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by Rett Davis | |
Gardening Q&A by Rett Davis appears in
Alamance County's daily newspaper, The Burlington Times-News,
every Sunday in the Accent section. Each week's installment is
posted to this
website, beginning with January 1998. Scroll to the bottom of
this page to navigate to other Gardening Q&As. Please contact
Rett via e-mail with questions
or
comments in regard to this column.
Answer:
Reseeding of fescue is done in February and
March. Plugging, tilling, or aerovating should be done prior to
sowing the seed. Throwing seed on bare ground is a waste of
money. For bare areas sow seed at a rate of 6 to 7 pounds of
seed per 1000 square feet. Reduce the rate to 4 pounds of seed
per 1000 square feet if there is grass already present. There
are many blends of fescue on the market that contain fescue
cultivars that have performed well in our state. Our
recommendations are based on research from N.C. State University.
Seed companies will take this information and formulate blends
using several of these cultivars. These blends are available at
most local farm and garden stores. If you would like a copy of
N.C. State University's recommendations, please call us or ask
your local garden store for one.
Question:
Every year our junipers turn a light green
regardless of the amount of fertilizer I put on them. What is
wrong with them?
Answer:
Junipers will get infested with scale and
spider mites. These little beasties take a hand lens to see.
That is why their presence is rarely detected by the untrained
eye. These pests are active now and the result of their damage
will be seen later on in the year. This is especially noticeable
on dwarf Alberta spruce. I would recommend a thorough spraying
of a horticultural oil on these junipers and Alberta Spruce now.
Two sprayings several weeks apart will be needed. Horticultural
oil is sold under various trade names such as Volck Oil, Sunspray
Oil, and Superior Dormant Oil. The oils are mixed with water and
sprayed on all sides of the needles. Get rid of these pests now
before new growth appears in the spring.
Question:
Can I use a 'Weed and Feed' fertilizer and
reseed my lawn at the same time?
Answer:
I would not. The herbicides that are in the
"Weed and Feed' fertilizers are not to be used within 30 days of
seeding. These chemicals can damage young grass seedlings as
they germinate. I would put all my efforts into getting a good
seed bed prepared and sowing seed. Once the new grass has
emerged and been mowed twice, then you can come back with a
liquid 'over the top' spray to control what weeds are in the
lawn.
Question:
I am confused by your recommendation of
using a 4-1-2 fertilizer for fertilizer. I have been all over
this county looking for it and no one has every heard of it?
Where can I buy it?
Answer:
I have had lots of calls on this. We
recommend a 4-1-2 ratio. Ratio is the key word. This a
fertilizer that contains 4 times more nitrogen than phosphorus
and about 2 times more nitrogen than potash. So what do you buy?
In late winter buy a slow release fertilizer like 16-4-8, 21-3-8,
15-5-10,or 28-4-4. These are about as close as you will find to a
4-1-2 ratio and these are all available locally. Fertilize
fescue lawns immediately.
Vinifera Grape Pruning Demonstration
Anyone interested in learning how to prune vinifera
grapes (not muscadine) is invited to the farm of Gene
Strikeleather on Monday, February 18 at 11 am. Dr Andy Allen,
N.C. State viticulturalist will be teaching proper pruning of
these grapes. This farm is one of the latest to venture into
commercial grape production for wine. It is located on the
corner of Highway 119 North and Lynch Store Road, north of
Mebane.
Monthly Herb Meeting
Thymes To-Gather will hold their monthly meeting on Tuesday,
February 19, 2002 at 7 PM in the Agricultural Building.
Gardening Q&A Navigation Options
If you have any horticultural questions, please direct them to Rett Davis