Weed and feed main concerns for homeowners this month By SHELLEY WILSON Staff Reporter April is the month when homeowner's thoughts should turn to the quality of their lawns, Douglas Barr, area manager of a lawn service company, says. Barr, who is establishing Lawn Medic Inc. in Kingston, Brockville and Belleville, says weed and feed should be the two main areas of concern at this time of year. "What you do in the spring affects the summer and fall," said Barr' "If you want your lawn to be thick and green, it has to be in the spring." With the heat of the summer, the lawn experiences little development, as most growth occurs in the spring, he said. Barr said a large percentage of people have problems with their lawns? either grubs and other insects, or weeds. Asked why a homeowner would need to call on a lawn service company rather than treating the problems themselves, Barr said homeowners often kill off weeds with chemicals but without seeding, causing holes in the lawn. With the proper care, property owners can have lawns that look like golf courses, Barr says. Services offered by his company include grub infestation control program, free soil sampling, and supply of high quality types of grasses and fescues. Barr says he sent out 10,000 flyers in the Belleville area advertising his services and has had good response. Two lawn care programs are available which follow lawn needs from spring through summer and fall. Services can range from putting in a new lawn, to bringing a lawn up to good condition, or maintaining a well-groomed lawn. Barr says it is wise to use a slow-release fertilizer in the fall to ensure that there is some fertilizing material left in the soil to get the lawn "going" in the spring. He emphasizes that his company does not cut lawns, just improves the quality of them. Lawn Medic is affiliated with a firm which has been doing similar work in the United States for the past 11 or more years, Barr said. Although he will not be setting up an office in Belleville, a telephone answering service takes calls requesting service.