I’m writing this Newsletter, our last for 2018, on October 30, and last week we had our first cool weather of the fall, our first frost, and our first freeze. This means that in nature, with the exception of our lawns, we have reached the 2018 dormant season. Annuals are dead and should be removed; trees, shrubs, and perennials have gone into winter dormancy and can be fed, pruned or cut back to the ground, transplanted or otherwise moved without fear of damaging the plants or stimulating new growth. Only lawns are still actively growing; they will not go dormant for another 5-6 weeks or more, depending on soil temperatures.
For this period, really until the ground freezes solid sometime in December, we urge you to continue lawn maintenance chores: mowing to keep the lawns neat and clean (3-3 ½” cutting height recommended), continue to regularly remove leaves that are falling and will be blowing in from neighboring properties, give your lawns their last and most important feeding of the year, LAWN DEPOT WINTERFEAST, granular heavyweight fertilizer, and lime the lawns if they haven’t yet been limed this year.
In your beds and other landscaped areas, it’s time now for pruning trees and overgrown shrubs, for cutting perennials back to the ground, for feeding all shrubs, bulbs, perennials and small trees with their late fall dormant fertilizers. It’s also time for cleaning up beds at the end of the growing season: pulling out spent annuals, scarifying crusted mulch and possibly adding more. Particularly around shallow-rooted shrubs that are vulnerable to winter heaving, and continuing protection measures against deer, mice, and other rodents that will be looking for plants to chew on over the winter, and it’s time to begin spraying and/or constructing winter protective wind barriers for vulnerable broadleaved shrubs.
It is also time to resume (if you haven’t already done so) feeding the birds during these next several months when Mother Nature doesn’t provide them with enough natural foods. So, keep working in your yards; you’ll appreciate next spring what you do this late fall to properly finish off the 2018 growing season on lawns and landscapes.
Lawn Depot Turf Management is entering the final phases of our 2018 season too. We’ve completed all of our early fall application work and by the time this Newsletter is delivered, will be finishing up our fall core aeration jobs. It has really been a challenging season with the wet weather this fall but we have been able to complete hundreds of fall aerations and seeding jobs along with all our regular application work. We thank all of you who’ve been loyal and patient with us, and we look forward to providing you our services next year.
For the rest of the fall and early winter season, Turf Management will be doing our scheduled WINTERFEAST and fall liming applications. For those of you who are interested in having Lawn Depot Turf Management do work on your lawns in 2019, we’ll continue to be measuring and evaluating lawns for as long as the weather permits. Simply call the office (215-348-5553) or look us up on the Internet (www.lawndepotinc.com) and request an estimate. We’ll be out soon, and will send or email an estimate shortly after the first of the year for whichever services you request. We’ve had a record-breaking 2018, and look forward to continued growth in this part of our business.
The Lawn Depot Garden Center will continue to be open every day through November, Monday-Saturday 8-5 and Sunday 9-3. In December, we will have a reduced schedule, but we’ll still be open Monday through Saturday 9-5 for all your late fall lawn and gardening needs. We’ve got tons and tons of WINTERFEAST fertilizer, all the specialized fertilizers for dormant feeding of trees, shrubs, perennials, bulbs, etc. in your landscapes, protection sprays and barriers for shrubs, repellents (granular and sprayable) for deer and rodents, and all of the birding products (houses, feeders, mounting devices and a wide variety of mixed and straight feeds) to attract all types of wild birds this winter. Come in and browse; there’s lots to see, and we don’t put away all our necessary lawn and gardening products for the Christmas season. You just may find the perfect holiday gift right here! Lawn Depot Gift Cards are another great option! We have the products and advice all year long, and we really enjoy being able to help you all solve all your gardening problems and answer your questions.
On behalf of the entire Lawn Depot staff, both the Garden Center and Turf Management groups, we wish all of you a happy and healthy holiday season. We hope you all get everything you want, and get to spend the holidays with all your loved ones. And we thank you all once again for continuing to patronize The Lawn Depot, as we complete our 45th year. Many of you have been with us for the entire journey, and we appreciate it; and we appreciate those of you who’ve been with us lesser time.
I’ve said it many times, and it’s so true: we have the best and most loyal customers and friends in the world. Thanks,
– Bob Button
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