May ’08

Hello Everyone! Welcome to the spring that never sprung! I’ve never aerated lawns in a parka before ! The upside of our chilly spring is a longer time to get corn gluten meal down. It’s a little past the optimum time to apply but you can still achieve some pre-emergent action on part of the crabgrass and a lot of the dandelion crop plus a healthy dose of nitrogen.

Speaking of nitrogen, how many of you have done a soil test on your lawns and gardens? It is cheap and will give you a good baseline on the condition of your soil. You can get the test kits mailed to you by contacting the U of M Extension Service on-line. This test will tell you the pH , texture and levels of nutrients and when to apply the proper amounts.

The products I talk about in these posts are available at Urban Earth Coop at 36th St. and Bryant Ave. S. in S.Minneapolis. There is also a class on Organic lawn care on Tues. June 3rd at 7:00 pm. Visit the Urban Earth Flower and Garden Co-op site for more info.