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lawns
Our warm-season turf grasses are
just now coming out of their winter
dormancy. Mow the lawn at approxi-mately
two and a half inches high,
with a newly-sharpened mower blade.
(Tough grasses can really dull a blade.)
Leave the clippings on the lawn.
Apply lawn fertilizers about two
weeks after green-up, if desired. Be sure
to follow package directions carefully.
If you had crabgrass and goosegrass
last year, apply pre-emergent herbicides
starting when the forsythia blooms and
finishing by the time the dogwoods are
in full bloom. Other broadleaf weeds
can be pulled or treated with broadleaf
weed killers. Read directions and apply
carefully so you don’t burn your lawn,
and check to be sure your lawn variety
is not sensitive to certain herbicides.
Once your lawn starts to grow, it
needs one inch of water a week. If the
spring is dry, you’ll need to irrigate if
you want a green lawn.
weed prevention
Get those winter and early spring
weeds out as soon as possible, especially
if they are ready to go to seed. You can
use Preen on the beds after you mulch.
It’s not a cure-all, but it does help pre-vent
weed growth. It’s a pre-emergent,
so it zaps the weed seeds as they are
beginning to surface. It will also zap any
seeds coming up, so it’s not a good idea
to use it in areas you are seeding, like
vegetable and annual beds.
Know this about the herbicide
Roundup, too: It is non-selective, so
if you spray to control weeds, it will
kill everything in its path. It must be
sprayed on actively growing plants, and
it works through the plant, not the soil,
to kill the plant to the roots. Be careful
what you hit when spraying Roundup.
You don’t want to lose a prized plant.
When using any pesticide, please be
sure to read and follow the directions
carefully for your safety and the health
of the plants in your garden.