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Today, I saw a dandelion that was just starting to bloom. Definitely spring is a little late this year. Later than last year for sure, but last year was an early spring. Some years I have seen dandelions as early as mid-April. The first dandelions that I see in April is usually found in a "warm" lawn - a lawn, often by the road, where the asphalt absorbs the sun's rays and then heats up the soil - a lawn that is always in the full sun and in a spot facing south. If the lawn is on a hill, I think the slope allows more of the sun to warm it up more quickly.

All said and done, it means that the rest of the dandelions won't be far behind. The Lawn Care season is in full swing now.

 

If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care - get The KING OF GREEN – The Lawn Care Experts

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What do you do when you have patches in your lawn of a thick-bladed grass? There are various types of grasses that can spoil the appearance of your lawn. With the touch of snow this clump of grass seems to stand out more than it might if the snow wasn’t there. Some people say, “at least it’s green and doesn’t have yellow flowers.” Some, however, are adamant that the grass has to go.

Quack Grass- Lawn Care Problem

By the way, if this unwanted grass is visible at this time of year (April, May or early June), it is NOT crabgrass, and putting on a crabgrass treatment will not do anything to help.

There are a number of thick-bladed grasses that can grow in lawns around here. Quack grass or twitch grass, brome grass, orchard grass, timothy , and others as well. The names are less important than what one does to tackle the issue.

Since these are perennial grasses, there isn’t a selective treatment that you can apply to the whole lawn and make only the grasses we don’t like disappear. A herbicide containing glyphosate was the best in the past, but can no longer be used in Ontario.( Roundup is the most common brand name for such a product.)

By the way, (again), I don’t recommend trying to dig up the thick-bladed grasses. Several years ago, I went to give a lawn quote. The homeowner met me and showed me his lawn. He had at least fifty nice round spots of fresh soil on his lawn. “What happened here?” I asked. He told me he had dug up all the areas of the thick-bladed grasses on his lawn. “Did you spray the grasses first?” When he said that he had not, I told him that unfortunately the roots on these grasses can be deep and if a small piece of root was left it could grow back again. Sure enough, a few months later, around the edges of the spots he had dug out, there were little sprigs of the thick-bladed grasses starting to grow back.

Without herbicides, there is no easy way to get rid of Quack Grass.

 

Last December we had a green Christmas, this spring we have a White Easter.

The last week or so has been reasonably warm and when I pass by the village of York, there is a beautiful sloping lawn facing south. This lawn is really starting to green up. The fact that it faces south means it is getting the most of the sunshine in warming up the soil. The fact that it slopes down to the road, I believe also contributes to its ability to capture the warmth from the sun. When the soil gets warm, the grass starts to grow. When the grass starts to grow it becomes green.

How can you get your lawn to green up sooner in the spring? Moving it to the south side of the house may not be an option.

Easter Lawn Care and Snow

Two things you can do.

One – make sure to feed it late in the fall. A late October or early November feeding (winter fertilization) will help your lawn to green up earlier. The lawn food is taken into the root system at that time of year. It does not produce growth, but is stored in the roots. Come the spring, it is ready to be used immediately by the turf grass plants.

Two- the last cut in the fall should be short. Lower your mowing height to1 ½ to 2 inches. The lower mowing height will help to reduce the risk of winter and early spring diseases. It also means that in the spring, the soil will be able to warm up quicker than if you have long shaggy grass.

 

If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care - get The KING OF GREEN – The Lawn Care Experts

Turf King Home

Click here to Request a Quote Online -

or call us at 905.318.6677 or 1.888.TURFKING (887.3546)

If you would like more information, please Contact us

Follow us on Twitter  http://twitter.com/turfkingofgreen

Join our Facebook page  http://www.bit.ly/FacebookTK

Copyright 2007 Turf King-Hamilton. All Rights Reserved.

Copyright 2010 Turf King-Hamilton. All Rights Reserved.

 

 

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