Another important fact about fall lawn care is to keep mowing until the grass stops growing. Maintain the same mower height setting throughout the fall. Don’t be tempted to mow the grass short going into winter. If you have an overabundance of leaves on your lawn in the fall and you are using a mulching mower, consider bagging up the leaves so the lawn does not become smothered by them.

Nitrogen and potassium are the the most important nutrients to consider for fall feeding. They work together to nourish the grass plant during the important root-growth period in the fall. Spend a little more money for a higher-quality fertilizer. There is a big difference in how fertilizers work, even if they have the same nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium numbers on the bag. Fall is a great time to treat for weeds like clover and dandelions. In fact, you can save time by using a special winterizer weed and feed instead of regular winterizer. Just be sure to apply your weed and feed to a moist lawn on a day when rain is not forecast for 24 hours. You will find that come spring your lawn will be virtually free of broadleaf weeds like dandelions.

Also, lawns need about an inch of water a week to thrive. If you are not getting enough rainfall, you may need to water your lawn. It’s best to apply an inch of water when watering, to get the water down deep into the roots. Finally, aerate your lawn if you find that it has more than a half-inch of thatch. Aerating will help the thatch to decompose and will open the soil up to more oxygen. Leave the plugs on the lawn surface where they can break down. Follow these simple steps and enjoy your beautiful lawn in the Spring.

In order to have a beautiful lawn, your lawn needs to be maintained properly. The right mowing and watering schedule can help us produce the lush, green lawn you’ve always wanted.

Mowing:

Proper mowing is very important to maintaining your lawn. If you mow too low,  you can damage the crown, the part of the blade where growth actually occurs. If you let your grass get too long, you will cut off too much of the blade during the next mowing, which causes stress to your lawn and sometimes even damage. It’s best to keep your lawn a little longer than you would normally think. 2.5 to 3 inches is a good height. That way, it will have enough blade length for photosynthesis to produce food and grow. The thicker the lawn, the deeper its roots will become and the more it will crowd out any weeds that try to pop up. A good rule to follow is the hotter and drier it is, the higher you should be mowing your lawn. Here are a few mowing tips to follow to keep your lawn looking beautiful all summer long:

• Mow only when your grass is dry.
• Keep your mower blade sharp.
• Never “scalp” your lawn by cutting too close to the ground.
• Leave your clippings on the lawn unless they are long or wet.
• Leave grass longer in hot weather and lower your mowing height slightly in the early spring or late fall.

Watering:

Keeping your lawn properly watered is important. It’s best to let your lawn tell you when it needs water. If it loses its spring, your lawn is probably thirsty. This is often noticeable after you walk across your lawn and footprints remain for a period of time. When you water it, make sure you water deeply enough to penetrate into the root zone. Watering 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch twice a week is better than light watering every day. Generally lawns need 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week through rainfall, irrigation or a combination of the two.

Moorhead Ace Hardware will supply you with everything you need to get your

lawn looking lush and beautiful.

]]> http://www.directoryoffargomoorhead.com/blog/lawn-care-in-fargo-moorhead/feed/ 0 http://www.directoryoffargomoorhead.com/blog/snow-mold-levels-are-high-in-the-fargo-moorhead-area/ http://www.directoryoffargomoorhead.com/blog/snow-mold-levels-are-high-in-the-fargo-moorhead-area/#comments Mon, 29 Mar 2010 23:47:11 +0000 Shannon http://www.directoryoffargomoorhead.com/blog/?p=3691 I was watching the local Fargo-Moorhead news the other night and became interested in a story on both prevention and tips to get rid of  mold that grows underneath the snow, on top of grass, during the winter months.  It caught my attention because like many other home owners in the Red River Valley, I have noticed an increase in the amount of snow mold on my grass this spring. Snow mold, which is a fungus, looks like a layer of cobwebs, or fine cotton strands, which form a covering on the grass. According to the story, we tend to have more of this mold due to a wet fall.

I did a little more research on this subject, because I  know we will have to try to get rid of it, and as much as I would like to report that this is a quick and easy fix… it’s not. It will take some hard work and extra elbow grease to get rid of this fungus. The best way to attack it in the spring is get some work gloves and a good rake and work over the troubled spots. It is recommended that you wait until the weather is at least 50 degrees and the ground has had a chance to dry out a bit.

While snow mold can be eliminated with some hard work in the spring, the best time to prevent it is in the fall. According to the NDSU website, you shouldn’t fertilize your lawn between mid-July and mid-September. Fertilization done at the end of September will still promote turf root development, but won’t stimulate lush growth of the blades and won’t promote snow mold. Late July and August fertilization can actually increase the amount of snow mold, especially if November comes with a lot of snow.  Snow molds develop more readily when thick mats of grass are buried in the snow. Keep your grass short, but not shorter than normal, and leaves raked in the fall. If you follow these preventative steps you will probably see a decrease in the amount of snow mold on your grass in the spring. If anyone has any other suggestions on how to get rid of the snow mold, please let me know.

For more information about events and topics for the Fargo-Moorhead area, check out the Directory of Fargo-Moorhead website.

To see the complete newsletter click here

If you have limited space, it may be necessary to decide how much room for each type of plant you have. A small yard or a porch garden can be planned effectively by creating a basic diagram of where each item will be planted and how much room will be given to each plant variety. You may find that you want to rethink the number of plant varieties because of the small space available to each type.

Make sure the plants you want to grow are ones that will grow in your climate zone. If you want to grow something that isn’t rated for your zone, you may still be able to grow them indoors with a little preparation. By duplicating the plant’s natural temperature and lighting conditions inside your home or greenhouse, you can grow just about any plant you choose.

If you want to get earlier flowers and plants and longer blooming times for spring-blooming plants, start them indoors in seed pots. The seeds can germinate indoors and begin as seedlings long before it’s time to plant them. The seedlings can be transferred into a larger pot until it’s time to plant hem outside, or you might prefer to plant the seedlings outside as soon as they are strong enough for transplanting.

Take care with the roots of young plants when planting them outdoors. The root ball should be as undisturbed as possible when the plant is transplanted. One of the easiest ways to make sure that you don’t cause any damage to the roots is to plant the seeds in biodegradable pots that can be planted directly into the ground.

These pots don’t require the plant to be pulled out of the pot before being planted in the ground. Instead, the bottom of the pot is cut away to allow the roots to branch out as the pot degrades into the surrounding soil. The pot is often made of an organic material, such as peat moss, that supplements the soil as it degrades.

Growing plants indoors before transplanting them is particularly useful for seeds that have a long germination time. Take a look at the germination time of your seeds when deciding whether to plant them indoors or out. If the germination time is a month or more, germinating them indoors during the late winter or early spring can give you that much more time to enjoy the plant outdoors when it does begin growing.

Seeds that will be sown directly outdoors and young plants that will be transplanted into the ground should be given the best circumstances possible to help them grow into mature plants. The ground should be kept free from grass and weeds that will compete with the new plants. When planting seeds, avoid putting down mulch right away or the young shoots could have trouble getting through it when they come up. When planting larger plants outdoors, a small amount of mulch can usually be used to keep the weeds at bay. If you are planting seeds outdoors, choose your mulch type ahead of time and have it ready for when the plant gets larger and needs to have protection from weeds.

A Local Chapter of Wild Ones in Fargo/Moorhead has been established!  RRV Wild Ones is now starting a membership drive and will have it’s first meeting in February.  Here is the press release that was sent out yesterday, we hope this will reach everyone in the area.

Press Release:
 
I’d like to inform you that a local chapter of Wild Ones is now established in the FM area.  The RRV (Red River Valley) Wild Ones Chapter is underway with the membership drive looking for anyone interested in gardening, native plants and wildlife, sustainability, the outdoors and helping beautify our communities with various outreach programs.  Once members are found we will have our first informational meeting in the beginning part of February.  We hope to be in contact with other local organizations to start working together in their efforts as well.
 
Wild Ones National Mission is ‘Advocating Native Plants in Natural Landscapes, Preservation and Restoration of Native Landscapes, Promoting Environmental Education, Gardening and Volunteering’. 
 
In establishing this group we hope to improve the education of the benefits of using native plants, start outreach projects that will benefit schools, neighborhoods, parks and the entire Community and show ways of becoming more sustainable.  By being a chapter of this National Organization we are able to use a portion of dues and 100% of fund raising for our local efforts.
 
Anyone interested can find RRV Wild Ones on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?id=100000657074621&ref=ts or by the information below.  The main Wild Ones website is http://www.for-wild.org
 
If you would like any other information I will refer you to my blog which includes some of the projects we will work on and how this group will benefit our Community.  http://habitattips.3littlebirdsonline.com/2009/11/30/wild-ones-chapter-to-help-the-fargomoorhead-area.aspx  Our Email is rrvwildones@gmail.com and I can be reached personally at 701-367-4709

When we form our group we will set up our committees. 

 -  The NWF Wildlife Habitat Committee will hopefully bring a better local leadership to this wonderful program.  I have made some strides with consulting and promoting Habitats in the last 3 years but if the FM area would have a group of Habitat Stewards we could do so much more.  A NWF Schoolyard Habitat at SGR Elementary is already in the planning stages and you would be surprised at how many yards in the FM area are certified.
 

-  The Guerilla Gardening Committee would be in charge of finding the areas within the Community that would most benefit from a landscape makeover.  As these areas are determined they would then get the word out to the neighboring residents or businesses and find the hands that want to get dirty. 

-  A committee that has an ‘in’ with local developers to help them with planning of more sustainable and Earth friendly design would help make better improvements on the way we plan around the Community.  Many new neighborhoods being built and planned, for example, include retention ponds and parks.  Most of the retention ponds are nothing more than a large area dug out and lined with rock, how about adding plants that will provide Habitat for beneficial wildlife.  There are so many other cost effective possibilities that go along with this area and committee members with an expertise in land development would be a must.

- The Longspur Prairie Conservation Center near Felton is in the development stages and will provide restoration projects for many years to come.  A section of farm land has been purchased to connect 2 areas of protected habitat and we are working with MN DNR and the Nature Conservancy to restore and preserve this vital native habitat.
 -  It would also be great to form a committee for the Birds For Brains Program.  This small family project, although not directly related to gardening, does so much good for local residents and I have not been able to give it the attention it deserves.  By adding it into our Wild Ones Chapter we would be able to get an affiliation with a group and be able to accept donations.

There will be many opportunities for education, volunteering, networking and just getting together with like minded individuals for sharing and conversation.  Please help me get the word out and contact me if you are interested in joining.

Roses come in many colors and forms and in range of growth habits, sizes and shapes. Fortunately today, many newer roses are being bred for hardiness and good disease-resistance. Like most other garden flowers, roses will thrive if you give them what they need. Roses are heavy feeders that thrive in rich soil. Be sure to stay on the lookout so you can nip any rose problems in the bud before they get out of hand. When to prune roses is one of the most important aspects in rose gardening and knowing how to prune roses. Choose the right place in your garden to plant your roses. They will need plenty of sunshine and wind protection if they are in an open windy location. Preparing a good planting site for your roses provides ideal growing conditions for companion plants too. Some rose lovers choose to grow miniature roses around the base of full-sized rose bushes, others enjoy pairing their roses with annuals, perennials and bulbs. Under planting your roses with spring flowering bulbs, adds color and beauty to your flower beds when the roses don’t look their best. Give your roses lots of room to grow to their natural growth habit and allow for good air circulation. Roses do prefer organically rich soil with good drainage and no major obstructions such as tree roots or large rocks. Roses also need beds of well-drained sandy clay-loam soil with a pH between 6.5 to 7.5 (slightly acidic to slightly alkaline). Put a few shovels of well-composted horse or cow manure around your roses after planting, and every spring, and your roses will really thrive. Add a 2 inch layer of mulch and watch the roses bloom with abundance. And here is another good rose gardening advice that is very useful: Sprinkle some Epsom Salt around the base of your roses and scratch it into the soil. Follow by deep watering directly to the base of the rose. Bare root roses must be planted while they are still dormant. They should be soaked in muddy tepid water for up to 12 hours, overnight is good, before planting. Climbing roses should be planted a foot from their supports to allow for good air circulation. Canes on climbing roses should be tied horizontally in order to produce more flowers, which will sprout vertically along the horizontally growing canes. Climbing roses should not be pruned for the 2 years. They need time to build flowering canes so they can produce lots of blooms. Mulching, add a two- to four-inch layer of organic mulch wood chips, grass clippings, compost, straw, pine needles, or leaves around the base of each rose bush. Just remember: Easy does it when it comes to mulching. For more information on gardening go to www.Teegoes.org

Timothy Samuel, I live in Wilmington, De, enjoy writing on many topics from food to traveling and hope my articles are enjoyable and helpful to all.

Article Source:  http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/gardening-caring-for-roses-1006447.html

One vital routine in home gardening which entails boredom is your water management aspects. Busy people can’t cope with these activities since every minute is very important for them.

Failure to serve enough water to your plants would bring to your frustration in home gardening. Being busy is not an alibi to maintain the growth of your plants.

But, don’t panic, there is a solution to this problem.

Getting Automated!

This system does not need a main water supply and is therefore suitable in all gardening activities, either it be greenhouse or home garden.

Select the following systems that would fit your convenience…

• Bottle Reservoir

Steps to follow:

1. Invert and secure a refillable bottle of water, using a flexible piping, conduct water into a waterproof plastic tray. The neck of the bottle needs to be level with the surface of a strip of capillary matting laid in the tray’s base.
2. By adjusting the height of the reservoir, the level of water can be raised and lowered. If the reservoir has an open top, water will pass out steadily. However, if it’s formed of a closed bottle, a further pipe needs to be fitted to prevent a vacuum forming in the bottle’s top and the flow of water being stopped.
3. Stand pots on top of the capillary matting. Plastic pots don’t  have crocks (broken pieces of clay pots) placed in their bases and therefore water readily passes from the matting to the compost. Clay pots however, are usually crocked and therefore the compost will not readily absorb water.
4. Insert a wick into the base of each pot so that it acts as a channel for the water from the sand.
5. To reduce evaporation from the capillary matting, place a plastic sheet over it, with holes cut out for the pots. Alternatively, use a 12 – 18 mm/1/2 -3/4 inch layer of sand.

• Trickle Irrigation. This system can be left operating in your garden for a couple of days without your attention, ideally for busy people. Water is usually supplied by mains water and ballcock used to ensure the water level remains constantly flowing.

Steps to follow:

1. Alternatively, use a large plastic tank as a water reservoir. But unfortunately, this does not provide constant water pressure and the flow of water alters.
2. To correct this, use tubing to direct water into the top each of each pot, its flow controlled by nozzles. Initially, regular attention is needed to ensure the right amount of water is reaching each plant. Avoid water logging the plants.

• Mist Propagation Units. At one time, this system was only available to commercial nurserymen, but now amateur types are available. Create a mist of water over cuttings, keeping them cool and reducing the need for them to absorb moisture before new roots are formed.

• Thermostats and Timers. This system includes the use of electrical equipment and thermostats to control temperatures. Combines with a timing devices, electrical equipment can be controlled to come on and off to a desired temperature at a touch of a switch.

Timing clocks and thermostats are invaluable for controlling temperatures and their duration. Position them where they will not be wet with water, as well as out from strong, direct sunlight.

Make sure to select any system you think is easy to operate and will make your work easier even while you’re out for work, while plants are properly attended to without your presence.

Happy gardening.

_________________

Cris Ramasasa, Freelance writer, writes about home gardening and   Internet

marketing tips. You can get a copy of his latest ebook “How to get started in  Flower Gardening” and “Vegetable Gardening Made Easy”, also get lots of tips, Free articles, and bonuses  at: www.crisramasasa.com

Cris Ramasasa is a retired Horticulture teacher for 29 years and Freelance writer. Writes home gardening tips and resources. Written ebooks titled: How To Get Started In Flower Gardening and Vegetable Gardening Made Easy.

www.crisramasasa.com

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/gardening-guide-for-busy-people-947420.html

For any gardener who enjoys working with their plants, a greenhouse is a welcome addition to expand their hobby.  Greenhouse gardening can be as intensive or as low-key as you want it to be, depending on how much gardening you do and how much money you want to invest in the hobby.  Serious gardeners wishing to expand their interest into greenhouse gardening may opt for a permanent structure in their backyard, possibly something that incorporates a cement foundation, integrated doors and windows, and an auto-venting system for temperature control.  On the other end of the spectrum, we have the beginning gardener or hobby horticulturist who wishes to cultivate plants indoors during the winter months or start seeds indoors in the spring for a head start on the summer growing season.  This more basic form of greenhouse gardening will be our focus for this article.

Basic greenhouse gardening usually begins indoors with a temporary structure that can be set up when it’s needed and taken down when it’s not.  An inexpensive shelving kit will work well for this purpose, provided you have space to set it up.  Other structures could be a tabletop that’s not in use or an old workbench.  If you are purchasing something new for the purpose of indoor gardening, look for a structure that’s lightweight and that can be easily disassembled for storage.  Consider buying plastic, if you have the option, so that you can easily wipe away any dirt or water that accumulates.

Next, you’ll need to look around your home and determine where the shelf or table will be placed.  If you have a sunny window that receives at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily, this is ideal.  Warm, sunny bay windows facing the west or south will usually meet the criteria.  If you don’t have such a window, then you’ll need to consider using a grow light.  This will require a special light bulb that gives off a full spectrum of light similar to the sun’s rays.  While the light cast from these bulbs certainly won’t look like natural sunlight to your eyes, to the plants, it is virtually the same.  Grow lights can usually be purchased quite inexpensively from home improvement stores or garden centers, and can then be screwed into your own light fixture at home.

When setting up a grow light, it’s important to suspend the light as close as possible to the plants.  Particularly if you are using the light to start seeds, you’ll want to place the light within an inch or two of the seedlings themselves.  If you place the light too far away, the seedlings will grow tall and spindly instead of strong and stocky.

An indoor greenhouse can feature a vinyl cover to help retain heat or moisture, or you can simply use the indoor environment of your home as the greenhouse environment.  Ideal temperatures will range from 75 to 85 degrees, so choose a room of your house that is warmer than others.  If you’re using a grow light instead of a sunny window, you won’t be as limited to the possible locations you can choose from your plants.  If you’re using a grow light and trying to determine a warm location in your house, consider an upstairs room and/or a high up location in the room, vertically speaking, such as on top of a high shelf or a tall cabinet.  Heat rises, so the highest place in your home should also be the one with the highest temperature.

If you’re a beginning gardener interested in greenhouse gardening, don’t be intimidated to give it a try.  Getting started indoors is easy and doesn’t cost a lot of money.  With a little time and a minimal investment, you can expand your gardening hobby, grow more plants, and give your green thumb a workout during cooler months!

Ellen Bell works for Home Products ‘n’ More, an online retail store offering indoor greenhouse kits and other great greenhouse gardening products to help you get started. Visit us at http://www.homeproductsnmore.com/Greenhouse_Supplies_s/2504.htm

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/indoor-greenhouse-gardening-for-beginners-938430.html

For local information in the Fargo-Moorhead area go to www.directoryoffargomoorhead.com.

Garden pests are a constant problem. Everything that moves outdoors is famished in the spring. That includes aphids, cutworms, caterpillars, grasshoppers, squash bugs, whiteflies, potato bugs, slugs, mealy bugs, ticks, moths, and even rabbits and deer. So how can you protect your garden so that you can get enjoy the fruits of your labors without spreading destructive chemicals everywhere?

Here are a few ways:

Turn the soil over. Let it rest for 2 weeks before cultivating and planting. Turning the soil over exposes cutworm larvae so you can feed the birds and cut back on the cutworm population. Turning the soil also places sprouting weeks under the ground so they die a natural death.

Remove old mulch. Cutworms adore old mulch. Scraping it away will also empty the larder and send them looking elsewhere for dinner.

Buy some ladybugs. They love aphids! So do lacewings. Wasps and bees pollinate the plants.

Use homemade remedies for pest control.

• Recipe 1: 1½ cups [12 oz.] of water + 4 drops of Ivory dishwashing liquid + a dash of cayenne sauce + a clove garlic, crushed. Mix this together and strain before putting it in a clean water bottle.

• Recipe 2: Mix powdered milk with water according to package directions. Now that’s easy!

Use either of these to spray your plants. When they dry, your pests will disappear.

Plant flowers.

• Flowers pests hate. Marigolds smell like skunk cabbage to deer, birds, and many insects. Circle your garden with dis-tasteful beauty and you’ll discourage four-legged pests as well as the six-legged variety.

• Flowers ladybugs and lacewings love. Yarrow and Golden Marguerite (yellow daisy) are wonderful for these friendly insects.

Ignore a patch of weeds. Lure weed-loving pests away from your veggies. Give them what they love best and they won’t be as likely to feast on food meant for your table.

And now I’d like to invite you to check out “Green Gardening on a Dime.” The booklet is free when you register at http://PainlessPennyPinching.com a place filled with budgeting advice, up-to-the-second sales feeds, and in open invitation to an online shopping site where you can get cash
back for shopping at Wal-Mart, Target and 800 other stores.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/organic-gardeningnipping-garden-pests-in-the-bud-naturally-812067.html