By: Beth Elliott
Have you ever looked at someone's yard and wondered how they get it to look so good? They probably do what Mike Tipton owner of A Masterpiece Design tells his clients to do every year. "After the long winter months it is good to give plants and trees fertilization," said Tipton. "Any kind will work, but I use Miracle Grow, it won't hurt the plants if you mix it wrong." Since we have had a lot of snow this year, you will want to fertilize right away because the snow has made all of the nutrients leave your lawn. One of the first things you want to do after the snow is gone and you have fertilized your lawn, is spring clean-up for the yard according to Tipton. Remove dead leaves and turn the mulch in any beds you might have. You can do so by bringing down a pre-immigrant weed control in the bed (like preen) and sprinkle it into the bed. "You then want to top dress new mulch over the old mulch," said Tipton. "If you have weeds use round-up, but be careful not to get any on your grass as it will kill the grass." The best time to start your spring clean-up for the yard is after the frost has left the ground and we have steady weather over 70 degrees. "Aeration should be done in both the spring and fall," said Tipton. "It helps loosen the soil and will help when watering and fertilizing the lawn to make it look better." Tipton also suggested that watering of the lawn should not be done over night. The reason for this is that there is no sun at night to absorb the water and it could start diseases and fungus in your lawn. Another good tip is to mow your lawn in different directions each time you mow your lawn. "If you want to get thick grass over seed your lawn," said Tipton. "You can take a sample of your lawn into any gardening shop to have it tested to see what type you grass you have in your yard. Then get the seed type for your lawn and it will help your grass." The planting of flowers or vegetables should be done at the end of April or the beginning of May. There are some types of flowers which need to be planted in the fall. If you are planting to start a vegetable garden, make sure it is in a sunny spot with no run-off water. "If you plant a vegetable garden on a hill, there is a possibility the soil will run-off down the hill," said Tipton. To get your free estimate for your yard this spring call Mike Tipton at 813-3970. He does everything in the yard services to a full design and installation to make your yard look its best.
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