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MID-APRIL WEATHER CONFUSING FOR GARDENERS
It's the kind of mid-April day that's confusing to a gardener...77 degrees at 11 am. What's a gardener to think? Rush those annuals outside? Plant tomatoes? Fertilize the lawn, before it's too late? KILL SOME CRABGRASS?!
We've had springs where Jack Frost has failed to show his chilly face after early April but they've been rare. By the time you read this, my guess is frost will have nipped tender new shoots and buds at least once. My thumb rule is to look at the 5-day outlook on May 15; if frost looks unlikely, I place tender annuals outside.
It's too early to fertilize lawns or apply a crabgrass preemergence chemical. Best timing for crabgrass prevention on lawns is two to three weeks before weed seeds germinate -- normally between May 5 and May 20 in the Twin Cities area.
University of Minnesota turf grass research shows that late summer and fall are the optimal times of year to fertilize lawns. Early spring applications of nitrogen cause a surge of top growth in the plants, the research shows, which makes the lawn look nice in the spring but depletes the plants' energy reserves. Consequently, when summer stress periods occur, plants are weaker and less able to survive.
By applying fertilizer in late October or early November, when top growth is minimal but when soil temperatures are still warm enough for nitrogen absorption, plants resume growth and green up early the following spring without the excessive shoot growth associated with early spring nitrogen applications.
The ideal situation for fertilizing a lawn is a cool day when rainfall is predicted or watering can take place immediately following the application.
One lawn task that can be tackled now is fixing damage from dog dung and urine. When dog feces sit on the lawn all winter and grass in the area refuses to green up, Deb Brown, University of Minnesota extension horticulturist, recommends "fixing" these spots by soaking them thoroughly with water. This dilutes the material remaining in the soil, driving it deeper and spreading it harmlessly over a wider area. This may be all that's needed, she says, provided the roots haven't been destroyed. However, if you don't see new blades of grass emerging from those spots within a week or so, you can assume the roots are dead, and the grass will have to be replaced.
Spots that are smaller than your fist should fill in by themselves as surrounding grass spreads. Of course, this only works if the lawn is healthy and growing vigorously. It takes much longer in a heavily shaded area or in a lawn where grass is thin and weak.
Larger spots will fill with weeds before surrounding grasses have a chance to take over. Brown suggests digging them out, then adding soil from your garden level with the surrounding grass. Mix a very small amount of starter fertilizer into the soil, then sprinkle grass seeds on top and water the areas frequently. An alternative is to use a product designed specifically for patching lawn. These products contain grass seed and starter fertilizer in brightly dyed mulch. Simply spread the material and keep it moist, following label directions.
Brown says gypsum must be mixed into the soil to be of much help on dog-damaged grass and is no more effective on dog spots than thorough watering.
It's a bit of a paradox that early spring is not the best time to prune most trees. It's a wonderful time to be outdoors and to walk around the yard and it's the time when we tend to notice damage to trees and shrubs and the need to prune. So why not prune now?
In the case of oak and elm, pruning now can encourage spread of disease. Red and white oak trees are very susceptible to oak wilt transmission during April, May and June... so don't prune during these three months. For oak trees, wait until late fall or, better yet, winter.
Many other tree species are churning with sap flow right now and pruning can cause excessive bleeding, which looks unsightly and can be damaging to some trees. For most pruning, it's better to wait until mid-summer or, optimally, winter.
If you have seedlings you've started indoors and grown under lights or in windows, these young plants can be set outside when temperatures are above freezing to begin the process of "hardening off" before they're planted directly in the ground or containers. Many gardeners set young plants in containers outside in the daytime and move them into the garage overnight.
If you have questions about plants or insects anytime during the upcoming growing season, you can find answers at Plant Health Clinics that will be offered every week this summer in both Carver and Scott counties. Master Gardeners will be on-hand one night each week from 6-8 pm May 1 to August 28 at two locations in both Scott County and Carver County. Call your extension office for details (Carver County, 442-4496 and Scott County, 492-5410).
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