Last Call for Spring Landscaping

Last Call for Spring Landscaping

Summertime and the livin’ is easy. This is the season when a man’s fancy turns to crabgrass, weeds and trimming shrubs. Yeah, not so much. The last day of frost is now behind most of the country so now is the time to get started working on your lawn and your landscaping. By now you know the drill. Get behind early, and spend the rest of the summer playing catch up.

In the north it is last call to apply “pre-emergent” weed killers to your lawn. This is the only way to prevent crabgrass and other annoying weeds from dominating your landscaping in August. Be careful. Read the label or instructions. Pre-emergent chemicals prevent seeds from germinating. New grass seed and this type of weed control do not mix.

The same rules apply to “Weed and Feed” type fertilizer. They should never be applied to a new lawn until you have mowed it at least 3 times.
This is also your last chance to plant new shrubs and bushes. You want them to be in the ground for a few months before they have to endure the brunt of the summer heat. Be sure to keep these plants watered and do not ever let them dry out. Their roots are fragile for the first year or so.

The best place to start is with an honest evaluation of what your landscaping needs to be improved and then to set priorities. Don’t delay, the early planting season is about over if you miss this window of opportunity you may be out of luck