Dear diary, today I fertilized my azaleas. For many of you reading this, the phrase dear diary has not been heard in years. Many famous quotes start with “timing is everything in ….” Timing may not be everything in gardening, but it is more than a passing occurrence. A diary or garden journal is an excellent way to keep track of your lawn and garden activities. Activities such as planting, fertilizing, pruning, days between pesticide application and days to harvest are just a few examples. Garden journals can be a simple spiral notebook where you keep notes and dates. Journals…

Fall is rolling along. As you look around, many deciduous trees are beginning to shed their leaves. Before long your yard will have its own coat of many colors. Or will it? Leaf removal is critical to successful sports turf management such as golf courses and ball fields. Their playing surfaces typically do not include red, orange, and yellow leaves. As homeowners you are also turf managers and leaf removal is important, too. A layer of leaf cover on grass blocks sunlight, which is necessary for photosynthesis and traps moisture increasing potential for diseases. Now before you race out to…

Fall officially arrived last week. It was sunny and 82 degrees on September 23. Does that sound like fall y’all? Regardless of my question it will be cooler soon and early to mid-fall is the best time for planting trees, shrubs, and bulbs and dividing perennials. The soil is still warm and the moisture from rainfall is typically adequate enough for newly planted or divided plants to have time to develop a good root system before winter dormancy. Now, before we grab the shovel, trowel, or spade may I remind you that the basics of good gardening do not change.…

I am often asked “Hey Larry, what can I spray for this or that?” Before I answer, I will ask if the weed, insect, fungus or other pest they want to control has been positively identified. The answer is often “no.” Here is a tip: Some garden issues cannot be solved with a spray. Now is an excellent time to collect a sample of the pest or pest damaged plant and have it positively identified. Positive identification can be done by you on some pests such as weeds by pictures and internet research. There are numerous weed identification websites available.…

With the arrival of Labor Day and kids returning to school, it is time to get serious about fall lawn renovation. This has not been a typical summer for some of us. My mower, for example has not collected dust in the shed as in summers past. However, cool season grass such as fescue, which is the dominant turf in our area, has requirements to maintain its vigor. Below are five steps to fabulous fescue: Have your soil tested. See my July 22, 2015 column for more details. You can view it at www.villagenewsonline.com/category/commentary/lifes-a-garden. Aerate your lawn to reduce compaction.…

Perhaps some of you are asking “what is a Master Gardener?” First, it is not a self-imposed title. Official definition: Master Gardeners are trained volunteer educators who work within their local community to promote environmentally sound horticultural practices. As an educational outreach component of Virginia Cooperative Extension, the Master Gardener program brings the resources of Virginia’s land-grant universities – Virginia Tech and Virginia State University – to the people of the commonwealth. Translated, and speaking only for myself, I have a passion for gardening and I want to help others make their corner of the world a little brighter. The…

Some folks subscribe to the theory “if it does not fit, get a bigger hammer.” Not so fast my fellow garden enthusiasts. Read the directions – or in this case the label –when it comes to pesticides. First, what is a pest? A pest is an animal, insect, disease, weed or fungus that you want to prevent, destroy, repel or mitigate. A pesticide is a substance or mixture of substances intended for that purpose. Pesticide manufacturers have undergone rigorous testing to determine what amount of product is necessary for results. So like the theme in a previous column, do not…

Don’t guess, soil test is one of the many sayings in the garden industry. If you use the same seed, lime, and fertilizer, you can expect the same results. Successful gardening is like anything else in life: it requires planning and following through. It is late July, and the last thing many of you are thinking about is fall fescue grass lawn renovation. Late July and early August are the best times for having your soil tested. Before you can test, you need to collect a sample. You will need a shovel, a hand trowel and a clean bucket. A…

Remember last fall, when you aerated, seeded and fertilized? Remember spring, when you put down crabgrass preventer and maybe sprayed herbicide? Lawn care does not stop just because it is summer. Here are a few, free cool season grass tips for the not so cool summer. I thought “free” might get your attention. Raise the height of your mower to three and a half inches for fescue grass. Taller grass blades help with shading the soil. Shaded soil helps retain soil moisture and prevent weed seeds from germinating. Mowing too low takes energy away from root development and moves energy…

Hello Readers, I am Larry Newman, Master Gardener with Chesterfield County Cooperative Extension. Perhaps you are thinking, “another garden dude telling me how to grow big tomatoes and go organic.” Not so fast, my fellow garden enthusiasts. The intent of my column is similar to the cooperative extension service, to share with you land-grant university information: information that can improve your landscape, reduce pests and yes, cause tomato envy at the next family picnic. I will also pass along dos and don’ts based on my successful and not-so successful endeavors. It is now late June, but it is not too…