Spring is the best time to lawn and garden for some households in the Aiken area, with little chance of freezing and no chance of getting hot.
“Green grass and spring flowers give hope to our souls,” said Adam Altman, owner of Adam’s Nursery and Landscaping in Barnwell, recalling the turmoil of the past year when COVID-19 caused radical changes and pushed many homeowners to take more active roles in and out to their homes and gardens.
Altman’s company will be one of many vendors participating in Aiken Standard’s two-day Spring Home and Garden Show, which will be held on Friday, April 16, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. at the H. Odell Weeks Activities Center, 1700 Whiskey Road, takes place until 3 p.m. Saturday April 17th.
The next few weeks could be a good time fertilizing lawns, according to Michaela Berley, retail manager at Cold Creek Nurseries.
“Aiken is a really great place to be able to plant all year round because as long as you get your shovel in the ground and that soil isn’t frozen, you can plant here,” she added. “A lot of people start in the spring. The best thing to do is make sure you are really careful about the watering of your plants.”
“Spring is not a date,” said Dave Mathews, owner of StraightEdge Lawn Service in North Augusta. “You have to watch the weather.”
“‘Treat the weeds but don’t feed them’ I think is probably a good thing to remember,” added Mathews.
Addressing another issue, Pat McMahon, manager of Cold Creek Kindergartens, remarked, “It’s time to turn your sprinkler systems back on if you cut them off.”
Three concepts to consider are “lawn food, plant food and water”.
Scott Weymouth, owner of Scott’s Lawn Care in Aiken, said his business is usually in full swing around April 1st. He recommends applying fertilizer at this point before emergence. “That will help keep the weeds in the grass during the growing season.”
Bad ideas include pruning “anything either in the bud or preparing to bud,” Weymouth said. “The main thing then is that the plant is trying to re-establish itself for the season, and you don’t want to prevent that. Let nature take its course.”
Mechanical aspects should also be considered with the clear arrival of spring.
“Get your gear serviced and ready. Change your oil. Change your gas in your gear. Change the blades. Just get ready for the coming season by checking all your gear.”
Berley in Cold Creek made similar comments.
“You have to take care of your plants, which you clear and maybe cover when we get into the low 40s and close to freezing, and from time to time we can freeze late,” she said.
She also went into the latest trends. “We have seen a real increase in people buying fruit trees, and a lot of people want to plant orchards in their back yard. Now is a good time to get those fruit trees in the ground and root them in so that hopefully you can get some fruit get of these trees come summer. “
This year started on a strong note at Cold Creek, she confirmed.
“As soon as the sun came up, we tracked people down, looked for them, made plans and prepared to beautify their yards.”
Altman in Barnwell noted that the overall combination can be “great mental therapy”.
He wrote: “My advice for the spring garden is to go outside and get your hands dirty with your family and friends and enjoy what nature has given us … sunshine, blue skies, green grass and flowering plants . “
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