March Landscape Tips

Your turf is ready to go on its summer growth marathon. It has more sunlight, enough moisture, and it is now time to make your second application of turf fertilizer of the year. Look for a mix labeled 16-6-8 or similar. Broad leaf weeds will likely be popping up, so you may find and try fertilizer with weed control products all in one bag in the home stores. A favorite is “Turf Supreme 16-6-8 plus trimec, and can be found only at specialty sprinkler supply stores open to the public (Ewing, John Deer, Hydroscape, and Crop Production Services formerly L&M are good examples). 

The rain, morning dew, and tender new growth bring out slugs and snails.  They now have pet safe slug and snail bait that works well and the active ingredient is basically just iron. The warmer longer days and added fertilizer has made your turf start growing at a more rapid pace.  In March you must go back to mowing our lawn every week again. If you did not sharpen your mower blade, do it now. Take advantage of the pleasant weather and possible rain, and plant to your hearts content. Almost any shrubs will do well if planted now.

Bonus tip:  To keep your blue-flowered hydrangea blue, acidify the soil now. Apply aluminum sulfate, which is often packaged expressly for hydrangeas, following label directions. You can also use cottonseed meal, but we do not find it as effective. 

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