Helpful Tips for Maintaining your Turf and Plants
Executive Assistant to Public Works Director
Tue, 04/02/2024 - 2:06pm
- Test your soil every two-to-three years to monitor pH and nutrient levels, and adjust as necessary.
- Avoid heavy pruning and shearing. Prune your plants with hand shears to thin branches more naturally. It is less stressful on the plant.
- Adjust your landscaped bed sizes underneath trees to promote tree growth and protect the roots of the tree. Shade from trees can prevent sunlight from reaching your turf, plants, and shrubs in bedded areas close to or underneath trees. Make sure you plant your turf and bedded areas outside the drip line of trees so your trees and landscaped areas can flourish. Note: The drip line of a tree is the imaginary line on the ground encircling the tree's trunk at precisely where its branches extend the farthest.
- Mow your turf grass often so that no more than 1/3 of the leaf length is cut at one time. Cutting your grass too short will slow root growth and makes it more susceptible to heat and drought.
- Nitrogen promotes water-demanding new growth. Fertilize less and use a fertilizer that contains nitrogen in slow-release form, such as sulfur-coated urea, urea formaldehyde, IBDU (isobutylene-diurea), methylene urea, or an organic fertilizer product.
- Aerating turf grass improves water movement and is sometimes needed to relieve soil compaction. Indicators of soil compaction include thatch build-up, excessive weed growth, and poor turf establishment (failure to thrive).
This article was originally published by The Landings Association on their website. Visit landings.org to read the original article. https://landings.org/news/2024/04/02/helpful-tips-maintaining-your-turf-and-plants
