Here are a few things to do on these nice winter days.
· Get soil tested – for everyone that has not already.
· Kill winter weeds now while they are young.
· Take mower in to have serviced to beat the Spring rush. With the new ethanol gas lawn mower engines and other engines have had issues. No one likes their mechanic to tell them, “pick it up in 4 weeks.”
· Keep leaves off lawn areas. Keeps moisture from being trapped and if you or your lawn service are applying products, you will have a more uniform coverage without the leaves.
· Move any shrub or tree now before it is too late. Root prune now, move before they start putting on new growth.
· Spray trees and shrubs with paraffinic oil (ultra-fine, Omni Supreme oil) as opposed to petroleum oils (Volck) to control over-wintering insects. Watch temperatures. If you have ongoing issues with scale, aphids, white flies, or other sucking bugs, try Safari or Dominion for long term control.
· Sharpen pruning tools or purchase new ones.
· If you haven’t already, get your bulbs in the ground.
· Apply SeaHume to turf, trees, flowers, and shrubs. Adding organics now will help in the spring. Cotton Burr Compost?
· Re-do bed lines to reflect maturing landscape.
· Get bird house ready for nesting birds.
· Have moles, get Mole Patrol – it really works.
· Have deer, get Deer Stopper – it really works.
· Check irrigation or get on professional’s list to check. It has been dry this winter. Be sure the heads are pointed the right way. Can you eliminate (turn off) the zone watering the shrubs and trees? Have you tried wetting agents to lower your water bill (we hear between 30 and 60 percent)? Less water equals less disease.
· Prune Crepe Myrtles – don’t butcher them.
· Hold off on pruning plants damaged by the cold – we could still have freezing temperatures.
· Test well for salt.
· Attend meetings of the Rose, Camellia, Horticultural Societies and others like horticultural societies.
· Get ready to preemerge in February. Kill small seeded summer annual weeds before they take over your landscape.
· Get out and enjoy our County, State and City parks as well as our local plantations.
Always read, understand and follow product label. The product label is a Federal Law.
