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A40 Tri-City News Friday, October 22, 2010
Dealing with weeds key to a nice lawn IN THE GARDEN Brian Minter Autumn is the time to add nutrients to the soil to benefit your lawn
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awns play a very important role in our winter landscape, but to look good at this time of year, they must have the right care. This is where so many folks become confused. So much misinformation is out there that it’s important to clarify a few things. First, the weeds. The new environmentally friendly way of minimizing weeds is to create conditions where weeds are challenged. Most weeds are annuals, and with proper mowing and weed pulling to prevent them from seeding, they can be easily eliminated. For resilient perennial weeds, simply spot treating them with an organic or low toxic weed control can do the job without leaving any residuals in the soil. Overseeding in the spring and fall with more aggressive grasses, like the new ‘Natural Knit’ blend of perennial rye grasses, will leave fewer places for weeds
to grow. This is a process that really works effectively and permanently. With the weeds kept to a minimum, it’s time to add fall nutrients. Using a slow-release high nitrogen type fertilizer, like 32-0-10 rather than a winterizing formulation, is the best approach for West Coast lawns. Always apply fertilizer to dry grass and then water it in thoroughly. This will really tone and colour up your lawn for winter. Over the fall and winter months, the nitrogen is stored in the cells of the grasses, helping them bounce back earlier in the spring. The Environmental Protection Agency in the United States endorses slow release nitrogen because the nitrates stay in the turf and do not leach into ground water. Much improved organic lawn fertilizers are also now available, and they are certainly the way of the future. When your lawn soil becomes soft with fall rains, the very best thing you can do is aerate it by using a machine that actually pulls plugs of soil out of the ground. This process will allow excess moisture to drain away and will also provide more air in and around the grass roots. If you apply about a ¼ inch layer of sand to keep those holes percolating all winter with improved drainage, moss should not be
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nearly as much a problem next spring. This is an ongoing process to be done each spring and fall. Finally, before the heavy rains set in, make sure you apply Dolopril or organic eggshell lime - usually two to four bags for an average-sized lawn. These few simple steps will not only give you a great lawn all winter, but they are also the steps needed for a more weed
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and moss free lawn come spring. Going forward, we will have slower growing and more compact grasses that will need to be mowed less frequently, and we will have more environmentally friendly mowers. It’s important to remember that lawns do many good things for the environment, including providing enough oxygen for an average family of four.
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When your lawn becomes soft due to autumn rains, it’s best to aerate, says Brian Minter.
Jim Isherwood 604.250.7755
Al Carlson 604.518.9299
Brookside Realty 11933 224th St Maple Ridge
Brookside Realty
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