GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post

02-05-2005, 09:14 PM

wrote:
Hello. I enjoy this newsgroup and wanted to post a question. I live in
Durham, NC and have about 1/3 lot on a corner. I am wondering if anyone
can help me with a yearly lawn care plan. Very basic. Somthing that can
help me add the right things to the lawn at the right times. I do know
that I have some weeds that seem to come back every year. But the rest
of the lawn has come together pretty well.

Any who, something like:

Feb/early march - add pre-emrgence weed killer and fertilizer
June - add weed and feed
August - etc.
October - etc.

Just needed something I can refer to each year to know what to do and
when to do it.

Thanks for any help!

Get rid of the perennial weeds with tap roots once. Then mow and water
properly, and you may never need to use any fertilizers or herbicides.

Or if you want to make your lawn chemically addicted, last I checked Scotts
will give you a timetable for your zip code. They'll tell you exactly when
to spend more money to feed the addiction. Their "programs" aren't any
easier, but they do a great job of separating you from your money.

Or dig out the perennial weeds. If there's just too many to pull, hit them
with some Weed-B-Gone (or some Round-Up if you want to kill the grass around
them, too.) Dethatch, aerate, add some compost top dressing, and overseed
after the summer heat is done, and the fall rains can help you keep your
water bill down. Then mow to the proper height, water the established lawn
deeply, and infrequently (1-inch of water in a single application per week
is typical), and your turf should do a good job of crowding-out the annual
weeds. Fertilize only when soil tests, and other indicators show that
specific fertilization is needed. Attack any weeds that make it through this
process manually. Stop sending regular infusions of money to fertilizer and
herbicide companies, and as a bonus, you don't have to worry about what your
kids ingest when they play on the lawn, or what's running-off your lawn into
the local watershed.

--
Warren H.

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