Now’s the time to get your Lawn ready 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.    

Planting For Pollinators

June 17th through the 24th is National Pollinator Week, a time to bring focus on the importance of supporting pollinators. Creating a pollinator friendly garden should include a variety of flower types, shapes and sizes. Every garden needs pollinators and you’ll attract more bees, butterflies and other pollinators to your garden if you keep these things in mind. Bees are looking for two things when they visit your garden: food and water.  Food for bees means nectar and pollen. The ideal plants for bees will produce flowers with high nectar and pollen content. Nectar feeds the adult bee and pollen is harvested to feed their young. Bees have good color vision and are attracted to plants with blue, purple, violet, white and yellow flowers.  

Flowers with good sources of nectar and pollen include Asters, Black-eyed Susan, Columbine, Coneflower, Digitalis, Gaillardia, Joe-pie Weed, Mums, Penstemon, Sage and Sedum.  Pollinator-friendly shrubs in your garden should include Blue Mist Spirea, Lilac and Butterfly Bushes. Beyond perennials and shrubs, think about incorporating annuals, bulbs and herbs into your pollinator garden. Zinnias are bee magnets. Plant a nice bed of zinnias and the bees will come. Chives are another plant which bees love. Include herbs such as borage, comfrey, mint and lavender in your pollinator garden. Cover crops such as Crimson Clover attract bees and can be worked into your garden to improve the soil once it stops flowering. 

This fall, plant some crocus and tulip bulbs. They’ll flower in the spring and provide an early source of nectar for bees. Another way to increase pollinator traffic is to plant in clumps. This will bring a focus to your landscape and save pollinator’s energy searching for food.  

Gardening with pollinators in mind will include a place for bees to find water. A shallow pot saucer filled with pebbles will do fine. Keep the water refreshed so the bees know they can return to the same spot every day.  Garden fountains and birdbaths will provide needed water. Place some flat stones in the birdbath so bees will have a place to land and drink safely. 

Consider leaving a patch of the garden uncultivated for native bees that burrow. For wood and stem-nesting bees, hang a nesting block. With some thought and planning, you can create a destination for bees and other pollinators.  

Growing Amazing Annuals

When you're looking for a welcome splash of color for your garden or patio, there's nothing quicker or better than annuals.  Even the smallest of courtyards or balconies can find room for a hanging basket, a window box or container filled with annuals.   Annuals are defined as plants which complete their life cycle in one season. Annuals will sprout, grow, bloom and die in a single season. Perennials on the other hand, are plants that come back year after year. 

Geraniums, petunias, marigolds, zinnias are sun-loving annuals that will produce uncommon colors through our gardening season. If you’re wanting to add color to a shady spot, consider begonias and impatiens, fuchsia and caladium.  

Once you’ve chosen the annuals you want for your landscape, it’s time to plant. Choose the right soil to plant your new annuals in. If you're planting in a container, use a quality potting soil. High grade potting soils are light and airy, do not contain clay or garden soil or water retention crystals. If you're planting in a garden bed, take time to amend your soil with compost and peat moss. Your plants will root out better and thrive when the weather gets warmer. When taking your plants out of their plastic containers, loosen up the roots so they’ll spread out. Plant them so the base of the plant is even with the soil. Next, water them well. Hanging basket and container gardens need to be checked daily to make sure they don't dry out. 

Once your plants become established, water as needed when the soil feels dry. To keep their color going strong, annuals need to be fed on a regular basis. Fertilome 20-20-20 is a balanced fertilizer designed to feed your annuals just what they need to keep them healthy and flowering throughout the season. Plan to fertilize every twelve to fourteen days. When you're looking for plants that will add color to your garden beds or containers, look no further than annuals. Annuals add instant color to your garden and patio and with a little care, these amazing plants will provide color and interest all season long.