economist suntribune saturday july 20 2002 13 total h advertising feature of the markham economist sunstouffville tribune can your lawn put up a landsg otal lamd ijnterixick st c take your call georgie ringwoob 905 4714934 cell 416 5184934 mm 1 food food food a wellnourished lawn will be thick full and healthy and will suffer less damage from higher insect popu lations the grass plants will be better able to resist weed infestation with stand hot summer draught conditions wear and tear and winter stresses apply a lawn fertilizer three to four times a year early spring as soon as the snow melts late spring late mayearly june and midsummer july and early fall early september follow the recommended rate on the product bag these rates are set low to provide the nutrients needed on a fourapplication per year cycle slow release nitrogen from either organic or synthetic sources improves the effi cacy of fertilizers 2 water get an inexpensive rain gauge and empty it after every rainfall keep a mental note of the weekly total accu mulation a lawn will normally require an inch of water per week supplement rainfall only if needed the morning is the best time to water infrequentdeep watering is better than frequent shallow watering keep in mind that open sunny areas require more irrigation sprinklers are better than hand watering as you get more even distribution of the water 3 mowing keep grass blades longer 56 cm so the plant leaves can hold more water and are better able to choke out weed seeds avoid cutting off more than 13 of grass blade at each cutting especially in the heat of the summer if you cut more you expose the tender crowns to sudden heat and sun expo sure and the grass plants will sunburn keep mower blades sharp a dull blade will shred off the tops instead of a clean cut making the lawn look brown at the tips try to mow when the grass is dry to keep clippings from clumping clumps left on the lawn can prevent proper regrowth unless excessive leave the clippings on the lawn to return nutrients and organic matter 4 weed control a healthy dense lawn will keep new weed seeds from germinating the key is to start with a weedfree lawn and then keep it weed free by feeding it well from that point on spot spray or hand pull if a weed appears crabgrass if crabgrass was a visi ble problem last summer substitute the first application in early spring with a lawn fertilizer and crabgrass control broadleaf weeds hand pulling or spot weeding can control isolated weed growth if broadleaf weeds such as dandelions knotweed and plantain are actively growing in large numbers substitute the late spring feeding with a lawn fertilizer and weed control or spray the weeds directly if you can maintain control of the weeds over the summer you should be able to return to a regular feeding program the next year provided by the turf garden committee of the ontario agri business association boatndock life jackets fenders safety equipment ladders steps dock edging dock bumpers flag poles cleats line cleaning supplies more hewitt lift rolladock i vertical lift boat rail system i j cantilever lift boat dock marine equipment sales inc 461 alden rd unit 34a markham on l3r 3l4 monfri 1000530 sat 1100400 phone 9054152770 fax 905 4753223 hasp ml j rolladock check us out on the web boatndockcom jgljwabd mothers against drunk driving 1800665madd this message brought to you as a community service of the economist suntribune niche decor classic design classiistvie low 0l6ur optic lights 29900 ozonator 21900 40 or 50 amp gfci 27900 standard delivery 24900 total value i 104600 at no extra charge t- iwstorw 5- jigm liifiiai 5688 main street stouffville 905641424