2019 Lawn & Garden Preparation Guide - Pleasants Hardware

2019 Lawn & Garden Preparation Guide
Pleasants Hardware is committed to helping you get your lawn and garden all set up for having
fun in the upcoming spring and summer months. This free downloadable and printable eBook is
 part of that commitment to help you. We hope you make good use out of the information in this
guide. Don’t forget to stop by one of our 7 locations around Richmond, VA where we are always
                              happy to help you find what you need!

Table of Contents

Winter Pruning: Staying Trim for Springtime ............................................... 3
       Why Should You Prune Your Plants? ................................................ 3
               Plant Health .............................................................................. 3
               Aesthetic Concerns .................................................................. 4
       When Is Best for Pruning? ................................................................. 4
               Preparing for Spring.................................................................. 4
               Avoid Fall and Early Winter....................................................... 5
       Getting Started This Year .................................................................. 5
Seed Starting Guide for Richmond VA ........................................................ 6
       Are My Seeds from Last Year Still Good?.......................................... 6
               Germination Rate Testing: ........................................................ 7
       When to Start Seeds in Richmond, Virginia? ..................................... 7
Spring Yard Cleanup Checklist ................................................................... 8
       Remove Dead Materials and Litter..................................................... 8
       Assess the Status of Your Lawn ........................................................ 9
       Feed Your Lawn What it Needs ......................................................... 9
       Other Yard Cleanup Tasks .............................................................. 10

Winter Pruning: Staying Trim for Springtime

Garden Gloves
   •   Paw Patrol Kid’s Gloves
   •   Batman Kid’s Gloves
   •   Midwest Neoprene Garden Gloves

Why Should You Prune Your Plants?
It may seem counter-intuitive to hurt your plants to make them better but, for many
woody plants, careful pruning improves both its health and appearance. Pruning is all
about removing the parts of the plant that are non-essential its primary purpose. This
frees the tree or shrub to allocate its nutrients into more essential areas, whether that be
the root system, a taller trunk or more flowers and fruit.

Plant Health
Dead, dying and diseased sections of a tree or shrub can take nutrients away from the
healthier sections of the tree. Removing these stems and branches stops the plant from
wasting any more resources on lost causes. But pruning for health can be more
extensive than that. Even without any visible issues, pruning unnecessary sprouts can

improve the health of the tree as it devotes more energy to extending its root system,
growing taller, and supporting bigger branches.

Small Plant Pruning Tools
   •   Softgrip Bypass Pruner
   •   Herb Snip
   •   Pruning Snip
   •   Micro-Tip Pruning Shear

Aesthetic Concerns
A secondary reason to engage in pruning is for the look of the plant. You may want to
prune a tree that is dead set on producing branches over the roof of your house or you
maybe your hedges are overgrown. You may also want to encourage flower or fruit
production so you can enjoy a prettier or tastier tree. These are all valid reason to prune
so long as you support the overall health of the plant.

When Is Best for Pruning?
These early winter months can be a great time to set out your goals for your lawn and
garden. And while pruning advice can range from species to species, late winter months
can be ideal pruning time for some woody plants. For additional advice, look at Better
Homes & Gardens’ list of what to prune when.

Large Plant Pruning Tools
   •   Telescopic Bypass Lopper
   •   Pruning Saw
   •   Pole Tree Pruner

Preparing for Spring
Plants follow a growing cycle in lockstep with the seasons. Deciduous trees lose their
leaves in the fall and go dormant until the dawn of spring. For plants that keep their
leaves, the short days and cold conditions slow their metabolism. Once spring does
arrive, there will be a flurry of growth as they breathe in the fresh sunshine.
In preparation for this oncoming onslaught of growth, it is important to ensure that all
your plants are prepared appropriately. Pruning encourages a spurt of growth in the
remaining branches and gives your pruned plants an advantage over other plants that
are still devoting energy to their dead limbs.

Avoid Fall and Early Winter
Fall and early winter can be a vulnerable time for plants with frost and invading insects.
Pruning in the fall opens wounds during a time when the tree or shrub is more
susceptible to these threats. Once spring is in full swing, pruning is not advisable either.

Pruning Tools Replacement Parts
   •   Pole Pruner Replacement Blade
   •   Pruning Saw Replacement Blade

Getting Started This Year
When you prune, you should start with removing the dead and diseased branches first.
Be careful to cut into only the branch that you want to remove without affecting the
parent or sister branch. If you cut too deep, you will damage the parent or sister branch
possibly permanently. After the worst bits are removed, you should have a clearer view
of to begin trimming for aesthetic or specific growth objectives.

Seed Starting Guide for Richmond VA

January is still wintertime here in Richmond, Virginia, and we may have some intense
winter storms around the corner, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get started on your
seed starting plans. In fact, sooner would be better for a few reasons. Read on to find
out why.

Are My Seeds from Last Year Still Good?
Assuming you properly store your seeds in a cool, dry and airtight container (maybe
even with a little powdered milk or silica gel to keep them safe from humidity), garden
seeds could last anywhere from 2 to 3 years.
It is important to note, however, that every seed packet has an expected germination
rate that decreases as time goes on. On the one hand, you can, at no point, expect
every single seed in the packet to sprout. On the other hand, if you have enough very
old seeds, they might not be a lost cause. You might get lucky with one or two sprouts.
There are no guarantees, just probabilities.
Testing for germination takes as long as the specific plant species takes to germinate.
Depending on the species, you could be looking at anywhere from a few days to a few
weeks. This is one reason you may want to begin your seed starting in January.
Knowing the germination rate on your seeds may justify ordering replacements.

Germination Rate Testing:
   1. Spread ten seeds on a damp paper towel and wrap
   2. Put the seeds in a warm place (75°F)
   3. Wait for seeds to germinate
   4. When it is clear that no more seeds will germinate, count how many did, divide by 10
      and multiply by 100 to get the percent.

When to Start Seeds in Richmond, Virginia?
The USDA uses hardiness zones to give you an idea of what you can plant and when
you can plant it. The last frost date for this region is April 15th, and the minimum
expected temperature is 5 degrees Fahrenheit.
While not all plants handle transplant shock well, the flowers and vegetables that you do
want to start indoors should start in mid to late February. If you have a greenhouse,
you’ll want to use it along with a digital thermometer to create a controlled environment
for your seeds to germinate. Germination requires a great deal of moisture, heat, and
lighting. Seeds germinate best when they are put in a damp environment just above
room temperature. Using seed starter trays with proper drainage and ventilation will
keep them from rotting, and a heat mat underneath the tray will give the little boost in
temperature you need. You will also want a fluorescent lamp that runs for 12-16 hours a
day within 6 inches of the seedlings. Pleasants offers indoor/outdoor outlet timers to
automate this process.
Once the threat of frost has passed in mid-April, a frost blanket will give you peace of
mind against any sudden cold snaps and a keep the bugs away from your delicate
seedlings.

Spring Yard Cleanup Checklist

Spring should be on its way any day now. Before we know it, summer will be here and
you may want to begin planning to enjoy the warmer weather in your yard. Whether you
have a large or small property, the land surrounding your home can be a continual
retreat for the occasional vacation from the closeness of indoor living.
But before you can be ready for the summer months and what they will bring, you will
need to get your yard cleaned up. We all know that this is a chore that can seem
insurmountable and easy to continually put off to next week. It is our hope, however,
that with this checklist will help solidify how you systemize your spring yard cleanup
strategy to get it done quickly and thoroughly.

Remove Dead Materials and Litter
Chances are, you will have dead leaves, debris and little items around the yard that you
will want to cleanup before you do anything else in the yard. It is best to scan the yard
for non-organic or difficult to rake waste first so that what’s left behind can be easily
raked into a corner and either composted or disposed of. Getting a wheelbarrow or 5
gallon bucket out for collecting debris and not missing a single inch of your yard can

make all the difference. Your leaf rake will make quick work of the rest of what is hiding
your grass from the nourishing rays of the sun.

Assess the Status of Your Lawn
With the little bits of debris out of the way in your yard, you will have a clear view of
what your lawn looks like. You can assess whether or not there are any bare patches or
any bits of dead or dying grass. You may consider breaking out the crayons and
drawing a rough sketch of your lawn so that you know what areas you would like to see
improve over the coming months.
During the wintertime, your grass goes into a hibernating state will the freezing
temperatures prevents the grass blades from circulating moisture. This reduces the
grass color to a dull brown that makes the eventual greening of spring look so vivid.
At this point, you should pull out your handy digital lawn thermometer. Don’t have one?
Your local Pleasants has two options; the Rapitest 3-Way Digital Soil Tester, which
measures pH, temperature, and fertility, or the Rapitest Digital Soil Thermometer, which
measures only soil temperature. The pH level may be helpful if you have never tested
your yard before or if you are afraid that deicing salt from has adversely affected your
lawn’s pH levels. If the soil measures 55°F or above, it is time to apply grass fertilizer to
get your lawn growing healthily.

Feed Your Lawn What It Needs
You grass is very hungry to get growing in the spring. This is the best time to apply
Scotts Turf Builder Lawn Fertilizer or Jonathan Green Green-Up Lawn Fertilizer that
comes with extra crabgrass prevention. Both brands have online advice for when to
apply fertilizer around the year. You’ll find the flow chart from Jonathan Green below.
When it comes to applying the fertilizer, there are two methods. For a small lawn, you
can use a handheld spreader. If your yard is of considerable size, a push spreader is
definitely the way to go. If have any bare patches that need new grass seed planted,
see our 5-step grass planting guide.

Other Yard Cleanup Tasks
In addition to caring for your yard, you may need to cleanup a few other items in your
yard.
Here is our list of possible tasks:
    • Wash off outdoor furniture
    • Check grill hoses and propane
    • Attach hoses to outdoor faucets and check for leaks
    • Powerwash, sand and stain deck if needed
    • Clean your house siding and touch up with paint
    • Repair broken screens on windows and doors
    • Clean debris from gutters
    • Fix cracks in driveway and sealcoat if needed

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Thanks for following our 2019 Lawn & Garden Preparation Guide! Pleasants loves
being Richmond, VA’s trusted local hardware store. We hope you found these tips
helpful and will stop by one of our 7 locations to chat with our friendly staff members
about your lawn and garden plans.