Winter has released its icy grip on Mother Nature for this year. Even after a mild winter, like this last one, the retreat of cold weather and the advance of spring are good news to the human community. Garage doors are opening and pent-up energy is being released in chores such as lawn-mowing, painting and construction. After chores, there may be time for a bike ride.
But, be careful. Don't relax too much.
For instance, if the lawn is not kept in check by regular mowing, it may grow to the point that expert intervention is needed to cut it down to size. Because of the mild winter just passed, you will need to start mowing earlier in spring this year _ if you haven't yet _ but once summer hits, do not cut your lawn shorter than three inches or you risk "lawn burn."
Another danger of spring is that it can be expected to invade your flowerbeds with armies of weeds. You may want to do battle with them sooner rather than later. Come to think of it, you'll need to weed sooner and later.
There are hundreds of gardeners living and working in this part of the state. And, like Gerry Stoner of Gilboa, they usually do other jobs for a living. Afterhours, they work in their yards for the pure joy of it.
Stoner has 20 acres of lawn and gardens to keep him busy in the warm season. He mows his lawn from atop his tractor. Smaller lawns may be cut with the manual push type, the power push type or a riding mower. He said he enjoys riding on the tractor because he likes being perched up high on the back of the thing. Stoner gives mower maintenance high priority in the early spring.
An engine repair professional, James Oakley of Delhi, agrees with Stoner on that point, as well as on how to go about prepping the lawnmower for a summer's worth of service.
"For basic service," Oakley said, "we change the oil, replace the oil filter, sharpen the blade, put a new plug in it and clean the grass off the bottom of the deck."
Stoner and Oakley and also agree that TLC -- tender loving care -- is the factor that makes a mower last longer, maybe twice as long as one that hasn't been well-maintained.
Examples of TLC toward a lawnmower include sheltering it from harsh weather and starting its motor once a week during the winter.
Stoner plans his lawn and garden activities weeks ahead of time.
"You will want to get your garden squared away as soon as you can," Stoner said. "But remember that the endpoint here is when you want to be planting the new members of your garden community. Typically that happens in April and May. You will want to watch out for (early) frosts. You should plan when you will take your chances on planting. If you have a hothouse, it can be used to give your new plants an early start, without risking frost damage."
And what chores were you thinking of doing? Painting, maybe? Here is some advice from a guy who paints his own house, Jerry Bouffier of Richmondville:
"You have to scrape the old paint off. Prime it. Fill in the holes or whatever. If there is any rot on the wood, you have to change the sill. Besides that, it's pretty cut and dried. Most of the time I use a power washer to help get the paint off."
If you have done your chores, you are due a break. May I suggest using the break to take a bike ride?
Ed Lorenz, co-owner of Sport Tech in Oneonta, said that the bicycle business is popular and prospering in the Oneonta region.
"We had a very busy March because of the great weather," noted Lorenz. "Then April has been good and solid for us. That may be because the price of gas is up or because the weather is warmer than usual. I think it is just because people are getting into the enjoyment of bike riding for fun and for commuting."
Lorenz advised those people about to break out the bike to prep it with a tune-up and check the brakes, derailleur and bearings.
"Test your wheels regularly to make sure they are running true and test your tires to make sure they aren't going flat," Lorenz suggested.
Asked what it is that makes Oneonta a good bike area, Lorenz replied, "There are groups here that promote on- and off-road biking. The (State University) College (at Oneonta) has a good mountain biking club. We have a nice network of cycling trails. We also have great roads radiating up from Oneonta. Oneonta is a great place for bicycling. Just pick a direction and go and have a great ride."
Lifestyles -
May 5, 2012
Spring into Action: Get the outside ready for summer
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