It’s spring, and you know what that means — it’s time to get your hands dirty.

Time to rake up the lawn, dig the flowers out from blown leaves and aerate the ground to get it ready for the growing season.

Now is the time to get your lawn going with a good rake, said Ryan Peif, master gardener at Renewable Fiber Miller’s Greenhouse and Nursery, 2826 1st Ave., in Greeley.

“Because of the snow, the best thing to do is rake up the lawn to help it increase air circulation,” Peif said. “Now is probably a good time to aerate your lawn as well.”

Peif said aerating the lawn should be done once or twice a year. After you aerate, add crabgrass preventers to stop crabgrass from growing before it gets too late.

Horticulturist Ken Olsen, owner of Eaton Grove Nursery, 35901 Weld County Road 31, said it’s OK to rake but do not power-rake the lawn.

“They’ve found that power-raking chews the grass roots,” he said. “It’s good to rake out the matted down areas and a good short mowing helps get rid of the old grass blades.”

As for flowers, especially roses, they need trimmed all the way back, said Olsen.

“Roses need to be trimmed down to where they are green,” Olsen said. “Because of this winter, all the brown stem tissue needs to be trimmed back.”

And don’t forget to touch up the perennial grasses.

Olsen said this is the perfect time of year to trim back the ornamental grasses by cutting them close to the ground.

“It’s good to do now so the emerging grass blades won’t be impeded by the old,” he said. “They’ll turn out to be nicer looking plants all year long.”

So, now that the grass is growing on track, how about fidgeting with the flowers?

Flowers need a balanced fertilizer to help them grow, said Olsen. Something around the 10-5-5. The first set of numbers is the nitrogen, the second set is the phosphate and the third is the potash. Fertilizer ratios are important. According to oldhouseweb.com, turf grass benefits from higher applications of nitrogen, which means people should look for a fertilizer ratio of 2:1:1 or higher. Conversely, landscape plants would benefit from lower nitrogen levels, such as the ratio of 1:2:1, the Web site states.

Primroses and pansies can be planted now. Flower beds can be cleaned up from the dead leaves but don’t damage the new growth. Also, don’t forget to cover them up until the last frost which is usually the second week of May. Peif said wait until mid- to late April to thin out the flower beds.

If turning on the sprinkler system comes to mind, Olsen suggests waiting. He said you should wait until the second week of April to water the lawn because there still could be a freeze in temperatures He suggests lawn watering be limited to once or twice in April and only three times in May.

“If you water your lawn three times a week, the grass will expect it,” said Olsen. “If you water it once or twice a month, it forces the grass to send the new root system into the soil.”

And it’s perfect weather for laying down sod, grass seeding or planting drought-tolerant seeds, Olsen said. But follow up with a good fertilizer if you do.

It might just be what is needed.

“If you applied a winterizer in the fall, apply a soil activator to help give the lawn a good kick start,” Olsen said.

For more information on taking care of your lawn and plants, go to:

* www.eatongrove.com/faq.html

* www.renewablefiber.com/tips.htm

source : www.greeleytrib.com