NATIONAL LAWN CARE MONTH

Healthy Landscapes Feature: Healthy Soil; No Plant-Damaging Pests or Disease; Few Weeds; Healthy Grass, Trees, Shrubs, & Perennials.

TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR LAWN

With snow on the ground, it’s difficult to imagine a lush, spring green lawn awaits under that blanket of winter. But we all know, as soon as the snow melts, spring will burst forth in a frenzy.

Be prepared to create a healthy lawn and landscape with these simple tips!

Eliminate Crabgrass Now: For the DIY, apply Award Crabgrass Preventer: a pre-emergent product designed to target germinating seeds before new shoots can emerge from soil. Because the ground is not frozen under all of this snow, there will be a very short window of opportunity to apply Crabgrass Preventer to your lawn. Apply as soon as the snow has melted!  

If Crabgrass or other weeds are already established in your lawn, we offer two safe and effective herbicides for use on your lawn: Bayer Advanced Crabgrass Killer for Lawns and Ferti-Lome Weed Free Zone. Either of these products could be used to broadcast over a grassy expanse, or for spot-spraying weeds within a lawn. To effectively eradicate crabgrass, spray early at the first sign of the weed emerging.

For a thick, healthy, dense lawn: Top-dress your lawn with Coast of Maine’s Organic and Natural Black Earth Lawn Soil to enrich your soil and aid in moisture-retention. Also, spring is a great time to overseed your lawn to repair damaged grass and fill in bare spots. We offer exceptional grass seed varieties for full-sun, sun/shade, or dense shade lawns. For smaller areas, use quick and easy Rapid Repair Pods to treat dog spots, weed patches, or mole mounds. 

Lawn-safe products to eliminate existing weeds and crabgrass

TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR FRUIT TREES

Early-Spring – before your fruit trees leaf out – is the best time to prune your orchard trees and apply insect or disease control products.

Springtime Pruning for Fruit Trees: Late-winter to early-spring is the best time to prune fruit trees. Pruning prior to leaf-out allows the tree time to heal any wounds before seasonal insects and diseases become prevalent. Pruning early also reduces stress on the tree.

To start: Prune any dead, damaged, or diseased branches. Then, prune any rubbing branches. Also, prune any double leaders by choosing the healthiest leader and cutting the other leader to half its height. When pruning, be careful not to remove more than 25% of the total tree each year.

Fruit Tree Pest and Disease Control: Many fruit-tree safe products recommend treatments in early-spring to eliminate any dormant, over-wintering insects or diseases. For best results, apply insecticides and fungicides early, prior to high insect or disease infestations. The first application can be made when branch tips show new green tissue, or when blossoms are in bud form before opening to flowers.

We offer a variety of natural products for organic gardening, safe for use on vegetables and fruits!

Natural products for organic gardening – safe for vegetables and fruits!

TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR LANDSCAPING

We’re all anxious to get into our gardens this year. It will soon be time to amend the soil in your vegetable gardens, get those veggie starts planted, and rejuvenate your perennial gardens!

Protect your early-blooming bulbs and perennials from hungry critters: Deer and rabbit damage is the leading cause of complaints we hear in the garden center. Take action early to protect your tulips, daffodils, crocus, iris, daylilies, and hostas! For natural alternatives for animal repellents, check out the I MUST GARDEN product line.

If you have been using one variety of animal repellent, consider trying a new scent this year to prevent deer and rabbits from browsing on your favorite plants. Plantskydd spray or granulars, I Must Garden Spice or Mint sprays, and Liquid Fence spray or granulars are all quality products to try within a rotation.

Soil Amendments: If your perennial gardens or vegetables gardens could use a little conditioning, come in and check out our new soils by Coast of Maine. We have a huge selection of organic, nutirent-rich potting soils, composts, soils for raised bed gardens, and soils for vegetable gardens. Work these soils into your garden beds or use as a top-dressing to existing gardens to give your plants extra nurishment.

 

Natural Animal Repellents help protect your plants from hungry critters!

We’re here to help you with all of your lawncare, landscape, and garden needs! For more information about our services, please visit our website at balsamlakeprolawn.com, or call us at 715-485-3131. Happy Spring from all of us at Balsam Lake Pro-Lawn!