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PHOTO BY JON TWIETMEYER, COURTESY PLEASANT GREEN GRASS
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how does your garden grow? Transform your green space with these tips from a few of Durham’s best landscaping professionals compiled by Laura Kirk
Strong Soil Healthy soil produces healthy grass. I have found that the single most important aspect to growing and maintaining a thick and healthy lawn is to add organic matter to the soil to create a large and active microbe population. Don’t Use chemical lawn care treatments, which can leach the soil of microbes. Do Apply an organic compost topdressing treatment.
Mow Conservatively Grass should be kept tall, at 3 to 3.5 inches, in order to conserve soil moisture, reduce weed seed germination and increase overall grass health. Don’t Remove more than one-third of the grass blade at a time, or water within 24 hours of mowing. Do Sharpen your blades one or two times per season.
– Scott Walker, Pleasant Green Grass 76
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durhammag.com
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June/July 2017
Mulch Much Re-mulch your planting beds with organic mulch to keep the soil beneath healthy. Don’t Use wood chips, which are not mulch, but are dyed, ground-up pallet wood. Do Use cedar mulch, cypress mulch, pine straw or pine bark.
Pare Down the Plants Just as can be the case inside your home, the outside spaces can become cluttered over time. Plants grow and will eventually need heavy pruning, moving or removing.
– Mark A. Kiefer, Kiefer Landscaping and Nursery