Have you looked over at your neighbour’s lawn and thought “Why is their grass so much greener and thicker”? Don’t worry, you are not alone. Most of us want that beautiful, thick, green lawn and it isn’t as hard as you think to achieve it.
We all know that vegetables and trees require water and nutrients to survive and thrive. Grass is no different. Today I want to focus on the fertilizer and weed control. Look back at the mowing height blog and watering habits (coming at a later time).
Let’s start with weed control. It doesn’t matter how hard you try, how much weed control you put down, you need to come to terms with the fact that weeds will appear in your lawn at some point. What we are trying to do is limit how many weeds do emerge early in Spring so we can thicken up the lawn to choke them out. Since the provincial ban on pesticides has come into effect, there are very few pesticides allowed for use. Fiesta is one of those approved and in use by most companies. It is an iron based liquid and is applied directly to the weeds and not broadcast over the entire lawn. It is safe for pets and children which will give you peace of mind. While Fiesta is effective, for best results applying multiple times is required to ensure weeds are knocked out. Combining this with a good fertilizer program will help eliminate most weeds.
Now let’s discuss fertilizer. Just like people, lawns need energy. This is where fertilizers come in. There are many types of fertilizers and we are all familiar with the 3 numbers on the bag or bottle. We know these numbers are important but what do they mean?
Let’s start with the first number. This represents Nitrogen (N). Nitrogen is associated with growth. This will make your grass grow taller, thicker and greener. Generally, we choose a higher Nitrogen number in Spring and Summer but want it to be lower in Fall as we want the grass to stop growing before winter. The second number is Phosphorous (P). Phosphorous is generally associated with blooming. In grasses, we normally do not choose a fertilizer with any Phosphorous in it. The exception is when we are seeding to help promote root growth. The final number represents Potassium (K). Potassium is linked to disease resistance, cold tolerance and also aids in root development. Just as we choose a high Nitrogen number in Spring and Fall, we like to choose a higher Potassium number in Fall. This will help your lawn prepare for winter. So now we know what the numbers are but what are the actual numbers? These are percentages of each ingredient in the bag or bottle. A fertilizer that is 30-0-10 has 30% Nitrogen, 0% Phosphorous and 10% Potassium. (A great fertilizer for Spring and Summer by the way!) Wait a minute that only adds up to 40%? What the… Don’t worry the rest of the bag is filled with a filler. In this case 60%. Filler can be a combination of other nutrients and/or products to help your lawn take up the nutrients better and more efficiently. Finally, fertilizers come in a quick release format or a slow release. Slow release has now become the normal procedure. These fertilizers are applied at longer intervals as the nutrients are released slowly and evenly over a long period of time. This helps give your lawn the nutrients and food it requires in small doses. Quick release fertilizers release almost all the nutrients at once. These fertilizers must be watered in to prevent burning your lawn. By feeding your lawn regularly, you are creating a thick, lush lawn. This lawn will increase its root growth as well. By increasing root growth, there is less room for weeds to develop.
Oakridge offers different types of fertilizer and weed control programs to meet your needs. Our goal is to provide you with that picturesque, lush, green lawn that will make your neighbours envious and they will be the ones asking the question.
Today I want to talk about one of my favourite past times/chores to do at home. MOWING!!! I don’t know about you, but I find mowing to be so satisfying and enjoyable. Looking back at the finished product when you are done and seeing those lines in the grass and that beautiful cut with green grass is just a beautiful sight for me. I know, I’m a bit of a yard nerd. I would like to go over some important aspects of mowing including mowing heights and mowing techniques and best practices. This is an important part of obtaining and maintaining that beautiful lawn your neighbours will be envious of.
Let’s start with mowing heights. This is actually one of the most important parts of proper lawn mowing if not the most important. A properly mowed lawn at the proper height will promote a thick, lush lawn. It will help to discourage weed development and encourage lawn thickening. Ideally you are cutting off one third of the grass height. “Now what is the correct grass height?” you might be asking. We all want that golf course green look. Unfortunately, this is not the correct mowing height for the type of grasses found in lawns. Golf course greens use a type of grass called bent grass. This type of grass flourishes at very low heights and can handle being mowed every day or every other day. Now I may enjoy cutting grass at home but I sure don’t want to be out there every day. Typically, in lawns you will find a combination of Kentucky Bluegrass, Perennial Rye Grass and a Fescue Grass. These grasses do very well at a height of somewhere between 2 ½ inches to 3 inches. This is our target height. Now remember, we only want to take off about 1/3 of the plant. When the height gets to around 4 inches, we can cut it back to that 3-inch mark. This may mean in Spring time when grass is very actively growing, you may have to mow more than once per week. In late fall, we can start to lower our mowing heights and will be cutting much less frequently. I like to lower the height to around 2 inches but I do not go lower. I have found that this helps to shut down the grass and get it ready for the winter season. (Don’t forget to apply that Fall Fertilizer!!)
Now let’s discuss some techniques that I like to use. This part will help you achieve a thicker lawn and will give you a lawn that will look a little like a golf course. What I mean by this is that when we think of a golf course we always see those beautiful light and dark lines left in the grass. These lines are achieved because we are pushing the grasses in a certain direction with the mower. When we come back the opposite way we push the grass down in the opposite direction. This gives us the light and dark lines we see. OK – so we have the line thing mastered. So what happens if I just keeping cutting the grass in the same way? Well the grass is basically being trained to only grow in that direction. This will not help to thicken the lawn. We need to change our patterns. This is why I like to do 4 patterns. Start with the criss-cross and follow that up with the diagonals.
The criss-cross pattern is cutting the grass towards the house one week and following up the next week with the exact opposite direction. This will give a checker board appearance. Week 3 we will cut on a diagonal and the 4th week we will do the opposite angle. (I usually like to choose a nice 45-degree angle. Picture a square and cut from corner to corner.) This will help your grass to grow in all directions and will help to promote a thick lush lawn. If you want to really make your mowing look good, try making all your passes back and forth first and do what I like to call a cleanup cut around the perimeter at the end. This cleans up all the turn marks left from the mower. (why I call it a cleanup cut)
Finally, some best practices when it comes to mowing. The obvious one is to keep your mower maintained. We don’t want a mower that is leaking oil or fuel and we want that motor to be at optimal working condition so the mower blade is spinning at a good speed. This will help ensure the grass is cut properly. Part of maintenance is also keeping our blades sharp. We want to cut the grass clean not tear at it. If we tear at the grass, we are damaging the plant. The grass will be busy repairing itself and not growing. (Plants can only do one thing at a time) Once a month should be sufficient for sharpening blades. I like to have a second blade handy that way I can quickly change the blades and continue mowing. To bag the clippings, or not to bag. In Spring and during growing seasons, I recommend bagging your clippings. During the slower months (usually the hot months of August when grass tends to slow down because of the heat) you can go to a mulching system and switch back to bagging when the temperatures cool down and the grass begins to grow again.
Well I could honestly go on and on about mowing and about lawns but I think I have talked enough. I’m pretty sure your lawn needs you right now so happy mowing.
And if you need a hand or just want someone else to take care of your lawn for you, give me (MIKE) a call at Oakridge. I can give you a free estimate on your yard maintenance needs.
The snow has melted, the weather is starting to warm up and we are getting excited because we can get outside and start working on our lawn again. We go outside and as we walk on to the lawn we see our grass has these round white and yellow patches everywhere. What is that?! Oh no! It’s SNOW MOLD!!! Ewwwwww! Don’t fret. I am here to tell you it isn’t as big a deal as you might think. There are some practices to help tackle this issue right now and to make it better in the future.
What is Snow Mold? Snow Mold is a common fungal disease that affects most types of grasses. The 2 most common types are gray snow mold and pink snow mold. They will appear as patchy spots on your grass that is matted down and web-like. The spores will often remain dormant during the season and then become active under a blanket of snow in Spring as the snow is melting. The more snow cover there is, the more chances of snow mold conditions. One of the most common ways to deal with Snow Mold, if you have it, is to rake it out in Spring then follow that up with a Spring Fertilizer to promote new grass growth. If the patches are larger and leave a dead spot on your lawn, you can throw down some soil and seed to help grow in the patch. Now that you have removed the problem, the next steps are to develop a strong lawn that will not be as susceptible to Snow Molds.
The main keys are to:
Water our lawns at least weekly (1 inch a week),
Mow at the proper height (2 ½ inches to 3 inches is perfect),
And fertilize throughout the growing season.
I recommend starting with a Spring fertilizer in May (I like to use a quicker release to promote growth right away). Follow that up with a Summer fertilizer in June (a slow release is great). Another Summer fertilizer again in late July (use the same one as in June) and put down a Fall fertilizer in September. The Fall fertilizer will help to create a strong root system and be more disease tolerant.
Finally, as the season is winding down, begin to lower your mowing height. Just one notch per week sometime in September (depends on the season and temperatures). Do not go lower than 2 inches though. The last step that will help to prevent Snow Molds is to rake up leaves on the grass before the snow flies. If the leaves were left on the grass, they create another layer for moisture to get trapped and this can create an ideal situation for Snow Molds.
There you have it. See? I told you it wasn’t so bad. Just some good lawn practices and you should be able to keep the snow molds to a minimum. With our winters and the amount of snow we can receive, it is hard to never have Snow Molds but we can limit it and deal with it properly in the Spring and Summer.
We offer many services here at Oakridge to help you achieve and maintain a healthy lawn. Call us now to book your Spring Cleanup and Lawn care packages for Fertilizer and Weed Control. We also offer weekly mowing programs.
All of our coffee comes from a micro roaster called Fratello Coffee Roasters, based in Calgary, Alberta. We order our coffee from our Winnipeg distributor two weeks in advance and Fratello roasts it – sends it to our distributor and they deliver it directly to us! This way we get coffee that is freshly roasted with amazing flavour and aroma. Fratello focus is on the ideal of “Direct Trade”, referring to “purchasing practices of coffee roasters who choose to form direct relationships with the farmers they buy from.” Buy doing this it allows them to be very specific about the coffee that they are buying, also allows them to see the direct impact that buying from that particular grower has on the
communities that they want to influence.
We carry three different kinds of drip coffees a Dark Roast, a Medium-Light roast, and a Decaf roast as well as an Espresso and a Decaf Espresso.
Our Dark Roast is called Dixie Voodoo. It has a dark spiced aroma with a deep earthy flavor and a long smoky finish. It’s a staff favorite for sure and a must try for the ultimate coffee lover
The Light-Medium Roast is called Outlaw. Mild citrus and tobacco aromas complement a syrup body with white chocolate flavors and a clean finish.
Our Decaf coffee is called Colombia; it has a nutty aroma with a dark chocolate taste, a heavy body that finishes very clean. A natural decaffeinated coffee used to create a smooth alternative to our caffeinated options.
The Espresso that we use is called Godfather. It has thick caramel aromas, with milk chocolate and sweet flavors. Well balanced body with a lingering caramel aftertaste. Our Decaf Espresso is called Calypso it is also naturally decaffeinated and it is a full bodied decaf with hints of dark chocolate. With a Very smooth finish.
One of the greatest things to note about Fratello coffee is that it’s grown with the Rainforest Alliance seal. The Rainforest Alliance is a growing network of people who are inspired and committed to working together with farmers across 70 different countries to achieve their mission of conserving biodiversity and ensuring sustainable livelihoods. They maintain mandatory regulations for their workers to make it a safe work environment, as well as environmental standards to ensure farm land can be used for future generations. They aim to re-balance the planet by building strong forests and healthy communities around the world.
Ahhhh. Spring is in the air. Ok ok. Ignore the recent storm we had. Trust me. Spring will happen and happen fast.
For most of us, Spring is a time of new things. The air is fresher, we have more sunlight and it is a time to start cleaning up. I’m here to tell you that after you open the windows and clean the walls and floor, it is time to take that cleaning attitude outside to your yard.
Every year, your lawn will accumulate a dead layer of grass and organisms. This layer is called thatch. Typically, you want thatch but only to a certain thickness. This is generally ¼ inch to ½ inch. A good rule for me has always been that if it feels like your lawn feels spongy and like a trampoline, you have too much thatch. The best possible way to remove this thatch is with Power raking. Power raking allows for water and fertilizers to penetrate to the roots, giving you a thicker healthier lawn.
Another good spring yard cleanup chore to do is lawn aeration. Over the course of the year our lawns can become very compacted. A compacted lawn does not allow for air and moisture to move through the soil properly. Core aeration will physically remove a core plug of soil from your lawn and deposit it on top of your lawn. This relieves the compaction in the soil and allows for all those essential water and nutrients to penetrate into the soil. “So what about those ugly core plugs left on my lawn?” is what most of you are asking. Just leave them where they are. They will decompose over a few days to a week at the most and will also bring some great nutrients back into the soil. Just leave them where they are.
Oakridge offers full yard maintenance services including Spring Cleanup and Core Aeration. Check out our services page or call us at (204)326-1015 if you are interested in a free quote. Now dust off those rakes and get that mower ready for the season. Or call me, Mike, and I’ll do it for you!
Its the time to start thinking about registering for your spring yard maintenance and landscaping services!
Oakridge is excited to continue offering these yard Maintenance services:
Spring Cleanup
Aeration
Overseeding
Lawn Mowing Programs
Lawn fertilizer/Weed control
Tree and shrub pruning
Flower and garden maintenance
Fall cleanup
Snow removal
All of the above services can be combined into a full year long package or customize your package to what your needs are. Landscaping Services offered:
Landscape designs
Establishing new lawns
Flower/garden bed rejuvenation
Patio install
Fence post install (can include completing fence)
Irrigation systems
Retaining walls
Tree, shrub, flower plantings
Please call to talk to our Yard Maintenance and Landscaping Specialist Mike Payment for more information and a consultation. Also see our Services section on our website for more information.
We are VERY excited to introduce the in demand art of Kokedama – Japanese moss balls – new to the Oakridge workshop line-up.
We were very fortunate to go and learn the proper techniques of this planting style to bring back to Oakridge and offer it as one of our many workshops. Keeping up with current plant decor trends is very important to us here so that we can offer new and exciting experiences for our guests!
Kokedama is a style of Japanese bonsai – translated loosely, ‘koke’ means moss and ‘dama’ means ball. Commonly called the “poor mans bonsai”, Kokedama are typically easier to maintain then the typical bonsai and offer more of a natural organic look.
What makes Kokedama different from other hanging plant styles is the lack of a pot! The plant root is wrapped in a special mixture of soil and akadema soil and moss, these are used to restrict growth of the plant and to retain moisture – creating a beautiful work of natural art! A definite talking piece in your home; Kokedama can be hung indoors and out, placed in a bowl, or displayed on decorative objects. Introducing unique, natural influence and calming atmosphere these arrangements bring light to any space can create a tranquil environment in any space!
If you are looking for a unique way to display plants in your home, take a look at our events page and sign up for our Kokedama workshop today!
Cold weather has us down! For those (like us) who are anxious for planting season to start – we have the solution! Indoor growing sprouts!
Brand new to us here at Oakridge is the Sprouting Seeds from the fabulous West Coast Seeds!
A British Colombia based company who are certified handler of organic seeds, they offer “800 varieties of untreated, non GMO, non GEO, open pollinated and hybrid seeds”.
Sprouting Seeds offer you the freedom to grow fresh and organic sprouts fast and easy and at any time of the year! West Coast Seeds promote sprouts as “easily digested, and they contain concentrated amounts of vitamins, minerals, protein, and amino acids. In short, newly sprouted plants are about the most nutritious food available”. According to healthycanadians.gc.ca “While sprouts are a healthy food option, they can sometimes be contaminated with harmful bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella which can lead to food poisoning” this can happen “in the farm environment, during packaging, storage and transportation” So growing your own can become a huge benefit in adding sprouts to your diet, WITHOUT any of the worry!
Find recipes to incorporate sprouts into daily meals!
When starting your sprout growing journey we have a variety of options to choose from : Alfalfa, Mung Bean, Fenugreek, Broccoli, Clover, Yellow Mustard, Green Peas, Red Radish, Red Hard Wheat, Salad Mix, Go-Go mix and a Gourmet Mix – something for everyone!
After choosing your seeds – its time to start sprouting. The process is simple: Soak, drain and rinse 3 times a day! In a few days you will have sprouts ready for enjoying – wasn’t that easy!
We are so excited to have this next season upon us! Here, at Oakridge, we love to celebrate Christmas and getting ready for the holidays means spending extra time with family and friends.
Here are a few of things that we have to offer to help you Deck Your Halls! Fresh live greens such as fir,cedar and pine have arrived and ready for your outdoor pot. We also carry birch, dogwood, curly willow, pinecones and ribbon to complete the look.
All of our live wreaths and Christmas Trees are hung and ready to find a new home! Come check it out!
What do the numbers on fertilizers mean and how do they work for your plants?
NPK – Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium
Whether you have Inorganic or Organic fertilizer the 3 sets of numbers give the same nutrients to your plants.
When you have an All Purpose 20-20-20 Inorganic Fertilizer, the first number represents 20% Nitrogen which helps with the top growth of the plant, promotes lush green growth and is a good choice for leafy vegetables. The second number is 20% Phosphorus which helps with the roots of the plant, making them strong and healthy. Phosphorus also helps with blooming and is necessary for fruit and flower development. Blooming plants like tomatoes, peppers and other ornamentals benefit from higher phosphorus especially when they are ready to set buds. The third number is 20% Potassium and is necessary for stem growth and overall plant vigor. Potassium is especially good for root crops such as carrots, potatoes and beets.
Now if you add these percentages together you get 60%, the remaining 40% is salts. This applies to inorganic fertilizer.
For Evolve Organic Fertilizers such as an All Purpose Plant Fertilizer 3-1-2, when you add (NPK) together you get 6%, the remaining 94% is made up of best compost available.
Oakridge carries a wide variety of fertilizers….Organic, Inorganic, liquid, water soluble, dry granular and spikes.
Dry granular fertilizer is great to use in your flower or vegetable garden or among your trees and shrubs . It releases nutrients over a long period of time. In general you want to apply this fertilizer at least once, in mid spring, and possibly two or three more times over the course of the late spring and summer depending on the weather and what the recommendations on the packaging says.
Tree and Shrub Spikes are another way to fertilize. Pushing these spikes into the ground around the drip line of your trees will allow the nutrients to release slowly throughout the season. You may apply these in mid spring then again in mid summer and the instructions on the package will tell you how many spikes to use per tree and how often to reapply.
Liquid or Water Soluble fertilizer is an instant feed. If your flowers, trees, shrubs or vegetable gardens appear to be stressed and are in need of nutrients, these fertilizers may be your best option. Follow the package directions for mixing instructions. It is very important not to mix stronger than it calls for. You will need to apply liquid plant food several times over the course of the growing season, once a week or every 2 weeks is optimal.
Evolve Rage Plus 0-4-0, is an organic fertilizer that can be used throughout the whole growing season. Whether your plant is trying to produce leaves, flower or fruit or develop bigger stronger roots, this fertilizer is the fuel your plant needs! It works really well on plants that are suffering or on plants that look good but you just want to give them a boost. This fertilizer increases the metabolism of your plant by 100 times and will work on all stages of your plant. It’s great for helping plants that have had a hard time throughout our cold, windy winters. A good example are cedars that are brown in the spring. Rage Plus will help your plants in the fall to store up sugars in the root zone for winter survival. It is great for indoor and outdoor plants as well!
Just a snipped about fertilizers, feel free to come and talk to Theresa about fertilizers, it’s her specialty!
