KATHY’S “HOME & GARDEN” BLOG
SOME HELPFUL HINTS FOR AROUND YOUR HOME, YOUR GARDEN, YOUR LIFESTYLE!
Finally, nicer weather has arrived in Chicago and the suburbs – hopefully, to stay around for a while!
It's now time to get outside and see what kind of shape your garden and lawn are in. By now, you have probably put down your first round of fertilizer with weed preventer. Now, how often should you water your lawn and garden?
Many homeowners are still watering four or five times each week. Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!
Frequent watering produces short grass roots - they don't have to grow deep to reach water. This makes your lawn more susceptible to pests and disease.
One inch of water per week is sufficient for lawn and garden. If Mother Nature is not providing enough water, get out the hose and sprinkler (ratcheting type is best, ask at the garden center). Put a can in-between the sprinkler and the end of the water stream. Turn on the water. When you see an inch of water in the can you are done. That's all you need to do!
In the Chicago area, many consider our safe planting date to be May 15th. It is probably a good idea to wait a bit longer, however, before you plant your annual flowers and vegetables. I can't tell you how many times I've planted on the 15th, and ended up covering plants when an unexpected frost comes through! So waiting a week or two before you plant can't hurt.
However, NOW is the best time to buy your plants! Garden centers have their best stock in right now, in early to mid-May. Keep them in the house for another week or two - my entire dining room is full of vegetable plants! Harden them off by leaving them outside a portion of each day a few days before planting.For more organic gardening tips, check out the Capital District Homes and Gardens Website.
Do you have a gardening tip you would like to share? Write back, and we’ll include your thoughts and comments on our “Home & Garden” Blog, from Dean’s Team!
Happy Gardening!
RESIDENT HOME AND GARDEN EXPERT,
Kathleen Weaver-Zech
