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SHRUBS AND TREE'S
Inspect for:
* cankers and swollen area's
* damaged and crossing branches
* dead, off-color, leaves and twigs
* guy wires that need to be loosened or removed
* continue to do routine pruning & thinning
* continue pruning flowering shrubs as blooms die off
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* identify the plants you intend to prune
* follow your local county extension pruning guidelines
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Lawns:
mow-edge-trim
* Some lawns will need weekly mowing this month
- otherwise a 10 day cycle should work
The power mower I suggest is a 21" yard-machine bag-n-mulch push mower at Home Depot. Its about 4 or 4 1/2 hp. Throw the bag away and mulch your clippings (follow manufacturers safety directions)
Personally, I use a no-frills, well adjusted and sharp, american brand hand push mower, available at many neighborhood hardware stores.
Is it really nescessary to mow grass? I don't know. It depends on the site and aesthetic tastes of the owner. When you decide to mow it after all, you will have a big job to do, and you may have to remove the clippings instead of mulching them. You may save little if any time by not regularly mowing your lawn. Also weeds will proliferate if allowed to go to seed.
However, there is a grey area - the fine line: Lawns with moss, clover, buttercup, lawn daisies - can contibute to healthier bio-diversity in urban settings, and are attractive when they are meadowlike in appearance. Such successful plantings are somewhat rare. I had a neighbor who allowed crocus to proliferate in spring and it was very pretty to see.
I see many more lawn area's and beds now, that are pasture-like or prairy like. Pastures can easily reach 4' in height. A native-type planting will still need to be mowed somehow, every now and then (even if you have cows.)
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fertilizer: if not already done this year -
apply high quality slow release fertilizer
at the recommended rate, usually 1# nitrogen
per 1000 square feet of lawn.
Ideally it should be 3-1-2 NPK ratio, with micronutrients. Its unlikely you will find the perfect all-in-one fertilizer. Using micro-nutrient, iron, sulfur, or potassium supplements, may be helpful if needed.
I use:
perfect blend 8-4-2 (lowes may have it, or contact
the perfect blend headquarters office in bellevue
for more locations)
Milorgonite (generally available) for micronutrients
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Weed Control
*weed & feed is never recommended.
* try to identify the weeds you want to control
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* Spot treatments of household vinegar can be useful,
apply a little before noon if possible. ( Frankly,
I haven't had much luck with it this year. I
do not recommend using horticultural vinegar because
it is double strength and may cause injury on contact.)
* apply using a spray bottle or hand pump
* for non-selective control of dandelions,
many other weeds, and weedlike grasses
* it does not work on buttercup or ground ivy
* DO NOT USE OVER ROOT ZONES OF TREES AND SHRUBS
* a second application may be helpful
* target the weed
* apply with moderation as you would on a garden salad
* palm-sized spots of grasskill will recover
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* safe products based on cinnamin, orange oil, etc -
are available, & approved by the epa and
many states.
* read the label carefully and follow the instructions
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Aeration: aerate only if the soil beneath the grass
is not getting wet after a good rain
most lawns don't need aerating
To be effective, several passes (4 or 5) of the aerator is needed to remove sufficient soil surface
leave the plugs on the ground
Cranefly control: Not recommended unless high numbers are confirmed present in the soil
- may not effective this month anyway
Watering: Plan to start watering this month. weather patterns are very unpredictable now likely due to climate change.
For lawn renovation, moss, or cranefly problems,
see:
Lawn Care Tips
For monitoring shrub and tree pest problems,
see:
IPM for June - Seattle Area / PNW
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Planting Bed Maintenance
* Routine weeding and cleanup.
Many warm weather plants can be seeded or planted -. radish, peppers, squash, tomato, basil, sweet corn, cucumber, eggplant, cilantro, catnip, marigold, snapdragon
plant perennial herbs and flowers from seed
bulbs - dahlia, canna, gladiola
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MULCH
- helps suppress weeds and makes them easier to remove
- protects soil from compaction and erosion due to rain
- protects sensitive plants against cold damage
* Add mulch to beds if needed. More than 2" total depth of mulch is not recommended
* Compost is a mulch containing significant amounts of decomposed organic matter
* Compost, leaves, and moss, are effective soil builders
* Leaves provide good cover for bare-dirt beds and slopes
* Leaves left in beds can be raked up if they become unacceptably unsightly after at least some of the mass breaks down; or, till them back into the bed in the spring, or add more mulch later over the leaves.
* Keep mulch away from trunks of shrubs and trees.
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Compost
* For garden area's and closely planted beds, Compost is a good mulch to improve soil quality and provide organic nutrients.
* Cedar Grove top soil/compost mix seems like a good product.
It has good structure and not so odorous and
mucky during winter and early spring as their compost
product.
* Compost of variable quality is usually available at landscape materials outlets. Check for excessive sand and sawdust in mix.
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* For open bed area's, play area's, trails;
* Arbor chips work well - they can be applied more thickly than other mulches, but will be more time consuming to apply, and variable in quality. sunset materials is a good source.
* play chips can also be used as mulch but it will have a different appearance and color you may not prefer
* "Beauty Carpet" was attractive and conformed to play area specs. I am not sure if it was a compost, or if it is still available in the Seattle area.
* Coarse bark mulch will last quite a bit longer than finer bark
* Cedar chip mulch is sometimes available, - you may try Issaquah lumber. Also I have seen it available in 2 cu. ft bags at Pacific Hardware on Capitol Hill.
* Dyed wood chip mulch if used should be certified not to contain shredded pallets before using it.
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Moss on hardscapes:
* Inspect walkways, steps and driveway for hazardous buildup of moss. Scrape it off, then apply a safe hardscape moss control product or household vinegar.
* the residue moss may still be slick and unsightly until it weathers away, so it may be nescessary to pressure wash any remaining moss or algae.
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roof and gutter cleaning:
* March and October are good times to schedule routine maintenance. Regular roof maintenance can extend roof-life by 25% (*2)
* A rainy day is a good time to look for leaks and overflows. (see our research link page - to structural moss control).
* Note that gutter screening systems can lose effectiveness if covered by debris or plugged with moss. Finely meshed downspout screens may disintegrat and actually clog downspouts.
* Heavy moss and debris on roofs should first be removed as much as practically possible - gently scrape, sweep, or brush with the backside of a metal flexible rake or a wire brush on a handle.
* do not attempt to physically remove moss on dangerous roof-slopes. just spray it with a safe moss control product and allow it to weather away, or call a pro. don't take a chance of slipping!!
* lilly miller "worry free" has a safe product for moss control; household vinegar is also effective. Use only products labelled for hardscape use. FOLLOW ALL LABEL INSTRUCTIONS AND WARNINGS! these products do kill moss, but allow time for the dead moss to weather away. brush the dead moss off when it no longer clings to roofing.
* Pressure washing roofs can cause damage and is not recommended, unless the pressure is carefully regulated so as not to cause damage.
* Removing moss from cedar shake roofs is not recommended or feasible.
* Use chicken wire and wirecutters to make downspout covers or inserts to keep your downspouts from plugging up. A finer mesh may quickly plug up and in some cases, disintegrate inside your downspout.