By Ryan Kindret, Kindret Landscaping
With spring just around the corner (and it’s been a long corner!) it's always great to have a refresher on best practices for fertilizing and weed control. Not only are they integral parts of a well-kept lawn and garden, but proper management practices can improve yield and quantity of plants four-fold. A little knowledge and care can go a long way in creating a beautiful landscape.
Plants share many characteristics to humans and animals in that, plants are living organisms and compete for space, nutrients, water, and light. If a section of greenspace goes unmanaged for a period of time, there is a high probability undesirable weeds will hinder the growth of existing plants, but also outgrow and replace the area of existing preferred plants. As a result, this could bring several undesirable outcomes, such as disease and poor land quality. Which could result in further problems such as unsuitable growing conditions or land erosion. Weeds provide unsafe playing conditions on sports fields and the pollen can affect people with allergies or asthma.
There are several ways in which weeds can be removed. This includes manually by hand or using a tool. Mechanically, by using mower to cut down weed stocks and prevent seeds from spreading. There are also various natural approaches including prevention. An example of this would be to put wood mulch down in a shrub bed area to suppress weed growth. Using a Manitoba approved pesticide is always an option as well and recommended in major infested areas to assist the plants to help regain control. This can be done using a handheld sprayer with a nozzle or a backpack/ ride on sprayer for larger areas.
When it comes to fertilizing, plants also need the proper nutrition not only to grow healthy and strong, but to also stay healthy and strong. Without consistently receiving proper nutrients, plant growth and quality will steadily decline. In nature, there is a natural cycle of life the replaces these nutrients in the soil before they are exhausted.
Unfortunately, this natural cycle does not exist within City of Winnipeg limits or even on farmers fields. Sun and water are not enough and supplementary nutrients need to be provided. Fertilizers can be applied by either a liquid or a granular form. Without proper weed control and fertilization management, plants and vegetation will exhaust existing nutrients from the soil. Plants and turf will no longer be able to grow in a healthy manner, be prone to disease and will be replaced by undesirable weeds that thrive in low nutrient environments. In Manitoba, for best results, lawns and gardens should be fertilized a minimum of three times a year.
The first application should be in spring when plants come out of dormancy from the winter months. Fertilization helps strengthen the roots before the harsh summer heat.
Second application should be during the middle of summer to help strengthen plants during heat, drought, and possible insect infestation.
And fertilize once more during the early fall. This will help plants restore the nutrients lost during the harsh summer before returning to a dormant state. This helps plants strengthen their root systems for the winter.
Fertilization not only helps plants grow health and strong, but also assists in keeping weeds away in the process.
Update on MB Pesticide Legislation.
Last month, Manitoba’s Provincial Government put forth a bill that would update provincial cosmetic pesticide legislation. For many in the green industry, this decision will create increased choice and clarity for both business operations and public use in the province.
While some restrictions increase, the legislation would allow the use of Health Canada-approved cosmetic pesticides in low-risk areas such as boulevards, sidewalks, rights-of-way, and fairgrounds. Residents of Manitoba will also be able to purchase and apply federally approved pesticides on their private lawns.
The legislation may be voted on as soon as spring 2022 and implemented as soon as this summer.