Gardening Tips

Gardening Tips from the University of Utah Extension Service
Do you have tips on early spring lawn and yard care? From University of Utah Extension service
http://extension.usu.edu/htm/faq/faq_q=113
In early spring, you can reduce the tangle of weeds that appear in your yard, prune your trees, reduce garden pests and help your lawn become healthy and green. Proper care of your lawn in the spring will help promote a healthy landscape throughout the year. Consider these tips.
* Core aeration, where small plugs are removed from the soil, has proven to be more beneficial to turf than power raking, which was a common yard care technique several years ago. Aerating allows better air, water and fertilizer penetration into the soil. It also helps reduce the thatch layer and minimizes compaction that produces unhealthy roots. It can be done any time the ground is free from snow. Heavily used areas and clay soils may need to be aerated twice a year, once in the spring and again in the fall. Normal soil types and use areas are usually fine with one aeration in the spring, and sandy soils only need it every two years.
* If a fall fertilizer was applied last year, the grass may not need it again until mid or late- May. If there was no fall application, a fertilizer high in nitrogen can be applied now. Consider using a slow release fertilizer, such as sulfur-coated urea. These fertilizers are more expensive, but only need to be applied every two to three months to keep the lawn looking green and lush.
* You can begin mowing your grass as soon as it starts to grow, leaving it between 2 1/2 to 3 inches tall. You should begin watering when the lawn looks dry or begins to show early symptoms of water stress.
* Weeds, such as spurge, crabgrass and foxtail, are common in July and August and should be controlled in the spring since they are nearly impossible to remove midsummer. Weeds germinate and are small in the spring so they go unnoticed. Nip them in the bud by applying a pre-emergent such as Galleria, Halt or Dacthal to the lawn now and then again in early June. These products must be applied before the weeds begin to germinate since they kill the young germinating annuals, not the established weeds.
* Cleaning up debris around the yard and garden will help keep pests under control. They love to hide under old dead plant material and organic matter. Controlling the first generation of most insects greatly reduces their number throughout the summer. A clean garden eliminates a breeding area or a place for insects to gather.
* Control broadleaf weeds in early May with a broadleaf weed killer. These weeds include dandelions, clover, black medic and chickweed. They need to be treated before the weather warms to above 85 degrees.
* When trimming ornamental and shade trees, remember that the tree limbs and branches will stay at the same height for the entire life of the tree. The growing point for the tree is located in the top terminal bud, and the rest of the tree will only grow in circumference. If the branch is four feet off the ground today, it will be four feet off the ground in 20 years.
* You can safely prune most trees through the end of May. Most pruning is done before the tree leafs out because it is easier to see where to prune and easier to get into the tree. I recommend pruning in March and early April.
* Do very little pruning on ornamental trees. Prune wood that is dead, diseased or injured and branches that cross (rub), grow back into the center of the tree or are out of place. Be sure to keep the natural shape of the tree intact.
Do you have tips on gardening with children? http://extension.usu.edu/JUAB/htm/faq/faq_q=252
Gardening is a helpful way to explore nature in both rural and urban environments, and it provides a hands-on experience for children. From the youngest toddler to the oldest child in the family, every gardening season brings new challenges and lessons. Consider ages as your children help with gardening, and remember to grow enough items in the garden that the experience will be successful.
Preschoolers - children ages 4 and under should be supervised at all times in the garden. At this age, the garden is a multi-sensory exploration, and they pay very little attention to long-term activities. Touch, smell, sight and taste are the key inputs to learning. Language development is encouraged as young children learn names of weeds, flowers and vegetables. Share picture books about gardens, flowers, vegetables, insects and birds with young children.
Kindergartners - at this age, the world is a storybook. A garden is a good setting for a myriad of stories. Use your imagination to create a play place for your child. Many children this age will appreciate stories like “Wind in the Willows,” where animal creatures come alive with dialog. Create dialog between creatures found in your own garden, such as pill bugs, grasshoppers and earthworms.
Early elementary grades - continue with library trips that augment the garden experience. First and second graders can successfully hold their interest long enough to sow radish seeds and watch them grow. True garden work (harvesting, weeding, etc.) requires supervision but boosts children’s self-esteem as they are praised for their helpfulness. Make finger puppets or action figures out of plant materials found in the garden or yard. Mid-elementary grades - start incorporating school lessons into garden activities. Make a garden plan at the beginning of the season and carry it through. Allow children to have a spot of their own to do whatever they like. Provide suggestions and be supportive. Encourage them to write a garden journal.
Upper elementary grades - children in fourth to sixth grades are able to sustain their attention for longer time periods. Enroll your child with friends in a 4-H gardening club and watch them progress through their chosen project. Encourage them to enter their project in the county fair. School lessons will begin to have more pertinence to garden planning and results. Encourage scientific inquiry by helping children set up experiments in the garden.
Pre-teens to teens - the garden is still a place for learning and at this age can also offer stress relief. There’s even potential money if your child can grow flowers or vegetables to sell in the neighborhood. They could use their garden skills and “garden-sit” as neighbors leave for vacations. Encourage community service in a garden or landscape at such places as a handicapped neighbor’s home or at school. The 4-H program can be an important part of youths’ lives as they take leadership roles and develop public speaking skills.
Beyond the teenage years - hopefully you have nurtured your child’s sense of wonder and awe through their years of gardening. Gardening is a life skill that is not taught in schools. It is up to caring adults to show youth the garden path. Children and young people will have different priorities than adults when it comes to gardening, and that is okay. Remember you can always buy fresh produce at the local farmer’s market, so relax if things don’t turn out the way you’d hoped or if your plants get stomped by little feet.