01/14/2020
Hey folks, It is that time of year again. The time when I start talking about the growing season while it is cold and snowy outside. What can I say, I am an optimist, I guess. We got through the holidays and have put 2019 away in the history books, so now it is time to see what we need to be aware of as we start 2020. 2019 growing season ended kind of atypical. Just as the leaves were getting ready to drop, we had a very cold spell which froze many of the leaves on the trees. The leaves not effected by the cold fell a little earlier than normal, but many of the trees (mainly Maples) refused to drop their leaves. Then on Thanksgiving, we received a huge snow storm which brought those leaves down and covered them with a thick blanket of snow. Many of those leaves are still on the lawns, because by the time the snow cleared enough to pick them up, most of us just wanted to enjoy the holidays, and had replaced our rakes with snow shovels.
Well, the new year has started and those leaves need to be picked up as soon as possible. I understand they are covered with snow right now, but plans need to be made that as soon as they can be picked up. They are acting like a pillow over the head of your grass plants keeping sunlight and air from the sleeping plants. The leaves also create an environment where diseases can get established on the crown of the plants. Bottom line, schedule your yard clean-up as soon as you can so that your grass and other plants can enjoy the spring sunshine and rain when it starts.
Now the usual things to talk about. NOW is the time to get your fruit trees pruned! Historically, we are past the coldest part of the winter, so the chance of any more winter dieback to your fruit trees is minimal. Ideally, the fruit trees need to be pruned before the sap starts to flow to get maximum yield, and to avoid damage to the bark (when the sap begins to flow, the layer between the bark and the structure wood becomes slippery, and the bark can accualy be ripped off the tree if it is climbed.) Generally, January 15-February end is the best time. Mother Nature can shorten or lengthen that time as she sees fit. So it is best to get that done or scheduled ASAP.
Some other time tables to be aware of:
-Aerations can be done as soon as the grown is not frozen and not soggy. If you use a service, it would be best to get on their schedule as soon as possible. Speaking from experience, their schedules fill up fast. So waiting until you are ready, will generally mean you will have to wait even longer. Best to get on the list ASAP.
-If you need power raking, it is best done with with an aeration. The problem is, if your lawn is too wet, the Power Rake will not pull up much thatch and it will dig up your grass. So it is best to wait on that until late March. I say it is best done with an aeration because; #1 the soil compaction is taken care of as well as the thatch, thus allowing as much water and nutrients to the roots as possible; and #2 the plugs that are pulled up with the Aerator will be broken up by the Power Rake.
-Sprinkler systems are charged in April, but waiting until April to call a sprinkler service will lead to frustration, because, by then they are swamped with the people who have been proactive and gotten on their schedules early (Late February to March at the latest). It would be best to be proactive.
-The first application of fertilizer (the one with a preemergent) is best put down the end of March, but after your lawn has been aerated. a good indicator of timing is when the Forsythia are in bloom.
I hope this is helpful. If you need any of these services to get your yard on the right level for the coming growing season, please contact me either via a message on this page, or call and leave a message @ 801-546-4606 (I am sorry, with the telemarketing industry as it is, I do not answer numbers I do not recognize, but I sure as heck return messages left for me!)
Thanx,
Todd
P.S. I do not do lawn fertilizations anymore, but I would be happy to help you get in touch with the company I sold that part to.
