Lawn Tune Up for the Southern Landscape
Today almost anywhere you travel in the South, you find evidence of improved garden practices. One of the most significant changes is the improvement of lawns. Everywhere, it seems, home owners are coming to recognize more fully the importance of good lawns. Here in the South where, by the use of winter grass, it is easy to maintain a lovely greensward the year through, the advancement is particularly noticeable.
In some areas home owners have been reluctant to recognize that the lawn is the most important feature of the home landscape and that an attractive layout cannot be achieved unless the lawn is in good shape and properly maintained. During the last two or three years, however, more and more builders of new homes have given adequate attention to lawns. They are finding that a property with a good lawn needs only a minimum of shrubbery and flowers to be attractive.
While lawn building may be done throughout the year in most sections of the South, spring and fall are generally accepted as the choice seasons. During spring a new lawn will be encouraged by warm rains, occurring frequently at this season, to make substantial growth before the intense summer heat arrives.
In most parts of the South spring is also a good time to establish lawns from seed; the exception is the Upper South where fall seeding is preferred. Zoysia may be bought as established clumps growing in small pots or other containers; these the home owner can plant at any season of the year. The container-grown clumps suffer no shock when transferred to the growing area; also, in growth they will be at least a half season ahead of those started from the more conventional sprigs and freshly cut cubes.
If you are growing winter grass (such as rye-grass). cut it quite short early this month so sunlight will be able to reach the permanent sod which is now showing signs of growth. Also apply a liberal amount of fertilizer. Many of our grasses prefer a material that is a little richer in nitrogen than the standard garden fertilizers. The latter give only fairly good results on lawns; the specially prepared lawn fertilizers are preferred.
Divide the Perennials
If you have perennials which should be divided this spring but which have not yet had attention. you’d better look after them just as soon as you can. Hot weather, very hot weather, is just over the hill, so plantings of this type should be handled now while the days are yet cool. If done later. the plants will suffer considerable shock.
You can continue planting container grown material, but in most sections of the South it is now too late to plant bare-root shrubs, roses and trees. Container-grown plants has given those in the South the ability to make planting practically a year-round operation. Planting container-grown material is also a great boon to those moving into new homes during the summer and fall when conventional planting of bare-root stock cannot usually be done safely.
Late-planted stock may be subjected to considerable shock, but this may be largely overcome by watering copiously and shading for a few days. I have found that watering newly set plants with soluble plant food diluted to foliar strength (see directions on package) will do much to lessen shock and get the plants off to a fast start.
It is warm enough now to plant summer annuals outdoors. Regardless of what you may have heard, pansies will bloom better and longer if you pick all the flowers as soon as they fade and give the plants an occasional feeding. This applies to English daisies also.
Questions of the Month:
Question: My hydrangeas did not bloom last summer. What can I do to encourage their bloom this season?
Answer: Their failure to bloom last summer was probably due to the late March freeze which killed the growth buds. About all you can do now is keep your plants well fed and watered.
Question: The tropical water-lilies that I left in my pool over the winter do not seem to be growing. Why is this?
Answer: It is safe to leave hardy waterlilies in a pool over winter, but the tropicals should be taken out in late fall, packed in damp moss and stored where they will not freeze. When left in the pool the cold water will cause the rootstocks to rot, even though they may not actually freeze.
Question: Last spring some of my roses appeared to be growing fine, but during the hot summer weather the buds did not open fully. What can l do to prevent this from happening again this season?
Answer: Some fully double varieties do not open their blooms well when the temperature reaches the high 90’s; another cause, in addition to heat, is thrips. Spray the bushes occasionally with a contact insecticide or an all-purpose rose spray or dust to control these pests.
Question: Almost as if by magic large mounds of soil a foot high appear on the lawn. Examination reveals that they are full of ants. Conventional remedies do not kill them. What material will control them?
Answer: Apparently the dreaded fire ants have invaded your property. New materials have come on the market to control fire ants. Follow the instructions as directed on the package; level the mounds and then soak them with a solution or “bait”. The next time you see a similar mound on your property, treat it early, before it gets too large.
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