Spring Lawn Care!

Spring is a comin'! And, that means its time to start prepping those lawns for the tough Texas summer. But, don't start thinking about those 107-degree days, just yet. Let's enjoy the spring and get to work in the yard.

First things first...winter weeds. If your lawn looks anything like mine, it's a nice light dormant-brown with some annoying green spots. Those annoying green spots are winter weeds and now is the time to tackle those suckers before the go to seed. I've put in a good five or six hours in the past couple weeks hand pulling all those little boogers. But, I know my window of opportunity is small before (1) they seed and (2) the St. Augustine starts really waking up making it harder to get to the weeds. In general, I like to hand-pull weeds. But, some lawns require more extensive measures. There are commercially available herbicides that are gentle on the environment when a heavier hand is needed to eradicate your weeds. Under no circumstances to I promote the use of "weed and feed" products. Weed and Feed is a subject for an entirely separate blog post, but if you are really curious, here's a good website from the City of Austin: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/growgreen/weedandfeed.htm. But, in general, weed and feed is bad for the environment, pets, kids, trees, etc, etc. And, in general, the right time to weed (late winter) is not usually the right time to feed (spring). All around, weed and feed is a no-no. OK, that's enough of that.

So, that takes care of winter weeds. What about summer weeds? We have a short period of time to take care of those summer weeds by applying a pre-emergent. A pre-emergent prevents the dormant seeds left by last years summer weeds from rooting when they germinate in the spring. An excellent, natural pre-emergent is corn gluten meal. It is safe for kids, pets, and the environment. It is also a nitrogen fertilizer (9-0-0), so it provides some nutrients to your lawn, as well. Not five minutes after I applied corn gluten meal to my yard this weekend, the dogs were running around the yard and I was back on my hands and knees weeding. Your yard might smell like a bag of deer feed, but that's not always a bad thing. If you have not been using corn gluten meal, the first year's application is heavier than you will need in subsequent years (approximately 20 lbs per 1000 sq. ft.). Studies have shown that it reduces weeds by 50-60% the first year, with increasing reduction using just a maintenance application in following years.

So, we've addressed the weed problem. Now let's talk about encouraging a healthy, resilient lawn. One of the easiest things that you can do for your lawn is aeration and compost. Once your lawn comes out of dormancy and begins actively growing, it is time to aerate followed by a top dressing of compost. I use core aeration which actually removes small plugs of soil from the ground, creating space for air, water, and nutrients to enter the soil. Using an aerator with spikes creates holes, but only by compacting the soil around the hole. This is not the point of aeration. The top layer of compost acts as a gentle fertilizer providing nutrients for your lawn and improving the soil structure. Incidentally, the compost is also beneficial for the trees in your yard. A healthier lawn with a stronger root system will have a much better chance of withstanding drought and Texas heat. And, as your lawn starts growing, your watering routine in the spring can have great consequences on your lawns survival in the summer...but, more on that later.

These three simple steps can be taken easily and affordably on your lawn. In fact, this is exactly what I do for my own lawn. This weekend we saw that spring is right around the corner -- and then we were reminded that winter still has a little fight left in 'er (how about that cold front?!). So, before spring is in full force, let's get started on those lawns!

That's all for now. Happy Gardening!

Jeremiah

Pruning for Better Plant Health

Recently, I was doing some bedtime reading from one of my favorite gardening books, Doug Welsh's "Texas Garden Almanac", and decided to brush up on a very important, but often feared, subject: Pruning. We are approaching the ideal time of year for pruning, so it's a good time to start looking at your landscape for what needs to be pruned.

First, why prune? Plants get by just fine in nature without someone hovering over them with shears, right? And, in fact, plants left to their own devices will self-prune. Weak, diseased limbs will fall. Limbs growing in the wrong direction will be shaded from sun by better-placed limbs and will eventually be starved of light and nutrients. So, we just help our plants along to be healthier and stronger (and so that your tree doesn't self-prune itself over your new car). We also prune to encourage better growth and growth in the right direction.

So, when to prune? This all depends on the plant, but in general late winter to early spring is the best time to prune most plants, just before new growth appears. Right now most plants branches are bare of leaves, so it is easier to step back and see the general growth patterns of the plant and determine a good pruning plan. The least desirable time to prune is right after new growth appears. Large amounts of stored energy are spent on new growth and the new foliage should be allowed to restore food to the plant before being pruned. So, there is a distinct time frame in which to accomplish pruning, after which you could cause damage to the plant. However, there are specific rules for specific plants. Spring flowering shrubs and trees, like mountain laurel and redbud, should be pruned soon after blooming. These plants are flowering on last season's growth, so removing this growth would prevent those beautiful blooms. Summer flowering shrubs and trees, like crepe myrtles, flower on spring growth and should be trimmed in the winter.

We know when, but how? Different methods of pruning are appropriate for the different plants in your garden. Native perennials and ornamental grasses can be sheared off almost to the ground to encourage bushy full growth in the spring. Eventually, ornamental grasses will need to be divided and replanted. Woody shrubs can be thinned and shaped to encourage a desired aesthetic. For some plants, like roses, pruning is essential to the health of the plant.

No matter how you cut it, correctly executed pruning is a beneficial practice to establish in your garden and now is a good time for most of the plants in your garden to be pruned. So, grab those shears or give me a call and let's get those plants ready for a beautiful spring!

Happy gardening!

Jeremiah