Spring is Here!

Sometimes it seems hard to figure out our wonderful spring weather, but needless to say, it is spring with a mixed bag of weather. Yet we are in full swing. You should be trying to get some early spring chores in the yard and garden done.

A quick check list to help you get started:

1.) First and foremost, a PH test for both the lawn and garden to tell if you need Calcitic lime or not. We sell a .99 cent tester which works great. Only lime if needed.

2.) Prune any damaged trees and shrubs.

3.) Rake all debris out of beds and off lawn.

4.) All lawns should be thatched! Do not thatch if lawn is wet.

5.) Top dressing and over seeding lawns. We like to see soil temps around 55 degrees before seeding or applying Step 1, whether organic or not. You waste a lot of seed seeding too early.

6.) Fertilize all perennials, shrubs and trees. We have great early season pricing on all organic fertilizers (see www.ericsfloweremporium.com)

7.) You should start to prepare your vegetable gardens by, again, PH testing, adding compost and then lime if needed. You then can start to plant cole crops, including peas, lettuce, broccoli, etc. Direct seed any cole crops that are not already started.

8.) It’s never too early to remove all old soils out of window boxes and all other containers. This should happen every year because the soil is no longer sterile after it has been used. Contaminated soil causes lousy results with plantings.

This is just a beginning list. For those of you who need additional help and/or direction Dave, Tom and staff are always here to help.

For the bird lovers, it has been a long tough winter for the birds. Many people have a tough time getting to their feeders, however, keep feeding because the healthier our bird populations, the less bugs and the less bugs, the less chemicals needed to control them.

The hummingbird migration is now edging towards Massachusetts so time to clean the old feeders and get new nectar out. Another suggestion for attracting them is a big red bow. They love red. All our hummingbird feeders and supplies are 10% off for the month of April.

It is also time to clean out all the old stuff in your birdhouses. Watch out for mice that will nest in them. We have been receiving shipments of new birdhouses with a great selection of high quality houses.

Another often neglected chore for the bird lovers is to clean the bird feeders. The cleaner the feeder the less chance the birds have of getting a disease.

Hope to See You all in the Garden!

Tom, Dave and Staff