- Spring Lawn Care (Part 1)
     - New:  Bracken's Brown Beauty & Turf-Tone

After the ravages of last summer’s drought followed by a tough winter, your lawn is going to require a little more attention than usual. If you “work smart”, your lawn care program will be remarkably easy and cost effective —yielding better results, at a lower cost than any “four-step” program. Also, unlike four step programs you will pour no unnecessary chemicals into the environment.

To achieve good results, you must use the right product at the right time. The program is neither difficult nor expensive, but the choice of product and timing are essential.

Thatching
Unless there is an extreme build-up of thatch (over ¾ inch), do not de-thatch the lawn this spring. The thatch provides the lawn with one of the major benefits that mulch provides to the flower beds: it prevents weed seeds from sprouting. If you are going to de-thatch the lawn, then it also needs to be reseeded. (more about this, next week)

If you must de-thatch the lawn, it needs to be done before feeding (as does any raking). A good “spot” raking of heavily matted grass and the remnants of last autumn’s leaves and twigs is usually all that is needed.

Fertilizing
Fertilize as soon as you can, preferably on one of the first days when the lawn is not snow covered. Applying fertilizers to frozen grass is okay, as long as the wind doesn’t blow the fertilizer away. (Fertilizer tends to stick to moist, unfrozen soil better. Hint: in general, the most wind free part of the day is early morning). I’ve had the best results when the fertilizer is applied between February 15th and March 15th ---the earlier the better, without regard to whether or not the frost is out of the soil. Choice of fertilizer is extremely important---a fast release chemical fertilizer will not do. These fertilizers cause excessive top growth and last for only a few weeks before they run out.

If you used Turf Trust^® (purple bag) in the fall, I recommend Espoma’s Turf-Tone^® for the early spring feeding. (Note: Turf-Tone has changed both formula and coverage rates for 2003. Both the old and new formulas work very well). These fertilizers do not burn, are long-lasting and they minimize the growth spurt that causes grass to grow so much that it requires cutting 2-3 times a week in the spring. They also cause your grass to develop side shoots, a much cheaper way to fill in a thin lawn than by reseeding. On many established lawns, no additional feeding may be needed until late summer, depending upon the season.

Brackens Brown Beauty
Brackens Brown Beauty (Magnolia grandiflora) is the finest evergreen Magnolia ever developed and will give you year round beauty and hardiness. These trees have been tested and have survived several weeks of -10 to -24 degree temperatures.

This tree is symmetrical with soft pyramid of dense branches of glistening dark green leaves with cinnamon-brown undersides. The fragrant cream-white flowers average 5-6 inches across and are followed by 3-4 inch orange-red fruity structures. The flowers are recurrent throughout the growing season -- usually May through October. Mature height is anticipated to be 30-50 feet.

Carroll Gardens is proud to be the exclusive mail-order nursery to offer this winner of the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society 2003 Gold Medal Plant Award.  Click here for more details.
 

Turf-Tone^®
A natural based lawn food for dense, healthy turf, Turf-Tone is low in salts that can burn your lawn. Its new formula provides a balanced mix of organics and inorganics that provides rapid greening plus the steady, long term feeding turf grasses need. It's also a rich source of trace nutrients and produces No Dust and No Odor. Non-toxic, and safe for use around children and pets. A 25 lb. bag feeds 5,000 square feet.  Ideal for spring greening.  Click here for more details.