Question: I live in Pasadena, Maryland and have sandy soil. Watering is a problem. I want to kill my old grass and come back with either sod or use your Black Beauty. My dilemma is the constant watering. Should I compost, add soil? How much do I need so that the watering will feed my new grass and not just drain through the sand?

I planted seed before and things were great until summer came and I couldn't match the sun's intensity to kill the new grass even with constant watering.

Answer: Sod is no more drought tolerant than an established seed lawn and sod lawns are much more difficult to patch.

I recommend a Black Beauty lawn from seed. Black Beauty is the most drought tolerant of all of the tall turf-type fescues. I suggest tilling in one inch of compost, two inches of peat moss and water holding polymers to your soil. Be sure to test your soil. You may need lime. Till in Turf Trust at double strength (a 5,000 square feet bag spread over 2,500 square feet). Once the grass seed comes up, treat with liquid Super Bio three times a year.

Your lawn should be reseeded in very early September, not this spring. Visit our instructions for Total Lawn Renovation. Please be aware that there is only so much you can do to change your soil to make it more water retentive. You will still need to water during dry periods.

Question: I have a question about my holly tree. I live in Maryland and have two holly trees, one on each side of the front of the house. The leaves have turned brown on both trees, but the tree still looks alive. The branches are not hard or brittle. We had some ice and snow about three to four weeks ago. I just wanted know if this is normal. Some other houses in the neighborhood have the same thing going on. I can't remember if this happened last year or not. The berries still look pretty good.....some are beginning to die.

Answer:  I suspect that the cold weather in February did the damage and that the damage is confined to the leaves. New growth should appear in April and the old, damaged leaves should fall off. If the new growth does not come out all the way to the branch extremities, pruning the dead branch tips may be necessary.

If the new growth does not appear in a timely fashion, do not give up. I have known winter-damaged hollies to re-sprout as late as August. I suggest applying Kelp Meal now along with either Cotton Seed Meal or Holly-tone.

Question:  My husband has always used Scotts Turf Builder plus Haltz for killing crab grass and building the turf. I told him about Turf Trust and Dimension after listening to you on the radio. This past November I got a new puppy and that is a concern of mine. Can we still utilize Turf Trust and Dimension? I know sometimes my husband has put fertilizer down right before it rains and it soaks into the ground. Can you please offer some advice?

Answer: You can use Turf Trust and Dimension with a puppy if you keep him/her off the lawn until after the product soaks into the ground - the same advice I give for pets with almost all granular lawn products. (As always, be sure to read and follow label directions). We have many customers who have pets and use Turf Trust and Dimension. I have never had even one report of any adverse effect on the pets. I am confident you will be very happy with the results provided by the Turf Trust and Dimension.

Question: I always put my Turf Trust down during February. With the cold weather I didn't get to it. Is it too late?

Answer: I recommend applying Turf Trust at the first sign of spring. This year spring is coming late; so, like everyone else, you will be applying Turf Trust late. You will be fine if you apply your Turf Trust before the end of March, or even into April - however, the earlier the better.

Answer: Exactly. However, Portrait will only prevent new weeds from sprouting from seed. There may be some dandelions that are already existing. Control these with a liquid lawn weed killer.

Question: Every year my crabapple sends up dozens of suckers from the root. It seems that the more I cut off, the more I get. Do you have any suggestions?

Answer: There is a spray-on product called Sucker Stopper which works quite well. Sucker Stopper is best applied during the summer when the new shoots are 6-12 inches long. Sucker Stopper can also be applied to leafless suckers during the winter dormant season.