The roller coaster weather pattern we experienced this spring switched back to prolonged wet and chilly weather last week. While the moisture was needed as soils were quite dry, the constant wetness creates ideal conditions for disease causing organisms. Disease causing organisms are natural inhabitants of the soil and infect grass plants when the environmental conditions are favorable or the plants become weakened by poor growing conditions.  The pathogen is favored by warm, humid weather, wet or compacted soil, drought stress, and low mowing heights.

The spores of these parasitic forms of plant life are spread by wind, air, water, animals, people, insects and mowing.

Important steps to manage plant diseases include proper soil preparation, proper selection of grass seed including ones with a natural genetic resistance to diseases, and application of proper cultural practices.

If you have a fungus, spraying now with Dr. Earth Natural & Organic Fungicide effectively combats a broad spectrum of fungal diseases found in your lawn, on your vegetables, flowers & shrubs. Dr. Earth can be used both as a foliar spray for your plants or a soil drench for your lawn & trees.

Once you have sprayed the fungicide, you should then fertilize your lawn & your plants with Fire Belly Bio-Blast to reintroduce beneficial mycorrhizal fungi.

Healthy soils that have the ability to fight off disease causing pathogens increase the chances of plant survival and thus control the pathogens so they will not multiply in great numbers.  Beneficial microbes fill up the available spaces in the soil so that pathogens cannot become established and destroy healthy plants.

Most lawns recover with changes in environmental conditions and proper cultural practices. For severe cases due to poor soil, poor grass selection, or excessive thatch, the best solution may be renovation. Please give us a call with any questions or to schedule a courtesy consultation for a lawn renovation.

planting for the future.

-By Maggie Oldfield Thayer Nursery

We think there is an easier way: Dr. Earth. Go straight to Dr. Earth. Do not pass go, do not take any detours.

This company, founded 17 years ago by plant biology expert, Milo Shammas, is the best source, we feel, for knowledge, products, and  inspiration.  You will discover the root of organic integrity and along the way, the best garden of your life.

The Dr. Earth products are the very first to combine beneficial living soil organisms, (microbes), with organic fertilizers, to create a bio-technical breakthrough that is revolutionizing the gardening and landscape industries.

At Thayer Nursery Landscaping and Garden Center, we’re proud to offer the Dr. Earth line of products.

New England turf lawns actively grow in the spring and in the fall; in summer they are dormant, so now is the time is for “Black Gold” to do its magic.  It takes patience to adopt this organic approach, but with top dressing, your lawn will be green earlier and stronger throughout the summer.

Here’s how it works.
Cut your lawn extremely low; use the lowest setting on your mower as possible.

Aerate the lawn. Aeration is the process of using a mechanical or manual lawn aerator to make holes in the surface of your lawn. Making holes in the surface of your lawn allows deeper root growth and reduces soil compaction. When you aerate your lawn, you allow air, water, and nutrients direct access to the root system.

Spread (also called “broadcasting”) using a shovel, ¼ “layer of compost on the lawn.

Comb the compost into the lawn with a level rake.

Spread fertilizer, lime and seed.

Drag rake across the lawn to till in these items.

Sprinkle a bit more compost, adding peat moss to cover and retain moisture.

Water in and keep seed moist for 3 weeks; try to water twice a day.

This approach is very beneficial to your lawn, and when coupled with proper cultural process, i.e. mowing high in the summer heat, and watering deeply and infrequently, (watering in short intervals does not create a sustainable lawn) your lawn will love you!

If you have any questions, or want to learn more about top dressing, stop by the nursery at 270 Hillside Street Milton MA or give us a call at 617-698-2005.

But if you have been battling crabgrass in previous years, spring is the time to control it. A pre-emergent should be applied on lawns between March 15th and April 30th. Crabgrass starts to germinate when the soil temperature reaches about 55 degrees. A good indicator of when to apply the preventer is when the forsythia is in bloom.

Corn gluten is an all natural product, a by-product of corn milling that researches discovered that when applied to soils, it stopped the newly-emerged root from orienting & establishing itself. So, the seed tries to grow but can’t.

Spread corn gluten evenly, at a rate of twenty pounds per 1,000 square feet of lawn. Water it lightly into the soil in order to activate it. The corn gluten should remain effective for five to six weeks each time you apply it. A second application should be done in the fall.

On a lawn, it could take up to 4 years or so to get control of weeds. Remember that it doesn’t kill existing weeds; it only stops the new ones, so you have to remove the established weeds.  Think of it as an incremental type of control – year one it will control a few – year two there will be fewer survivors and by year 4 or 5, you should have good control.

The only possible downsides to corn gluten is if it rains a lot in the first two weeks after application, it will be dissolved and it will be less effective. It also will stop grass seed from germinating so you can not seed and apply corn gluten at the same time.

We recommend using Organica Lawn Booster. Not only does it contain corn gluten for crabgrass control but it is a great spring fertilizer. It is slow release for continuous greening that feeds both the soil and the grass plant. It helps the grass plants absorb nutrients as well as strengthens your grass so it withstands foot traffic.

planting for the future.

-By Maggie Oldfield Thayer Nursery