Landscaping/Gardening Question..

Oct1406

So considering our last home was a one bedroom apartment in snowy NY, we don't have much gardening experience... I had gerber daisies in pots on our porch and that's the extent of my skills!

When exactly do people in SA start working on their yards/plant spring flowers?? What about this dormant grass? When does it start going green/have to be watered again?

I gotta get on this.. I don't want to be THAT neighbor with the bad lawn!!

pkate98

Scotts has a good year-round treatment program.  I believe their bags have the program that tells what bags you buy and when you treat.  I would say starting in March, put early-emergence fertilizer down and water it.  Sometimes those fertilizers will also have herbicides for those early spring weeds.  You can use a hand spreader or a push one.  They are pretty cheap at HD, but I think you can also rent them.  If you want to trim bushes, it is best to do it before they get new sprinf growth.  With this warm weather, it may trick plants into putting out their spring growth early, so just check and see if you see buds.  I'd do it before March to be sure. Anyway, let me know if you need more info...

Oct1406

Thanks Kate! DH is post call tomorrow so he says he's going to work on the grass and call the patio guy (we want to expand our tiny patio).. Hopefully once that is done I can attempt to plant some flowers!

txlonghornbride

I water year-round, and our grass never goes completely dormant. In fact, its starting to grow in some parts of the yard already.  I water twice a week during weeks when we don't get any rain, since its been pretty dry lately. 

We'll start landscaping work probably in March sometime, when there is no risk of frost and the temperatures are staying warm.  Tulips I planted in January are already up and blooming, so I imagine the plants must think spring is here...

txdaisygal

We also water year round. MH will probably fertilize in early March, and then as necessary after that. It's really important to know what kind of grass you have. I suggest going to a nursery like Rainbow Gardens, Fertile Gardens, or Calloways over Lowe's. Most of these will do soil test to determine acidity, ph, etc. which is important if you're planting things. We also find that the people that work there are generally more knowledgeable and helpful than at Lowe's or HD. I think that good mulch is really important in flower beds. Last summer we didn't have water restrictions, but when we do it's important to have good mulch to hold water in. There are several places that will sell you mulch by the truck bed, which is way cheaper than buying it by the bag. I'll ask MH if he has any other tips. He does all of our yard stuff and he used to own a landscaping business, so he's fairly knowledgeable on these things.