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Home My WebLink AboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1981-04-29, Page 53When do I begin? Many home gardeners have trouble determining when to start work in the garden. "In the first days of spring we tend to be over anxious to got into '„ the garden," says Buss Gomme, Ontario &lfntstry of Agriculture and Food horticulturist. But wait until the soil is dry and the frost is out of the ground before you get started." A good indication that the soil is ready is a little crusting un •the surface that shows the lop ul the soil is dry. While you are waiting for uietil soil conditions, take the limo to. clean up lawn and. garden areas. Rake these areas lightly and cut or pull up dead plant debris.. Remove dead leaves and other debris that harbor overwintering insects and diseases before the • warm weather revives..thern. Trim broken or winter damaged branches on trees and hedges. tine of the first garden tasks once the soil is dry is to fer- tilize' lawns. To get your lawn .offto a strong start, fertilize as soon as possible with a well- balanced fertilizer (e.g. 12 -ti- 4i Follow the directions on the fertilizer bag. A generairuleof thumb is toapply about five kilograms per . 100' square metres t about�12 pounds' per 1,000 sq. ft.). .Once the soil is dry, another early season chore is trimming around the edges of fbwer : beds and cultivated areas around the base of trees, "Even. though nothing is growing in these areas yet, edging makes the whole garden look better," says Gomme. Crabgrass control. Most homeowners take pride in their lawns — but not if they're infested with crabgrass. Not only is this weed unsightly, it chokes out ihel • soft -looking lawn which homeowners strive to main- tain. Although crabgrass is not one of the more difficult weeds to control,• its long period of germination makes it hard to' handle, Because the weed starts germinating in . the spring and • continues throughout the summer, more than one •application of a prtemergence herbicide is generally required. Turf weed specialists strongly recommend preemergence treatments, - since the technique destroys crabgrass plants" before • germination. That- wayweeds are treated before they develop enough size to smother turf grasses. thereby ruining the looks of the lawn. • • There are several preemergence herbicides available to homeowners. Differences between the products lie mainly in their. duration of Chemical activity. Many of them • require two applications - one in the spring and one in the -summer because their residual activity will not last through the season. • I lowever, one preemergence • product on the market requires only one treatment . i1 crabgrass preventcr 'This. herbicide has such 0 lofig re.,ideal activity that there is no need for a second ap plication: except where ex ewce traffic disrupts the turf Hirface breaking the soil harrier Genera fly homeowners will cant to apply, the granular form of crabgrass preventer, using a (imp -type or cyclone - type spreader. Proper liming is the major factor inohlaining good results Application just prior to germination is usually considered to be the most beneficial timing, although earlier applications are also suggested, if weather permits. it'AND PUT IN A HAND PLACE! 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