4 Steps to Prep Your Lawn for Summer

Getting your lawn ready for summer is all about giving your grass the best growing conditions you can. Just like every other plant, tree and shrub in your landscape, your lawn will only do as well as the soil it’s growing in. If the soil wasn’t amended properly when your lawn was first planted, summer’s heat can bring on a myriad of problems, including brown patches, thin spots and turf die back. You know you have a problem when your grass looks bad no matter how much water you give it. Short of tearing your lawn out and starting over, there are steps you can take now to improve your soil and keep your lawn looking good through the summer season. Step one, aerate. Though we traditionally think about aeration in the spring, aerating your lawn in the summer is just as beneficial.  Core aeration will open up the soil, improve water and fertilizer utilization and reduce water runoff. Step two, add humate to your soil by applying organic HuMic. 

Humate is basically super compost which improves soil structure, encourages root growth and helps your grass take up nutrients more efficiently. HuMic comes in granular form and is easy to apply, using your fertilizer spreader. Step three, treat your lawn with Revive®.

Revive® acts as a wetting agent. Simply put, Revive® helps water soak into the ground, down to the root zone, resulting in less evaporation and run off.  Similar to HuMate, Revive® also helps grass take up nutrients. Revive® is available in granular and liquid form. Both are effective, though  Revive® granular has the added benefit of a small amount of Nitrogen. Step four, top dress with organic material.

Top dressing is the process of applying thin layers of compost, worm castings or peat moss to your existing turf.

Top dressing at regular intervals will help reduce the clay content in your turf grass soil and increase microbial population and activity. Microbes work to improve the relationship between turf grass roots, soil and nutrients. As a result, turf grass develops more vigor and stress tolerance, especially heat. A nice, thick lawn requires a health soil base. By taking the steps to build your soil, your lawn will thrive through the hot summer months ahead.    

3 Ways to Attract Pollinators to Your Garden

You've worked hard on your garden plot, amending the soil, growing quality plants, selecting the right fertilizers and still your tomato and vegetable production isn't what you'd expected. Chances are the answer to the puzzle is pollinators or more correctly, lack of pollinators. Tomatoes, vegetables and fruit in our gardens need pollination in order to produce better harvests.

Pollination is accomplished by insects moving from plant to plant. Bees are the most common pollinators, along with butterflies, bumblebees, solitary bees, beetles and flies.

If you've been having problems with your tomato and vegetable plant's yields, increasing pollinator traffic will help. Pollinators thrive on flower nectar and pollen. Nectar feeds the adult bee and pollen is harvested to feed their young.

Begin by using a variety of plants that bloom from early spring to fall. This should include perennials, annuals, herbs and shrubs.

Second, plant in bunches.  Planting in multiples instead of scattering individuals through the garden brings focus to your landscape and saves pollinator's energy searching for plants. Third, gardening with pollinators in mind will include a place for them to find water and nest.  Birdbaths are a great source of water for bees and other pollinators.

Place some flat stones in the birdbath so bees will have a place to land and drink safely. Or, place a saucer filled with stones and water near your flowering plants. Most of our native bees are ground nesting. Leaving areas of the garden clear of weed barriers and mulch will encourage native bees to nest. With some thought and planning, you can make your ornamental garden a destination for bees and butterflies and your vegetable garden will benefit as a result.