Winter Storm Uri not only left a path of horticultural destruction, it also turned my Lawn Fertilization Schedule into confusion for many newbies – folks new to the plan or new GardenLine listeners.
I suspected I might have to clean things up a bit for the uninitiated, but I also may not have been clear enough for some old regulars, so here we go.
First, let me note that for those who have always followed the schedule and have been listening to my advice about freeze recovery for the past two months, you can simply stay true to the schedule and stop reading right here.Or, if you’ve followed the schedule and haven’t heard any of my advice, but you’re happy with what you’re seeing, you also can stop reading.
But if you are a bit confused, are new to all this, or have not done a dang thing related to my schedule, the following is all for you.
Here’s the basic rule: Act as if this is the end of February (even though it’s March). In other words, if you’ve not done a thing since 2020, you should start the schedule right now and do everything called for in February.
Also, even if you did some or all the February applications early in the month - before Uri - put out the fertilizer and pre-emergent again. You don’t need to reapply the trace minerals and elements, but just pretend we’re in the last few days of February, and get busy with the ...
- Early green-up fertilizer
- Pre-emergent herbicide
- Trace mineral/elements (if you want)
That’s what I’ve telling listeners to the radio show, emailers, and consultation clients. We lost February, so we need to play catch-up. Remember my often-promoted mantra, “It’s Never Too Late to Do the Right Thing!”
This may also have you wondering if you can do all the applications on the same day. Yes, you can, although it’s still best to put a couple of days between them.
By the way, the pictures are from a lawn in Katy I’m helping a family member with. The Feb. 24 shot is from the day that everything called for in the schedule was applied. Less than 3 weeks later, on March 15, you can see the positive effect.
If you need clarification on any this, or if I just confused you even more, give me a call on the air this weekend and we’ll get it figured out together on a case-by-case basis.
RELATED:
PHOTOS: Randy Lemmon