Lawn and garden care calendar
Early spring: weed, seed, feed
The arrival in warehouses of Pennington
grass seed and Scotts® Miracle-Gro products
is your cue to put on the garden gloves.
Remember to use all products as directed. •Start by removing winter debris from
beds and lawn, but go easy as plants are still
fragile from winter. Lightly rake your lawn,
making sure to separate grass blades. •Check grass for bald spots and patches
of moss or compaction. All are indicators
that you need to aerate. •Aerate to strengthen roots and help
prevent thatch buildup. You can rent a
core aerator from a garden center. •Dethatch about every three years
using a sharp-tined power
rake thatcher. •Apply Scotts
Turf Builder® EZ
Seed Sun & Shade
Mix®—it’s a great
full-sun to light-shade choice for
overseeding and
patching. Simply follow the instructions, as it
also contains mulch. No need to top-dress.
(New! A 15-pound bucket at $36.99 covers
up to 320 square feet.)
•Fertilize lawns every other month
from February to October, preferably on a
dewy morning and never if the temperature
is above 90 degrees. For best results use a
lawn fertilizer spreader to help distribute the
fertilizer evenly. Water deeply after applying.
(Wait until newly seeded areas have become
established and have been mowed at least
three or four times before beginning a regular feeding schedule.) •Feed gardens with plant food every
seven to 14 days during the growing period
throughout spring and summer. •Lightly mow with the mower set so
that only the top one-third of the grass blade
is removed. Leave clippings on the lawn as
an extra boost of nutrients to the soil.
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•Continue to feed your lawn
and gardens.
Autumn: weed, seed, feed
Pennington SmartSeed (see previous
page) reappears in select regions, and Scotts
Turf Builder WinterGuard® with Plus 2®
Weed Control ($39.99 for 12,000 square feet
of coverage) is offered to help the lawn store
nutrients for a greener, weed-free spring. •Rake or dethatch as needed. •Aerate if you didn’t in spring.
•Identify lawn bald patches, worn areas or brown spots that can be overseeded. •Keep seeded lawn moist; established lawns still need weekly watering. •Finish with a fall grass feeding after all leaves have fallen to replenish nutrients lost over the summer and prepare the lawn for winter. •Fertilize fall- and winter-blooming plants with Miracle-Gro.—PV
MEDIA BAKERY/PHOTODISC/GET T Y IMAGES
Summer: water, mow, feed
Costco landscape products are avail-
able all summer long but may be moved
to the tool section in warehouses. • Water lawns only about 1 to 2 inches
once or twice a week. Apply water slowly
during dry spells and preferably early in
the morning. To measure the amount of
water your lawn receives, place a can under
a sprinkler and time how long it takes for
an inch or two to accumulate. •Increase your mowing
height in summer months
to prevent weeds
and moss from
sprouting. Don’t
cut wet grass. Mow
in the evenings or
on cloudy days.
Mow
A GREAT MOWER makes for a great yard.
There hasn’t been a power mower on
the floor at Costco since 2007–2008, and
never a Snapper® brand mower, which is
why news of its arrival is such a big deal.
Available in most warehouses mid-March is the rugged,
self-propelled Snapper 22-inch
mower, a rear-wheel-drive, walk-behind, variable-speed mower
with a rugged Briggs & Stratton
725 Series engine. It converts
from bagging to mulching to
side-discharging grass clippings
quickly and without tools, and a
height lever adjusts all four
(Prices and products may vary slightly
due to shipping and region.)
wheels simultaneously from 1. 25 to 4 inches.
Costco exclusives include a free first tune-up and free member-only call-center support at
1-800-444-7774. This mower is manufactured
in the U.S. and offered at $399.99,
including a two-year warranty.
Also check out warehouses for the new Keter
Easy Go Max or Tricam
Gorilla gardening carts. C