As spring quickly approaches and your gardens starts to slowly show signs of new life, you can prepare your yard or garden area for a grand entrance into spring.

Make a Plan

In order to keep your garden space looking beautiful without looking cluttered or disorganized, it is good to make a plan before you get started. The common temptation is to go out and buy a large variety of plants for your garden and plant them anywhere you have place. Yet this can detract from the space of your yard and reflect a chaotic feel. Choose which areas you will add your new plants to. Sometimes less is more. Too many plants in one area can take away from the unique beauty of each individual one. Consider important factors like height, size, color and so on before making your final decisions.

Maintenance and Other Personal Circumstance Considerations
Although some plants can be high maintenance, others require little or hardly any care throughout the spring. If you are a busy professional without much time to spare, it may not be a wise investment to purchase a variety of plants that require your constant attention. A plant that grows rapidly and needs to be trimmed constantly might not also be worth the effort, and might cause your garden to look unruly if not attended to at regular intervals. In addition, if you have purchased a new pet that will cause damage to your expensive orchids, you might want to wait to save yourself much frustration and save your valued plants for next spring.

Research, Research, Research
You should also consider the climate of your area before adding any new plants to your yard or garden. A further consideration is where you will place your plant in your yard or garden. For example, a plant that needs lots of sunlight will not thrive in your backyard under the big oak tree, and so on.  In addition, be sure to research the particular needs of your plant. For example, some bulbs need to be planted in a particular time before spring. If they are planted too early, they will die in the ground.

Prepare Your Soil
There are many types of soil. Knowing your particular type of soil not only helps you choose the plants that would thrive in your yard, but also helps you make the right preparations to help your plants thrive. You can take a sample of your soil to your professional or do your own research. For example, if your soil is too acidic, you can buy an alkaline product to neutralize excessive acid. You can also purchase a wide range of fertilizers to enrich your soil and plants.

To help with this important fall project,  Scotts WinteGuard is on sale this month.

How to Use
Apply to a wet or dry lawn on a calm day.  No need to water in, however, during dry periods, watering will hasten greening.  For best results, apply using a Scotts® spreader.

When to Apply
Any time in the fall. Fall is the best time to feed.How often to apply. For your best lawn, apply once in early Fall and again 6-8 weeks later in late Fall.

Where to Use
Safe to use on any grass type.

Coverage Area
5,000 sq. ft. and 15,000 sq. ft.

Benefits
Builds stronger, deeper roots for winter.  See a thicker, greener lawn next spring.

Fertilizer Analysis
24-2-12

1) Make sure there are no utility lines where you plan on digging. This is an important step that you can not skip.  Make sure you call everyone who could potentially have utility lines in your yard: the gas company, phone company, cable company, and the water company.

2) Get rid of any and all weeds. You want to start with weed free soil before you put down your new grass.  It is important to treat the soil for weeds before the grass gets put down, because then you will not have to deal with weeds in your lawn.  First of all, you should NEVER cultivate or till your lawn to get rid weeds.  All this does is mix up weeds and weed seeds that may have been dormant, meaning now you will have MORE weeds than you started!

To get rid of weeds in your lawn, you need to use a high quality weed killer.  A popular brand is the Round Up Pump N Go Weed Killer 1.33 gallons (Case of 4), shown to the right.  You will not run out of weed killer when taking on the task of de-weeding your lawn!  Round Up Pump N Go Weed Killer 1.33 gallons (Case of 4) comes with a pump that releases a continuous spray for 5 minutes straight.  You give it a few pumps, and it is good to go for another 5 minutes.   After 10 minutes of the weed killer being on your yard, it becomes water proof.  It should only take about 6 hours to see results!

After you get rid of weeds try to cover your lawn with either strong black plastic or thick organic mulch, so you can keep out sun and water so any remaining dormant weeds do not start to grow before you lay down your grass.

3) Improve the quality of the present soil. The best way to improve the quality of your soil is to lay down organic matter.  Compost would be great, as would manure.  After laying down organic material you should add topsoil.  Then your lawn will be ready for the grass!

4) Make sure your soil has good drainage. Checking your soil drainage is incredibly easy.  All you need to do is place your hand on your lawn and feel if it is soggy.  If it is consistently soggy, you will need a professional to come in and lay down underground pipes.

Spring-planted bulbs need to be in planted early spring if you live in a mild climate, or late spring if you live in a colder climate.  They will bloom in the summer.  Buy these bulbs as soon as they are available at the nursery, and plant them immediately!  You can either plant them in flowerbeds or containers, wherever you have room for them!

Choosing a spot to plant your bulbs is important.  You need to make sure that the soil drains easily.  Bulbs will die to too damp soil, and they will also die in sandy soil.  As far as watering goes, spring planted bulbs usually survive on rain water alone.  If it does not rain for a while and you notice the soil is dry, you will need to manually water your bulbs.

Once you have planted your bulbs, you need to feed them all-purpose fertilizer regularly.  However, keep in mind that bulbs have stored food within them to fuel growth, which does make them pretty low maintenance.  More frequent fertilization will just ensure that your bulbs grow as tall and big as they can!

I personally recommend feeding your bulbs bone meal.  Organic Traditions Bone Meal 4-12-0 Plant Supplement is highly sanitized, but still has many benefits.  It is slow to release its nutrients, and is 100% natural.   Other avid gardeners will recommend using fertilizers with high levels of phosphorous.  Triple Super Phosphate 0-45-0, shown above, is considered a “super phosphate.”  It is 45% phosphorous.  Phosphate is know to increase root growth and encourage huge flowers, which is perfect for your bulbs.  Phosphate also contributes to fruit production and seed production, which you should keep in mind when thinking about fertilizing your other plants.

Experiment with different types of bulb food.  Whichever fertilizer you have the best luck with is the one you should use.   Soon you will have large-stemmed, large-flowered, beautiful plants!

I have to admit, I used to buy compost form the store.  It did not seem very expensive, but it really adds up.  Plus, besides the cost of the composting bin, making your own compost is essentially free!  You never realize how much you can compost until you start!

Because of the plethora of items you will be able to compost, you are going to need a large composting bin.  The bin that I use is the Compost Wizard Hybrid – Rain Barrel and Composter, pictured to the right.  I absolutely love this composter.  It has a container for composting, and then a container to catch rain water.  When you mix the composter, excess water will fall through into the base of the composter and mix with rain water.  There is a screen to be sure that no debris falls through.  You can use this water to water your produce garden, flowers, or even your lawn.  Think of it as a sort of “compost tea.”

Put the bin in a spot in a sunny spot in your yard, as the sun will help break down the materials.  I prefer to keep it near my backdoor so that it is easy for me to throw the leftovers from my kitchen.  When you are filling your composter, you have to pay special attention to what you are going to put in it.  The obvious examples are vegetables and fruits (including corn cobs), but you can also put in leaves, lawn clippings, and prunings that have been chopped into small pieces (to allow it to breakdown within a reasonable amount of time).  Additionally, egg shells, coffee grinds, black and white shredded newspaper (no color pages, please!).  You should NEVER put in pet waste as it contains meat products and often parasites.  Neither should you put in fruit pits and seeds, because they take an incredibly long time to break down.

First, lets go over when you do NOT need to fertilize your lawn.  Obviously, you never need to fertilize in the winter.  Neither do you need to in extremely hot weather, or during a drought.  Grass has a coping mechanism when it is hot: it does not grow.  Giving your grass fertilizer when it is hot out disrupts its natural reaction to the hot weather.

The main times your grass absolutely requires fertilizer is in the late spring and the late fall.  Fertilizing in the late spring sets up your lawn for growth during the prime summer months.  Fertilizing in the late fall gives your grass the nutrients it needs to survive the winter and prepare it to recover quickly when the spring arrives.  Now, depending on how the weather is in your area, you will have to vary your fertilizing schedule.  The summer months can either be cooler or warmer.  Northern areas have cool-season grasses.  The South and the Gulf Coast is where warmer season grass lives:

If the growing season is going to be cooler: Ideally, you should be fertilizing first in the late spring, and then every six to eight weeks.  Again, on days when the weather is really hot, do  not fertilize.  Importantly, you should never neglect to fertilize in the late fall before winter arrives.

If the growing season is going to be warmer: Follow the same instructions as the “cool” weather, but you also should not fertilize your lawn when there has been a drought.

You may have already scoped out a great fertilizer for the growing season.  If you have not, I would recommend the Mag-i-cal Calcium Fertilizer.  It can be used on lawns and gardens alike, and it provides large amounts of calcium that your grass thrives on.  However, I would highly recommend that you use a special fertilizer for fall fertilizing.  The Winter Survival 10-18-20-15, shown above, is specially formulated to encourage root growth and provide your grass with the right combination of nutrients to survive the long winter.  The iron and sulfur in the formula will keep your grass a beautiful deep green color.  While you can use your regular fertilizer for late fall fertilizing, using a specialized fertilizer like the Winter Survival 10-18-20-15, will definitely lessen the time it takes to nurse your grass back to health in the spring!

There are a few tips you should keep in mind when planning your produce garden:

1.  Plant near your house. This way, you can keep an eye on your produce, and you will be able to pick it when you notice that its at its peak ripeness.  It will also be convenient to collect the produce when it is near your house.

2.  Plant in an area that gets morning sunlight. Your vegetables and herbs need at least six hours of direct sunlight a day.  Early morning sunlight dried the dew that collects overnight, which will decrease the chance of disease growing on your plants.  Additionally, afternoon sunlight can be harsh and may over-dry your plants.

3.  Prevent grass from mixing with your garden. You will need to separate your garden area from the rest of your lawn.  A good idea is to use bricks or decorative stones.

4.  Protect your garden from hungry animals. If you live in an area with deer, rabbits, or woodchucks, you will definitely want to protect your garden.  You may consider installing an animal barrier fence, like Ross Protective Garden Netting.  This malleable fence can be cut to your desired size.  It is temporary, and can be taken down at the end of the season and setup again next spring.  Setting up a net fence is a great alternative to using harmful chemicals.  If you have animals that like to dig under the fence, you will need to press wood or poultry wire through the ground to prevent digging animals from snatching your produce.

5.  Keep the soil fertile. If the garden space you chose does not have the most fertile soil, it is very important that you replace it with fertile soil.  Organic Tomato and Vegetable Food, shown above, is specially created for your vegetable garden.  Fertile soil thwarts the growth of weeds.

If you have never grown your own produce, you must start now!  You have not really tasted vegetables unless you have eaten them straight from your own garden. Your family will thank you for feeding them the freshest produce possible.

There are a variety of ways you can go about treating your weedy lawn.  One time-consuming way is to hand pull out weeds one by one, paying close attention to pulling the entire root out along with the weed.  This is a feasible option if you have a small yard without many weeds.  However, if you have a large yard, this is an impractical solution.

A much more practical option is to consider weed killers.  Since you do not want to harm your lawn or other garden plants, you have to pay special attention to the toxicity and safety of weed killers.  An organic weed killer is a good choice because it has less toxins and is more environmentally friendly than their inorganic counterparts.  Burnout Weed & Grass Killer is an ideal choice as this organic blend contains clove oil and other natural food ingredients.  Within 3 hours of application, you will notice the weeds start to die.  By the next morning, you will see that many of the weeds have died.

There are a variety of steps you can take to prevent weeds from growing back.  Mowing over weeds chops off the head of the weed where many seedlings live.  Mowing will prevent the weed from spreading its seeds.  Also, do not mow your lawn too short.  Doing so will expose short weeds to the sunlight, which will provide them with enough light to grow.  For the prevention of weeds, longer grass is better.

Another tip for weed prevention is to pay special attention to the the fertility of the of soil in your lawn.  Common lawn weeds, such as dandelions, crabgrass, moss, ground ivy and dock, thrive in infertile soil.  If you do not fertilize your lawn enough, weeds will begin to take over.  Organic lawn fertilizers are perfect in this situation.  While they may be a bit smellier than inorganic fertilizers, they will provide you with a healthy and fertile soil.  Safe N Simple Lawn Food 6-2-4 contains nutrients like soybean and alfalfa, which will increase the fertility of your lawn.  Your grass and the environment will thank you!

Dr. David Francko, also the Associate Provost and Dean of The Graduate School at the University of Alabama, says, “Right now, folks with gardens and landscaping in Zones 7b through 9a will want to spray FreezePruf on their marginal evergreens (citrus, palms, etc.) and protect their flowering shrubs like camellias (they’ll be putting on their show in mid-January through the beginning of March), plus Encore azaleas (generally blooming very late February into early March).

For the Zone 9b folks, there are still hardier annuals and perennials that might have made it through earlier cold if protected and will still need protection in the rest of January through February.”

1. FreezePruf adds to a plant’s natural ability to tolerate cold. Plant species vary greatly in their natural ability to tolerate cold, and there is considerable individual variation even within a cultivar or variety.
2. A plant’s health and prior care effect how well it will tolerate cold. A drought-stressed or diseased plant, or a tropical plant that is already experiencing seasonal senescence (yellowing of leaves, brown leaf tips, etc.) due to shorter days and cooler nights, will not respond as well to FreezePruf.
3. Both the duration and intensity of the cold event will effect a plant’s and FreezePruf’s performance. Each frost or freeze event is unique in terms of duration and intensity of cold, wind chill factor, relative humidity, snow and ice cover, minimum temperatures and total time below freezing. Even within an individual landscape, microclimates occur and low temperatures can easily vary by several degrees.

Using organic solutions in your garden is an important step in controlling diseases such as powdery mildew.

Some organic ingredients like the patented seaweed extract in some of our Safer® Brand fungicide products actively increase a plant’s resistance to disease because it is a root growth stimulator, controlling many types of plant pathogens through increased biological activity.  This is what many gardening experts refer to when they talk about the natural defenses of a plant and it is similar to antibodies in a human immune system.

Pictured to the right is Safer Brand Garden Fungicide.  This easy to use concentrate is ideal for controlling and preventing powdery mildew, black spot, leaf spot, rust. The Safer® Brand garden fungicide RTU utilizes the effectiveness of our popular sulfur-based fungicide.  This product is an effective, economical and convenient solution to the wide array of fungal blights that consumers face everyday. To use, spray at 7 day intervals, following rain or as needed.

Treating an infected plant with an organic fungicide is treating a symptom of the bigger problem.  Keeping the living organism in the soil protected by using organic products is not only good for the global environment; it also helps protect your plants from further outbreaks and other issues like insects.