Date: March 11, 2004

Release: Home Gardening

Writer: Tony Melton, County Agent

Florence County

First of all, don't fertilize your lawn now. I have been inundated with calls about fertilizing the lawn. If you put fertilizer on your lawn now it will be leached away, into Lynches River, before the grass has greened-up enough to use it. Wait until the end of April to fertilize your lawn. Grass needs to be growing before the roots can take up the nutrients you will be applying.

Next, don't use a weed-n-feed fertilizer. They work wonderfully in cooler parts of the country where cool season grasses are grown; however, we grow warm season grasses here. If you wait until the grass can use the fertilizer portion of weed-n-feed, the weeds have already produced seeds for next years crop of weeds and about ready to die from the heat. In most instances, it is best to just mow the weeds.

Next, don't over-water the lawn before it has started to grow real well. Spring is the season for a disease called brown patch to grow on your grass. Over-watering too early will increase this disease in your lawn.

Next, wait until the last of April to de-thatch or aerate. Many people do these operations too early and really damage their lawn. The grass needs to be growing well before it can overcome the damage caused by these operations.

Finally, take a soil sample and lime now if needed. To take a soil sample take many small samples of soil 3 inches deep in many parts of your lawn and mix the soil together. Bring the mixed soil to our office in the back of the Public Services Building at the corner of Third Loop and Irby St. It costs $5 per sample and take about 2 weeks for the results to return.

To learn the specifics on gardening we have both free and for-sale publications at our office. You may also visit our Home & Garden Information Center through our web site at www.clemson.edu/florence. I may be contacted through our web site, amelton@clemson.edu, or 661-4800.

The Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its

programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion,

national origin, disability, political belief, sexual orientation, marital or

family status and is an equal opportunity employer.