Just as you need the energy to get through your day, your plants do too. And of course, when it comes to family-friendly gardening, organic fertilizer is the way to go!

What is Organic Fertilizer?

Organic fertilizers contain only ingredients from plant, animal, or mineral sources. Examples of these kinds of ingredients are bone meal, kelp meal, and greensand.

Why Use Organic Fertilizers?

While it is true that all fertilizers ultimately feed nutrients to plants in the same form, it is the process by which they are delivered that makes organic fertilizers superior to others.

Three ways to think about organic fertilizers:

1. Gardening always starts with the soil. Organic fertilizer “feeds the soil that feeds the plants”. The process by which organic fertilizers deliver their nutrients enhances the fertility and structure of the soil.

Organic fertilizers are digested by soil microorganisms, which then release the nutrients in a form available to plants. This process produces humus, a spongy material that improves soil structure. When you improve soil structure, the soil is better able to hold the proper balance of water, air, and nutrients until they are required by plants.

Plants respond by developing larger root systems. Larger roots support more vigorous top growth and make plants less susceptible to drought. And by stimulating a healthy population of beneficial microorganisms in the soil, plants become more resistant to insects and diseases.

2. Organic fertilizers will provide slow, steady feeding, as the plants require it. The release process is slow and largely dependent upon three factors: the microbial population in the soil, moisture, and soil temperature.

A healthy population of microbes in the soil is necessary for the digestion process. Moisture is required to sustain microbial life as well as to keep nutrients flowing into the plant’s root zone. And soil temperature is critical because as it rises, plants require nutrients more rapidly.

Fortunately, microbial activity mimics these requirements and increases as soil temperature rises, so that organic fertilizers feed the needed nutrients as the plants require them.

3. Most of the time, the gardener isn’t the only one in the garden. Organic fertilizers are the safest choice for your plants and the environment. Unlike synthetic plant foods, organic fertilizers have an extremely low salt index, which means there is little to no risk of burning (dehydrating) plants in periods of extreme drought or when over-applying.

Organic fertilizers are generally very resistant to leaching out of the soil, so their nutrients stay in the root zone until the plants need them. And since most organic ingredients are byproducts from commercial farms and meat processing plants, the utilization of them for feeding plants is really a system of recycling much like composting.

So, when the debate of whether you should fertilize your plants pops in your head remember: organic fertilizer is the right choice for you and your family. Check out our fertilizers here.

Show your lawns some love this spring. Not only did trees & shrubs suffer from this snowy & windy winter, but our lawns also struggled quite a bit too. Snowplows scraped up edges of lawns along roads and driveways. Snow shovels scuffed up the lawns alongside walkways. Heavy, wet snow sat on our lawns causing bare patches and diseased areas. Salt dropped for melting ice burned out many lawn edges. Don’t forget about damaging tree limbs and branches fallen all over the ground. Now doesn’t all that make you want to show your lawn some love?!

The snow has melted (I hope). First things first…

1. CLEAN SLATE: Take a good heavy-duty rake, get outside, get some exercise and clean up all the winter debris on your lawn. If some of the grass tears up easily, that is okay. It means it was not going to make it through the year anyway.
2. SOIL TEST: Go to the CT Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven to get an initial reading of your soil. Knowing the Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, and pH levels of your lawn will get you off to a great start. Bring your tests to me at the Van Wilgen’s Solution Center!
3. GYPSUM: If salt damage from the winter storms has affected your lawn health, apply Gypsum. This is a wonderful, underused product that greatly reduces saline in your soil, improves soil conditions, and loosens compact soil.
4. FAST-ACTING LIME: If you got a soil test and checked your pH, we will know exactly how much lime you need to apply. If you just want to wing it, that’s okay because we always need at least a maintenance rate of lime every year to help our acidic CT soil.
5. MOSS OUT: The absolute best time to get rid of moss is when the temperatures are cooler out. Moss grows most actively when it is chilly out. Eliminate the moss now and seed after.
6. SEED: Do not leave bare patches on your lawn. If you do, beware! Weeds will take over big time and this is a battle you just don’t want. The best defense against weeds is a thick stand of turf, so seed, seed seed.

The attention you give your lawn now will pay off in spades later so show your lawn some spring lawn love.

SHOPPING LIST:

*Encap’s Fast Acting Gypsum

*Encap’s Fast Acting Lime

*Lilly Miller’s Moss Out

*Van Wilgen’s Grass Seed

*Starter Fertilizer

*Greenview’s Grass Seed Accelerator or Seed Success

*Mainely Mulch

In Connecticut, Ticks are no joke. By now, most of you know I love “bugs”, however, there are a few on my I Don’t Care For At All list. The number one insect on my I Don’t Care For At All list is the Tick. The Tick is technically an arachnid, not a bug. No matter, it is the Black Legged Deer Tick that is the trouble maker. Too many of us have had Lyme Disease or know someone who has been afflicted. My goal is to tell you how you can reduce and even eliminate these pests in your yard.

Don’t mess around with Ticks. Make Tick control a regular part of your spring yard work. Ticks begin hatching in the cool, spring weather. When they are young nymphs, they are tiny and hard to spot but they still carry Lyme Disease. Ticks do not love the heat so they hang out in tall grasses, weeds, woods, garden beds, and any overgrown or un-manicured part of the yard. Keep this in mind, because this fact is important when it comes to proper tick control.

Van Wilgen’s has many effective tick control products, conventional & organic, eliminators & repellents. Whether you choose to go organic or treat using the conventional method, the applications are the same.

Some great products for conventional Tick control are:

•Bonide’s Insect & Grub Control Granules

•Sevin Lawn Insect Granules

•Bayer Advanced Complete Insect Killer (hose-end)

•Damminix Tick Tubes

Some great products for organic tick control are:

•Eco Smart Organic Insect Killer Granules

•EcoSmart Organic Mosquito & Tick Control (hose-end)

The best type of application consists of a perimeter control treatment, where the manicured part of your yard meets the un-manicured part. I recommend applying granules for long-term control and spray with a hose-end liquid product for an immediate knockdown. The organic products help to reduce tick populations but do not provide as quick of a kill and work more as repellents. It is also important to treat in garden beds where ticks hide under flowers & shrubs. Wood piles, decks, and under garden sheds are also hot spots for ticks to hang out. Be sure to treat these areas. If you want to be very thorough, product application can be made over the entire lawn area but your most effective control will be focused along the perimeter of your property.

To enhance your perimeter tick control program, consider control over woodland creatures that carry ticks. Deer & the White Footed Mouse are big carriers of Deer Ticks. Using deer repellents will greatly reduce your deer population and in turn, reduce Tick populations in your yard. The mouse is harder to repel but using Damminix Tick Tubes will really help to reduce the Deer Tick populations in their nests. It is pretty cool. Mice steel the treated cotton balls inside of the tick tubes, bring the cotton balls back to their nest, and the ticks are killed by the product on the cotton balls. Controlling Deer Tick populations in the nests of the White Footed Mouse is an extremely clever and important part of your tick control program.

Ticks are no laughing matter. It is easy to take Tick control into your own hands with the very easy-to-use products we offer at Van Wilgen’s.

Come see us at Van Wilgen’s. We would love to help!

Lawns love fall. They feel so much better once the summer heat has passed but they still need your help. With a little TLC from you, fall will become your lawn’s favorite time of the year. Spring will become your favorite season because the fall work you do to your lawn now will pay off in spades next spring. Don’t forget how much your lawns do for you all spring and summer. They provide your family with oxygen, picnic areas, backyard ball fields, etc.

Let’s get cracking. Your lawn needs you, now. Here’s what we’re gonna do…

• FERTILIZE: Use Step 3(All Season Lawn Food) now to help the lawn recover from summer.

• FERTILIZE AGAIN: Yes folks, again! Save Step 4(Fall Lawn Food) for November. This is one of the most important fertilization steps of the year. Yes, siree!! After you have mowed your lawn for the very last time in the year, this is the time to put down your Fall Lawn Food.

• BEGIN TO MOW LAWN SHORTER: I know, I know, I am always telling you to keep your lawn as high as possible all season long. Well now, I am changing my tune. Begin to mow your lawn shorter, but no more than 1/3 of the grass blade at a time. Bringing your lawn down to a good 2 inches going into the winter, allows more sunlight to get down to the crown of the plant and helps keep it disease-free.

• AERATE OR DETHATCH: Aerate if your lawn is compact & sparse. Dethatch if your lawn is really thick and has a dead, brown, thatch layer at the base of your green grass.

• TOP DRESS: Get a little compost and/or topsoil and rake into your existing lawn. A 50/50 combination would be perfect and help restore the organic matter in your soil.

• OVERSEED OR FILL IN BARE PATCHES: This is the perfect weather to seed, whether it is to fill in small bare patches or to thicken up an existing lawn, don’t miss this ideal fall weather to seed.

• WATER: Yes, even fall can be dry. If you seed, you need to water every day. Your existing lawn could use a drink too. Less frequent but deeper soakings that go down a few inches into the soil will really help to establish a deep root system.

• REMOVE LEAVES: Do not allow leaves to build up too thickly. They can smother out the grass and cause disease. Rake or mulch them with your mower.

• BROADLEAF WEED CONTROL: I highly recommend doing some broadleaf weed control if you are not seeding. It is important to kill off perennial weeds before they take a strong hold next spring. If you use a broadleaf, granular weed control, be sure to apply to a damp lawn and do not mow or water for a couple of days. I love Weed Beater Ultra. It is a liquid weed control that you can use to spot treat weeds and it will work even when temperatures dip into the 4o’s. This really extends the weed control season! Your lawn loves fall. Love your lawn in the fall and it will love you back even more in the spring. Come see us at Van Wilgen’s. We would love to help!

Are thinking of planting a new lawn or just filling in your existing one? Don’t just think about it, do it! I am a huge fan of seeding, whether it is a brand new lawn, filling in bare patches, or thickening up your existing turf, now is the perfect time to tackle this project. Put a little sweat into your lawn. Mow, rake, aerate, seed, fertilize, and water… it is so worth it!

When doing a seeding project all of the above steps are important, but water is the key. If you are thirsty, so is your grass seed. Sounds silly? I am serious. The thirstier you are on any given day, the quicker your grass seed is drying out. Water is the difference between success and failure, so it’s important to do it right the first time! 

So, you just went to the refrigerator to get yourself another glass of ________(Fill in the blank with your beverage of choice.) This should be your signal to head outside and check your new grass seed. If it is dry, give it some water. Grass seed needs to stay moist every day. If it dries out, the seed will not even have a chance to split open. Grass seed is close to the surface so it can germinate, this is where the soil needs to stay damp. The top layer of soil can dry out quickly. The sunnier and windier the day is, the quicker the seed dries out. New seed does not need to be watered long, 30 minutes is usually sufficient. However, you may need to water 2X’s in a day. The sunnier the spot is, the more water it needs. Areas along driveways, walkways, curbs, and slopes tend to dry out quicker. Be sure to give these spots a little extra attention.

Is there a better time to water than others? Of course, there is. Morning is the best time to water, but the afternoon is acceptable too. The fall is the perfect time to seed because the soil is warm and nights are getting cooler, leaving a nice coating of morning dew. There may occasionally be enough dew to get you off the hook from watering! Be careful though, if it gets sunny through the day, the lawn may dry out quickly and need another watering in the afternoon. Try to avoid watering at all in the evening, however, if that is the only time you have to do it, then evening water is better than no water at all. New seedlings can get a disease called Pythium, which can wipe them out in a day if the seedlings remain too wet through the night.

Note: There is such a thing as over-watering. If you over-water your new seed, the seed may rot, wash away, or float above the soil. Be careful not to leave puddles or make mud pies out of your lawn. If this is the case, you are being too good of a caregiver of your newly seeded lawn.

It is a good idea to cover the seed with mulch. I really like Mainely Mulch. It is a weed-free straw/hay combo that covers new seeds nicely, holding in moisture, keeping birds from eating the seed, and slowing down erosion. The best thing about Mainely Mulch is you do not have to rake it up after the grass grows. It will biodegrade into the soil, adding a little bit of organic matter. A little extra bonus! Greenview’s Seed Accelerator is my favorite for smaller patches. It is a recycled paper mulch pellet with built-in starter fertilizer. You sprinkle the pellets right over the grass seed and water them in. They expand, hold in moisture, and fertilize at the same time!

Don’t be fooled. Just when you think you are done watering your new grass seed, you may have to keep going. Different types of grass germinate at different rates. Perennial Ryegrass is your quickest one to sprout, coming up in 5 to 7 days if conditions are right. Kentucky Blue is a beauty but you have to be patient since it can take up to 25 days to see any germination. Please do not stop watering just because you see a few green sprouts… There are a lot more to come.

Here is my rule of 3 for newly seeded lawns: In the first 3 weeks, water your grass seed 2 times per day for approximately 30 minutes. In the second 3 weeks, water your lawn, 3 times per week for a longer period of time, approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour. This will encourage a deeper root system and a much healthier lawn. Give your lawn one last treat around Thanksgiving. Feed it with a Fall lawn fertilizer by Greenview or Espoma. It will go to bed happy and healthy for its long winter nap.

Getting ready for September Lawn Care

I know it is still summer and we are out socializing, boating, beaching, picnicking, etc. I don’t want any of you to stop having so much fun, I just want you to put the thought of fall seeding into your head. You don’t have to do it quite yet but get yourself mentally prepared and come down to Van Wilgen’s to get your supplies for September.

September is the perfect time to overseed your existing lawn, fill in dead patches, or even start from scratch. The soil temperatures are nice and warm so the grass will germinate fast. The nights are getting cooler so morning dew helps to provide moisture. Weeds are not as much competition. Watering is less time-consuming. Most importantly, you have had a nice summer break, and I promise, if you seed this fall, you will be so much happier with your lawn next spring.

The level you want to seed at is up to you. You can take small patches at a time, clean them up, throw down a little Van Wilgen’s topsoil, put down our custom grass seed and you are good to go. Or, you can rent an aerator, criss-cross the entire lawn, relieve compaction, apply Encap’s Fast Acting Gypsum, put down a layer of topsoil, spread our Van Wilgen’s grass seed, use Starter Fertilizer, cover the barest patches with Mainely Mulch chopped hay, water and wait for fresh, green sprouts. These are a couple of methods. No matter what, some preparation needs to be done to get the ground ready for new, fall seed!

Lawn preparation comes in many forms. Some people choose to do heavy raking only, others rent machines like core aerators and slit/slicer seeders. Still others, till everything up, bring in new topsoil and start from scratch. No method is wrong but some tips will help no matter what method you choose.

*September is a great month to seed. Come see us at the end of August to get your supplies and start your lawn prep. It would be great if you could get the new grass seed down in the first few weeks of September. Later is okay too, but let’s shoot for the beginning of the month.

*Choose the right grass seed. Van Wilgen’s has our own custom line of grass seed that is perfectly suited for our Connecticut climate. Come see us and we will help you pick the right grass for your yard.

*If just overseeding your existing lawn, mow your lawn short! This is the only time, I will tell you to do this. The grass seed you apply needs to make contact with the soil in order to germinate. Make seed to soil contact. Don’t let the grass seed hover above the soil. It is best to spread out a little Van Wilgen’s topsoil first.

*Apply Starter Fertilizer. We offer a great one by GreenView and if you want organic, Van Wilgen’s has Milorganite and Espoma’s Organic Lawn Starter. Applying starter fertilizer with your new grass seed will really help it to establish deep roots.

*Cover it! After you have seeded, cover it with Salt Hay or Mainely Mulch. We also carry a Grass Seed Accelerator by GreenView that has starter fertilizer built right into it. It is a great cover for smaller areas.

*Water. Yes, even in the fall you have to water grass seed. A good rule of thumb is: 30 for 30. Water your grass seed for 30 minutes, 2 X’s per day for 30 days. Grass seed needs moisture to split open. Once it splits, germinates, and your new lawn is about 1 inch tall, change your watering program. Water every other day for 1 hour in the earlier part of the day. Watering for a longer period of time helps to push deeper roots.

Trust me on this one, you will be so much happier with your lawn in the summer if you seed this fall. So enjoy the rest of your summer but start thinking seeding.

Come see us at Van Wilgen’s. We would love to help!

WE LOVE FERTILIZER! Yes, there is a fertilizer for every seed, every plant, and for every time of the year. Fertilizer is amazing because it can be so helpful to our plants and the environment. Veggie gardens will give you a much greater yield, annuals will push out more bloom, trees will establish deeper root systems, shrubs will be less prone to disease, etc. We are not suggesting that you over-fertilize. This possibility does exist and will negatively affect your plants. Be sure to read the label! Twice the serving does not mean twice as good. Be judicious. Be wise. We can help.

Remember that there is a fertilizer for every time of the year? Well, there is. For this hot, August month, you have got to try Van Wilgen’s Root Boost and/or Van Wilgen’s Fish & Seaweed Fertilizers. They are perfect for any type of plant from veggies to houseplants. There is no risk of burning your plants with these fertilizers. They will enhance the plant’s vigor with kelp, beneficial bacteria, and nutrients. Use one or both together every week. You will truly notice a difference.

Fall is coming. In spite of this terribly hot, humid, dry weather, fall is on the way and this means it is time to restock the garage with fertilizers or to pull the ones you already have, out of the garden shed. This heat is brutal on plants. They will need your help to recover from the stress of summer. Pay attention to your struggling lawn. September is the time to apply Espoma’s Organic Summer Revitalizer or Greenview’s Lawn Food. Fertilize the heck out of your annuals and veggies. Give them a last hoorah with Van Wilgen’s Bloom Booster. Push them to their maximum. Trees and shrubs are screaming for Espoma’s Plant-Tone or Holly-Tone. Use half the rate, at this time of the year and quiet their screams. Do not let your lawns and gardens go hungry.

So, stop by the “smelly” department when you are visiting Van Wilgen’s. We will help you choose the right fertilizer for the right plant at the right time of the year.

Come see us at Van Wilgen’s. We would love to help!

Summer is the best time to run barefoot through the grass. Who wants to wear shoes this time of the year? Step your bare tootsies onto the lawn and run free. I try and go shoeless as often as possible in the summer. The problem I encounter when walking free is that I can’t help but pause at every weed, investigate for insects, and scout for crabgrass. Oh well, I am a lawn nerd. What can I say?! I find them interesting. It is pretty amazing that we can grow these “crops” of grass in so many different conditions. Lawns are the anchors of our yards. They frame our homes and garden beds and provide recreation areas for our families.

Summer is a time to have fun but hopefully not at the expense of our lawns. Don’t forget about that green carpet under your bare toes. It serves you well. Give it a little TLC. Here’s what we can do this time of the year:

*Water if you can. Your lawn needs a minimum of 1 inch of water per week. If Mother Nature does not provide this, it’s time for you to step up with those bare feet and set up some sprinklers. Buy a simple rain gauge to measure how much water your lawn is getting per week or set up an empty tuna can to capture the water. It is really important to give your lawn a deep, root soaking. Instead of watering daily for a short period of time, I would much rather that you water 2 to 3 times per week for a much longer time. Most people set their sprinklers to run 20 minutes per day. Change this up and go every other day for a minimum of an hour. This way, water will seep deeper into the soil, encouraging deeper grass root growth. Water in the early part of the day to avoid water evaporation and disease promotion caused by late day watering.

*Let your lawn go dormant if you can’t water. Lawns have an amazing survival instinct to shut down and go dormant in the heat and drought of summer. The bad news is, our lawns are brown and crunchy during this time period. The good news is, they usually recover once the cooler weather of September returns. Trying to get a sleeping summer lawn to wake up with just a little bit of water in the heat, is not the best idea. It will wake up grumpy.

*Mow your lawn high. The taller your grass blades are, the softer, cool grass you have to run your toes through, and the better the chances of your lawn’s survival. A taller grass blade has more surface area and provides more shade for the grass below, therefore, the ability to retain moisture is better.

*Let the clippings fall. The grass is made up of approximately 80% water. If you leave the clippings on the lawn, they give back moisture and act as a “green” fertilizer providing a gentle Nitrogen feed for your lawn.

*Keep your blades sharp. Believe it or not, the sharper your mower blades, the softer the grass will be on your summer feet. Grass that is ragtag from dull mower blades is more vulnerable to diseases and drying out.

*1/3rd at a time. Don’t mow off more than a third of a grass blade at a time. If you mow off more, you will stress out your lawn, making it much more susceptible to burnout.

*Treat for grubs. Now is the time to apply Bayer’s Season Long Grub Control. This is no joke folks. Pretty soon grubs will be hatching and lurking beneath your feet, eating the roots of your lovely lawn. Don’t wait. Apply Bayer’s Season Long Grub Control through mid-August. Be sure to water it in or apply before a heavy rainfall. The more rain it gets, the better it works.

*Bring out the post-emergent weed controls. Pay attention to new weeds popping up and nasty crabgrass and Nutsedge. Crabgrass loves the heat and is one of the greatest summer bullies on the lawn. Use a liquid broadleaf weed control such as; Ortho’s Weed-B-Gon plus Crabgrass Control. Use Nutsedge Killer by Ortho to control that nuisance Nutsedge. It is best to use these products when temperatures are below 85 degrees.

*Give your lawn, a non-burning summer treat. Milorganite is one of my favorite products. It is organic, non-burning, and has Iron for quick green-up. Espoma makes a nice, organic Summer Revitalizer that is perfect for this summer heat. Encap’s Fast-Acting Iron is great at putting the green back into your summer lawn.

Everybody, kick off your shoes, run barefoot through your lawn, do cartwheels, have a picnic, play ball, etc. Be sure to thank your lawn for all it does for you and your family. It provides you with a fun place to play, a perfect backdrop for your garden, and a lot of oxygen to run around.

Come see us at Van Wilgen’s. We would love to help!

DO NOT SET YOURSELF UP FOR FAILURE

(TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL GRASS SEEDING OF A SMALL SECTION OF LAWN)

Do not take on more than you can handle. Most of us have very busy schedules. Those little things like work and kids tend to get in the way of having a “perfect lawn”. Who’d a thunk?! You may not have the time or energy to get a “perfect” lawn but with little baby steps, you can have a “better” lawn. Just don’t set yourself up for failure.

One other little thing that gets in the way of having a “perfect” lawn is water. Most of us do not have a sprinkler system and we may be limited to how much water we can use because of a well. This is why I want you to take on small areas of seeding at a time. Prioritize. Seed the section of the lawn that is most important to you. Maybe it is in the front where everyone drives by or maybe it’s in the back where you enjoy dinner on your deck. Take one section of the lawn that you can nurture…one section where you can properly prepare the ground…one section where you can manage to water it daily. If you start small, seeding one section at a time, before you know it, your whole lawn will be close to “perfect.”

Since you have now chosen the section of your lawn that is most important to make “better”, let’s seed it! Get out there and rake the heck out of that little patch of lawn. If you have a steel rake or landscape rake, do not be afraid to use it. Get up all the sticks, leaves, and moss that may be invading your space. Do not worry if you tear up some grass along the way. The cleaner the slate is, the better. If you have any way of aerating that section of lawn, go for it. Use your aerating spike shoes, your garden weasel, or a good old-fashioned hoe to loosen up the soil. Put down a thin layer of topsoil. A half-inch will do. Spread the grass seed in a single layer, tight together but not piled on top of each other. Press the new seed into the topsoil with a tamper, the backside of a shovel, or your feet. Your section should be small enough, that hand sowing the seed will work just fine.

Almost done. Fertilize your new patch of seed in one of 2 ways. Sprinkle Grass Seed Accelerator over top of the new seed and water it in. It will fertilize and hold moisture for the new seed. Another option is to use Starter Fertilizer, sprinkled right over the top of the grass seed with a layer of chopped-up straw to top it all off.

You are not completely off the hook yet. Remember the most important part to having success with your little patch of lawn is water. Water is the key. This is why I wanted all of you with super busy schedules to start small. Grass seed needs to be kept damp daily. If Mother Nature is not contributing, it is up to you to get out there and water. A half-hour, preferably at the early part of the day, will be just about enough to keep that seed wet. Once the seed germinates and grows to about 1inch tall, change up your watering program. Water every other day for a full hour. Just set a sprinkler out there and turn it on in passing. Once the new seed reaches 2 inches in height, change it up again. Water every 2 days for 2 hours. If you can do this, you may almost reach perfection in your little patch of lawn. Relax and enjoy.

Thanks a Bunch!

SHOPPING LIST:

*Van Wilgen’s Top Soil

*Van Wilgen’s Premium Grass Seed

*Greenview Grass Seed Accelerator

*Espoma Starter Fertilizer

*Mainely Mulch Straw & Hay

(Be proactive. Get ready for the thaw.)

Don’t worry. I promise no snow monsters are going to jump out of the snow and grab you, no icy pit is going to pull you in, and no frozen furball is going to nip at your ankles. I know that sometimes when it is cold and snowy it can feel like this. “No worries, spring is on its way!”

To help conquer our fears of what lurks beneath the snow, let’s get prepared. Being proactive can greatly reduce winter stress and make the transition into spring a lot easier.

Here is what we may anticipate once the snow melts…

You may see unexplainable squiggly lines all over your lawn that look like a drunken bike rider went joyriding all over your back yard. This culprit is no inebriated biker but it could be a bunch of annoying voles playing chase under the snow. Here is what you must do, immediately! As soon as the snow melts, apply a vole repellent right away. We definitely do not want these heavy breeders taking hold and eating the roots of your garden plants.

Once the snow melts you may also notice these alien-like, irregular circles forming on your lawn. The circles may be grayish or have a pink hue. This is Gray or Pink Snow Mold. Ew! Not a pretty sight but it won’t do tons of harm if you are proactive. Arm yourself with a rake, Lime, and maybe a good fungicide. Get out there and rake up those alien circles. This will help stop the spread. Apply Lime because this will help keep this pesky fungus at bay. If all else fails, it may be wise to put down a fungicide.

Believe it or not, cool-season weeds will pop their heads right up once the snow disappears. Be ready for them. Arm yourself with a good weed control that works in cool temperatures. This is key to a low weed count lawn.

In addition to funky trails, weird-looking patches, and cool-season weeds, you may see some bare patches. Some grass probably just could not make it through the winter. Maybe it died off from too much snow plow salt. Maybe it rotted under the snow or could not recover from the summer drought. Whatever the reason, now is the time to be proactive. Throw some grass seed down with a little gypsum, starter fertilizer, and hay. Watch those bare patches fill in quickly and establish themselves before the summer heat sets in.

Don’t get nervous this winter, get ready. Get ready with the tools you need to be proactive and ready for what lurks below, once the snow melts.

SHOPPING LIST:
1. I Must Garden Mole & Vole Repellent, Vole Scram, or Messina’s Mole & Vole Repellent

2. Encap’s Fast Acting Lime or Soil Doctor’s Pelletized Lime

3. Infuse Fungicide

4. Weed Beater Ultra (for cool-season weed control)

5. NEW!!! WEED BEATER ULTRA FE(new, natural way to attack weeds)

6. Van Wilgen’s Grass Seed

7. Encap’s Fast Acting Gypsum

8. Greenview’s Starter Fertilizer or Espoma’s Organic Starter Fertilizer

9. Mainely Mulch Chopped Straw & Hay

Come see us at VanWilgen’s. We would love to help!