Turf Tips by Chris Karcher |
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November 2001 Turf Tips "Now What Do I Do?" The fall season is half over, and winter is but a mere six weeks away. Some of you may be asking, "Now what?" The answer is plenty! There are several "honey-do's" that need to be done over the winter that will help you prepare for next year, before it is time to begin service. They are:
"Well, I am finished for the year. I'm just gonna take my John Deere and park it out of sight and fire it up next year!" Not exactly. A few very important items should be done before the mower is stored. The obvious is to get the engine tuned up and running right for next year. If you're not going to do this, I recommend you change the sparkplug, check/change the air filter and drain/replace the oil. If you leave gasoline in your engines, buy Stabil, a gasoline additive that will prevent the fluid from turning into varnish in their tank. Sharpening and balancing the mower blade should also be done now. Most hardware stores will only sharpen the blade. Explain the need to tell the person sharpening the blade to balance it as well. An unbalanced blade may as well not be sharpened as the cut will not be clean and will promote problems next spring. If the blade is over two years old, you may consider replacement.Most mowers can now be fitted with a mulching blade. Buying this type for a few dollars more has proven to be an excellent way to return moisture and nutrients back to the soil without adding to thatch build-up "…it is like feeding your lawn every time you cut."
The application of an anti-desiccant will provide moisture retention to their winter evergreens such as rhododendrons, juniper, spruce and yews to name a few. Anti-desiccants can be picked up at the local nursery store. Providing protection from small animals is important for plant health as well. The placement of some type of protection around the shrub or around the base of a small tree will prevent vermin from using their valuable plants as a food source.
Chris Karcher is a local franchise owner of NaturaLawn of America - the leader in organic-based lawn care and the only national service provider to promote Environmentally Responsible lawn care. "Doing the right thing has never been this easy!" |
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