Our Pond Is Waking Up…..

If you have a pond in your yard, you have noticed it beginning to wake up. The fish are moving, the perennial plants are beginning to sprout, and maybe the water has turned brackish with water borne algae. Yech!

Our pond is about 30 feet in diameter and 6 feet deep. This is the second pond in our life, and I wanted make certain that it wasn’t the maintenance headache that was our first pond. I wanted it to be as natural as possible, and healthy in function and appearance.

There are many, many websites that proffer solutions/designs/systems for the perfect pond. There are water scrubbers, filters, recyclers, all kinds of contraptions on which one can spend thousands of dollars. The one design that I never see is the one I placed in my pond as I built it: an under-gravel filter, just like those you see in aquariums. This item, coupled with a pair of ultra-violet filters, keeps the pond very clear. A healthy pond still needs lots of water plants and marginal plants to compete with algae growth, but I think the under-gravel filter system does the most for the overall health of my pond. The best part is that it is inexpensive, just a recycled 3/4hp 220v hot tub pump and lots of PVC pipe.

It is a bit complicated to go into all of the details here, but if you are interested in knowing more about this approach, give me a call. A pond is a beautiful amenity to add to any home, as long as it looks good. Poorly planned, or unattended, it just becomes an eyesore. So plan ahead and you’ll have something you’ll enjoy for years to come.

Time To Fertilize The Lawn: Caution

I mentioned last week that it is time to get started with fertilizing your lawn in order to get ahead of the weeds and bugs. However, I failed to mention MOSS. Scotts fertilizer with moss control works very well on my lawn. The word of caution is that you take the steps necessary to make sure this fertilizer doesn’t end up on your patio. With a little rain you may end up with rust stains that are just about impossible to remove. The reason is that one of the important active ingredients in moss control fertilizers is iron.

If your lawn runs right next to your driveway, walkways or patio, be sure to use a “drop” spreader in these areas, not a broadcast spreader. Spread this type of fertilizer only when conditions are quite dry. To be on the safe side, sweep or blow off the flat-work areas when you are done to make certain that no particles of fertilizer remain. The flat-work around your home is an important value amenity. Value will be lost if these areas are rust stained from moss control fertilizer.

There are many websites that offer assistance in dealing with rust stains. Here are just a few:

http://www.howtogetridofstuff.com/stain-removal/how-to-get-rid-of-rust-stains

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050619/news_1hs19heresh.html

I have no experience with these sites or the products they are peddling, so caution is advised.

How To Get That Beautiful Green Lawn? Conserve

I am not an expert, but I’ve learned a few things about lawn care over the years, especially now that I am mowing about 1.5 acres about every 5 days during the height of growing season. My older Brother told me something interesting a few years ago: compared to our British counterparts, Americans tend to over-water and under-fertilize their lawns. Interesting…..

This has proven true in my case. Perhaps resistance to the investment and hassle of fertilizing stems from the desire to deny the manufacturing behemoths of Scotts, Lilly-Miller and Vigoro. Last year I committed to a 6 week feeding schedule using only Scotts products. I have tried less expensive products from other companies, but the results have been disappointing. Scotts seems to perform the best when it comes to moss and weed control. Except for the heavily trafficked, and thus compacted lawn areas around the patio and pool, the results were very pleasing. And I used about 1/3 as much water.

Spring is the time to start feeding your lawn because it is going to start waking up and it will be hungry. Use this link to the Scotts fertilizing schedule to determine what product to apply, and the best time to apply. Even if your property is subjected to water use restrictions, a healthy, well fertilized lawn will weather drought conditions and recover nicely, without so many weeds when watering is resumed.

When and How to Transplant Trees

If you have trees that should be moved because they are either getting too large for their location or too close to your house, now is the time to start planning that move. It should happen within the next two months according to a paper from Washington State University.

We have about a dozen trees that need to be moved this year, or they’ll get too large to move at all.