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With all the billions of dollars $ spent on lawn care each year why are most people still not satisfied with their lawn?

There are three general groups of home lawn care:

1. People who hire some one to keep their lawns looking great.

2. People who do it themselves.

3. People who do not do number one or two or just barely cut their lawn.

Before the end of this article I will show you how to reduce your lawn fertilization cost by 70%

Why Lawn Care companies do not want you to Know this Information!!

If you are fertilizing your lawn on a 5, 6 or more step fertilization program you are paying the top dollar in the Lawn Care industry. Even if you are caring for the lawn yourself rather than paying some one you really need to know the basics that people are not telling you… Lawn Care profit is based closely on labor, the more visits a company makes to your property the higher your cost & the more profit for the company. So if you yourself only have to do the same amount of work to save hundreds of dollars $ & still have a great looking lawn you would do it right?

Discover the hidden ways to save money & get a Great looking Healthy Lawn!!!

The first step is knowing the results of a soil test. These soil test range from $6 to $10 at your local cooperative extension agency or up to $150.00 from a commercial laboratory. The results from the soil test will show levels of major/micro nutrients & or mineral levels, organic levels, etc. And the most important result that you will see is instructions telling you how many pounds of what kind of fertilizer & lime you really need to apply & when to apply them.

Imagine that, there is a scientific way to do this stuff. It is just like cooking & there is a recipe to follow. One size does not fit all, there’s not one lawn program that is for hundreds of thousands of lawns. You’re provided the specific amount of minerals/nutrients to put down & when to put them down. Doing it this way the first year you might put fertilizer down four times, the years after two or three times a year. People who want to stay natural or organic can even cut back to two or three times a year.

The More is Less Theory

Any university is going to say to fertilize when your lawn is actively growing, basically spring & fall. Two times, you are going to put on your lawn everything that the test calls for & save four or more labor charges. For some extra green intensity, chelated iron can be sprayed on your lawn. This is relatively inexpensive compared to a fertilizer application.

How much is information worth?

Its worth 70% of what your spending on lawn care 4 to 6 extra times a year! I can not include all the details in this short space. Your local cooperative extension agency is the place to start it is a government agency that is there to help provide information to you… So there’re generally plenty of free & low cost informational pamphlets available on a wide variety of subjects including lawn care.

But to conclude our little talk there’re just a few more main points I want to share with you.

1. Take another soil test a year later to see your mineral levels.

2. After applying these years’ suggestions you will only have to do a soil test every three or four years.

3. The over all appearance & health of the lawn will improve over time & the cost will reduce even more if the third year you switch to a natural/organic method.

The purpose of this article is to start you on the path of common sense.

We should expect to pay a fair price for a service.

We should not actually be fully expected to overpay.

This will benefit group 1 & 2, there might never be hope for group 3.

For more tips about lawn care start at this page =>http://www.sandaservicesinc.com/LawnCareTips.html You can find other ideas on lawn & landscaping items on this website =>http://www.sandaservicesinc.com We also provide consultation for people that want to implement a more common sense approach. From taking a soil test to brewing compost tea.

When you start a garden & want to make certain the garden stays in good shape, you will need a basic understanding of what to do.

In the beginning, you will have the rules of Mother Nature to guide you, working with the simple, natural requirements to nurture & give each plant in your garden the best chance to grow abundantly.

To learn all about the basics, “Gardening Made Easy”, available at our web site, is a comprehensive guide to help you be easily able to make a gorgeous, highly productive garden.

Here is a look at some of the gardening basics covered:

The Framework of the Garden

The overall appearance of your garden will be enhanced by working with your walkways, patios, decks Planting zones have been made using the typical minimum winter temperatures in each geographic regions across the country. A gardener needs to know which plants will survive an outdoor garden so they are now able to select the best plants for their region.

Mulch

Mulch goes way beyond just being a decorative dressing. Mulch guards the dirt against the sun’s harmful rays, helps the dirt keep moisture & helps to stop weeds.

Guidelines for Watering

Over watering can hurt your garden, with the same result as too little watering. Your plants roots can be damaged by watering the incorrect way, even killing beginning seedlings. Occasional, high volume watering, done less often will help your plants grow deeper, stronger root systems.

A Quick Look at Fertilizers

Three main ingredients are contained in commercial fertilizers: Nitrogen for new foliage & general plant growth, Phosphorus for a healthy root system & Potassium for establishing blooms & fruits.

The gardener can select between dry, soluble & time-released forms of fertilizers, in order to decide how quickly the fertilizer is absorbed & in the strength of the solution to be applied.

Deadheading

While it is true that deadheading keeps your garden looking neat & tidy, it does a lot more then just that… Deadheading keeps the plant from going into a reproductive stage & encourages more growth of blooms. There is more. This will help your plants have blooms during the entire growing season!

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Tom Straub is a successful author, & webmaster of the Best Gardening Tips web site, where you can read more on Gardening & more than a dozen other gardening topics.

Generally speaking you should fertilize your lawn once in spring, summer & early fall. Do not fertilize your lawn during the cold season months. However be sure to use a “winterizer” during the winter months. There is more. This should be done at least once but twice or two times is ideal. Ask you local nursery for this type of “winterizer”.

Mowing your lawn: Here is one question I get all the time. When do I mow my lawn? Here is my standard answer. Mow it when it needs it… Duh. Always keep you mower blades sharp this helps the blades from recuperating much faster thus making it look much better & greener. Also lift your mower blades up one notch after each mowing. Do you follow? Too low & the grass will look dull & brownish the higher the blades the better… Below I will list the types of lawn grasses or sod for general landscaping design.

But first the difference between grass & sod. Grass is sod & sod is grass. You can purchase bermuda, fescue, zoysia, & St. Augustine grass in sod form.

You can also get them in seed form. Seed grass comes in well seeds. It is usually spread with a broadcast , handheld or dropdown spreader you can even do it by hand but may come out in clumps. It works best with a broadcast spreader.

Sod is commercially grown & usually cut to the buyers specifications. You can purchase sod at a nursery or at a retail sod store. It comes in a mat size of about 16″ by 45″ for a total of 5sq ft.

Bermudagrass - Has many uses & is what most folks use through out the desert southwest. It is very drought tolerant & will creep & grow during the summer season. However you can control spreading with some of the hybrids below.

Here are some varieties & descriptions of bermuda sod. This type of grass/sod is drought tolerant, you can water about 1-2 times per week during the hot summer months. About 15 minutes on a sprinkler system. If you want it to look super I recommend once every other day during the hot summer months. It can tolerate traffic & is perfect for the backyard. You should fertilizer at least once per month. There are many varieties to select from & below is a list.

Bermuda -Tifton is for home lawns, commercial fields, coarse & blends with common Bermuda.
Bermuda -Tifgreen is for home lawns, commercial, putting greens & the blades are fine, low growing grass.
Bermuda -Tifway 419 used for lawns, commercial, fairways, medium blades.
Bermuda -Santa Ana used for home lawns, commercial, fields, medium type blades.
Bermuda -Texturf 10 Mostly used for home lawns, & have coarse blades.
Bermuda -Overseeded with perennial rye used for lawns, commercial , medium to fine blades.
Overseeded means the perennial rye will look green thru the winter months but will go dormant during the summer season when the Bermuda looks best. You can calculate how much sod or topsoil you need at: Sod Calculate

Fescue - There are many varieties of fescue. This type of grass/sod is not drought tolerant but looks great almost year round wit additional watering. It will usually cost more in sod or seed form.

Fescue Advantage known as Festuca arundinaceum, is a cool season, perennial grass which means it will stay green all year round.
Tall Fescue is actually Kentucky 31 variety & is a cool season grass but will do well during the hot summer months with ample watering.
Creeping or red Fescue, can be grown in single stands & prefers more shadier & cooler areas than most other cool season fescue grasses.
Hard Fescue likes shade & is drought & disease resistant & it likes higher elevation type environment. Usually not available at retail nurseries. .

Gary & Paul Guzman are the authors of this article: Gary is the owner of Color your world nurseries & Paul is general manager of Guzman’s greenhouse & the webmaster of http://www.guzmansgreenhouse.com To receive more free information about gardening click here

Roses are the most universally loved flowers. There is more. They are used in all types of floral arrangements, from a single rose in a bud vase to large mass arrangements, centrepieces, gift boxes, tributes & wedding designs.

Roses look wonderful used in traditional & modern floral arrangements.

There are literally thousands of different varieties, ranging from tiny miniature roses to large full roses.

Roses come in almost every shade imaginable including white, pastels such as pale pink & soft peach, bright colours such as yellow & orange & deep tones such as dark burgundy.

Red roses are traditionally often used to say “I love You”.

Roses are ideal for weddings, because they come in so many shades, that it is relatively easy to match the colours worn by the bridal party. Roses are generally available year round. Roses can be in short supply in Winter, but this is not a problem, as they are flown in by air from other countries all around the world.

Roses are named after famous people, & it is considered a great honour to have a rose named after you.

People who have had a rose named after them include Queen Elizabeth, President J F Kennedy & Barbra Streisand.

Roses can be arranged in a vase on their own or with foliage such as leather fern, ivy or eucalyptus gum. Using foliage will make the arrangement look fuller & will help hold the rose stems in place.

When you receive a bunch of roses or pick roses from the garden, there’re a few tips to help them stay fresh for the longest possible time.

Buy or pick roses when they are ½ open. Very tight buds may never open, & the petals may fall after a day or two with roses that are picked when they are too open.

Carefully get rid of any damaged outer petals by holding the base of the petal between your finger & thumb & gently lift the petal out.

If just the edges of a petal are damaged, you can carefully trim off the damaged part with a pair of sharp scissors, just inside the outer edge of the petal carefully following just inside the petal for a natural look.

The flowers will have the maximum life if you re - cut the stems under water. To do this, fill a deep bowl or sink with water. Hold the ends of the rose stems under water on an angle & cut about 5cm (2″) from the ends of the stems on a slant with a sharp pair of cutters or a knife. A small drop of water will cling to the end of the stems & help stop air bubbles forming that can shorten the life of the flowers.

Remove the lower leaves from the bottom third of the stems. Leaves standing under the water line will pollute the water. It will become cloudy looking & the flowers will not last nearly so long. Place the flowers immediately in a bucket ½ filled with water, preferably with a flower preservative added to the water, & allow them to have a long drink for at least 4-5 hours before arranging them. Flower preservative are usually available at garden centres.

By using foliage such as leather fern or eucalyptus gum with the roses it will make the arrangement fuller & help hold the rose stems in position. Strip off the lower pieces of foliage that will come under the water line & give them a long drink in water before using them.

A vase, about (18-25cm)7-10 inches high, is a good size for an arrangement.

Half fill the vase with water and, if possible, add flower preservative to help cut down on bacteria. Cut the foliage stems to the desired length. They should be at least one & a ½ times the height of the container & place the stems in the container crisscrossing them on an angle so the foliage tips extend over the edges of the container. Fill in the centre with foliage.

Add the roses cutting each one to the desired length. For good balance, if the flowers are different sizes, place the smallest ones to the outer edges & have the largest flowers in the centre.

Leave a space between the flowers heads, so they are not over crowded. Spray the arrangement lightly with water.

If using florist foam, soak it in water for a few minutes & secure it in the container with a plastic gaud or pot tape, crisscrossing it over the top of the container & down the sides of the container for about 5cm (2″) & then arrange the roses in the foam following the same guidelines above .

Place the arrangement in a cool place away from direct sunlight, heater, draught or air conditioner.

After Care -Top up with water every couple of days.

Some of the roses will last longer than others, as they wither get rid of them.

When you only have few roses left, you can re-cut the ends of the stems & re-arrange them in a smaller container.

By following these simple care tips, you will have received the maximum amount of pleasure from your roses!

About The Author Fay Chamoun is the principal of Floral Art School of Australia & International Floral Design School. For details of our Floristry Diploma Classess & Home Study Correspondence Courses please click onto http://www.floral-art-school.com.au

Fay Chamoun(c) Copyright 2004. All rights reserved. You are welcome to publish this article as long as you use it in its entirety with our live web site link & contact details intact.

If you want to improve the look, design & planting in your garden, then you may well be thinking about getting a garden designer in to help.

So what makes one designer better than another? Is there such a thing as good design?

In short yes!

Garden design is all about shaping & organising space, meeting client requirements & also harmoniously linking the house to the garden & the wider environment.

Gardens are for people as well as plants. Right. We’re all different & what we expect & need from our gardens will vary. A good garden designer will understand what you want & help you achieve it.

So how do you select a designer?

A quick look at Yellow Pages will confirm that plenty of people offer this service. But it may not actually be as simple as that… Some practitioners are not garden designers at all - they are planners, horticulturists or builders. Qualifications alone are not a guarantee of a good designer. The only way you will know is to meet & talk. Ask to see a portfolio of their work and, if they have a website, have a look at it… This will give you a feel for the standard of their work & what you can expect from them.

The next issue is how much will you be charged. There are a number of ways that designers will charge for their time. Some will charge per hour, some per job & some as a percentage of your total budget. OK. Some will charge a fee for the first consultation; others will not. However - whatever method is used, the cost of the design service is usually connected to the quality of the overall service.

So use your first meeting with the designer to assess them. Make them assure you that they are good enough & that they care about you & your garden.

At the end of the day it is your garden. It has to work for you.

Samantha McKay has been designing gardens professionally since 1999. She has design & horticultural qualifications from both the Royal Horticultural Society & a Diploma in Design (distinction) from the Pickard School of Garden Design. Sam is based in Norfolk & gives garden design services in Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, East Anglia & across England. See her website http://www.samanthamckay-gd.co.uk

Building a compost heap is easy & cheap, since most of your ingredients are already being created right in your kitchen: Items such as egg shells, coffee grounds, & pieces of vegetables that normally would go down your disposal or in your garbage can.

Before we begin I had like to make it clear that my experience with building a compost heap is targeted at those who live in a warm climate & have lots of sunshine & a constant source of green grass. There is more. There is more. That while the ingredients will be the same, no matter what part of the country you live in. The actual breakdown of those ingredients will depend entirely on the amount of sun, water & warm temperatures your compost heap receives.

Having said that, Let’s begin.

Fresh compost is some of the most fertile & nutrient filled fertilizer that you can use to create sweet, juicy, healthy fruits & vegetables. I do not believe there is a store bought fertilizer that even comes close to what you can produce right in your own backyard.

The size of your vegetable garden will determine the amount of compost you will want to produce. Adjust your amounts accordingly.

If you want to contain your compost you can build yourself a compost bin. This can be achieved by sinking 4 two by fours or four by fours a couple of feet into the ground to for a square   & wrapping them on 3 sides with chicken wire, leaving the front open for easy access. If not, a simple pile works equally as well.

Step #1
Using a clean 5 gallon bucket with a lid, begin saving your kitchen garbage in it… Dump items such as coffee grounds, egg shells, & parts of vegetables you normally would throw away when making a salad etc. A friend use to say when cleaning her vegetables, “Here’s one for the pot & one for Mother Earth.” Nothing got past the compost bucket. There are some things you do not want to put in your compost bucket, such as meat & grease. You can put bones in provided they have been stripped clean of meat & ground up. You do not want to attract un-wanted rodents to your pile as the items mentioned above do not break down well nor as quickly. Once you have got a substantial amount in your bucket you will be ready for the next step.

Step #2
Take some freshly cut grass clippings & make a layer about 4 inches thick. The area you cover will depend on the size of your pile or the size of your bin & of course the amount of fresh grass clippings you have at your disposal. (The Author had a pretty good size garden & had a local landscaper drop off many large garbage bags full of clippings, whenever he was in the area.)

Step #3
Using either a scoop or your hands, spread a healthy layer of kitchen garbage from your bucket onto the grass clippings.

Step #4
Apply a fine dusting of steer manure on top of the garbage & lightly water the entire surface.

Repeat this process over & over until your heap is approx. 3 to 4 feet high.

Step #5
Keep an eye on your heap making sure it hasn’t dried up & stopped cooking. Every couple of days stick a pitch fork in the center & lift. You should be easily able to see it starting to darken or you will see steam or smoke. The size of the heap should also be shrinking. If you think it stopped cooking add a small amount of water & it will resume the composting process.

You should also be easily able to detect a rich, pungent aroma from your heap, alerting you that it is just about ready to use. This will occur in 4 or 5 weeks.

Step #6
Turn the pile over at 4 weeks time, water lightly.

When ready apply generously to your plants. Do not cover them up. Just use enough so that it comes up to the second or 3rd branches on the baby plants. Right. Water Generously.

Your Veggies are gonna love you for it by producing some of the most delicious vegetables & fruit that you have ever eaten. They will also be very prolific. So if you do not plan on canning what grows, your neighbors are going to enjoy what your producing.

There You Have It! Quick & Easy! As Always - Happy Gardening!

Hold On There “Old MacDonald” Would You Like the Ultimate Health Giving Secret of Plant Feeding? Give Yourself a Real Fruit & Vegetable Treat By Visiting: http://Articles-Articles-and-More-Articles.blogspot.com
It Ain’t Horse Dung!

For many people their gardens are a part of their home that they take a lot of pride in. They will paint it in such a way that the garden is almost an expression of the artist in them. The plants they select will reflect this as will the garden furniture & even the type of bird feeders they pick. Many people will purchase decorative bird feeders that will add color, & style to their gardens while being a truly functional piece of garden equipment. The variety of bird feeders styles that can be put in your backyard will answer anyone’s taste.

Interestingly some people even collect these as works of art. OK. Some will be in the style of Asian culture while others might be like miniature country houses. There is more. This decorative style can spread through any type of bird feeder. By example, you can put a tube feeder in your backyard to attract smaller birds. You can make it a simple structure or an unusual one. Perhaps the tube feeder will look instead like a lighthouse. Or maybe the decorative bird feeders you’ll select are ones that are hand blown glass made to resemble flowers so that they attract the hummingbirds.

The fact is that there is a style for everyone’s preference but if you do not find what you like there’re many places that will custom make any type of bird feeder that you want in any style you desire. They can look like small houses, apartment structures, giant mushrooms, the local post office or a gilded cage. There is no end to what one’s imagination can conjure up in the shape that decorative bird feeders can take. You even have the option of making it yourself if you can not find the style you want. Just use your imagination, build it & the birds will come.

Mayoor Patel is the writer for the website http://www.bird-feeders.wares-are.us/. Please visit for information on all things concerned with Decorative Bird Feeders

Are you interested in purchasing teak garden furniture for your garden area? If you are, is this the first time that you are attempting to do so? If it is, you may be unsure as to how you should proceed. If you are, you will want to continue reading on. A few of the many points that you will want to take into consideration, when purchasing teak garden furniture, are outlined below for your convenience.

When it comes to purchasing teak garden furniture, the first thing that you will want to do is examine your garden. You will want to first think about where you would like to place teak garden furniture. For instance, would you like to have a teak chair displayed in the middle of your garden, would you like to have a teak garden bench or a teak table along the perimeter of your garden? Even though you do not necessarily have to decide where you would place your teak garden furniture right away, having an idea :idea: can come in handy when you start shopping.

What you really need to remember about teak furniture is that it comes in a number of different sizes, shapes, & styles. As previously mentioned, just a few of the many pieces of teak furniture that you can purchase include teak chairs, teak benches, or teak tables. Each & every one of these furniture pieces is different in shape, as well as size. You will want to ensure that you are now able to purchase teak garden furniture pieces, like teak chairs or teak tables, that are now able to fit comfortably within your garden area. Of course, you can always find use for your teak furniture should it not properly fit into your garden, but why would you want to take the chance? A few simple measurements should give you an idea :idea: of what type of teak furniture pieces you can purchase, as well as their size.

Once you have an idea :idea: as to how much garden space you have available for teak furniture, you can go about examining all of your options. Perhaps, the best way to do so is to find teak garden furniture suppliers & examine their selection of for sale products. Depending on where you reside, you may have a local teak garden furniture supplier, but you may find the best success when using the internet to your advantage. Online teak garden furniture suppliers are often known for their lower prices, as well as their larger selection of products.

As previously stated, teak furniture comes in a number of different sizes, shapes, & styles. In all honestly, the selection of teak furniture that you are presented with will all depend on the supplier in question. With that in mind, there’re many common pieces of teak furniture that you will likely come across. There is more. There is more. These pieces tend to include teak chairs, teak tables, teak benches, teak furniture sets, as well as teak accessories. In actual fact, after a close examination, you will find that many teak accessories are associated with gardening, in one way or another. By example, many teak furniture suppliers have teak garden planters, as well as teak garden carts available for sale.

Once you have found teak garden furniture that you are interested in purchasing, you are advised to proceed with caution. Even if you researched your available selection with a specific teak garden furniture supplier, you really need to remember that you do not necessarily have to make your purchases from that same location. You will want to select your teak garden furniture supplier wisely. You will want to look for teak garden furniture suppliers who offer quality products, but at discounted prices. Since you will likely order your teak garden furniture online, you may also want to look for suppliers who offer either free or discounted shipping. In the long run, free or discounted shipping costs can save you a considerable amount of money.

The above mentioned points are just a few of the many points that you will want to take into consideration, when looking to outfit your garden area with teak wood furniture. As a reminder, you are advised to select your teak wood furniture supplier wisely. To get you started in your search, you may want to visit http://TeakWoodPatioFurniture.com.
About the Author
TeakWoodPatioFurniture.com is known for their outstanding, yet affordable teak wood furniture pieces. There is more. There is more. To examine their selection of teak garden furniture, visit their website.

When it comes to a Japanese garden, you’ll notice that they’re very well designed & they offer a sense of tranquility as well as fantastic style. All homes can incorporate a Japanese style garden & so if you’re thinking of updating your garden with an interesting & peaceful design, the Japanese garden may just be for you.

Designing Your Own Japanese Garden

If you have decided to design your own Japanese garden, you’ll now need to know exactly what a Japanese garden entails. Basically every Japanese garden should have stones, water & plants & a bridge is also important. They are designed to be very pleasurable on the eye & so keep that in mind when it comes to designing where you want everything to go.

Whilst a Japanese garden mainly uses water, there is a variety which is known as ‘Karesansui’ & that doesn’t use any water in its designs at all. So it would suit somebody who doesn’t like the thought of incorporating water into their garden for whatever reason. However - despite the fact that it contains no actual water, the aim of this style of Japanese garden is to give it the atmosphere of water. This is done through the use of pebbles & patterns. Low shrubs also come in particularly handy too so keep that in mind.

Plant wise, things such as cherry trees, ferns, moss & evergreens as well as bamboo, all make excellent additions to any Japanese garden. They can also imitate water quite well too. In order to create the sense of relaxation, rocks are also used, especially unusual looking rocks.

As the emphasis is on nature within a Japanese garden, no two lines are the same. Surfaces are unevenly placed & that allows you to focus more on the small details of the garden. Bridges & walkways are a particularly strong part of Japanese gardens & stones are used to give the impression of mountains. Everything is connected back to nature & that is why Japanese gardens are so stunning & peaceful.

The final thing to remember about Japanese gardens is that the stones that you use should always be placed in unusual ways. There is more. Triangular shapes are also quite common & lanterns are often placed near them to provide a magical & mysterious appearance. To the Japanese they also represent the female & male parts of fire & water.

Adam Peters is the journalist of consumer websites, who has written more articles on sunrooms for http://www.home-decorating-reviews.com A focused website that offers the best articles on sunroom japanese style & decorating.

One species of grass that is native to Northern Asia, the mountains of Algeria & Morocco, & most of Europe is Kentucky bluegrass. This kind of grass has become more popular & common in some areas of the United States that are humid & cool. Kentucky bluegrass was transplanted to the United States by the European colonists, who brought along mixtures of grass seed. This type of grass flourished in the area of New England where it was introduced & now you can find it in the other areas of the United States.

In the United States, Kentucky bluegrass is very recognizable due to its boat shaped blade tips. The normal growth of Kentucky blue grass is one & one-half to two feet high, but it varies with the season. The growth of this type of grass is triggered by how long the days are, rather than the temperature.

Before you begin planting Kentucky bluegrass, you really need to know that it will take about two to three pounds of seed for each 1,000 square  feet of land. You can sow this seed any time during the year, but it will grow better if it is planted in the fall or spring. After you plant the seeds, you really need to water it a least twice or two times daily for the first two weeks & if it is very warm, then you may need to water it three times a day until it takes root. Once you begin seeing sprouts, you can cut back on the watering regimen.

When you compare Kentucky blue grass to other types of grass, you will learn that Kentucky bluegrass needs as much as two inches of water each week to stay healthy. By watering the Kentucky bluegrass abundantly, you will find that the grass will stay bright & green even during the summer. It is important, however, to water the grass no less than an inch to help make the roots grow deeper & stronger. If you are having a drought, & your grass does dormant, then it will only need about an inch of water every two weeks or so. This amount of watering will help keep the grass crowns alive so that when it rains, the grass will liven up quicker.

Another thing that you really need to know about Kentucky bluegrass is that it requires a large amount of Nitrogen. During the first year of the trees life, it will need five or six pounds for the tree to grow strong & tall. You can probably cut back the amount of Nitrogen needed by ½ after the first year. It is best to use some kind of slow release nitrogen source so that you do not burn the tree & so it is more convenient for you… You will find that it can be applied very liberally in this way & not as frequently, which can save you time & effort.

One of the down sides of Kentucky bluegrass is that it is very susceptible to pests, both crawling & growing. You may also encounter a large weed problem with this type of grass, too. The weeds most common to Kentucky bluegrass include crabgrass, clover, & dandelions. These weeds are usually easily controlled with herbicides that work before the weeds appear. There are in addition many insects who love to nibble on Kentucky bluegrass. These include white grubs, billbugs, & sod webworms. You need to watch for the insects becoming a problem & apply pesticides when needed. You may also find that the Bluegrass is susceptible to disease. You can stop disease by adding a strain of Bluegrass that has resistance to disease. If you have alkaline soil, then you can find that your Kentucky bluegrass develops iron chlorosis, which is seen by yellowing in the veins of the grass.

You will find that Kentucky bluegrass is one of the most popular & common types of grass in the whole United States. It is easily recognizable and, if a few simple rules are followed, it is not difficult to plant & maintain. If you follow the tips above, you will be enjoying your beautiful Kentucky bluegrass in no time.

Andrew Caxton is a journalist who has written more articles & newsletters on the subject for http://www.lawn-mowers-and-garden-tractors.com A website with tips on gardening at John Deere tractors