Hello Gardeners, I’m Amanda McNulty with Clemson Extension and Making It Grow. Terasa Lott is by day a water quality, natural resources Extension Agent in Florence. But on Tuesday nights, she transforms into a media specialist keeping watch over the Making It Grow chat room and keeping our facebook page up to date and interesting. A handful -- but she also give us a water quality tip each week. Lately, she reminded those turf grass enthusiasts that although spring is here, it is far too early to fertilize your lawn. Warm season turf grass, centipede, St. Augustine, Bermuda and Zoysia – don’t fully come out of dormancy until night temperatures are consistently warm. At that time, grass roots will be fully active and ready to take up those nutrients. Fertilizer applied too early may leach off site in heavy rain events and end up polluting surface waters. Be patient – you’ll still have months and months of grass cutting to keep you busy.
Amanda McNulty is a Clemson University Extension Horticulture agent and the host of South Carolina ETV’s Making It Grow! gardening program. She studied horticulture at Clemson University as a non-traditional student. “I’m so fortunate that my early attempts at getting a degree got side tracked as I’m a lot better at getting dirty in the garden than practicing diplomacy!” McNulty also studied at South Carolina State University and earned a graduate degree in teaching there.