GARDENS AND WEED CONTROL

Weed control in your garden can often be a never ending task. We grab our gardening tools, gloves and last but not least our Motrin for the terrible back aches we soon have to endure. Sure, your garden looks like a photo out of Better Homes and Gardens but how long does this perfect picture actually last?

One thing that can save you the hassle and backache is mulching your shrub beds. Mulch not only looks nice it also blocks light from allowing your weeds to grow out of control. Weed control is something you need to tackle before it gets out of hand. You should consider doing your first bed weeding, or having a professional come to your home and spray for weeds, in the early spring. If you have a landscape company spray for weeds they can also lay mulch down at the same time. Just think, by summer your weeds will be completely under control and your flowers will be the main gossip point with your neighbors. You will soon have people stopping by asking what your secret is to an amazing garden.

Many of us spend hours getting that picture perfect garden. What do you do when you walk outside and notice weeds taking over this beautifully maintained area? Weeds can spread in numerous different ways, some we can control and others we can’t seem to ever stop. Wind, water, animals and people are some of the ways weed seeds can spread. There are ways to get rid of these pesky weeds and that is with Beds and Borders Weed Control. Our Beds and Borders Weed Control program will assure that your garden, sidewalks, driveways, patios, or pathways stay weed free all season long.

EARLY SPRING LAWN THOUGHTS

During the winter, frost heaving in the soil may create a less than ideal mowing surface. A lightweight roller is recommended to eliminate bumps which could lead to scalping your lawn. Additionally, raising your mowing height at this time will encourage roots to grow deeper and aid your turf before it enters the summer stress period.

Would you like free lawn fertilizer this year? Consider leaving your grass clippings on the lawn to recycle nutrients. University studies have shown that mulching your grass clippings will return an average of one pound of Nitrogen per year to the lawn. That’s equivalent to one extra lawn fertilization treatment and less work for you! Three things to keep in mind if you are going to mulch your grass clippings:

• Keep your mower blades sharp
• Avoid mowing when the lawn is wet
• Don’t remove more than a third of the grass blades at any one mowing

If you are thinking about seeding your lawn you’ll want to get started soon. It’s a good idea to get the seed down before the weed competition increases. If you have a lawn service you should inform them that you planted new grass seed so they won’t apply a crabgrass pre-emergent. You might want to have them do a starter fertilizer application instead to help the new grass seedlings get off to a good start.