How to choose the right fertilizer for your lawn
The top mulch varieties for your garden
• Wood and bark mulch is the most com- mon type of mulch used for a reason. It’s inexpensive, it gives your garden a pleasing and natural look and it’s easy to lay down. This is just a small selection of the types of mulch you can use in your garden. For ins- tance, there’s also landscape fabric, mush- room compost, lava rock and seaweed. Sim- ply choose the one that best suits your garden, budget and style.
Gardeners use mulch to keep weeds away and to preserve moisture in the soil. Though wood and bark mulch are the most popular, there are many other options available. Here are some types of mulch that are worth con- sidering for your garden. • Pine straw slowly acidifies soil, making it ideal for gardens with flowers that thrive in such conditions like hydrangeas, azaleas, rhododendrons and daffodils. • Fallen leaves are a cost-free and organic mulch option. It allows water to get through, prevents weeds from pushing up and im- proves soil health by eventually turning into compost. • Rock mulch is a more permanent option given that rocks don’t blow away or de- compose. Rock mulch works well for low-maintenance gardens with mostly shrubs and trees. • Cocoa mulch is the most eye-pleasing — and aromatic — option. Made of rich brown cocoa hulls, this type of mulch re- tains moisture well, repels garden pests and has a chocolatey smell. However, co- coa mulch may not be the best option if you have pets: ingesting it makes dogs and cats sick.
Every lawn requires its own unique blend of nutrients to thrive. This fact is reflected by the many varieties of fertilizer on the mar- ket. If you want healthy grass, it’s important that you choose the type of fertilizer best
referred to as an NPK ratio, typically ap- pear on the front packaging. Fertilizer numbers indicate the percentage of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium the fertilizer contains — in that order! These are the main nutrients your lawn needs and they perform different functions. Nitrogen promotes plant growth and makes your grass greener; phosphorus promotes
suited to your particular lawn. UNDERSTANDING FERTILIZER LABELS
The key information on a unit of fertilizer is contained in a chain of three numbers se- parated by dashes. These numbers, often
root growth and potassium builds strong cells within the plant tissue. SELECTING YOUR FERTILIZER The fertilizer you add to your lawn should supplement what’s lacking in the soil. For ins- tance, if your soil lacks nitro- gen, has ample phosphorus and almost enough potassium, you might choose a fertilizer marked 34-0-4. To find out what nutrients your lawn needs, pick up an inexpensive soil test kit at a garden centre. If you want a more detailed evaluation, get a lawn care professional to perform one.
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