It’s summer now, but that is no excuse to drop the landscape tools and let things die in the heat! You need to get out now and start making that garden beautiful for fall and next spring too!

Raised gardens are becoming quite popular as more and more people are renting property or find themselves in high rise apartment buildings with little to no lawn space and even less access to actual soil in which to plant the flowers and vegetables they desire to have with them.

There are actually quite a few pros for using raised gardens as opposed to tilling the soil for those who wish to have smaller gardens and are limited on space in which to do so. At the same time, those who desire bigger yields are often dissatisfied with the limits of raised gardens. You can learn more on this video about summer lawn tips too.

The choice is ultimately yours but I will try to point out some of the pros and cons of this type of garden so that you may decide for yourself.

Soil compaction. Pants love to breath and that is often difficult when placed in garden rows as we have quite a bit of difficulty avoiding all together the possibility of stepping onto the tilled rows in which we have planted our fruits, vegetables, or plants in a traditional garden situation.

By using a raised garden, which is designed to be worked from without rather than within, there is little fear of compacting the soil around the plants.

At the same time many lifelong gardeners feel the inability to walk around in their gardens is a disadvantage in itself and prefer to be able to do so. This is often a matter of preference rather than practicality but a valid opposition just the same.

Numbers. You can actually plant more plants in the same amount of square footage in a raised bed because there is no need for rows. You should also be aware that plants in raised beds often tend to grow larger than plants in traditional garden rows.

That being said you should resist the urge to over plant within the raised garden bed, as this will eliminate that slight benefit. Many traditional gardeners have seen the results of overcrowding in these beds and feel that their way of doing this is much butter.

One huge benefit to raised beds for summer gardens in areas that are nearly saturated with excess moisture is that raised beds allow much better drainage than traditional row gardening.

This is one thing that the average gardener will not argue with unless he lives in an area in which this isn’t much of a problem. Most gardeners in the south though, where there is a great deal of humidity and moisture will agree that proper drainage is a problem.

Raised beds are less back breaking. This is a huge benefit to those of us who are feeling the years creeping into our bones. By being above ground, raised gardens offer easier access for planting, weeding, planting, and investigating for signs of pests.

Another great thing about raised gardens is that they are not as quick to cool as the earth, which renders them more productive and with longer growing seasons that most gardens that are placed in the ground.

For those who have unusually shaped yards or growing areas, raised gardens allow the opportunity to have a beautiful summer garden in almost any shape you can build the box for.

This means you are not limited to rows, as many gardens tend to be and that you have a few more options for aesthetics when planning and growing your summer garden.

The downside to raised summer gardens is that they are difficult to dismantle and nearly impossible to till. This means you must do all the working of the soil by hand and many gardeners do not fully appreciate the beauty of that process.

The most important thing however, is that you choose a summer garden system that works for you. You may find that combining the two provides the best results and is a great use of your time or that you prefer one over the other. There really is no wrong answer only the one that is wrong for you.

For as long as there have been gardens there has been some degree of garden envy. In fact, your garden can be made or broken by some simple landscape and lawn care tips. Don’t do the wrong thing.

Whether the garden is made of flowers, plants, or vegetables, there always seems to be one garden that is more prolific, greener, more colorful, or yields more food. lawn advice

Whatever you are envious of in the gardens of others, chances are that if you take the proper time to learn about the placement of the plants, the optimal growing conditions for each plant, preferred soil treatments for each plant, and best case scenarios when it comes to sunlight and watering for the plants in your summer garden you could create a summer garden to rival the best in your locale no matter what you happen to be growing.

Of course it requires a great deal of time, effort, and energy to become the absolute best and your efforts may be best suited into making small improvements each year in your summer garden rather than creating a massive overhaul that may burn you out on your summer garden all together.

That being said, you may find some of the information below useful when working with your summer garden to help it become the best it can possibly be.

The first thing you need to do is check to see what regulations exist in your state in regards to plant food. Your local county extension office is often a good place to turn for information regarding these particular regulations as they exist not only for plant food but any other restrictions that may be in place for adjusting the soil in your summer garden.

Once you have the information in hand you might want to test the pH in your own soil to see what kind of conditions you currently have and what, if any, adjustments need to be made before planting.

You should also make sure you are aware that every decision you make in regards to your summer garden will affect the yield and output to some degree but no matter how carefully you plan there will always be events that are beyond your control.

This summer alone we are seeing record rainfalls in part of the country that have flooded and devastated crops while experiencing frighteningly low rainfall in other parts of the country and a very real drought in parts of the heartland that are responsible for much of the corn and soybean production for the nation. Stuff happens and for this reason the best of plans can easily go astray.

With this in mind, plan your garden carefully around the things mentioned above. Each plant will have its very own needs that must be met for optimal growth and yield. If those needs are not met chances are you will still have a plant but it will not provide the best possible flowers, the most vegetables, or the greenest leaves.

If average is your goal then some care is needed but not as much as if your goal was to create and grow blue ribbon winning vegetables or flowers and that isn’t everyone’s goal when it comes to creating a summer garden.

Keep the local laws in mind when fertilizing and feeding your flowers and plants, avoid using pesticides that could be harmful electing instead to go with methods of pest control that are more natural and humane, this is particularly important when planting vegetables as you do not want to expose your children to potentially harmful chemicals that may be used as pesticides. Grow according to the needs of the plant and within the limits of the space you have for gardening.

This means that if you only have shady space available for your summer garden choose flowers, plants, and/or vegetables, that thrive in shady conditions rather than those that need copious amounts of sunlight. More importantly, plant according to those things you wish to include in your garden. It is there for your pleasure after all; you may as well get as much pleasure as possible from it. That often makes it grow best at any rate.

Any experienced homeowner knows that maintaining a beautiful lawn takes work that goes far beyond the hot days of summer. Quality lawn care begins in early spring and carries on well into the fall months before allowing the lawn to go dormant over the winter. However, even experienced homeowners can get confused about the best spring lawn care schedule to maintain. Most homeowners will learn how to develop their own spring lawn care schedule that will take into account the individual needs of their specific soil and lawn.

Thatching
No matter where you live, thatching is usually number one on any spring lawn care schedule. Thatch can build up over the summer and cold weather months, choking the lawn and keeping air and nutrients from getting to the roots of the grass where it is needed. Thatching can be done with a regular metal rake or a specific thatching tool and it should be done as early as possible in the spring lawn care schedule to allow the grass time to breathe and soak in important moisture and nutrients.

Soil Preparation
The next step on the spring lawn care schedule is to examine the soil. Soil tests can be done at home with the help of a lawn care product purchased from any garden center. If you find that your soil is lacking in a particular nutrient like nitrogen, you can add a fertilizer heavier in this substance. It is also important to check for compacted soil. Compacted soil can make it difficult for air and nutrients to get underneath the surface to the roots. The best solution is to add aeration to your spring lawn care schedule. You may know you live in an area with compacted soil by the advertisements you receive for aeration services. You can take advantage of one of those or do it yourself with a machine rented from the garden center.

Feeding and Watering
A light fertilizing is usually recommended for the spring lawn care schedule that will promote color and growth in the early months of the season. A lawn spreader will ensure that the fertilizer goes onto the grass in a smooth, even layer for best results. Water at this time can often come from Mother Nature, but keep a rain gauge handy to ensure your lawn is getting as much moisture as it needs. If not, you may need to crank on the sprinkler or haul out the hose to ensure your lawn is properly watered.

A spring lawn care schedule will ensure that your yard is ready to greet the warm weather months ahead with style and color. These tips are the perfect way to kick your yard work into gear for another season.

Steps to Choosing and Using the Best Spring Lawn Care Fertilizer

Spring is a lovely time of year. The birds begin to sing and the flowers begin to bloom. To bad that lawn of yours is still brown and lifeless looking. The good news is that your lawn can easily snap back to life with the right spring lawn care fertilizer and a little bit of TLC. Following a spring lawn care schedule will lead to a green, healthy lawn later in the summer. While fall feeding is all about getting to the roots to promote good health and a robust lawn, spring fertilizing focuses more on providing color and promoting growth. A feeding that is to harsh or heavy this time of year will result in a constant battle over weeds or potential diseases all summer long. So which fertilizer is right for your lawn? Read on for the best tips in getting your grass ready for the summer months ahead.

Fertilize to Meet your Needs
Many people make the mistake of choosing a balanced formula for their spring lawn care fertilizer. This means the compound is made up of equal parts of three key nutrients; nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The problem with this theory is that most lawns are not lacking all of these nutrients in the same amount. The best way to know which nutrients your lawn truly needs is to test your soil and find out what is currently contains. You can do this at home with a kit purchased from your local garden center or you can take it into the neighborhood extension office for a professional evaluation. This test will help you determine which spring lawn care fertilizer will be best for your yard based on the nutrients that are currently lacking from your soil.

How to Spread it
Once you have chosen the best spring lawn care fertilizer to meet the needs of your grass, you will then have to determine the best way to spread that food evenly across the yard. Lawn spreaders can be a homeowner’s best friend because they can offer an even layer of spring lawn care fertilizer in the most efficient way possible. These handheld devices are filled with the food and then carried back and forth across the yard until the complete area is covered. When using a lawn spreader, it is important to maintain a consistent pace that is not too slow and not too fast, to ensure an even, light layer of fertilizer across the entire surface. Many fertilizers will then require a watering down to get the nutrients into the soil where they belong. A few minutes under the sprinkler should do the trick.

Don’t wait until summer to kick that yard work into gear. A healthy dose of the right spring lawn care fertilizer will get your grass on the road to that lush green carpet your family can enjoy all summer long.

- It Lowers water run down and rainwater in ground. - For best result of turfgrass root development. - Boost the lift of water in soil and its use. - Also boost the lift of fertilizer and its use. - Helps improve the recovery of soil from being compressed. - For better interchange of air between the soil and atmosphere. - [...]