RNT, Free dvice From (NPS)—Is this the year you want to have a better lawn and yard? Is it time to tackle those weeds, create a garden bed and get your mower to start more easily? If so, free help and inspiration is only a phone call or e-mail away. The Yard Smarts Hotline, spon- sored by Briggs & Stratton Corporation, runs from pril 15 - May 15 to deliver professional yard care and equipment advice direct to homeowners. Call the toll-free Hotline at 1-866-YRD-TIPS (1866-927-3847) or submit an e-mail question by visiting www.yards marts.com. On Fridays, homeown- ers can chat in person with experts from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. CT. Now in its third year, the Hotline has helped thousands of homeowners deal with every- thing from battling lawn pests and weeds to choosing the right landscape plants; troubleshooting equipment problems to discovering organic yard care practices. “Having a nice-looking yard is important to most homeowners,” says Trey Rogers, Briggs & Strat- ton’s Yard Doctor. The Michigan State University turfgrass scientist has helped grow grass for Olympic playing fields as well as his neighbors. Rogers leads the panel of experts who will field Hotline questions, promising an answer within 48 hours or less. If you stump the experts, you'll earn a free T-shirt. nd if your question is selected to appear on the Yard Smarts Web site as a question of the week, you'll have 48 hoursto call or e-mail to win your choice of a new lawn mower, pressure washeror string trimmer. a tame: aot = , your yard or lawn need help? Yard care experts will give you free advice when you call the Yard Smarts Hotline or send a question by e-mail. Start The Season Off Right To start the growing season off right, the Yard Doctor offers a few tips: e If you don’t have much time to spend on your lawn— Cut your grass less often. Letting grass grow little longer is healthier than mowingit too short, which can damage your lawn permanently. Cut only one-third the grass height in any single mowing. If you don’t have lots of time for fertilizing, do it once, when it will do the most good—at the beginning of your growing season. Use a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer that will keep working for weeks. e Keep your mowerin good working order. Have the blade sharpened once a year. dull mower blade tears the grass, stressing the lawn. lso, tune up your mower yearly so it starts quickly, runs cleaner andusesless gas. For more tips and ideas on how to care for your lawn or yard anytime of the year, visit www.yardsmarts.com.
