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by Rett Davis | |
Gardening Q&A by Rett Davis appears in
Alamance County's daily newspaper, The Times-News,
every Sunday in the Accent section. Each week's installment is
posted to this
website, beginning with January of this year. 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.
Question:
I have seen information on the Internet warning of problems with infested mulch from Louisiana. Is this something I should be concerned about when I buy new mulch this spring?
Answer:
I have been been bombarded with emails from people all over the county wanting to know if this Internet posted warning is true. The mulch in question is being made from storm damaged trees and wood from areas that Katrina struck along the Gulf coast. The fear is based around the movement of the Formoson termite that is very aggressive in that area of the United States. You need not worry about this mulch making its way into our state. The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry established a quarantine that requires all woody debris to be shipped to a designated area where it is landfilled or burned as fuel. But like most Internet stories, they will die a slow death and this rumor will continue on. But as long as the quarantine holds and no one ignores the rules for a quick buck, there should be no problems. The first line of defense against termites is not worrying about your mulch. It is making sure your house is not infested or susceptible to an infestation by having conditions conducive to termites around your home. You can accomplish this through routine maintenance and by having your house inspected by a pest management professional. Termites are a part of our natural world. The can be found in pine mulch, hardwood mulch, under brick chips, under concrete, and in trees. You cannot live in a termite free world, they are everywhere. But by following the advice I have given you, you properties can be kept safe from termite infestations.
Question:
I read in a recent newspaper ad about a grass called 'Canada Green'. It is being advertised as a lawn grass that will stay green year round and is well adapted to our area of the state. Can I buy this locally?
Answer:
Canada Green is not sold locally unless you want to buy the separate ingredients and mix them yourself. Canada Green is 48% creeping red fescue, 26% annual rye, and 25% bluegrass. My advice is to avoid this mix. Creeping red fescue is an old fescue variety for shade. Annual rye dies in early summer and bluegrass is often short lived. This mix would hardly stay green for more than 8 months. Spend you money on seed mixtures that are better adapted to our area. All local garden centers sell very good seed mixtures. They contain top rated fescues that can stay green year round with proper mowing heights, watering, and fertilization.
Question:
What kind of fertilizer do you recommend for shrubbery and when should it be applied?
Answer:
I use the growth rate of a shrub as a guide to tell me if I need to fertilize. Your shrubs may need no fertilizer at all. If my shrubbery is growing 6 inches or more a season, it will receive no fertilizer. If shoot growth is between 2 to 6 inches, then fertilizer is optional. For new shrubs you are trying to push for growth, you need to make several light applications of fertilizer in early March, May, and July. For established shrubs that are growing between 2-6 inches a year, one application of fertilizer can be made in March. For small shrubs, 1 level tablespoon of 10-10-10 fertilizer per foot in height is enough. For established shrubs that are larger, apply no more that 1/4 pound of 10-10-10 around the entire shrub along the drip line.
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