Healthy Soil; Healthy Lawn

With winter ending we open our windows, bringing in the welcome smell of fresh flowers and freshly cut grass. The wonderful aroma of spring also reminds us it’s time to turn our attention to some outside home maintenance. While walking my dog enjoying this beautiful weather I have seen people raking their leaves in preparation to mow their lawns. What are the best lawn maintenance practices I wondered?

So here is what my research turned up; land area collectively occupied by U.S. lawns equals a land mass greater than that of Pennsylvania, Delaware and Rhode Island combined. Wow that is a lot of lawn to mow and rake! What about all those leaves and grass clippings, do we really need to rake them and have them hauled away and place into landfills? Actually studies show that mulching fallen tree leaves into your lawn is good for the grass and good for the environment. Some homeowners and municipalities compost leaves and yard waste which can later be used as an amendment to flower beds or spread out over lawns.  Composting is a great use for this organic matter. Mulching the leaves into the lawn also helps with those pesky weeds.

The best method for weed control is mowing the leaves with a mulching mower and letting them fall to the soil, right where they are. The repeated mowing needed to mulch the leaves actually thickens the grass by encouraging it to grow laterally. Healthy grass will push weeds out of the lawn. Grass clippings are also good to mulch into the lawn. Grass clippings contain an estimated 4% nitrogen that can be returned to the grass plant if they are allowed to remain on the lawn.

The health of a lawn is very dependent on the health of the soil. The best defense against weeds is a healthy lawn, and a health lawn needs healthy soil. A soil lacking in specific nutrients can promote weed growth, and death of the grass. A soil test provides information on the soil’s actual nutrient status. How does one know what the nature of your soil is? Contact your local County Cooperative Extension office. They will tell you how to take a soil sample, and they will examine the soil and let you know what is needed to promote the growth of healthy grass, or shrubs, or flowers. In our Savannah area you can contact the Chatham County Cooperative Extension office (http://www.caes.uga.edu/extension/chatham/)

at 124 Bull Street or the Bamboo Farm and Coastal Gardens located in Southwest Chatham County on Highway 17. There is an $8.00 fee for each routine sample, but the cost is well worth it.

6 Landscaping Tricks That Wow Buyers

Landscape designer Michael Glassman has cooked up a recipe for guaranteed curb appeal.

1. Add splashes of color.
With every changing season, a landscape should provide a new display of colors, textures, and fragrances. "It’s best to use one or two and repeat them," Glassman says. Example: white iceberg roses that bloom in spring, summer, and fall as a backdrop; in front, a contrasting punch of purple salvia or lavender that will flower at the same time; and as an accent, a crape myrtle tree that provides changing leaf colors in fall and interesting branches come winter.

2. Size trees and shrubs to scale.
These should be planted in the right scale for the house so that they don’t block windows, doors, and other architectural features on the home’s facade. A large two-story house can handle a redwood, Chinese pistache, sycamore, or scarlet oak, but a one-story cottage is better paired with a flowering cherry, crabapple, or eastern redbud. Too many trees cast too much shadow and cause potential buyers to worry about maintenance and costs.

3. Maintain a perfect lawn.
A velvety green lawn demonstrates tender loving care, so be sure your lawn doesn’t have brown spots. Some rocks, pebbles, boulders, drought-tolerant plants, and ornamental grasses will generate more kudos, especially in drought areas.

4. Light up the outside.
Good illumination allows buyers to see a home at night and adds drama. Sellers should use low-voltage lamps to highlight branches of specimen trees, a front door, walk, and corners of the house. But less is better. The yard shouldn’t resemble an airport runway.

5. Let them hear the water.
The sound of water appeals to buyers, and you shouldn’t just reserve this for your backyard. A small fountain accented with rocks provides a pleasant gurgling sound, blocks street noise, and is affordable.

6. Use decorative architectural elements.
A new mailbox, planted window boxes, and a low fence wrapped in potato vines add cachet, particularly during winter months when fewer plants blossom. Colors should complement the landscape and home. Just don’t overdo it: Too much can seem like kitschy lawn ornaments.

Source: Michael Glassman, landscape designer, Michael Glassman and Associates, Sacramento, Calif., www.michaelglassman.com.