Hello again and Happy Spring!
Last month I posted about shrub fertilization, compost application and pre-emergent herbicide. The things to consider in your landscape this month are lawn aeration and spring disease control.
Lawn aeration is one of those best practices that is really under utilized as a way to keep your lawn healthy, lush and looking great. Aeration will relieve soil compaction and open lawn up to allow water, air and nutrients to get down to the root zone without being tied up in the soil. It helps water penetrate and keeps it from running off the soil surface. Aeration will also help breakdown the thatch layer by creating a more hospitable environment for microorganism activity that naturally helps decompose thatch. By opening up the soil it also allows new grass seed to have direct contact with soil, increasing the the chances for successful germination. Overseeding your lawn at the same time as aeration sets your lawn up to really take off and thrive in the upcoming growing season. The best lawns that you’ll see anywhere are aearated on an annual basis. It’s a relatively cost-effective way to keep your lawn looking great.
As your plants and trees are starting to push out new leaf growth this is one of their most vulnerable times to insects and disease. What little critter or fungus wouldn’t be tempted by nice tender leaf growth?! In addition, our spring climate is the perfect environment for disease issues to thrive. A spring disease application is good preventive medicine for the shrubs and trees in your landscape, and timing is critical to treating them before they begin to mature and take hold.
That’s all for now. Please visit our website to learn more about the Plant Health Care options that we can provide for you.