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Spring Preparation

© Chris Arnold

I thought I would share some ideas and experience about Spring preparation to help you get ready for the changing of the seasons.

Make sure your lawn mower is up-to-snuff. For most of us making sure the lawn mower is ready means making sure it starts and runs. This really is not enough. Not only do you need to change the oil, flush out the gas tank (if you didn't leave it empty), and check the air filter; but what about what it actually does. Isn't your lawn mower suppose to actually "cut" the grass? Many lawn mowers actually "pull" the grass apart. If you do not have your blade sharpened regularly, at least once a year, then you risk having your grass look like its dying. When grass is pulled apart rather than cut, the tops will die and turn brown. From a distance your lawn will look less than healthy.

Go easy on the fertilizer. Your lawn and plants may need some help, but you don't need to go over board. Follow the instructions carefully. When in doubt, check with your local nursery. Give them a call before you go, and talk to someone who knows what they are doing. They may need you to bring down a sample of your lawn so they can figure out what is right for you.

Don't get impatient when it comes to staining your deck. Many of us are ready to run out with the can of stain as soon as the sun peeks out from behind the clouds. Don't do it. Take a look at the instructions. Most deck stains and sealers clearly state that they need the ambient air temperature to stay above a certain temperature. Often times that is above 50 degrees. That means if it is going to get cold that night you could cause yourself a lot of heartache. The same goes for exterior paint and even some fertilizers.

I guess a good warning would be to read the instructions first, and when in doubt check with someone you know. The last thing you want to do is ruin something that you have already spent a lot of time on.

Until next time . . .