GARDENING BY THE MOON
By: Dr. Robert E. Moon Harvest Horticulturist
This is the time of the year that you need to start paying attention to your yard. If you do the following 4 things, you will set your landscape up for success through the remainder of the year and avoid most weeds and sprinting away from fire ants.
Remove Freeze Damage - Now is a good time to trim all the freeze damage off all of your plant materials. This will allow the plants to grow back without any dead or discolored branches or leaves. If plants are putting out at the base of the plant, trim back to where plant is putting out.
Summer Weed Prevention - Apply a pre-emergent weed control to all turf and beds now to avoid summer weeds. Treatment times for the year are February 15, May 15 and September 15. Even though it is mid-April, apply now if you did not do so in February or March. It is not too late. It will control weeds that have not germinated. Apply again September 15. Then next year, get back on the three times per year schedule for best results. Apply Halts, Preen or Pre-M. Selective preemergent herbicides are mild materials that effectively control weeds without endangering turf and landscape plants that already have existing roots. They kill only germinating weed seeds.
