Saturday, April 20, 2024

After 4/20 is when we should think about weeds


 Soaking rains, wet snow, thunderstorms, strong winds, and cold miserable drizzle, are conditions that have plagued us since the beginning of April. It's nothing new, yet it seems, this April is packing more precipitation than normal.

While the lawns are soggy and oversaturated, the grass still loves all the liquid attention, and most lawns are on, or at, the cusp of emerald and deep forest green already.

The grass is growing, and although lawn companies are finishing clean-up, they are not yet cutting lawns.

With warmer weather and sunshine sure to appear as early as next week, there is another concern soon to be on the homeowner's mind---weeds, and plenty of them. Those invasive species everyone loves so much are set to pop in ubiquitous numbers virtually overnight, triggering panic in all who can't stand the slightest emergence of yellow damaging their curb appeal. Again, this is nothing new, but memories are short.

With Ontario bylaws in effect, it is a never-ending battle between the homeowner and  weed eradication.

So, the next time you hear 4/20, don't just think of getting high---get prepared. The war for your lawn is about to begin...again.

Thursday, April 4, 2024

The war between spring and winter

 










If there's one thing we have come to expect, it's April will always carry elements of winter. Case and point: The cold, snow and rain in first week of a traditionally spring-like month, has displayed no signs of warmth or growth. However, next week promises the opposite, with higher temperatures on the way.

Every year, it is a mixed bag of precipitation that can be down-right miserable and unappealing to out-door-types, longing to get into gardens or general lawn clean up. Yet, if you'd consulted the Farmer's Almanac long before any weather models were made public, you would have seen the same information---cold, rain, snow---in the forecast.

Patience is the key as the days tick by and the sun finally appears (or doesn't with the upcoming eclipse.) You'll be gardening in no time, and cursing your lawn mower, but you need to wait for the war to end and spring to reign victorious as it always does.