“While it is February one can taste the full joys of anticipation. Spring stands at the gate with her finger on the latch.” Patience Strong. “You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep Spring from coming.” Pablo Neruda. “I believe in process. I believe in four seasons. I believe that winter’s tough, but spring’s coming. I believe that there’s a growing season. And I think that you realize that in life, you grow. You get better.” Steve Southerland.

Amazing temps in the low 80’s in February and spring doesn’t officially arrive until March 20 and Easter isn’t until April 21, which is the first Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after the vernal equinox which happens on the first day of spring. However, we will still experience some cool weather in the weeks to come.

From the flowering of the saucer magnolias, cherries, azaleas, and peaches to the late bud-breaking of the pecan trees, spring will continue to show that it’s near. Thus, it’s time to think lawns and their seasonal needs through the basic cultural practices of mowing, irrigation, and fertilization.

Mowing: Mowing is a very critical cultural practice that helps determine the health of the lawn. Be sure to set the mower at the appropriate height and keep it serviced and stored properly for a longer life. Lawns in this area consist of either centipedegrass, St. Augustinegrass, zoysia, or bermudagrass as favorites. However, some yards have evolved offering simply a green color with a conglomerate of existing stands of bahiagrass, carpetgrass, and common bermudagrass sharing the same space with a dab of centipedegrass or St. Augustinegrass or zoysia (survival of the fittest in action). This latter choice is least appreciated with minimal curb appeal but does offer some degree of greenery and erosion protection.

Mow centipedegrass at 1.5 to 2.5 inches, St. Augustinegrass at 3.0 to 4.0 inches, zoysia at 1.0 to 2.0 inches and bermudagrass at 0.75 to 1.5 inches depending on the cultivar. The yard conglomerate can be mowed at 2.0 to 4.0 inches. The main problem associated with mowing is scalping, or mowing too closely and damaging the crown of the plant. And when you scalp your lawn, it is weakened or killed and weeds move in real fast.

Irrigation: Another critical cultural practice is irrigation or the application of water to our plants for their good health. Irrigate your lawn with approximately one-inch of water each week on the average. Centipedegrass may require less while zoysia, St. Augustinegrass, and bermudagrass may require a bit more. Keep your irrigation systems calibrated and serviced for best results to minimize overspray, wrongful spray, puddling and runoff. Do not water driveways, sidewalks, streets, and the walls of houses and buildings. We know this but improper irrigation head placement, size, calibration, or service can waste water in such ways.

These systems are made of plastic materials and they will wear away with time and use. Replace parts and nozzles as needed. Keep your smart controller working properly. The best time to irrigate is between 4am and 9am in the morning to minimize diseases, evaporation and activity interference. Never apply more water at any one time than the soil can absorb. In other words, the application rate should always be at or below the infiltration rate into the soil.

Also, properly irrigate your trees, shrubs and flowers. These plants will need between 1 and 2 inches of water each week of the growing season depending on the particular plant. Hopefully, your irrigation system has been designed so that these plants are watered separately from the turfgrasses. Otherwise, you will always have problematic areas either in the lawn or beds depending on which area you focus your application rates. However, if you have used xeriscaping approaches and sustainable strategies then you should have minimum problematic issues and areas.

Fertilization: The third critical cultural practice is fertilization or the application of nutrients for our plants survival. Seek out the proper answers to your specific plant materials as to specific fertilizers, timing and rates. Always conduct a soil test to determine what’s already there so that you do not create toxic conditions, environmental hazards, or waste.

A soil test is to your plants as your diet review and physical checkup are to you. Soil test for pH, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, manganese, iron, molybdenum, zinc, and other micronutrients. Soil tests do not include nitrogen due to the mobility of this nutrient. All nitrogen recommendations are based on the needs of each particular plant species. If you need to know existing nitrogen levels, then a tissue analysis for nitrogen content of the leaves would be conducted. Private and public (university extension service) labs are available to conduct your soil tests for a nominal fee.

When you make an application of fertilizer, understand the difference between active ingredient and commercial formulation. For example, a 50 pound bag of 13-13-13 has 50 pounds of commercial formulation, but only 19.5 pounds of active ingredient since it has 13% nitrogen, 13% phosphorus and 13% potassium. The remaining 30.5 pounds are inert ingredients or filler and carrier.

For centipedegrass, fertilize at a rate of 0.5 pounds of active ingredient nitrogen per one thousand square feet (ie, an area 10 feet wide and 100 feet long). This would compute to 3.8 pounds of 13-13-13 for every one thousand square feet (ie, it takes 7.6 pounds of 13-13-13 to get one pound active ingredient nitrogen and one-half of that is 3.8 pounds or 100% divided by 13% divided by 2). Just a quick lesson in basic math to help you better understand the numbers. One application per year in the spring should suffice on your centipedegrass lawn.

For St. Augustinegrass, zoysia and bermudagrass, fertilize at a rate of one pound of active ingredient nitrogen per one thousand square feet in the spring and followed by another application in midsummer. Do not apply fertilizer too late in the season (near fall) since late applications would encourage new growth that could become damaged from early cooler weather, thus reducing the health of the grass.

For trees, shrubs and flowers, select the appropriate specialty fertilizer of choice to feed your plants (ie, rose fertilizer, camellia fertilizer, azalea fertilizer, perennial fertilizer, annuals fertilizer, etc.). For other plants, select a general fertilizer and follow recommendations on each particular species. Know the fertilizer requirements of plants and make every effort to accommodate this need based on what is already there in the soil (from soil test) and supplementing the difference with the necessary commercial formulation.

Always water your fertilizers into the lawn or around plants after application with approximately 0.5 inch of water. Make every effort to keep your grasses and plants slightly on the thirsty and hungry side. Do not starve or dehydrate them but encourage them to put out roots looking for food and water. Otherwise, if you keep them wet and overfed, then you will experience high losses during droughts due to shallow root systems (a bunch of “couch potatoes” out there in your landscape disguised as turf, trees, and shrubs!).

Always think sustainability and native plants! May the results of your immediate efforts be long-lasting so that you can enjoy the fruits of your labor for seasons to come. Remember to feed and water the songbirds, and give your pets the care they need. Be on the lookout for children playing and bicyclists riding along the streets and roadways throughout our communities. Pay attention to school buses and respect their stop signs and other signals as they transport our children to and from school and home. And remember to safely share the road with motorcycles. Drive alert and arrive alive. Don’t drive distracted or impaired, don’t text while driving, and “click-it” or ticket. Let’s keep everyone safe! Help the homeless every chance you get. As you receive blessings, always pay them forward and share with others.

Many thanks to all who read this column which is an effort to provide each reader with timely and useful information. It is a small contribution on my part in “paying it forward” to my readers. In keeping with this thought, many of you know that we are planning our annual mission trip to the Peru this summer and some of you might want to join us on this discipleship journey. We are currently developing our team and raising funds to help finance this mission trip. If you feel led to do so and would like to donate to this cause, please make a check payable to Heritage Church and mail to Eddie Seagle, Peru Mission Team, 108 Tallokas Circle, Moultrie, GA 31788. We would appreciate your prayers for a safe journey as well, and many thanks to each of you. Join us if you can!

“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever.” Psalm 107:1. “We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks, for Your Name is near; men tell of Your wonderful deeds.” Psalm 75:1. “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7.

Eddie Seagle is a Sustainability Associate, Golf Environment Organization (Scotland), Agronomist and Horticulturalist, CSI: Seagle (Consulting Services International), Professor Emeritus and Honorary Alumnus (Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College), Distinguished Professor for Teaching and Learning (University System of Georgia) and Short Term Missionary (Heritage Church, Moultrie). Direct inquiries to csi_seagle@yahoo.com.