Now on exhibit, Mother Nature’s &uot;Spring.&uot; The stunning display of flora is Mother Nature’s masterpiece. I am thankful that she so kindly allows us to have a private viewing. This year the visual feast has been getting rave reviews.

Maybe the long, cold, wet winter was responsible. This year the winter was extremely long and cold without our usual warm spell in the middle. This dormant period is important for many plants. If I remember correctly, it got cold right around Thanksgiving and really didn’t warm up until last week.

This seems to have been good for the fruit trees this year from what I have heard. Maybe we will have a bumper crop of peaches this year. I can tell that my father-in-law is excited. Peach cobbler and homemade peach ice cream. I can’t wait!

All winter long people were excited that we were having a cold winter because it would kill off all of the mosquito population. I believe it is safe to say that theory has been proven wrong. The mosquitos seem to have enjoyed a cold winter more than the polar bear at the Jackson zoo!

I think we need to make peace with the mosquito population. Humans declared organized war on the mosquito population years ago. We were out numbered and ill prepared for the guerilla war that was to come. We were ambushed constantly in our own backyards. No place was safe. They attack women, children, and the elderly. Can’t we just get along?

All kidding aside, beside using a mosquito repellent, one thing that seems to work is a strong oscillating fan. The strong breeze going in different directions seems to confuse the little flying hypodermic creatures. If you can’t conquer, confuse.

I like to use citronella candles and mosquito repellent plants. Entomolgists say that they don’t work, but hey, I like candles and plants. So I use them anyway. It may not help, but in my mind sometimes I think it does. And that is all that matters.

The cold long winter was really tough on our warm-season lawns. The protracted spring has not helped them much either.

Most of what is being cut when we mow now is cool-season weeds that are growing like crazy. The long winter and spring makes the weeds seem worse because our permanent warm-season grasses are not growing yet. Annual bluegrass and other winter annual grassy weeds are in the prime growing season.

Many times poeple want to kill the weeds in their lawn now. Now is not the time to be trying to control many of the cool-season annual weeds. If it is an annual, it will be setting seed soon and completing its life-cycle soon. Only to make a reaapearance next fall.

Applying a herbicide to control these weeds now would be largely ineffective, because the plants are mature and hard to kill at this time and will be dying anyway when the heat hits.

If you don’t want your yard to have weeds in it next time this year, you need to treat these weeds when they germinate in the fall. It is difficult to remember, and I forget to remind you, but timely applications of pre-emergence herbicides can greatly reduce the annual weeds in your yard.

Timing is the most critical factor. Weed scientists (that’s right, there are even people that devote their life to studying weeds!) have determined at what soil temperature most of the weeds will germinate. If the pre-emergent herbicide is to work, it must be applied before the weed seed germinates.

If it is applied after the weeds germinate, it is a waste of time and money. Two applications are needed here in the Miss-Lou. One around the first of March to control the summer weeds like crabgrass, and another around the first of September to control the weeds we have in the yard now.

Once the weeds have germinated, a post-emergent herbicide is needed. It is best to try to control weeds when they are young. They are easier to kill. If you look closely around the yard many of the warm-season weeds are just starting to germinate.

Make sure to read the label on all pesticides. Read the small print. Labels are confusing and in some ways misleading. If a product is not labeled for your type of lawn grass do not use it. If you have any questions ask a nursery professional. Or better yet, contact the county extension office. The Mississippi extension service has some great turfgrass experts that are more than willing to help in any way. Spring is a great time in the Miss-Lou. Mother Nature’s show has been great. Don’t miss out. Take time to enjoy it!

Traci Maier writes a weekly gardening column for The Democrat. Send comments to her c/o P.O. Box 1447, Natchez, Miss., 39121.