I think using the term “novice” to describe my knowledge of gardening/lawn maintenance may even be a slight over exaggeration. I have tried in the past and had some success, only to have life’s hectic schedule get in the way of continued growth throughout the year. Laziness may have played a very small part as well.
That said, Fertilizer Canada asked if I wanted to learn more about lawn/garden maintenance, which has always been something I’ve struggled with, so I gladly said yes! Since that time I think I have done more studying than I did at the end of my time in college…
I started in early-May with a weed application and a general yard clean up. My neighbour has a lot on his plate, so I asked him if I could help out with his side of the yard as well and he gave me carte blanche to do whatever I felt was best. He still had the builder “garden” in the middle of his lawn, which had become overgrown with weeds, so I dug that all out and we decided to try to grow grass in its place. On our side of the yard, we pretty much had to start our garden over and with a pandemic keeping us home, the kids were happy to have something to do!
The weeds had gotten out of control so I treated the heavy weed areas individually so as not to kill the grass we did have, and then a couple weeks later proceeded to apply the first fertilizer feeding. I had to disturb a few of the tougher areas of the lawns and added a bit of top soil as well.
I was told to think of fertilizer as food for plants. Just as we need food to survive, plants need a variety of nutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, which they take up from the soil. Every lawn/garden is different so it is important to get the right fertilizer for your needs. I love this video series from Fertilizer Canada as it explains all the basics to getting started with fertilizing your lawn.
A couple more quick tips before I go. Grab yourself a spreader while you’re buying your fertilizer because you’ll be hoping back in the car if you forget. Also, make sure to read the instructions on the bag very carefully to avoid over or under fertilizing. Finally, take care to clean up the stray fertilizer from your driveway and walkways so it doesn’t run off into the storm drains.
Throughout the rest of the year, I will be keeping you up to date on the changes in our lawn and garden, as well as following up with another feeding around Labour Day and one around Thanksgiving. I’m also happy to take any lawn/garden maintenance tips you may have as I try to revive a once vibrant front yard!
*This campaign is sponsored by Fertilizer Canada*
