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Tom Glasgow: Dont underestimate winters last hurrah - March 14, 2015 by Mr HomeBuilder

Especially given recent temperatures in the 80s, it might seem safe to assume that we have seen our last frost for the winter of 2015. But this being the month of March in Eastern North Carolina, its best to proceed toward April with some caution.

Freezing temperatures during the last week of March following days or weeks of mild weather is a familiar scenario if youve lived in the area for a while. And during my 28 years in Craven County, I can remember snow the first week of April, at least once.

Among other considerations, we should be careful about planting tomatoes, peppers and other warm season vegetables or annuals too early. Buying early for good selection is a great idea, but you dont have to actually plant things in the garden right away. Consider holding these plants in containers in a sunny spot, so that they can be moved into a shelter overnight if a freeze is expected. And remember that temperatures as high as 41 degrees Fahrenheit can subject tomatoes to chilling injury, which in turn can affect growth and fruit set for potentially the rest of the season (and peppers are even more cold sensitive).

Looking at March from a different perspective, we should move ahead with seeding new lettuce, mustard, radish and turnips as soon as possible, so as to sneak in one last crop before hot weather arrives. And if the weather turns out to be unseasonably warm for the rest of March and into early April, these late plants may be in for a bit of a rough ride. Potatoes also need to be set as soon as possible.

As always during March and April, weve been fielding a number of inquiries regarding fertilization of centipedegrass and the use of weed and feed products. Centipedegrass lawns are definitely starting to show some green foliage now, and theres always a temptation to go ahead and fertilize so as to push the lawn into greenup a little faster.

We strongly discourage fertilizing centipedegrass during March and April, and suggest waiting until around the end of May or early June. Since centipedegrass root systems have mostly died back and are starting over at greenup, fertilizer uptake will be very inefficient. Obviously, the portion of applied fertilizer not taken up by the lawn and the weeds will be lost to the environment.

Early season nitrogen that is taken up by your centipedegrass lawn will primarily have the effect of making it more susceptible to Rhizoctonia large patch disease. Furthermore, if we do have a late freeze which admittedly doesnt seem to be in the picture for this year centipedegrass lawns that were fertilized early will be more prone to cold damage. Finally, the case can be made that nitrogen applied in early spring will have the effect of pushing shoot growth at the expense of the recovering root system. Among other consequences, this increases the likelihood of iron deficiency and resulting streaks or patches of yellow (chlorotic) grass.

Regarding weed and feed, perhaps the best answer we can give is that these products are fine on centipedegrass if you apply them in late May or June, and if the fertilizer grade matches the needs of your lawn as determined by soil test results.

Tom Glasgow is the Craven County Extension director. Contact him at tom_glasgow@ncsu.edu.

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Tom Glasgow: Dont underestimate winters last hurrah

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Yankee Stadium turf guru: Grass will hold up for NYCFC opener - March 14, 2015 by Mr HomeBuilder

With so much attention paid to the frozen tundra of Yankee Stadium, the man responsible for the ballpark told the Post its unfair to judge the fields playability before a single game has been played there this season, and vowed it would be ready by opening day both New York City FCs on Sunday and the Yankees three weeks later.

On Wednesday, several Yankees including Jacoby Ellsbury, Brett Gardner and Mark Teixeira fretted over NYCFC potentially tearing up the field. But on Friday, senior VP of stadium operations Doug Behar said not to assume the worst just yet, and took The Post on a tour of the grounds that are night-and-day from a few days ago or more aptly, winter-and-spring.

Its a little early to judge us on the playability of the field. A day-and-a half later, were in a much different position, and come Sunday youll see a beautiful field and pitch everybody will be proud of, Behar said while strolling in an outfield that has gone from dirt to brown re-sodded grass in just three or four days. To do that, crews have worked late into the night and even slept at the Stadium.

The winter was tough, Behar said. It was colder than its been in 50 or 60 years in the month of February. We dealt with snow snow that was expected and snow that was unexpected. Weve had ice. The crew worked incredibly hard, as they always do.

Theyve worked longer than anticipated, theyve worked harder. While they always work hard, theyve had to work a lot harder this time. Straight-up, the guys have worked tirelessly; theyve slept on couches when they can. Theyve put in a tremendous effort. Were turning on the lights [to work at night]. The days have gotten a lot longer, and the works gotten a lot harder. But theyre up to the task.

Yankee Stadium senior VP of Stadium Operations Doug BeharPhoto: Matthew McDermott

They have had little choice. The Yankee Stadium crew usually maxes out at 35 workers, and they didnt hire extra ones, simply worked longer hours. They used two separate kinds of heaters to melt the ice and snow on the field and thaw the ground.

A week ago, we had a lot of work ahead of us, Behar said. We had hoses running glycol like an antifreeze about 6,000 feet [of hose]. We run it about 180 degrees to melt the ice and snow up top, and thaw the ground underneath to be able to work the sod and get it out. We had an enclosed tent on our [infield], with propane heaters running to keep it in a condition that was best for the transition. [It ran] from first base to second base.

The crew worked incredibly hard in terrible conditions. As we came out of the weekend, we were able to get the sod out, do all the important things to do to install the new stuff. The other day, we had two-thirds of the new material down, but it wasnt worked yet. Now we have all the sod down.

Behar insisted the field will be ready by NYCFCs home debut against New England on Sunday, as well as the Yankees home opener April 6. But he knows a 17-game MLS slate adds wear and tear, and the first time a ball takes a funny bounce or the outfield looks a mess, eyebrows will arch, fingers will point and questions will be asked beginning with, How long is NYCFC for the Stadium?

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Yankee Stadium turf guru: Grass will hold up for NYCFC opener

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Park district may possibly award naming rights to district properties - March 14, 2015 by Mr HomeBuilder

QUINCY, Ill. (WGEM) - The Quincy Park District Board of Commissioners have decided to move forward with the possibility of awarding naming rights to district properties.

Director of Program Services Mike Bruns says park names would stay the same, but things like tennis courts, gazebos and ball fields would be used for advertising by local businesses.

Bruns says businesses would most likely sign a three to five year agreement.

"We're going to put together some requests for proposals to put out there to see if we get any response from different businesses," Bruns said. "And then once we get that back, then we would take them to the board of commissioners. They would look at it and there would be a back and forth negotiations to try and work out the details."

Bruns says the park district has been looking for anyway they can increase its revenue source for additional funding.

The plan isn't final yet and there's no word on when it will happen.

For more information you can contact Mike Bruns at 217-223-7703.

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GENERATION RX PLUS- FENG SHUI (Part 3)- SPECIALS – Video - March 14, 2015 by Mr HomeBuilder

GENERATION RX PLUS- FENG SHUI (Part 3)- SPECIALS
How do you get luck by your side, in terms of love and relationship? Find out in this 3rd episode of Feng-Shui tips and advice in the year of the Wooden Shee...

By: teamgenrx

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GENERATION RX PLUS- FENG SHUI (Part 3)- SPECIALS - Video