After the wet, cold and gloomy week last week that brought the month of March to an end, we finally have a spell of good weather. The country has been basking in beautiful sunshine over the Easter week and there were lots of activities outdoors with the promise of good weather to continue for another few days. It is a perfect opportunity to get out and walking around the neighbourhood and admires the trees and hedgerows that run along our roadside. Everything is starting to come to life, buds are swelling and are bursting open,  the sweet smell of spring flowering trees will be filling the air very soon.

The constant rain last week hampered efforts to get jobs done in the garden but on the other hand it gave the soil a good soaking. This week we have the optimal temperatures for growth. Soil temperatures will be warming up, longer hours of daylight and the warmth of prolonged sunshine will cause a big spurt in growth in our trees, shrubs and especially our lawns.

The month of April is the time to get our garden lawns in shape, to have them looking presentable and to set the scene for the rest of the garden and for all the family to enjoy.

The 3 key elements to tackle when you want a green healthy lawn is killing the weeds and moss and fertilising the lawn. For convenience I would recommend using a granular feed/weed and moss killer all in one, available at all good garden centres. Always remember to follow instructions! The trick to having a green healthy lawn is to apply the right amounts, at the right time, to the right areas. The grass should be dry, the soil should be moist and ideally rain should be forecast in the next 3-5 days.  If there is no rain watering with a hose or sprinkler system is best to avoid scorching. The heavy morning dew may help but might not be sufficient.

 Over dosing does not make the product work better or quicker, it will cause scorching and possibly kill off the grass so use a lawn spreader to get even distribution. 

In a week or two the grass will be greening up and at the same time the moss will be blackening and weeds will be dying back. If there are excessive amounts of moss it is a good idea to rake it out using a wire rake. If it is a large area, hire a scarifying machine from your local hire shop and go over the lawn a couple of times, each time collecting the moss. Aerate using a folk every foot or two and top-dress with lawn sand. These are signs of bad drainage and compaction in the soil so further works may need to be carried out on a yearly basis depending on the severity of the problem. Seed any bare patches and water well. Within a few weeks you will have a weed free, moss free, velvety green healthy lawn you can be very proud of.

Mowing can take place a couple of days after treatment and always after it rains. Remove all debris and leaves first. I always strim and edge the lawn before mowing, it gives the lawn an better finish and  this gives me an opportunity to get a good look at the quality of the lawn and to see what future work if any needs to be done. For the first few cuts in spring raise the blades on your lawn mower. As I said before, it’s so tempting to cut it really short to get it nice and tidy but it’s the worst action you can take. Blades can be lowered as the season goes on while regular cutting is taking place. During hot or dry periods when growth slows down raise the blades higher again as it keeps the grass looking greener and reduces stress on the lawn.

All the landscape maintenance teams at Doyle landscapes are currently working on garden lawn care treatments. We can offer your tailored made garden and lawn care solutions to improve the structure, health and vitality of your lawn.

 If you require a lawn care consultation give us a call for a friendly chat or call out, we can offer you a range of services that will suit your garden and lawn care requirements.

COMPETITION TIME!

To celebrate the opening of our new Office & Design studio at The Village Craft Centre in Cornelscourt Village, Dublin 18, we are giving away a super gardening hamper worth over €170 to one lucky person.
We want your garden bursting with colour and flowers this year so we have put together a fantastic range of *Organic products and seeds to help with your Garden Care.
All you have to do is 'Like' our page, Comment and Sharing in Caring!

Here list is of our Hamper Products and Seeds:
Darby True Temper large By-Pass Pruner
Harmony stainless steel Hand & Fork trowel
Garden Kneeler
Adults gardening gloves
Dylan the Dinosaurs children's gardening gloves
Westland Organic Chicken Pellet Manure (5.5kg)
Organic Irish Weed killer (1ltr)
Maxicrop Organic Seaweed Plant Growth Stimulant (1ltr)
Nuedorff Organic Rose Feed
Bayer Garden Organic Bug Spray
Westland Earth Matters Organic Slug blocker Granules
Little Growers Propagation Kit
Window still seed propagators (*2)
Potting on pots for your seedlings
Westland potting compost (75ltr bag)
Tenax PH soil tester
Goulding Wild Bird Fat Balls
Westland Nature Haven Easy Wild-flower Mix
Easy to Grow Seeds:
Giant Sunflowers, Cosmos, Nicotiana, Cornflowers, Marigolds, Cut & Come again Salads, Rocket salad, Carrots, Courgettes, Cabbage and Cherry Tomatoes.
The winner will be contacted on Thursday 16th of April
*only products labelled organic
T&C Apply

Trees can also be planted in the summer months but require a lot of watering, care and are more susceptible to damage and take longer to establish so avoid planting until late autumn if possible. This includes both deciduous and evergreen trees, but there is always an exception to this rule.  Each trees timing varies but generally most trees come into leaf or flower from March to mid-April onwards. This is why I am writing this blog now because there is still a small window of opportunity to plant new trees and transplant existing garden trees while you still can. It is also more cost effective to buy bear root or root ball trees than container trees, but once the dormancy periods ends only containerised trees can be purchased until the following winter.

 The Easter bank holiday weekend offers  gardeners a few warmer days (hopefully) and with the longer stretch in the evenings it is a welcome opportunity to get out and enjoy the garden and prepare it for the summer months ahead.

Sometimes we plant trees in places we think are suitable but then later realise after a year or two that it’s not quite the right spot. It could be over crowding other plants and requires pruning and a new position in the garden so it has the potential to show off its true form, shape, texture and colour.

Its a good idea to take 10 minutes over the weekend to sit in your garden with a cup of tea and carefully examine the structure of your space, taking into account the position and height of your trees.  Are they blocking light, a view, a concealed area of the garden you would like to see again and are they providing  privacy? Is there a tree that birds can perch on offering shade and shelter on a hot summer’s day? 
 If you feel your garden is being over looked or you require more privacy or height, form and some more structure is needed for your garden design, it is really worth considering and investing in new trees that will give more privacy and shape for those long lazy summer days whilst adding seasonal interest  and increasing biodiversity in your garden. Tree selection is very important particularly for small to medium size gardens where space is limited and you don’t want them taking over the entire garden!

Here are a list of trees that are suitable for small gardens and medium gardens and can give you some added privacy and seasonal interest if positioned correctly.

1.       Acer campestre (field maple) 8m, good autumn colour
2.       Acer griseum (paper bark peeling maple) 5m
3.       Amelanchier x grandiflora “Ballerina” 5m
4.       Arbutus unedo (strawberry tree) 8m
5.       Crataegus persimilis ‘prunifolia’ (broad leaf cockspur thorn) 5m
6.       Prunus ‘Amanogawa’ 5m
7.       Prunus spinosa (blackthorn) 5m
8.       Malus sylvestris (crab apple)9m
9.       Sorbus ‘joseph Rock’ and ‘Autumn Spire’ 6m
10.   Salix cinerea (grey willow) 6m 

It is important to buy these trees semi-mature, as it will take them longer to grow and reach the optimal height required for increased privacy because they are slower growing.  They will all provide structure, seasonal interest with most bearing flowers, fruits, catkins or berries and beautiful autumn foliage not to mention the peeling bark of the Acer Griseum.

If transplanting existing trees there are some key points to take into consideration before you start the task of moving them around the garden. It can be a difficult task and sometimes trees don’t transplant well especially if there is not enough root ball. Death can be a common problem in transplanted trees.  I would recommend only transplanting trees if they are under 5 years old. Less than 3 years would be ideal and a lot easier to move but it all depends on the growth of the tree and how established it has become since it was originally planted. The trick is to get as much root ball as possible both in width and depth.

1. Water the soil a day or two before to soften the ground, reduce stress to tree roots and help keep the root ball intact.

2. Dig the new planting hole and have it ready before  transplanting , twice the size and depth and add a good organic fertiliser to give the aerial roots lots of food to build a new root system faster.

3. Tie the lower branches of the tree up to protect them and keep them out of your way while digging.

4. It all depends on the size of the tree and the size of the crown but the more of a root ball you can dig out the better it is for the trees long term health. Using a long sharp spade, slice into the soil approx. 1/3 the width of the crown of the tree or at least 2ft from the base if the truck in a circular motion around the tree so that you can develop a big thick root ball with lots of soil attached to it. Remove the soil around the new root ball so it is easy to dig out.( width and depth varies depending on the size of the tree)  If you encounter any large roots use a secateurs to give clean cuts as this will reduce infection and  the roots will regenerate better.

5. Transfer to its new position and double stake on the windward side and attached a new strap to tree and stake in the figure 8.

6. Water, water, water especially through dry periods, if there is a lot of branches prune 1/3 to reduce stress on the tree.

Trees are wonderful, there are so many health benefits and advantages associated with planting trees.  They give us oxygen, clean our air and give shelter and food, reduce stress and give privacy, so get out and get planting!

 There are many factors that influence the success of transplanting trees. The actual size of their root ball and some crown reduction will give the tree the best possible chance to rejuvenate in its new position in the garden. If you have any further queries on this topic or would like to send me a photo of a tree you want to transplant forward  it through our garden care help desk page,  or if you would like one of our trained and experienced horticultural teams to do it for you contact us on (01) 2048020

Happy Easter and Happy Gardening!