Bad Mulch is Bad News

We read a lot about the possibility of chemicals and pesticides contaminating the food we eat, but have you thought about the food you feed your garden?

The soil in your garden, like your digestive system, is sensitive and cannot thrive being fed just any old thing.

The right mulch can do wonders for your garden. It keeps the soil moist, deters erosion, acts as a buffer against heat and cold and keeps weeds at bay. Layering mulch over your soil during the fall can maintain your soil in the winter months.

The wrong mulch, however, can end up doing more harm than good. Mulch you buy may contain herbicides that can choke the life out of the very plants you are trying to grow.

If you buy mulch be sure to ask if it contains herbicides. Your local garden center is not out to destroy your plant life, but the store may not consider the source when stocking mulch.

One way to know exactly what is in your mulch is to make your own. Clippings from your own grass and as well as the leaves you rake can be run under the lawn mower to make mulch. You can even find a use for those pesky weeds by turning them into mulch, as long as you have cut them before they go to seed.

Prepare Your House Before Leaving on Vacation

It's vacation time. The kids are out of school, the city is hot and muggy, work is dragging, summer chores are piling up -- looks like you need a vacation! Traditionally, August is when most Americans go on vacation. They flock to the seashores, tramp through the mountains, relax around hotel pools, visit friends and relatives, take in a festival, visit the state fair -- you name it, we do it!

Prepare your house before you leave on vacation to prevent unwelcome surprises when you return.

• Security. If you have a security system, alert your service. If not, you'll want to purchase a few light timers at your local hardware store. Make sure you set them so your lights go on and off at different times to simulate normal activity patterns. Park your spare car in the driveway to make it look like someone's home. Stop the mail and the newspaper. Ask a neighbor to check your house every few days to make sure everything looks OK and pick up advertising circulars, etc.
• Maintenance. Particularly since August is usually a fairly dry month, most lawns won't start to look overgrown for 10 days to two weeks. If you'll be gone longer, hire your neighbor's energetic son or daughter to mow the grass. By now bedding plants should be well enough established to survive with normal rainfall. However, if you have hanging baskets or container plants, you might want to ask a neighbor (or that energetic kid) to drop by and water every few days.
• Final check. Before you leave, give your house a final check. Make sure your stove, dishwasher, coffeepot, iron, etc. are turned off. Unplug your TV, stereo, DVD, computer, etc. to protect your electronics in case of an electrical storm. You don't want a power surge to create a fire. Clean leftovers out of the fridge and empty the trash. Make sure outside hoses are turned off. Make sure the garage door is closed and locked.

A few simple precautions and a little planning before you leave and you'll be able to vacation with peace of mind. Enjoy yourself!

Caring for Your Lawn in Summer's Heat

We may have had our tongue planted firmly in our cheek when we talked about AstroTurf replacing real grass lawns in our last post (July 12). Sure it's happening in some places and people in our area are definitely devoting more of their outdoor space to hardscape features such as stone patios, paths, ponds, pools and outdoor rooms. But it's unlikely that Maryland homeowners will desert real grass in the near future.

If you're like most Maryland homeowners, your lawn represents a considerable investment in time and money. A lush green lawn is inviting and a much better selling point and much less susceptible to disease and pests than a dry, brown dormant yard.

With low or sporadic rainfalls this spring and summer, many communities are being forced to implement watering restrictions. Here is what you need to know to make the most of the watering time you're allowed and keep your lawn and plants happy and healthy.

Lawns

• Water slowly, deeply and more thoroughly. You won't need to water as often, and this method will promote moisture build up in the soil, encouraging roots to grow deeper.
• Deeper roots will stay cool and moist even when the upper two inches of soil are bone dry.
• In most soils, this can be accomplished by watering 1 inch per week. Set a rain gauge in the path of your sprinkler to help you figure out how long you need to water to achieve 1 inch.

Plants and Trees

• When watering established trees and plants, don't water at the base of the trunk; you're wasting water.
• The most important area to water is from 4 to 6 feet inside the drip line of a tree to about 8 feet beyond it.
• Set a sprinkler to cover the desired area or coil a soaker hose in concentric rings around the tree or plant at the drip line and somewhat beyond.
• You should let the water run for one and one-half to three hours to soak the ground to a one-foot depth. Check progress by plunging a shovel into the soil and pulling it to one side. This should be relatively easy when the soil is well soaked

By following these simple guidelines you'll maintain a lush green lawn and healthy trees and plants this summer while all around you lawns are turning brown and leaves are curling up and crisping in the heat.

Watch this blog for more great tips on taking care of your home. If you're planning to buy or sell a home in Maryland or the Washington DC area , visit John Day's website. You'll find great tips for buyers and sellers and lots of information about thousands of beautiful homes in hundreds of great communities. Take virtual tours, then call John Day to schedule personal tours of your favorites. If you're buying or selling a home in Maryland or the Washington DC metro area, experienced realtor John Day is your key to success.

As Real Grass Lawns Fail, Popularity of Hardscapes Rises

With much of the country at draught or near-draught levels, many communities are implementing watering bans. Some homeowners have turned to artificial turf in a drastic attempt to save water -- and wear and tear on their lawn mowers!

Admittedly, people trading their Kentucky bluegrass for non-plant alternatives probably don't find any joy in spending their Saturdays weeding, mowing, fertilizing and sweating; but hardscape landscapes have a marked appeal for busy professionals who might enjoy exercising their green thumb if they only had the time.

Hardscaping includes the installation of walkways, retaining walls, patios, built-in barbecue grills, fences, hot tubs, swimming pools and ponds. Low-maintenance materials like stone, concrete, crushed rock or shredded bark are used in place of grass. Busy lifestyles, the trend toward outdoor rooms and the desire to spend leisure time recharging the old batteries, not battling the weeds are driving the trend. According to the National Gardening Association, lawn and garden sales are decreasing while sales of hardscape materials are on the rise.

For those who don't don't want to live in a rock quarry, but long for the look of a green, well-manicured lawn without the upkeep, there's artificial turf. Yep, it's the same stuff they put on football fields.

"The blades are significantly shorter. It's like a manicured lawn," said Trevor Brooks of NewGrass in Scottsdale, Arizona. While the company's biggest sales are in the Southwest, water conservation is piquing the interest of East Coast residents. "It's a little more expensive upfront," Brooks said. "But there's no maintenance. No water costs. You don't have to mow the lawn. In the long run the (artificial) grass pays for itself in three years. There's also a manufacturer's warranty on color fade. It won't show any wear and tear."

Made from polyethylene, the same compound use to make water bottles, NewGrass comes in three lengths and sells for $3.79 to $4.99 per square foot. Maintenance free, dust free and allergy free, NewGrass looks as real as its living counterpart. Talking about his own NewGrass lawn, Brooks confided, "Our looks so real I've had people come up to me and ask how much water it needs."

Whatever you're looking for in a home, you'll find it on Homes Buy Day. Visit our website and take a virtual tour of thousands of beautiful homes in Maryland and the Washington DC metro area. Give your wish list to veteran realtor John Day and let John find the home of your dreams. If you're buying or selling a home in Maryland or the Washington DC metro area, John Day is your key to success.