For those that like the facts without the verbage.
May reminders and tips:
*Stake tomatoes if you haven't already.
*You can still move shrubs early in the month.
*Fertilize the lawn.
*Prune shrubs that have completed blooming.
*Not too late to continue planting veggies.
*Take some time to plan for perennials in your garden.
*Deadhead flowers.
End of Speed Gram
Now, for those with their favorite beverage in hand and ready for a little verbage, lets' talk.
One of the top contenders for your time in May is the lawn. Late April and May is the time for all known weeds to "strut their stuff". They have their own agenda and it aint to promote grass. In fact, they intend to take every bit of available space before grass even has a chance. Their mantra is "move in quick, sink those roots deep and strong, and suck out every nutriant that a blade of grass might need".
Any bare spots in your lawn is an open invitation for weeds. A good strategy for fighting weeds is to fill the bare spots with grass. But first, consider why a bare spot exists. Do a little detective work to find out why one exists.
Here are a few questions to resolve. Does the soil drain well? Any obvious signs of insects, lawn disease, or shade? How do you feed and water your lawn?
The key to growing anything is good soil. Repair bare spots with some good ole soil preparation. Begin by tilling the soil to a good six inches. You may consider this as overkill but there is something else in mind. While tilling, watch out for insects- grubs, mole cricketts, etc. You can easily find products to eradicate these rascals.
Take a good look at the type of soil. Is it sandy, mostly clay, or mucky? What I mean by "mucky" is the soil holds too much water and is uaually "soggy". It sometimes has a sour odor. There are ways to fix almost any situation once you determine what the problem is. There are numerous soil amendments to help condition the soil to a proper balance.
Remember the "Golden Rule" of soil preparation- water, nutrients, and air! Ensure these conditions are present for your plants (grass in this case) and your succes rate will be much improved.
Til next time,
Poppy
We have had a tough time with bare spots in the yard. Our biggest problem has turned out to be grub, and chinch bugs. They just about destroyed the entire front yard. We began an iriadication program and have begun to slowly regain the grass. We have seeded with bermuda, just like you and Granny's yard. Only problem has been the cost of the ongoing war. You know what I have to say Viva Weed Jihad!!!
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