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Show TP Care for yoioir EDITOR'S NOTE -Dean Fosdick retired in May 2001 after 23 years with The Associated Press, 15 of those as Alaska bureau chief. He covered the Exxon Valdez oil spill, volcanoes, galloping glaciers and harvesting Alaska-grown, cabbages. He can be reached at: lann now, lyhiie ftG.e snow sponsored seminars aimed at showing homeowners how to make their lawns look country club chic lush, green and manicured, among other things. "Much of this started in the early '60s when lawn care was really a big deal," Hadeler says. "You needed to know what you were talking about if you wanted to keep customers." The best time to begin caring for your lawn is now, while some snow still covers the ground, he says. Beat the crowds by taking your mower, string cutter, tiller, leaf blower or all the above to the nearest e repair shop for a seasonal workup. Chances are, they'll v , need new sparkplugs, fuel lines cleaned, a general tightening up and the mower blade sharpened. And while on the sub1 ject of lawnmower blades: Sharpen them at least eight to 10 times per year. "Dull blades fray grass," Hadeler says. "Grass dies from the top, eventually killing the entire plant. Sharpening is the cheapest thing you can do to extend the life of your lawn " Early spring also is a good time to run a soil test. That tells you several things, but primarily whether your soil is acidic (a pH balance below 7.0) or alkaline (above 7.0). Most garden soils range . . deanfbsdicknetscape.net By DEAN FOSDICK For The Associated Press NEW MARKET, Va. George Hadeler likes talking about the couple down the street how they ' ' spend hundreds of dollars on foundation plants and ornamentals each year yet ignore their expanse of grassy lawn. "Home and garden magazines call it 'curb appeal,' " Hadeler says. "It's the first impression visitors or prospective buyers get when they arrive at your house. If the lawn looks scraggly, then everything else is an uphill battle." Hadeler, a master gardener from Luray, Va., speaks from the vantage point of more than a quarter-c" . ; running a hardware business in suburban New York. Along with selling lawn care products by the railer load, he also attended manufacturer- entury tractor-t- small-engin- between pH 5.5 and pH 7.5. On the acid to alkaline scale, pH 7.0 would be neutral Soils contain nutrients but you may want to bulk yours up with organic matter, fertilizer or compost ; Fertilizers work faster and can be formulated to se capsules. "Water soluble fertilizers give you an instant energy burst," Hadeler says. "You may have to mow more frequently for a while. (fertilizer) is more expensive but it has a longer effect." One caution. Fertilizer often is poorly applied or too much is put down. It winds up on driveways or off target, Hadeler says. "You're only fertilizing watersheds to the detriment of water quality," he says. If you didn't rake last fall, the first warm days of spring are an opportune ; time for removing leftover leaves and thatch. "Aside from making your lawn look better, that (raking) gives you a chance to determine its overall condition," Hadeler says. "Develop a plan as you walk. Become familiar il with your yard before or early May." Decide if you want to seed or d damaged . Time-relea- mid-Atlant- se mid-Apr- re-so- areas. "If it looks like you have of trees, or they can be to seed, it's wise to put it planted in their own beds down before the last snow along fences, walls; walks of winter. Snow helps push and patios, horticulturists seed down into the ground. with Colorado State Also, you've just raked. You University say about a won't get more than a 5 xeriscaping plan. A lingering drought in percent success rate unless you've opened the ground a more than 20 states may little." explain in part why landThe seed variety you scaping activity is up and choose should fit your clilawn care is down, says mate. Kentucky bluegrass Bruce Butterfield, research director for the National thrives in cool, moist regions like the coastal Gardening Association. Northwest and the "Lawn care sales states. Fescue and decreased from $12.7 bilbuffalo grass are better for lion in 2001 to $11.9 billion in 2002," Butterfield dryer conditions. Bermuda grass is generally able to says. "Landscaping sales handle the heat of southincreased from $6.3 billion ern summers. in 2001 to $8.8 billion in 2002." None, however, will remain green without Which brings us full cii water tt..'. an inch, probably., ,cle to Hadeler's landscape- rich but more, per week for Adjust the mowing neighbors. "Jf you take a field and height to at least three inches in hot weather. That mow it and mow it and helps the grass hold water ' mow it, youH have a yard. better. But you wont have a Limit the size of your lawn," he says. "If you lawn if you're experiencing want a picture-perfelawn, youll have to work long periods without rain and jet some of it go dorat it." mant. Replace your turf On the Net: with ground coyer, a rock National Gardening garden or try xeriscaping. -The latter derives from the Association: " for word Greet xeros, "dry http:www.garden.org Colorado State and is becoming a popular, landUniversity Cooperative Extension, about xeriscapscape technique around the nation. ing: Annuals and perennials http: 1 1 www.ext.colostate.e can be integrated with du; click on gardening; shrub borders and groups click on fact sheets. -- release their nutrients in a rush or slowly, in time-relea- flongeifs ic : blue-gras- s. . grass-depriv- ed ct . 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