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Page 6 Spring Home Living Winter is gone, and your lawn is thirsting for attention After a long winter's hibernation, it's time once again to get that lawn whip­ ped into a healthy, hearty sheet of green. If your lawn is looking shabby, now is an ideal time to make the changes you have always wanted, while at the same time correcting damages the lawn suf­ fered over the winter months. Two common problems for McHenry County lawns this spring are snowmold and vole damage. The past winter pro­ duced ideal conditions for both pro­ blems because of good snowcover over mostly unfrozen soil. Snowmold is a fungus disease causing patches of matted, straw-colored or bleached-looking areas in the lawn. It is active in cool, wet weather and fades away as summer nears. The development of snowmold is caused not only by snowcover over un­ frozen turf, but also by succulent turf going into winter. To avoid this situa­ tion, do not fertilize the lawn from about September 15 until the turf is complete­ ly dormant, usually in November. Another good practice is to mow the turf until it is completely dormant in late fall. If a lawn is affected by snowmold each winter, fungicide may be sprayed on the lawn before heavy snow fall. Some severe cases may re­ quire some overseeding in the spring season to correct the problem. Another problem appearing in the McHenry County area is vole damage. Voles, or field mice, feed on grass under the blanket of snow. This results in damage to turf in the spring. The damaged areas will usually fill in as the turf grows again, but it can be helped along by overseeding damaged areas. In past spring seasons, many evergreens, especially yews, received foliage damage during harsh winter conditions. Rusty-brown or burned spots on trees are usually caused by ex­ posure to the drying south or west winter winds. Evergreen varieties planted in sheltered areas show much less of this type of damage. If evergreens do show spots, hold off pruning until they resume growing again because some areas will grow back better than others. If your lawn is affected by winter winds, a windbreak might solve part of the problem. When deciding to plant trees, many factors should be considered. Spring is a good time to plant trees, but they become more difficult to transplant after they break dormancy. After dormancy, the areas of leaf and stem growth are susceptible to water loss. Water loss is the most common reason for the death of newly planted trees. Bare-root, packaged, potted, balled and burlapped and container grown are types of nursery stock available. Bare-root stock must have extra pro­ tection given to the roots by healing the roots into moist sawdust, wood shavings or loose organic material. Packaged stock are similar to bare- root, except that the roots are in a loose, moist organic material, which is packaged in a plastic sack. Potted stock is bare-root stock that has been potted into containers and sold shortly after. Balled and burlapped stock are a very durable type of stock. The stock has a soil ball which is wrapped with twine Call the electrician and lumber Recheck Blueprints Architect Planning Is Important before improving your home... There's much to be done and many benefits to enjoy when you modernize, add a room or make energy saving improvements. Why not see us first about our low cost loans. You'll be glad your first step was your smartest one. BANK and burlap. Container-grown stock has been grown in a container, but should be transplanted without the container. Before planting this type of stock, a check should be made to see if the root growth is circular. If the roots are cir­ cular, they should be separated before planting. Before planting a tree, a hole should be dug about 50 percent wider than the root ball or square spread of the tree. For shrubs, the hole should be a third wider than the root ball. Peat moss or manure can be added to enrich the soil. Starter fertilizer can also be applied with the first watering after planting. Once the tree is planted, the soil must be kept moist at all times during the first season. A two- or three-inch layer of mulching can be used to keep moisture around the plant. Recommended mulch materials are shredded hardwood bark, well-rotted manure, compost, cocoa bean hulls or coarse peat moss. Mulch materials not only conserve moisture, but also retard weed growth and help maintain a more even soil temperature. With the arrival of spring, remember, lawns require special care. Spring is an excellent time to enjoy warmer temperatures and to give extra atten­ tion to the lawn. PUT A SMILE ON YOUR HOUSE YOUR HOME IS YOUR BIGGEST INVESTMENT PROTECT IT... 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