Now that heat has spiced up outdoor activity around Wisconsin, people have begun to tackle projects like gardens and lawn care.
Doug Soldat, Assistant Professor and UW-Extension Turf Specialist, has a couple pointers for people to bear in mind as they get started. First, fertilizer. Soldat tells Pam Jahnke that he advises backing off on fertilizer before Memorial Day. He says if your grass is already green – the fertilizer’s there. Considering the cost of most fertilizers, save your money and invest it when it will do the most good.
Soldat does advise trying to tackle crabgrass just as quickly as you can though. He says spring applications battling crabgrass are less effective then fall applications, but it’ll help.
What about cutting your lawn. Soldat says he advises the rule of thirds. If your grass is 3 inches tall, then you can safely cut it by a third. More than that and you’re only allowing light in which can accelerate weed development. A thick, lush lawn that’s not mowed to the dirt will suffocate those weeds out.
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