Inside seed starting

If you’re starting seeds indoors, it’s time to plant tomato and basil seeds if you haven’t already done so. They germinate in about a week, and you don’t want to put them out into the garden until mid-May, so this is the time. Peppers that I planted at the beginning of March are now up—they can take two weeks or more to germinate, so it may be too late to plant the seeds now. If you planted any other seeds earlier this year you may need to transplant them into bigger pots. I had planted lettuce seed at the beginning of February, and they needed to be re-potted after about four weeks. After two weeks in their bigger pots I was able to plant them into our new cold frame, and also into the covered bed we maintained all winter.

Cool season crops outdoors

Outdoors it’s time to start planting early season cool weather crops. From seed you can plant lettuce, beets and carrots, as they can all tolerate some cold weather and even frosts as they come up. Plant seed potatoes now, as long as the soil’s not too wet to work. I usually mulch over the entire area that I’ve planted the potatoes, as this helps them avoid the sun, which causes the green skin condition you see from time to time.

It’s also time to put out cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower seedlings. I strongly recommend using row cover fabric over brassicas, as they tend to suffer from caterpillar infestations when the weather warms. I did a blog last year about row covers and you can refer to that for more information. The Corner Store Garden Center has seed potatoes and brassica seedlings, in addition to other plants available now.

Plan ahead for mid-season

While you’re out in the garden planting the early crops it’s also a good idea to plan for the mid-season crops. Things like corn, beans, melons, peppers and tomatoes won’t be going out until danger of frost is past, or mid-May. Some of them grow quickly and get quite tall and you don’t want them to be shading shorter plants. Or, maybe you DO want them to shade early crops like spinach and lettuce that suffer in the heat. You can also get your hoses out of storage and check for leaks, and plan where you might want to set up circuits of soaker hoses. Plan things out now and you’ll be ready when May rolls around.

Lawn maintenance

I’m sure you’re starting to notice the grass greening up, and this is the time to start preparing for the upcoming mowing season. Pick up any sticks and branches that have fallen during the winter, and vigorously rake any areas that seem to have a lot of old leaves or thatch built up. It’s a great time to spread lime on the lawn, as most of us have soil that is more acidic than grass prefers. It’s also time to apply pre-emergent crabgrass control chemicals if you are planning on doing that. A general rule is to apply the product when the forsythia is blooming (now!) so the chemicals can prevent the crabgrass seed from germinating. In general it’s better to wait until fall for general lawn fertilization, but many of the crabgrass products do contain some fertilizer. Problem areas in the lawn may benefit from some fertilizer applied in the spring, but overall you’re just asking to mow more than you probably want to! Speaking of mowing, I always recommend setting the mower on the highest possible setting, as taller grass is usually healthier, and acts to shade out weeds. It is called TALL fescue, after all.

Any questions, e-mail me at marklevisay@gmail.com. Good luck with your 2021 garden!

By Mark Levisay

Most of us would like to have a nice lawn surrounding our home but sometimes that seems easier said than done. Here are some tips that can help you grow some nice healthy grass.

Spring cleaning

In the spring there are a number of things you can do to get started. If your yard isn’t too big, a good raking can pull up excess thatch (old grass cuttings) that may not have decomposed over the winter. This can also clean up leaves and sticks which may have also accumulated during the off season. On larger lawns a professional machine may be required, and lawn care services will be happy to do this for you. In high traffic or compacted areas aeration may also be beneficial. This allows the roots to have access to more air and water.

Spring is the best time to de-thatch and lime your lawn.

I always make an application of pelletized lime in the spring, as there are many factors that tend to make our Central Virginia soil acidic. Lime isn’t expensive and can be applied at any time—just follow the directions on the bag for the amount to apply. Lime also helps speed up the decomposition of the thatch at the soil surface. If you have trouble with crabgrass or other annual weed grasses, you can use a pre-emergent weed killer, which will keep the over wintered seeds from sprouting. Apply when the forsythias are blooming, as the seeds start to sprout when daytime temperatures warm. Many of these products contain fertilizer, which will help green up the lawn.

Moss in your lawn

What does moss indicate in your yard? Moss is a “plant” that tolerates shady, compacted areas with low pH (high acidity) and low fertility. Correcting any of these factors will help you reduce the moss population. If your yard has a lot of shade trees, you may have to plant a shade tolerant variety of grass. Most common tall fescue blends are made for areas with full sun, but other varieties of grass will do better in the shade. Remember that trees are competing for both water and food with the grass, so you may need to add more fertilizer, or water more often if that’s a problem. There are also moss killing products available if your problem is really severe.

Mow tall and often

My number one recommendation to promote a great looking lawn is to mow tall and often. It is called TALL fescue, after all! I have my “push” mower set at the highest cutting setting allowed. When I adjust my garden tractor’s mower deck, I measure 2 ¾” to the bottom of the deck, knowing that the blades are higher up in the deck than this. Cutting tall fescue at around 3” should be a good average to shoot for. Tall grass can help shade out lower growing weeds in addition to helping grow healthier grass.

By mowing often, you minimize the amount of cuttings generated so you don’t leave piles of clippings smothering the grass. Smaller cuttings will decompose faster (which feeds the roots) and prevent thatch build up. Changing the direction you mow from time to time will also help grow healthier grass.

Fall preparation

The fall is usually a good time to fertilize (late September through October). This helps the grass build a healthy root system to survive the winter. If you have trouble with weeds, use a “weed & feed” type fertilizer. Just don’t over apply (always follow the directions on the package) as too much will kill the grass in addition to the weeds! If you’re still having moss trouble, more lime is probably in order. You can hardly apply too much lime in our area, as our soils tend to be acidic, and grass likes a slightly higher than neutral (7) pH.

I use my mower and tractor to mow up fallen leaves in November and turn them into mulch on the lawn. It’s important to remove them in some way, as they can block out the light and kill the grass if allowed to sit all winter. These leaf “cuttings” will tend to acidify the soil as they decompose, which is another reason to add lime again in the spring.

In Central Virginia, lawns can still be beautiful well into the fall.

Mow correctly, lime generously, and fertilize when appropriate and you should improve the look of your lawn in a season or so. Good luck!

Have a garden question? Send me an email at marklevisay@gmail.com.