Summer Advice for Lawns and Gardens 2022

 

June is always a mixed bag for those of us in the lawn and garden industry.  On one hand, cold weather is in the rear-view mirror and we can all go full steam ahead with gardening and other outdoor endeavors; kids are out of school and summer vacations are being planned for many of us; and the late-blooming trees and shrubs in our yards are still lovely, as annuals and perennials explode into color.  On the other hand, with June comes the beginning of the often hot and humid weather that necessitates closing windows and turning on air conditioners.  It also brings heat and potential drought stress to lawns and many tender landscape plantings, as well as damaging insects and diseases that can attack our favorite shrubs, trees, flowers and vegetables if we’re not vigilant. 

June of 2022 marks the end of a remarkable, if rather cool spring season.  We never had the late frost that we always fear, but we also never had any real warm spells either.  Because of the mostly cool weather, we’ve enjoyed one of the most colorful and beautiful springs I can ever remember.  We saw normal, regular rainfall, leading to lawns absolutely growing out of their minds, and causing spring weeds to be profuse.  I haven’t minded the lawn growth.  I have the time and inclination to mow every 3-4 days, but the professionals have been overwhelmed much of the spring.  Weeds have really been problematic because of these same great growing conditions, particularly in yards that didn’t have weed management applications last fall.  And as we enter the summer, we want to remind all of you who mow your own lawns to raise your mower decks to 3 ½-4” for as long as the weather is hot.  Our lawn grasses are all cool weather grasses; they cease producing roots when the soil temperatures exceed 80 degrees, and are vulnerable to heat stress.  By raising mowing height, you leave more leaf surface on the above-ground portion of the plants, thus protecting the crowns of the turf.

Lawn Depot Garden Center is open every day, M – F 8-6, Sat. 8-5, Sun 9-3 through the end of June (check our website for hours changes in July & August). The Nursery yard is full of thousands of beautiful perennials in full growth, tons of annuals (flowers and vegetables in multiple sizes), and lots of lovely shrubs.  Likewise, the Garden Center is loaded with all the seeds, fertilizers, insect and weed controls, and gardening equipment you’ll need for your lawns, landscapes, pool yards, and gardens.  And, as always, our talented and friendly staff stands ready to offer any advice and answers you may need in order to make all your home gardening experiences successful and enjoyable.

Lawn Depot Turf Management is deep into our very busy spring schedule: late spring fertilization, weed control applications and preventative grub control applications.  Yellow nutsedge control applications will begin in mid-to-late June, to try to stay ahead of this persistent weed.  In addition, the Turf Management team will be doing lawn evaluations beginning in early summer, and making recommendations to current customers where we feel fall seeding is advantageous to upgrade the quality of their lawns.  For those of you who are not yet Lawn Depot Turf Management customers, but who may like to consider joining us, for either regular seasonal applications, or special applications (core aerating, fall overseeding, insect control, lime, etc.), now is the time to schedule an evaluation of your lawn.  Our fall schedule fills up earlier each year and if you wait until fall to contact us, we may be full!  Any of you who may be interested can either stop in at the Garden Center and fill out a request, call our Turf Management team (215-348-5553, option 3), or find us on the web (www.lawndepotinc.com) and select “Request an Estimate”.  We’ll be out within a few days, measure and evaluate your lawns (or portions thereof), and will email (or mail for those of you who don’t use email) a proposal to you.

Again, June is a transitional month as we ease into the warm summer months.  We’re still planting and fertilizing, we’re still mulching (if we haven’t already done so this spring) and weed controlling on lawns and in landscapes, and regularly watering and fertilizing annuals and vegetables to maximize their beauty and productivity.  Stay active in the yard this summer, and you’ll enjoy every aspect of the beauty that is Bucks & Montgomery County, PA.  We all look forward to seeing you soon and often this summer, and we hope you all have a great summer.

                                                                                                Bob Button

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