My husband said something quite shocking to me this week:
"Honey, I would like to put fertilizer with pre-emergent weed killers out at the right time this year. I'd like to get ahead of things this spring."
Since this behavior is quite unusual, I decided to get all of the facts about spring fertilization so when he's ready to jump in the truck and buy the stuff, I'll be able to give him a list. We always question our sanity, however, sometime in the early summer when we're mowing like crazy, wondering why we fertilized earlier in the season.
I got out my Master Gardener's notebook and checked out the section on fertilizing. I chuckled at all of my notes scribbled in the margins. I obviously felt we needed the class on fertilizers around our house.
When purchasing fertilizer, you'll notice a number grade on bags of "complete" fertilizer (it's complete when it contains each of the three major plant nutrients). The numbers represent nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Different combinations are right for different times of the year.
What do the numbers mean? A grade of 10-10-10 would mean a ratio of 1-1-1 of the three elements. A grade of 5-10-5 means a ratio of 1-2-1. Grade 12-4-8 means 3-1-2 and so on.
These macronutrients aid different parts of the plants. For instance, nitrogen is good for foliage growth. An excess of nitrogen makes spindly plants with few fruits. A deficiency results in reduced growth, yellowing and reduced lateral growth. Phosphorus is good for the roots. Potassium (potash) is good for buds, flowers, fruits, as well as for cold-hardiness, disease-resistance and general durability.
So in the spring, most people use a fertilizer that's high in nitrogen. But be careful of too much nitrogen, as the early top growth "typically comes at the expense of your lawn's roots, and during wet spring weather, an overfertilized lawn can be especially vulnerable to lawn fungus," according to Dawn West of Oregon State University.
A good answer to this is a fertilizer with slow-release nitrogen, which provides your lawn with controlled, steady nutrition over a longer period of time. The best time to apply is when the grass is damp so the product adheres to the leaves.
There's an old gardener's tale that says to spread pre-emergent weed killer when the redbud trees start to bloom. Basically, you want to get the stuff on your lawn after the last frost and before the weeds germinate.
If you add 3 pounds of nitrogen per acre to your lawn, in addition to encouraging healthy spring growth, it will digest your thatch. Do this before April 15. A calendar from the West Virginia University Extension Service suggests crabgrass control by April 12, and pre-emergent landscape weed control by April 25. Be sure to use a spreader for accurate application.
If you are seeding any part of your lawn, don't use the pre-emergent weed killer. It'll prevent the grass seed from germination as well.
My husband said something quite shocking to me this week:
"Honey, I would like to put fertilizer with pre-emergent weed killers out at the right time this year. I'd like to get ahead of things this spring."
Since this behavior is quite unusual, I decided to get all of the facts about spring fertilization so when he's ready to jump in the truck and buy the stuff, I'll be able to give him a list. We always question our sanity, however, sometime in the early summer when we're mowing like crazy, wondering why we fertilized earlier in the season.
I got out my Master Gardener's notebook and checked out the section on fertilizing. I chuckled at all of my notes scribbled in the margins. I obviously felt we needed the class on fertilizers around our house.
When purchasing fertilizer, you'll notice a number grade on bags of "complete" fertilizer (it's complete when it contains each of the three major plant nutrients). The numbers represent nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Different combinations are right for different times of the year.
What do the numbers mean? A grade of 10-10-10 would mean a ratio of 1-1-1 of the three elements. A grade of 5-10-5 means a ratio of 1-2-1. Grade 12-4-8 means 3-1-2 and so on.
These macronutrients aid different parts of the plants. For instance, nitrogen is good for foliage growth. An excess of nitrogen makes spindly plants with few fruits. A deficiency results in reduced growth, yellowing and reduced lateral growth. Phosphorus is good for the roots. Potassium (potash) is good for buds, flowers, fruits, as well as for cold-hardiness, disease-resistance and general durability.
So in the spring, most people use a fertilizer that's high in nitrogen. But be careful of too much nitrogen, as the early top growth "typically comes at the expense of your lawn's roots, and during wet spring weather, an overfertilized lawn can be especially vulnerable to lawn fungus," according to Dawn West of Oregon State University.
A good answer to this is a fertilizer with slow-release nitrogen, which provides your lawn with controlled, steady nutrition over a longer period of time. The best time to apply is when the grass is damp so the product adheres to the leaves.
There's an old gardener's tale that says to spread pre-emergent weed killer when the redbud trees start to bloom. Basically, you want to get the stuff on your lawn after the last frost and before the weeds germinate.
If you add 3 pounds of nitrogen per acre to your lawn, in addition to encouraging healthy spring growth, it will digest your thatch. Do this before April 15. A calendar from the West Virginia University Extension Service suggests crabgrass control by April 12, and pre-emergent landscape weed control by April 25. Be sure to use a spreader for accurate application.
If you are seeding any part of your lawn, don't use the pre-emergent weed killer. It'll prevent the grass seed from germination as well.
I asked Michael and Vicki Dennison, owners of Budget Lawn Care in Elkview, what else we should be doing to our lawns and when. One thing I know we need to do around here is work on some of those "ugly spots" in the lawn.
"When patching a bald or dead area, we will apply a mixture of grass seeds," Scott's brand sun/shade grass seed, Vicki explained. "The mixture is made up of perennial ryegrass, fescue and Kentucky bluegrass, which allows some of the seeds to be fast-germinating and the rest to fill in later. It's an all-purpose mixture.
"We recommend covering this area with a light layer of straw to protect from birds and for keeping in the moisture. This area will start to grow in about one to three weeks," she added. "We use a seed spreader making sure not to overseed the area. Overseeding does not grow more grass," Vicki said.
What's next? Mowing and mulching. Budget Lawn Care is a small, family-owned business and they start mowing sometime between March 15 to April 1, depending on when the weather starts getting warm enough and on what the customers want.
"We mow/mulch the leaves in the fall and leave them on the yard, unless the customer wants them cleaned up. Everyone has different needs and wants," Vicki said. But if the leaves are mulched onto the grass in the fall, they recommend a spring cleanup. It allows for a fresh start for the grass to get the sunlight needed to grow. To contact Budget Lawn Care, call 965-2034.
Around the garden centers
Bill Mills and I have something in common - we both noticed and thoroughly enjoyed our witch hazel (Hamamelis x) last week. What a joy to have a winter-flowering beauty in the garden. Find Bill's beautiful newsletter and other gardening goodies from TerraSalis at terrasalis.homestead.com.
Joe Greenwood says the berries and fruit trees will be arriving next week at Green's. I saw Joe repairing sidewalks around the plant displays last week on a sunny day, all in preparation for the trucks to start rolling in with all of the new plants. He tells me he's getting some things from a new supplier as well as from his favorite old ones, so be sure to check out Green's over the next several weeks.
Before you begin
"Your first job is to prepare the soil. The best tool for this is your neighbor's garden tiller. If your neighbor does not own a garden tiller, suggest that he buy one."
- Dave Barry
Sara Busse is a Charleston resident and master gardener. She may be contacted at sjbu...@gmail.com.
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