By The Garden Commando

In this section we will begin to address the Medium Maintenance Program, which spans March to November. Here we cover  March - June.

This schedule is geared toward our particular climatic zone which is 5B - 6. 

In your particular climatic zone the actions may take place in different months. 

An unusually clear photo of The Garden Commando
 

Bring out the lawn mover (and if you did not do this in the winter, sharpen the blades), set the mower blades at a height that will leave the grass at roughly  two and one half inches to three inches in length, but do not cut the lawn yet. 

(Sometimes in Toronto, we get a spell of mild weather in March, and if the snow has melted and your lawn has been on a regular fertilization program (or if you used a slow release fertilizer in the fall), you will probably have a fair amount of lush new growth.  You may be tempted to rush out and give the lawn the first "brush cut" of the year. Do not!) 

Although there is no set date for the ideal first cut,  you may want to wait until  sometime in April - and when you cut, ensure that the cut is about 3".  I mention this again because it seems to me that at  the first hint of spring thaw, all my neighbours are out there shaving their lawns. Later, when the weather gets warm, they spend hours watering their now weakened lawns. So, even though you may have a longer lawn than the neighbours, try to avoid cutting until the end of May. By the way, if you gave it a very late winter cut, the grass will not have that shaggy appearance that causes "early cut" syndrome! 

In selecting a fertilizer, try to get one that shows that there is at least 50% slow release factor. Please do not forget that using weed and feed combinations is ineffective unless the weeds are actually visible! 

The chemicals that kill the weeds work on contact; if there is none or little foliage coated by the chemical, the product is unlikely to be effective, and you will have wasted your money. 

As the weather gets warmer, the various weeds begin to show signs of life.  If you have only a few weeds, you can use a "spot" spray on them. If you have a lot (hopefully not!), you may want to consider using a hose end sprayer, and applying chemical to the entire lawn. You can wait until the late May or early June feeding, and apply one of the granular combination chemical and fertilizer products. 

Apply pre emergence crabgrass killer. 

One word of warning, the annoying and aggressive Ground Ivy, or Creeping Charlie is unaffected by 2-4-D, so check the label to make sure that the weeds you are trying to eliminate, are covered by the chemical you are using. 

The end of June is the time to be looking out for crabgrass again. Even though you applied the pre emergence, you may get seeds from neighbouring lawns, or birds passing through. If your soil is very sandy, the chemical will drain away more quickly and a second application at this time can help to prevent problems. Crabgrass has a way of disguising itself amongst the regular grass shoots, and to then 
 suddenly showing itself with emerging flower heads. Careful and close inspection are required to weed it out while it is still young. 

Maintain your mower blades at the same height. The length of  2 1/2 to 3 inches keeps the roots shaded to help protect it from drought, so that you can reduce watering frequency to as little as every 10 days, depending on the weather and upon the amount of shade it receives. In addition, a longer blade allows the plant to devote all its energy to root growth. A strong root base will help to prevent weed grasses (such as Quack and Crabgrass) from flourishing. The growth of broad leafed weeds, such as Creeping Charley, Clover and Dandelion is also minimized. For those of you who object to chemical use, bear in mind that a strong, healthy lawn, means fewer weeds; that in turn means a reduction in the need to use chemical deterrents. With only a few weeds present in the lawn you can easily remove them manually. 

Continued ...Lawns 3