Well, the March showers that bring April flowers brought a lot more this year with COVID-19. We hope that you all avoid this virus, and while you are in quarantine it is a perfect time to do that sodding or landscape planting. So, let's help that immune system and get out and dig in the dirt.
Fact: Soil contains immune-building microbes, so go get dirty!
The Farmer's Almanac suggests that April is the perfect time for all planting, such as trees (fruit and ornamental), horticultural landscaping (azalea, loropetalum), and our favorite — sod (zoysia, centipede, bermuda, St. Augustine)!
In April, the soil temperatures are optimal, but more importantly, the daytime temperatures are in the mid 80s and nighttime temperatures average in the 60s. When we have the cooler temperatures, we need to take advantage of what Mother Nature is offering. A lot of times we do all this planting, and we are so accustomed to all the wet weather we had in March that we forget to water.
If we are going to be home in quarantine, then we should take advantage of it, because working from home can allow us to give the supplemental watering needed for new landscaping. To ensure the fruits of your labor are a success, make sure you do all the necessary prep work before installation.
The supplemental addition of lime and fertilizer, Nature's Helper, and topsoil are not necessary, but they will always increase your success — just like tilling the soil 4″–6″ deep for sod and digging a hole twice as big as the plant's root mass. We have all seen bermuda grass growing across our driveway and thought, "Why do I have to do so much prep work if this stuff will grow on concrete?" Right? Because what you see growing over the edge of your concrete is temporary and will not last. The prep work is literally the foundation of your planting.
In grasses, for every 1″ you see, you need 2″ of roots. So, a 2″ lawn needs 4″ roots to be sustainable — it's called the root-shoot ratio, or 1:2. Horticultural plants are a little different, yet they have similar needs. Their roots are in bunches or balls, are very fibrous and spread horizontally. That's why it's important to dig the hole twice as big. Trees are very different depending on the species. We have all seen the tree root that's 20′ from the source busting up our cart path or concrete. If you need any recommendations or consultation, please feel free to call me.
Remember, "Go Get Dirty" to keep that immune system strong!
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