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- To prevent crab grass and other lawn weeds, maintain a dense, healthy lawn. Mow your lawn at 2 ½-3” high to reduce amount of light reaching the soil, which inhibits germination of the weeds. Pre-emergent weed control can also be used.
- Don’t baby your bulbs. Bulbs only need to be watered when soil is dry and do not need fertilizer once planted. Don’t cut off leaves until after they have turned brown to prevent robbing bulbs of their energy for the spring.
- If possible, the best time to water during hot seasons is in the morning. Much water is wasted through evaporation in the afternoon.
- Crop rotation is a good strategy to control disease and insects in an organic garden. When choosing a space for each plant, try to keep the ones from the same family and genus apart.
- It’s good to remember that many insects you find in gardens are helpful. Make sure to verify what type it is before trying to eliminate them.
- There are several benefits of using mulch in your landscape. To name a few, it prevents slows the loss of moisture in the soil, reduces the growth of weeds, prevents soil compaction, prevents soil erosion, and prevents soil-bourne diseases from splashing to plants among other things. Organic mulch (bark, wood chips, leaves, clippings) can regulate soil temperatures during the seasons and add nutrients to the ground as it decomposes.
- 1-2-3’s of Aeration:
1) Regular aeration reduces the thatch layer
2) Aeration loosens hard soil so water and nutrients reach the roots
3) A better supply of nutrients, water, and air leads to thicker, deeper roots. This means a dense, healthy lawn for you to enjoy!
- Annuals need about one inch of water per week. When there is not enough rain, water deeply to encourage deep roots while trying to keep foliage dry. If using a sprinkler, it is best to water early in the day to allow the foliage to dry off by night, reducing chance of disease.
- To maintain the best look on your perennials, dead head spent flowers and trim back brown leaves throughout the season.
- Supplemental water will be needed in your new landscape beds and any beds under overhangs. Established beds don’t need as much help unless the soil is very dry—if so, give the bed a good soaking.
- If you want to harvest herbs and flowers, it is best done on a sunny morning after dew is dry and before the sun is hot. Picking them wet will inhibit proper drying and hot sun creates chemical changes that reduce fragrance and color.
- On warm days during winter, check perennials for heaving. Sudden temperature changes can cause shallow rooted plants to push out of the ground, exposing roots. Cover plants with a three or four inch layer of mulch.
- Winter is a good time to prune dead, diseased, crossing, or rubbing branches from trees and shrubs. At this time without leaves, it’s easier to see the overall shape of the plant.
- The ideal time to prune is during the dormant season (winter), just before new growth. Wait to prune spring flowering plants to avoid removing the current year’s flower buds (these should be pruned after the blossoms fade).
- During hot summer weather when rainfall is minimal, provide your trees and shrubs with one deep soaking one time each week.
- In late summer, adding a layer of compost on your planting beds will help by adding nutrients to the soil, thus making the plants more tolerant of hot, dry weather.
- Did you know that a 50’ x 50’ square of healthy turf produces enough daily oxygen for a family of four?
- Healthy grass helps to clean the air, absorbing pollutants and releasing cleaned oxygen back into the air. It also naturally deters allergy-causing weed pollen.
- Powdery mildew is caused by a fungal pathogen that thrives during days with warm to hot days and cool nights. It generally is most severe on crowded plantings or areas in shade. If there are any signs of powdery mildew on your plants, try to improve air circulation by pruning and apply a fungicide upon first spotting of it. Luckily, this problem is mostly aesthetic and does not damage the plant itself.
- Oak trees do not produce acorns until they are fifty years or older.
- When a coffee seed is planted, it takes 5 years to yield consumable fruit.
- Plant life in the oceans makes up 85% of all the greenery on earth.
- Water that you boil eggs in is filled with minerals and is a good drink for your plants.
In winter, melt some snow to use for watering. There's are some wonderful minerals in the snow.
- Plastic sleds make nice garden carts. They pull through the grass easily and hold lots of tools. You also can carry plants or bulbs that need to be transplanted. The sled will easily rinse clean when finished.
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