Every year we say we are going to work on our Lawn and Garden but by the time the summer heat comes around curing things like weed infestation and just poor quality lawns gets to the point where nothing works.
Since at the time we are writing this springtime is just around the corner or for some parts of the country it has already started we wanted to give you a few simple tips that can get your lawn in shape.
The first thing we need to do is prevent some of the weeds from even growing. Preventing weeds is important because weeds tend to grow faster and earlier then regular grass. Crabgrass is a problem for most people an also dandelions and other common weeds.
A very simple way to cure this is to apply a pre-emergent crabgrass killer and fertilizer pellet with a spreader.
This is a all in one deal where one application takes care of both feeding your lawn and killing or preventing weeds.
The first thing you need to do is find out the size of your yard. If you know then you are set but if not there is an easy way to measure your property and get pretty close.
Start at one corner of your property and walk normally counting each step. Since most people have about a 3 foot long stride multiply your step count by 3 if your stride is smaller then 2.5 might be right. This will give you your length. Now walk to the next corner of your property and this will be your width. Multiply your width by length and this will give your square footage. Don’t worry about being completely accurate or if your lot is slightly not square. what you are looking for is an approximate value. So if your Length is 75 feet and your width is 100 feet you know you have about 7500 square feet of property.
Take your square footage to the Lawn and Garden store and use it when you purchase your bag of Weed & Feed. The bag should say on it can cover 10,000 square feet and that would be right for this lawn but use your measurements to know if you need 1 bag or 2 or more bags. Having a little extra is fine and it will last for next season or for later in this year if needed.
A walk behind spreader is a really great tool to apply fertilizer and grass seed. You will see them in the stores for about $20 a small hopper on a frame that you push should have an adjustment for how fast the material comes out of the spreader and should also have a trigger on the handle to close the opening when you stop for a break or to refill the hopper.
Read the directions that come with your spreader and herbicide / fertilizer and it should give you safety details about how to handle the product. A dust mask is probably a good idea and gloves are always recommended when working with chemicals.
The best time to apply the product is just before a rain however if you hear a hurricane is coming thats not recommended. You need a light rain to send the product down to the soil and water will release the chemicals into the soil.
Spring is also a great time to add a bag of good quality grass seed to your lawn if you find that you have large bare spots or thinning. If you will be planting seed you should wait a week or so between applying fertilizer and seed. Fertilizer may burn the seed and kill it before it gets its start.