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Lawn and Garden Care
Tips for keeping your lawn and garden healthy throughout the season
Perennial Care
Garden beds
Spring Prune out dead, intersecting and diseased branches.
Summer Thin out over crowded trees and shrubs, lift tree canopy's and remove of sucker growth.
Fall Prune and winterize shrubs with burlap. Hill roses to protect from extreme winter conditions.
What is sucker growth? When your tree or shrub is under stress it will shoot up branches from the base that are unsightly and non-beneficial. By removing this growth, the energy can be re-directed to the upper growth again and should be inspected for pests or diseases.
Tip Spring bloomers like forsythia, purple sand-cherry and lilac should be pruned after they flower as these shrubs bloom on the previous seasons growth. Summer bloomers like Rose of Sharon, Pee gee hydrangeas and butterfly bushes can be pruned in the spring.
Woody Plants
Regular cultivating is part of a healthy soil regime, cultivating stirs up micro-organisms that are beneficial to healthy plant life, as well as displace weeds and unwanted seeds. Unfortunately, most gardens do not have ideal conditions for plant life, but by amending your soil, you can see improvements in your garden's performance for the following season.
Soil Amendment There are two types of soil amendments, Organic including compost, sphagnum peat, wood chips, grass clippings, straw, manure, bio-solids and sawdust. And Inorganic amendments that are either man made or mined. There are many benefits to amending your beds. Over time organic matter will improve water absorption, nutrient absorption and soil aeration. Newly created garden beds should be amended before planting, although amending mature beds may be difficult, amendments can be added as a mulch layer to avoid damaging roots. Consider composting, it's a simple and inexpensive way to keep your garden flourishing.
Spring Remove last years growth and cut grasses down.
Summer Deadhead regularly to promote more blooms. Thin perennials to increase air circulation, prevent over crowding and reduce the risk of pests and diseases. Remove unsightly leaves and stake floppy perennials.
Fall Cut perennials down with the exception of those left for winter interest and divide perennials.
Dividing Perennials start to decline in health after a few years, bloom less frequently and do not grow as vigorously as they once did. Dividing is best done ever 3-4 years.
Lawn Rejuvenation
Spring Rake up thatch and other debris left over from winter and apply organic fertilizer to give your lawn a boost.
Summer Mow regularly, top-dress and over-seed in areas where grass looks sparse and compacted.
Fall Apply another organic fertilizer application, clean leaves weekly to avoid suffocating the lawn and give your lawn a final mow to prepare grass for the winter season.
Why use Organic Fertilizer? Organic fertilizers are safe for children and pets, environmentally friendly, do not burn lawns and are not harmful to helpful pollinators.
Benefits of Organic Fertilizer The nutrients in organic fertilizers are released much more slowly than synthetically produced ones. Healthy lawns and plants are better able to defend against pests and diseaese's.