late, could compromise some of your branches and consequently the overall health of your trees. Many could possibly benefit from extra trimming and TLC. Let us have our arborist come out and address any issues or concerns.
MULCH: It’s a good time time to replenish if you only have about an inch of mulch or less, especially if you’re already planning on adding some topdressing. Remember, mulch is a great way to prevent weeds from invading flower beds and tree rings and helps maintain moisture in the root system.
ANTS: April marks the beginning of fire ant season. More than just a nuisance during picnics, they sting and can cause serious allergic reactions and overwhelm a yard. Talk to us about ant control solutions.
GARDENING: There’s still time plant and grow your own organic produce! It’s a great time for tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, blackberries, pomegranates, figs and much, much more!
SPECIAL PROJECTS: Please let us know if you have any type of project for your outdoors. We are happy to assist or give you some ideas.
Happy spring and looking forward to being of service!
and the crew
“Behold, my friends, the spring is come; the earth has gladly received the embraces of the sun, and we shall soon see the results of their love!” ~ Sitting Bull
TAGS: ants, fungi, irrigation, lawn, molds, mulch, weeds
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