Make
Your Neighbor Green with Envy
By Mary Anne Sullivan
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Every spring, it’s the same thing: The Neighborhood Competition
for the best-looking lawn. As long as your not my next door neighbor,
I’ll share a few of my favorite lawn care tips with you.
First, make sure that your lawn mower blade
is sharp and that your spreader and edger are in good working order. Topdress
any low spots or bare spots in your yard with Hu-More or any fine screened
compost. Spray any stray weeds with Roundup or pull them up if you prefer.
Aerate the lawn whenever possible with whatever is handy: Step-on lawn
aeratores, golf shoes, even high heels — if you don’t need them that night.
Who says lawn care can’t be creative? Trim the driveway and pathways with
the edger, and CAREFULLY trim around the trees and shrubs. Mow the yard
in the pattern of your choice. (Try this link for hints: www.simplicitymfg.com/stripe/index.htm
)
Last thing: Fertilize! Shultz has a Lawn
Food with Chelated Iron (40-4-4) that I use in a hose-end sprayer. Wait
until the neighbor isn’t around; othewise, he’ll try to copy you. Pay
particular attention to the property line where his lackluster yard will
soon pale in comparison to yours. Order pizza and enjoy!
For organic weed control, you might try one
of these products: 10% Vinegar, Burnout, or Weed Eraser. We also
carry many organic fertilizer products (including liquids) such
as Hasta-Gro lawn food.
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Container
Gardening
By Margie Garland
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Container
gardens can add a splash of color to an otherwise bleak porch, deck, or
patio. Sunshine? Add sun coleus, Salvia Victoria, lantana, cosmos, and
dusty miller. Shade? Coleus and caladiums are the perfect backdrop for
begonias and impatiens. Ivies create a trailing look. Try needlepoint
ivy or fig or variegated vinca major as trailers also.
Choose a pot and a spot for your creation.
Fill the container with quality potting mix. Decide how much sun or shade
the area gets and then make your plant selections accordingly. Then, start
planting! Incorporate a variety of heights, textures, and color in a larger
pot. Leave room to water your creation and sit back and enjoy that dash
of color!
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New
Red Japanese Maple
By Don Miller, North Haven
Gardens Horticulturist |
Most red Japanese
maples “bronze out” in our hot summers. They come out bright red in the
spring; then, as summer progresses, the leaves turn a bronzy green. The
variety “Bloodgood” has been one of the best to hold that red color during
our hot summers. There is a new variety that has proven to hold its color
better than Bloodgood. This new star of the red Japanese maples is called
“Fireglow.”
Fireglow is a newer selection of Bloodgood
with a smaller leaf and growth habit. It will mature to 9 to 12 feet. It
has a more upright growth habit. The spring foliage is an intense red that
retains its color in hot summers. The fall foliage is scarlet and crimson.
To do their best, Japanese maples should be protected from the hot afternoon
sun. They do like morning sun or strong filtered sun to get the best red
color. Be certain you locate your Japanese maples where they have good drainage,
and water them regularly in the summer. |
Water Wisely when you water your lawn. Water
slowly (less water pressure) and soak your lawn; then, you won’t
have to water as often, wasting water. Our Dallas soil can only
absorb about a 1/2-inch of water per hour; the rest is runoff.
Use low-to-the ground sprinkler heads and water deeply (4-6 inches)
for longer periods in the early morning or evening. Your lawn
will develop a better, deeper root system that will require watering
every couple of weeks instead of every other day (which contributes
to a shallow root system requiring frequent watering). Use the
automatic water timer to shut off the water, not turn it on. Your
water bills and your lawn will love you for this practice this
summer. See: www.aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/homelandscape/water/water.html
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May-June
2001 Newsletter