Purdue Extension Service

Vanderburgh County, Indiana

What Not To Do In the Yard and Garden

By Larry Caplan, Extension Horticulture Educator, Vanderburgh County, IN

For the Evansville Courier and Press, March 15, 2009

Most of my columns seem to revolve on me suggesting things that gardeners should do. Today, let's try something different, and talk about the things we SHOULDN'T do this spring.

* Don't burn off your zoysiagrass lawn. Some gardeners think that they are burning off the thatch when they set fire to their lawns in the spring. They're not; all that's happening is that the dead grass blades are being scorched. The thatch is still there. If you were actually burning off the thatch, you would be killing off the live crowns of the grass. This practice is very dangerous (you can set your house on fire) as well as illegal.

* Don't chop back your shrubs...especially crape myrtles. Many people think this is the proper way to prune back vigorously growing shrubs. Unfortunately, all this accomplishes is ruining the plant's natural shape. Each cut tip will sprout several new shoots, which will climb back up to the previous height within a year or two.

* Don't fertilize your lawns too early. All midwestern universities agree that lawns should not be fertilized in the spring until after the first major flush of growth is over. For Kentucky bluegrass and fescue lawns in our area, that means not fertilizing any earlier than mid April; zoysiagrass should not be fertilized until June.

* Don't pour excess or unwanted chemicals and fertilizers down the drain or sewer. These chemicals pass unchanged through our sewer treatment plants, and end up in someone else's drinking water. They can kill off the beneficial bacteria needed to break down the household sewage in septic tanks. These fertilizers can also spark the growth of algae and other aquatic weeds in streams and lakes, and may be partly responsible for the Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico.

* Don't work your garden soil when it's wet. This creates compaction, which will inhibit root growth for years to come. Also, the clods of soil you bring up will dry and harden into bricks.

* Don't plant your garden too early. The recent weird weather is tempting a lot of people to get out and start setting plants. I fear, though, that we may have an April freeze that will wipe out all of our early plantings, just like it did in 2007.

* And finally, don't apply any pesticide to your yard or garden until you have completely read the label. This will keep you from making costly mistakes that could cause harm to your plants, the environment, and your family. Likewise, improper use of fertilizers can cause harm to your plants, pollute streams and ponds, and over-stimulate your lawn to the point where you need to mow it two or three times a week.

DON'T call the Purdue Extension Service at (812) 435-5287...unless you want more information on what you should DO in the garden.