Column
Spring lawn care, starting
transplants, and garden timing
By John Fulton
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[March 12, 2017]
Spring Lawn Care - Here we are
in the first half of March, and the forsythia is in bloom. This
marks the beginning of the crabgrass germination. It is an entire
month early, when compared to average. Applications of crabgrass
preventers are usually repeated in four to six weeks, but two
repeated applications may be suggested this year due to the very
early season.
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Use of a crabgrass preventer is very effective, and the most
common way to attack the problem. There are a few products out
there, and they are often combined with fertilizer. They all
basically kill small seeds as they germinate. They will also do
the same with grass seed you have sown, so the two operations do
not work together. If you sow seed, you live with the crabgrass
for the year. Timing is critical for crabgrass control, and we
may have already missed the first flush of germinating seed due
to the very early season. Unless, the young seedlings get
frozen.
As for seeding grass, March 15 to April 1 is the recommended
spring period in our area. It’s a very narrow window, but with
purpose. New grass seed needs time to germinate and develop a
strong root system before hot weather arrives. The right type of
seed to use varies. Sunny locations do well with Kentucky
bluegrass, while shaded areas tend to do better with red or
chewings fescue. Perennial ryegrass provides quicker germination
and cover. Blending all three is a recommended practice, and you
can even purchase blends already made up. The blends help with
conditions, diseases, and insects. When one type struggles, the
others can tolerate and help fill in areas in the lawn. The
recommended seeding rates are four pounds per 1000 square feet
in new seedings, and two pounds per 1000 in overseeding existing
turf to thicken it up or help fill small bare areas.
Starting Transplants
Starting your own transplants can still be done for the warm
loving plants such as tomatoes and peppers. We usually figure
about six weeks from the transplant date for starting the seeds.
The recommended outdoor transplanting time for these is going to
be in May, after the frost-free date. You should use a sterile
growing medium to start seeds in. There are several kinds of
soilless germinating mixes, potting soils, peat cubes, and
compressed peat pellets that are available. These media are
generally free from insects, diseases, and weeds. Enough
fertilizer is generally present in these to allow for three or
four weeks of plant growth.
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Garden Timing
With the “confused” season we have been experiencing, to err on
the side of caution would be my advice. That being said, as
conditions allow, it would be time to plan to earliest garden
crops which fall into the very hardy category. But, we may have
to wait on the latest freezing temps and a bit drier soil
conditions to proceed.
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These very hardy crops would include kale, kohlrabi, leaf
lettuce, onions, peas, spinach and turnips. Transplants of
asparagus, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, onion sets, potatoes, and
rhubarb would also be appropriate to plant four to six weeks
ahead of the average last frost date. Of course that is a bit
subjective depending on whether you want a 50/50 chance of over
90 percent chance of success. These dates vary from mid-April
for the 50/50 to about May 10 to be fairly certain.
[By JOHN FULTON, COUNTY EXTENSION
DIRECTOR SERVING LOGAN, MENARD, AND SANGAMON COUNTIES] |