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Balanced Fertilizer A blend to stimulate growth color and thickness Pre-Emergent Crab Grass Control Applied with your fi rst application Broadleaf Weed Control Applied throughout the season. Kills dandelions, Creeping Charlie, thistles, clover, violets and hundreds of other weeds— roots and all. Insect Control A pest management system for lawn surface insect control DON'T LET THE WEEDS WIN! We Take Care of Many of the Lawns in Your Neighborhood Your Service for All Seasons 262.691.2304 www.aaronslawncareservices.vpweb.com FREE ESTIMATES N16 W22033 Jericho Dr. #3, Waukesha, WI 53186 OTHER SERVICES INCLUDE Mowing r Pruning r Sodding Aeration r Mulching r Snowplowing OUR SERVICE GUARANTEES– Aarons Lawn Care Services 254843003 HOMES PLUS APRIL 2017 6 QUALITY DESIGNER FURNITURE For Less! You are going to find GREAT furniture at GREAT PRICES! 14265 Capitol Dr., Brookfield 262.439.8745 • www.dfoc1.com Mon., Thurs., Fri., Sat. 10:30am-5:30pm, Sun. 11am-5pm or by Appointment $AVE $OME GREEN! Inventory changing daily We carry High End Pre-owned Merchandise including Ethan Allen, Pennsylvania House, Thomasville and more! and disease, and you don't want that. You'll also want to take this time to cut back any perennials that you didn't cut back in fall. Now, take a look at your trees and shrubs. Check for winter damage. Remove any broken or damaged branches. Also look for signs of over- wintering insects and disease. Some insects lay their eggs on branches in the form of egg casings. These look like fuzzy little spots on the bark. Fungus is a little harder to detect, but looks similar. Basically, simply rub off any suspicious spots. Now if you have roses, move on to them. Now is the time to prune your roses. Once the buds start to swell on the branches, prune and shape them accordingly. Again, remove anything that is dead or dam- aged. Now is also a great time to divide and transplant any summer or fall blooming perennials. Overgrown plants and beds can affect overall gar- den health. Crowding reduces air flow, which can lead to disease prob- lems. Also perennials lose vigor over time and division is needed to perk them back up. The last thing to do is top-dress your existing beds with compost. About 1 to 2 inches is satisfactory. If you choose, fertilize your beds with the appropriate fertilizer, preferably organic. Also, mulch if desired. If you take the time to get your gardens off to a good start, you'll have less work and maintenance throughout the year. Remember, you reap what you sow. Happy gardening! (Michael Timm is a horticulturist with Ebert's Greenhouse Village in Ixonia.) Timm: Spring is time to check for fungus, avoid insects Continued from Page 5 Composting is an eco-friendly activity that can also save homeowners money on fertilizer and pes- ticides. Organic material that can be added to soil to help plants grow, compost reduces the amount of waste that would otherwise end up in landfills, reducing the amount of methane gas that such landfills produce. But the U.S. Environmental Pro- tection Agency notes that not everything can be added to compost piles. The following are some items homeowners should not add to their compost piles or bins, cour- tesy of the EPA. ■ Black walnut tree leaves or twigs: Leaves or twigs from black walnut release substances that might prove harmful to plants. ■ Coal or charcoal ash: Coal or ash from char- coal, such as the ash that builds up in the bottom of charcoal grills, may contain substances that are harmful to plants. ■ Dairy products: When added to compost piles, dairy products, including butter, milk, sour cream, yogurt and eggs, can be malodorous and may attract pests, including rodents and flies. ■ Diseased or insect-ridden plants: The dis- eases and insects that plague plants may survive being transferred to compost piles. When the com- post is ultimately distributed, these diseases and insects might then plague other plants. ■ Fats, grease, lard, or oils: Fats, grease, lard or oils also may attract rodents and flies, and that might be due to the unpleasant odors such sub- stances can produce when added to compost piles. ■ Meat or fish bones and scraps: Like fats, grease, lard or oils, scraps from meat and fish and fish bones can smell unpleasant, potentially attracting rodents and flies. ■ Pet waste: Pet waste, including soiled cat lit- ter, may contain parasites, bacteria, germs, pathogens, and viruses that can be harmful. ■ Grass trimmings treated with chemical pesticides: Trimmings from grass that was treated with chemical pesticides can negate the effects of composting by killing beneficial organisms pro- duced within compost piles or bins. Items to avoid when taking on composting Some items can harm plants, others can draw rodents, flies

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