Torrential Designs

Above all things, remember the basic goal of late summer and early fall fertilizing is to promote root growth. When you have strong roots, you have healthy plants! By helping roots grow strong before winter sets in, you are insuring that your lawn will green-up more quickly in the spring and become more resistant to disease and drought all summer long.

Late summer fertilizing is just one essential part of your late summer and early fall lawn care maintenance you should be performing every year to prepare your lawn for the winter and make sure it is ready to thrive next spring.

Fertilizer By The Numbers
It’s important to remember that all fertilizer is not created equal. Each bag will be labeled with a formula to help you determine which type of fertilizer is best for your lawn application. (Remember to always follow the manufacturer’s recommended rate of application.)

On each package of fertilizer, there are three numbers (often called NPK) that tell you the percentage of nutrients in the fertilizer. The three main components are:
• Nitrogen (symbol N) for lawn blade, leaf development, foliage growth and vivid green color.
• Phosphorous (symbol P) for root growth.
• Potassium (symbol K) sometimes called potash, for root development and disease resistance.
For example, the common 16-4-8 fertilizer is made of 16% nitrogen, 4% phosphorus, and 8% potassium.

September
Early in September, your lawn is likely recovering from a long hot summer and may even be coming out of a drought-induced dormancy, so you’ll want to give your lawn a good shot of nitrogen to boost the blade growth. A fertilizer with a formula of 20-8-8 will give it the nutrients it needs to head into the fall strong.

Late October or Early November
While a late summer dose of fertilizer is important, an application in late fall around the end of October or early November is absolutely essential. This application should provide a good dose of phosphorus will stimulate root growth through November and even into early December. A fertilizer with a formula of 13-25-12 works very well this time of year.

If you are a bit nervous about the cost of putting two applications of fertilizer on the lawn in both the early and late fall, you may want to use only half of the recommended amount of fertilizer in that early fall job and half of the recommended amount in the late fall application. This will really cut the costs while still giving you some important benefits. Some people also treat their lawn for weeds and insects at the same time, but unless there are signs of trouble or a history of problems with your lawn, don’t bother applying anything but fertilizer.

Whether you choose to fertilize your lawn two, three or four times per year, remember you should always give your lawn a good dose of fertilizer in the fall – it’s the most important one of the year.

Tags: fall, fertilizer, late summer, Lawn

As the days become shorter, we wrap up another summer of outdoor activities and enjoyment of our outdoor living spaces.  Now’s the time to perform a little bit of maintenance to ensure your patio and deck is protected over the winter and will be ready to go when the spring arrives again.  For most areas of the US & Canada, the warm weather season only lasts for about 6 months of the year.  This means that during the other 6 months of the year, your deck is facing the harsh cold weather elements and the shock that comes from the extreme climatic changes from hot to cold.

Wood Deterioration
By far, the most common source of deterioration and damage to decks is water.  Even a small amount of moisture causes the wood to expand and then contract when it dries.  This swelling and shrinking action can cause fasteners to pop or loosen and may warp, crack or split the boards.  If the deck remains wet constantly, fungus and bacteria can begin to grow and begin rotting the wood, turning the wood into mush over time.

Prevention for this can be as simple as keeping your deck clean by sweeping regularly and clearing away any puddles to help keep the wood dry.  A good coat of sealant can help greatly, especially when combined with prevention.

Depending on your area, a wide variety of insects may have taken up residence in your deck and are slowly destroying it.  Remember that many woods are insect resistant, but not likely insect proof.

Inspecting your deck
At the beginning and end of each season, be sure to conduct a thorough inspection of your deck, stairs and foundations.  Walk around the deck and listen for squeaks.  Feel for any soft spots or sagging areas.  Pay special attention to areas where there is direct wood-to-wood contact as this is a prime spot for wood rot.

• Check where the joists contact the beams
• Check where the beams contact the posts
• Check the posts contact the concrete footings, as these are especially moisture prone
• Check the ledger board where the deck connects to the house
• Check the bottom of the stair stringers where the wood contacts the ground, patio or the landing area.

Be especially aware of areas that are showing water stains, as this indicates that they received constant moisture and may have potential for future problems.

Replace Rotten Boards
If you find any boards beginning to show signs of rot, you need to replace them.  It may be tricky to remove just the rotten board without damaging the other boards.  A circular saw and a sharp chisel make easy work of removing the old board.

With some initial maintenance and repairs already taken care of, you will have more time to tackle other projects once the weather improves.

Photos by: redagain

Tags: deck, fall, maintenance

It’s getting to be the end of the summer and some great garden furniture has just gone on sale at Walmart.  I’m not talking about the cheap metal or plastic stuff you can typically find in “other people’s” back yards.  This furniture is high-quality solid hardwood Delahey furniture - this stuff is the good stuff that lasts and looks great on your patio, garden or next to your shed.

The wood used to create this furniture is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to promote environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world’s forests.  By choosing an FSC product, you can be confident that you are protecting the forests by not contributing to the destruction of them.

Delahey Outdoor Storage Box (Link) ($125.00 + free shipping to your local Walmart store) Use this handsome Delahey storage box when putting away extra cushions and pillows, lawn or pool toys. See other Delahey furniture and accessories to complete your outdoor room. All pieces in the collection are crafted from the same wood and finished with oil.

• Use to store pool or lawn toys, extra pillows, cushions and more
• Top sturdy enough to be used as seating
• Metal hinges and hydraulic lifts for easy open-and-close
• Made of FSC solid hardwood with weather-resistant finish
• Apply teak oil or teak sealer to maintain color and beauty
• Due to differences in the wood grain, the color/appearance of furniture in the Delahey collection may differ slightly, but all are made with the same wood and oil finish
• Measures: 54″ W x 25″ D x 21″ H

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It’s getting to be the end of the summer and some great garden furniture has just gone on sale at Walmart.  I’m not talking about the cheap metal or plastic stuff you can typically find in “other people’s” back yards.  This furniture is high-quality solid hardwood Delahey furniture - this stuff is the good stuff that lasts and looks great on your patio, garden or next to your shed.

The wood used to create this furniture is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to promote environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world’s forests.  By choosing an FSC product, you can be confident that you are protecting the forests by not contributing to the destruction of them.

Delahey 4ft Solid Hardwood Bench (Link) ($79.00 + free shipping to your local Walmart store) designed for comforts with contoured backrest and wide seating. Weather-resistant teak oil finish.

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