September 2011 Newsletter©
Questions and Answers
Just a reminder that it is pre-emerge time for your lawn and flower beds. To prevent annual bluegrass, henbit, chickweed, deadnettle and other spring weeds, apply now and again in early December.
Not everyone has the benefit of visiting Dan West Garden Center or this newsletter. There is a website called Allexperts, where experts on just about any topic, volunteer their time to answer questions for home owners. I’ve been answering questions there for many years and this month I thought you might enjoy reading a few. I’ve done a little editing for clarity, but the gist is the same.
Question: I am passionate about growing a beautiful fescue lawn,
but struggle with it right around late May into June, and was wondering about
applying Humic Acid to the my soil. Would this be something beneficial or is
there more to it then just applying it? What do you recommend?
P.S. I practice organic lawn care.
Answer: Humates will indeed help. They help microbial activity by turning
the soil surface black which absorbs heat better. The key to growing a good
fescue turf is to check your pH yearly, mow frequently to remove as little leaf
blade as possible when the grass is actively growing, mow infrequently in the
summer, don't over fertilize and water deeply. Humates will make your
fertilizer work better and your soil and grass healthier. I think it is worth
the cost and it is easy to apply, just spread and water in.
Question: I have a large overgrown bed (60’x 9’) next to a
farmhouse that I would like to renovate, but my initial problem has to do with
clearing the old bed. There are some peonies I would like to leave in place,
mostly because I know it is not a good time to move them. Grasses, wild
berries and assorted other weeds have overgrown the bed.
What I am looking for are suggestions about how to get rid of all of the
unwanted plant matter without harming the peonies, which are centrally placed.
There is one section of the bed, which does not have any peonies, but is also
overgrown. Would I use a different approach in this area? I would be willing
to move the peonies somewhere else, but I doubt that I could move them
successfully at this time of year. The bed is so large that I can’t imagine
turning it over by hand.
Answer: The easiest way to kill everything there without harming the peonies
is to wick apply glyphosate. Glyphosate is a non-selective herbicide (it kills
everything) but is not root absorbable. Mix it up in a bucket and use a sponge
mop or paint brush to wipe anything you want to kill, using caution to not touch
anything you want to keep. Leave it a few days for the herbicide to be carried
throughout the plant and then cut it down or till it under if you can. Most
weeds will be killed with a single application. A few woody plants and
tenacious weeds may require a second application. Let anything that re-sprouts
get 8-10" tall before you "paint" them again with glyphosate.
The more tissue you can coat, the easier it is to kill. In areas where there is
nothing desirable, just spray it all (using caution to prevent drift on to
desirables).
Question: What is the proper pH level to keep my lawn at?
Answer: A pH of 6 to 6.5 is ideal for good turf.
Question: I would like to know if it is possible to make a raised
bed for vegetables and herbs without amending it with the clay that is in the
ground. Can I just use store bought organic soil. My neighbor gave us some of
his tomatoes that were grown on the clay, but the taste was not good. I would
like to grow my garden in store bought organic soil.
Answer: Yes, you can use "organic" soil. You’ll have to water
more and very carefully monitor your soil moisture to prevent wilting or your
fruit from cracking and splitting. You’ll also have to fertilize more often
because you'll flush the nutrients out of an elevated bed with the increased
water. I've grown tomatoes in containers with "bagged" soil, but the
production was not as high and I found the taste wasn’t as good but the variety
and how it is grown has a lot to do with the taste.
Mother Nature must have had a plan for clay, she put it everywhere. Farmers
have used it successfully for years and I'm a believer in it, it just needs a
little loosening from time to time.
Question: My husband bought me a gardenia and he dug a hole much deeper
than and twice as wide as the pot to plant it. The soil is clay. He filled
the hole with water yesterday and it just sat there, however, the water was
gone when we checked an hour later. He was going to fill the hole back with
top soil when he plants it. Is that right?
Answer: In clay soils, I dig the hole no deeper than the container (usually
not as deep) and 2-3 times as wide. I'd put clay back in the hole to get to
the depth of the pot. I like to use finely ground pine bark to plant container
grown plants. Most nursery stock now is grown in a pine bark based mix, so
ideally the transition area between your clay and the pine bark soil mix should
be a blend of both. Since you've got the top soil, I'd mix it with some fine
bark and blend about 1/3 amendment with 2/3's of your clay soil. Plant it so
the rootball is above your existing soil line by an inch or two. Bring your
soil up to, but not on top of the rootball. Mulch it with a coarse mulch and
water thoroughly.
Question: We have a small flower bed by our patio. In this bed we have
rose patio trees and several perennials around it. Last year after we planted
it, everything in this bed stopped blooming. Same story this year so far, no
blooms. We think that we have some kind of issue with the soil, but do you have
any idea what is going on and what to do. Please help.
Answer: The first thing to rule out is a light problem. Roses need 6-8
hours or more of direct sunlight to perform at their best. Does your house or
nearby trees shade this area? Does the sunlight change with the seasons? Are
you using the right perennials for the light you have? If you are sure you are
using the right plants for the area and you are getting the right amount of
sun, then we look at the soil.
If the plants are healthy and growing, then apply 0-45-0 fertilizer (triple superphosphate)
at label rates. For annuals, spray feed once a month with a high phosphorous
water soluble fertilizer like 9-59-15, or something similar. The numbers don't
have to be exact, just look for a really high middle number. Phosphorous
encourages flower and fruit production, so let's see if that helps.
If the plants aren't healthy, then check you pH. Most plants will be happy
around 6. If the pH is OK, then the next suspect would be poor drainage. Dig
a 12" x 12" hole and fill it with water. It should be gone in a
couple of hours. If it's gone in 10 minutes then we need to get some clay
added to your soil mix to help retain water and nutrients. If it's still full
tomorrow, we need to elevate the beds to improve drainage and probably rethink
your choice of plants.
Question: What plants grow best in clay and is it better to plant
more mature plants?
Answer: I guess you have clay like most people around here. So do I and
I could not be happier about it. Clay is not a limiting factor when growing
plants. Just realize that any plant that need better drainage can be elevated
to improve it. Limiting factors in your garden include sun, shade, insects,
diseases or the winter and summer temperatures your desired plant will
tolerate.
The best plants for your area in
clay soil are the ones that grow there naturally. The "natives" are
usually free from insect and disease problems and like your soil, but many just
aren’t as cool to look at. The next best plants are exotics that like the
same conditions. (That’s why you come to Dan West and buy plants from someone
that knows how they have performed here.) The next best plants are the ones you
want to grow. Just keep in mind that you may need to modify the soil or
environment to satisfy the needs of plants that you like or they will suffer
when you treat them like everything else.
Remember this: NO PLANT WANTS TO DIE BEFORE IT'S TIME! If it dies...you
either gave it something it didn't want or it wanted something you didn't give
it. There is no other alternative.
As for size...plant the smallest plant you can stand if it's something that may
be a challenge. A young actively growing plant is easiest to deal with if
something needs to be changed and you are out a lot less money should you
fail. But never give up. Learn from mistakes and try again. If it's easy to
grow and transplant, plant for instant gratification. Why wait, if you don't
have to!
Question: We seem to be having difficulty keeping a Japanese maple
tree alive in a particular area in our yard. We have lost two trees now and
the last tree I removed showed signs of root rot and the root system was very
soggy wet. I also noted that water was seeping from the side of the walls of
the hole I dug to remove the tree. It appeared to have a lot of red clay in
and around the hole dug to remove the tree. In fact, I had left the hole for a
few days without filling back in and after a subsequent rainstorm the hole was
standing in water.
It seems that the clay is holding the rain and any water from my sprinkler
system and this is ultimately killing the tree due to rotting of the root
system. Do you think by digging a large enough hole and filling with a quality
top soil, peat moss, etc...that this would be sufficient? I do not know how
deep the layer of clay may be. Otherwise, I suppose I could keep digging the
hole through and removing the layer of clay. Any thoughts or suggestions will
be appreciated.
Answer: In an area that's moist, the worst thing you could do would be
to remove the existing soil. You would create a clay bowl that would hold even
more water. The only way to grow a plant that doesn't like a lot of water in
an area that has a lot of water is to elevate the rootball above your soil
line. If you must have a maple there, as wet as it sounds, I wouldn't dig at
all. Set the rootball on top of the ground and bring in a soil mix that is at
least 70% clay, combined with finely ground pine bark. Create a mound that is
6'-8' wide so it appears planted on a little hill. You'll need the clay in the
mix to keep it from drying too quickly in the summer and for winter protection.
You could build a fieldstone wall around the mound for an attractive elevated
planter. Add a few hosta or some seasonal color and you've got a nice planter
and a happy maple.
Question: What is the best way to raise the ph level of our soil and
lawn to counteract the effects of acidic dog urine? We have a male dog and he
is leaving marks on our lawn.
Answer: Agricultural pelletized lime is a cheap and easy way to raise
your pH. Apply 40 lbs. per 1000 sq. ft. and your pH will raise about 1/2
point. This will help your brown spots recover but probably will not stop the
browning. Some dog urine is very concentrated, particularly in small dogs. The
urine burns the foliage and unless you are willing to follow your dog around
with a water hose and wash it off immediately, the brown spots are likely to
continue.
Question: I have noticed since I moved to my property where I live 2 years ago, that in the spring there are holes in my yard about 2 inches in diameter and have mud and rocks at the openings. Last spring the holes showed up in the front yard, and this year they are 75 feet away in the backyard. The mud is sort of lumpy and dried now and looks like manure at first glance. The rocks in the mud are large enough that I doubt it is animals. It concerns me that the holes in the front yard were quite close to the well head (25' away) and the holes in the backyard are practically over the septic. Plus, if it is an animal, my three year old plays there.
Answer: It sounds like crayfish (around here they are called
“crawdads”). It is not at all unusual to have them living in the water table
not far below the surface. I have a friend that has them in his yard and he's 1/2
mile from any surface water. Other than being a nuisance with their collars of
mud and rock around the holes, they're nothing to worry about. They seldom come
to the surface in daylight so your child is not likely to catch one and if one
did latch on to his finger, it’s likely he won’t pick up another one!
Question: Due to the death of my grandmother I have inherited a
house and one acre of land. I would like to find an inexpensive way to kill
the grass on 1/2 of the land. Salt has been suggested. How is this done?
Should I buy a bunch of boxes of Morton salt or is there another type and
quantity of salt that I can buy? How is it applied? Any other suggestions?
Answer: If enough salt is added, it will kill most vegetation (but not
all), but it would be expensive, make the land a mud field and difficult to
sell should you decide to. If you must kill the grass, a much easier, much
less expensive and better solution would be to spray the field with a
non-selective herbicide that will not damage the soil. I'd use glyphosate.
It's fairly inexpensive to use, does nothing to the soil, kills just about everything
green you spray it on and is safe to use around potable water. You could then
plant wildflowers or desirable grass just days after spraying.
Consider this before you kill what is there. If the land is sloped, you will
have an erosion problem if you don’t replant something. Your neighbors may not
appreciate the gift of your soil. If it were mine...I'd buy a riding
lawnmower. It doesn't take much time to cut a half acre and believe me, a
little time each week, outside, on a mower, is good for your sanity and your soul.
Question: I need a good recipe for compost tea. How long should
it mix and how do I tell when it is ready to be put on the garden?
Answer: In a five gallon
bucket... two cups of composted manure, two cups of worm castings, one cup of
garden soil (our microbe source), a ½ cup of molasses and I like to add ¼ cup
of fish emulsion. Fill it with day old (or de-chlorinated) water and stir. Use
an aquarium pump with an airstone to vigorously aerate the mixture overnight, and
then apply it to the garden in the morning.
Question: I'm new to cacti & succulents and someone was kind enough
to send me a bunch of clippings of both. I know that they need minimal
watering but I wanted to see if I can make my own soil as I am on a tight
budget. I know that C&S soil is fairly inexpensive but I'm looking to make
a large batch that will last for quite a while. Would you have any tips on
helping me with this? I know perlite is good and I have some of that but I
also heard coarse sand or builders sand is good too. Also, I received a Stapelia
cutting. Is this the plant that has blooms that smell of rotting meat?
Answer: Most commercial cacti soil has peat moss or compost, sand, perlite,
a little lime, sometimes gypsum and a wetting agent. To make your own, I'd use
1/3 composted humus or peat moss, 1/3 coarse sand and instead of perlite, I'd
use 1/3 Espoma soil perfector. This is basically a fine lava rock. It's very
coarse, very porous and will not break down to dust like perlite will with
time. Mix a cup of lime per wheelbarrow full and you're good to go. Yes, the Stapelia
or "carrion flower" has a fragrance you will not soon forget!
Here was the test for July (I took a vacation from writing in August!).
This is Rudbeckia City Garden. A dwarf form that looks a lot like Goldsturm but is only 12” tall.
This month…send me a picture of a specimen plant in your garden that you are proud of. I’ll pick the top dozen and then one will be picked at random for
A $50 Dan West Gift Certificate.
The contest ends on September 30st. Email your entry to questions@danwestonline.com. One winner, selected from all correct entries, will receive a $25
Dan West Gift Certificate. Oh, lets make it $50.00 this time!
Thanks for shopping with us at Dan West.