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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:
What is that beautiful purple grass that is on the corner of Maple St. and Pine St. in front of the Board of Elections in Graham?
Answer:
I receive hundreds of calls from folks wanting me to identify a plant that they saw at a particular location. Even the nurses at my doctor's office where ready for me this week. They had a hand drawn map of the trees and shrubs around the Kernodle Clinic knowing full well I had mentally recorded them all. Actually I had! As for those grass plants in Graham, it is Pink Muhly grass. This is one of the Muhlenbergia grasses. They are native grasses of our coastal areas and the southwest. That alone should tell you they are quite drought tolerant. The purple color is from the seed heads that appear in early fall. They are beautiful, especially when the wind blows. A white cultivar is also on the market. This easy to care for grass is cut back in early March to within about 6 inches from the ground. New growth returns in the spring leading up to it's peak at this time of the year. Pink Muhly grass is available at local nurseries.
Question:
My lawn and shrub beds are starting to get a lot of lime-green little weeds in it. Will 2,4-D weed killer get rid of them?
Answer:
Winter weeds such as henbit, chickweed, deadnettle, and others have germinated quickly in the last month with all the rainfall. This is especially noticeable in newly sowed lawns. I have seen these same weeds appearing in my lawn especially around the edge of my landscape beds. Gardeners also need to pay attention to their perennial flower and shrub beds where the mulch is thin. If you depend on 2,4-D alone to get rid of these weeds you will be disappointed. It is not the herbicide of choice for controlling them in the lawn. You must use the combination of several broadleaf herbicides that are sold under various trade names such as Weed B Gon, SpeedZone, Trimec, and Weed-Out. These products can be safely sprayed on turf grass without injury. Newly germinated grass must be mowed at least 2 times before application. Do not use these products in your landscape beds. They will injure or kill your favorite flowers, shrubs, and perennials. You either hoe them out or pull them up. Remulch these beds this fall after you get the leaves up.
Question:
I rooted some roses over the summer. Can I plant them now?
Answer:
I would not recommend planting recently rooted roses or other woody plants in the landscape this fall. They just don't have enough roots and could easily be injured or killed by a cold winter. It would be better to plant them in March. But now you must find some way to protect them over the winter. If you have several you can group them together and pack pine needles or other mulch around the pots for insulation purposes. Be sure to put mulch around the young plants too. If they are very small plants it may be best to bring them indoors and place in a cool sun room where you can keep them watered. Better yet, find someone with a backyard greenhouse that will keep them for you.
BECOMING A CERTIFIED ARBORIST
Certified arborists are licensed professionals that know how to manage and care for landscape trees. Each year we offer a 2 day Arborist training school followed by an exam on the 3rd day. This year it will be held on December 6th through the 8th at the Cooperative Extension office on Burlington Rd. in Greensboro. Participants will learn all aspects of tree care, biology, problem diagnosis, and climbing. Cost of the program is $95 for the 2 day training. If you wish to take the exam it is an additional $125. Call 336-375-5876 for registration or further information.
TREE SEEDLING AVAILABILITY
Now is the time to order tree seedlings from the N.C. Forest Service's tree nurseries. You have a wide choice of 1-2 year old tree seedlings from white ash to yellow poplar. All total there are about 74 hardwood species available and at least 5 different conifers. Order now for planting in February and early March. Call them at 1-888-628-7337 or visit them on line at www.dfr.state.nc.us
SOUTHERN ANNEX SCHEDULE
I will be at the Southern Annex office on the corner of Snow Camp Rd. and Bethel South Fork Rd. this coming Thursday morning from 8 am until noon. I am there to assist you with any questions you have on horticulture and forestry related matters.
North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University commitment themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability. In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation, North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&;T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating.