BROUGHT TO YOU BY: BURNEY TRUE VALUE HARDWARE
https://www.burneyhardware.com/
- March is the time to start thinking about spreading some grass seed. And, it’s also time to get your mower blades sharpened at Burney Hardware. Burney’s can make sure that your blades are sharp and ready for the season.
- Ready to plant your garden? First, break up the existing soil with a hoe, spade or power tiller*. (*Burney Hardware sells or rents all of this equipment) Then, add organic matter such as manure, peat moss or compost until the soil is loose and easy to work with.
- Give plants a boost by adding a granulated starter fertilizer or all-purpose feed that encourages blooming. (Example: use a fertilizer labeled 5-10-5)
- If planting a plant or shrub or tree, dig a hole up to two times larger than the root ball and deep enough that the plant will be at the same level in the ground as it was in the container. Then…use your fingers to lightly rake the roots apart (they may have gotten dense and tight in the container) before planting in the hole. Water every day for the first few weeks to get them established.
- Remember to put up a layer of mulch (up to 2”) on the ground around your new plants to help the ground retain moisture, reduce weed growth and give them a neat appearance.
- Always refer to the plant label for specific planting and watering requirements. The most common mistakes are over- or under-watering.
- Established plants should be given fertilizer in early spring and then again halfway through the growing season. Grasses have different fertilizing times, depending on which grass you have. Find out what timing suits the needs of your grass.
- Prune plants by snipping off the faded blooms. Removing old flower stems helps keep the plants’ energy focused on vigorous growth. Do not prune plants after September 1st because plants need time to “harden off” and prepare for winter. Once perennials have died, you can cut them to about 4” above the ground.
- Plant a bird-friendly backyard! Not only are they fun to watch…but birds provide us with free pest control services and fertilizer. They also help balance the food chain and you’ll need fewer pesticides. Let birds do the work for you.
- Bird-friendly yards include four vital elements: food (native plants like winterberry, coneflower and sunflower), water (keep your birdbaths clean to maintain a fresh source of drinking water), shelter (e.g. dense shrubs, grasses and trees), and birdhouses (provide additional places birds can nest and keep their young safe).
- When buying plants to make an arrangement, remember to match plants with their sun, soil and water needs. Plants that thrive in rich, moist woodland areas might not do well in sunny, dry spots.
- Think about blooming time when creating a garden. Make a chart of what plants you have in the yard and mark when they bloom. Then you will see where you have gaps and you can then fill-in with perennial flowers or shrubs.
- Want to garden more sustainably?
- Recycle your plant containers instead of throwing them away. If your town recycling program doesn’t accept them, bring them back to Burney’s Hardware and we will ensure that they get reused.
- Limit your water usage by installing a drip irrigation system with a timer. Another option is to connect a rain barrel to your downspout and reuse the rainwater.
- Plant a rain garden to eliminate runoff. This can be a depressed area in the landscape that collects rainwater from a roof, driveway or street and allows it to soak into the ground. Planted with grasses and flowering perennials, rain gardens can be a cost-effective and beautiful way to reduce water runoff from your property.
- Buy Local! Small, independent garden centers are usually supplied by area growers…which limits transportation and carbon emissions. It also supports the local economy by keeping your shopping dollars in the county.
- Have you ever considered using an auger to help dig holes for plants and bulbs? Garden augers come in all sizes and as hand tools or extensions for electric drills. For large projects, you can rent an auger from Burney Hardware.
- Here are easy steps to get your lawn jumpstarted: 1) Aerate 2) Fertilize 3) Apply seed and lime as needed 4) Water.
- In order to have a nice lawn, the most important rule to follow is to “mow high.” The exact height depends on the variety of grass. But, keeping your grass higher helps cut down on weed growth, helps retain moisture, allows for stronger root growth, protects the roots from the hot sun and promotes an all-around stronger plant system. Use the chart below as your guideline:
- Mulch in flower and landscape beds and around trees has numerous benefits, but excessive amounts will cause trees and shrubs to slowly decline over a few seasons. The mulch layer in beds and around trees should be no deeper than 4”. Be sure to check the depth of the existing mulch before adding more. If the bed still has 2” of mulch, then only add an additional 2” for a total of 4”. Additionally, there should be no mulch in contact with the trunks of trees and shrubs.
- Using fertilizer on your lawn: To avoid burning the roots, water your lawn a few days before applying fertilizer. Choose the best lawn fertilizer based on the type of grass. Check directions to avoid over-fertilizing. Using a broadcast or drop spreader is the best method of application. Walk back and forth in straight lines so that you can make sure you are not overlapping your application.
- In general, grass needs an inch of water per week, whether from rain or manual watering. To avoid evaporation, water early in the day, i.e., before 10 am. Water deeply to encourage long, deep root growth. If you step off your grass and the blades do not bounce back quickly, then it may be time to water.
- Save your eggshells for the garden! Crushed shells can add calcium carbonate to the soil which makes it more alkaline. The lower pH levels of the soil help the plants to absorb more nutrients and it also acts as a repellent to elements that can be toxic to plants. Plus, deer are warded off by the lasting scent of eggs. Also, because the broken shells are hard and have sharp edges, soft-bodied bugs will be less likely to invade. Note: even the eggshell water from making hardboiled eggs is good for your plants!
- Most shrubs and trees should be pruned in late February or early March. Light trimming can be done over the summer (as late as mid-July), but avoid pruning from late-summer through mid-winter. Untimely pruning is stressful on plants.
- Neem oil is a gardener’s best friend. This simple oil is a great natural pesticide that can be used to combat a range of pests including ants, aphids, mealy bugs, as well as fungus and powdery mildew. When using neem oil, dilute it into a spray with water to make a homemade bug spray or as a treatment for troubled plants.
- Diatomaceous earth is also a natural pesticide. It is a non-poisonous silica powder and is not damaging to plant life. Spreading this gritty powder traps bugs and draws out moisture to dehydrate and eventually kill them. It is a great natural way to protect a garden from unwanted pests.
- Fire ants are an extreme pestilence in Moore County. Their bites are very painful. They can infest areas and cause damage to air conditioner units and wiring. Unfortunately, they are here to stay! There are ways that you can treat your lawn to keep them under control. There is the bait method of treating the area with certain chemical products twice a year: once in spring and once in fall. Then there is the chemical drench way of treating mounds individually. Both of these methods involve using chemicals that must be used according to package directions. The only non-chemical way of killing ants is by pouring boiling water on the mound. This can be very dangerous if not handled carefully. Plus, it can kill plants.
- Save your coffee grounds for the garden! Coffee grounds are rich in nutrients, especially nitrogen. They also have other nutrients like potassium and phosphorous. Overall, this means that adding coffee grounds to your garden can work fairly well as a fertilizer. Your acid-loving plants like hydrangeas, rhododendrons, azaleas, blueberries, carrots, and radishes can get a boost from fresh grounds. However, tomatoes do not like fresh coffee grounds. You can even use your leftover (plain) coffee to water your acid-loving houseplants.
- Don’t waste a banana peel by throwing it in the trash! They contain calcium, magnesium, sulfur, phosphorus and potassium. Cut them up into little squares, let them dry out, then mix them with your garden or potting soil. They are excellent slow-release fertilizers! Or, put the peels in a bucket of water for a few days and then use the infused water to water your plants.
- Want to use a layer of rocks at the bottom of your pot to “improve drainage”? Don’t! Water tends to collect right above the rocks. And, if you are just using the rocks to cover the drain hole (to prevent dirt leakage) just use a coffee filter instead.
- Pollination of plants: do I need to plant more than one? Some plants can pollinate themselves, such as tomatoes and peppers. Other plants benefit from having more than one or two. And, sometimes it’s even necessary. Some plants have separate male and female stems and depend on bees and other insects to pollinate. Prime examples are cucumbers, melons, squash and pumpkins.
