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GARDENING IN
BY
1. PLANT FOR DRIED FLOWERS:
When you plant this spring, don’t forget to include flowers that you can
dry this fall. You can raise Statice, Globe Amaranth, Straw Flowers, and
other everlastings to provide flowers for dried flower arrangements.
Every year I have a row of Drumstick Allium for a couple friends that do
lots of dried flowers. Drumstick Allium is a small bulb that is usually
planted in the fall but can be planted in the spring if you can find
bulbs. Be careful as it multiplies so must be divided about every 3 to 4
years.
I also try
plant a row of large red Celosia (Cockscomb type) for friends. My
Cockscomb usually has blooms that are about 8 inches to 10 inches across
and when dried in full shade, or better yet in the garage, the dried
blooms retain their color for over a year. They are beautiful in dried
flower arrangements and can be grown very easy from seed. Most full
season garden centers will carry the seed. I like the Cockscomb type of
Celosia but the Plume type is also pretty.
2. GRASS SEED:
It is too late to plant grass seed now because of our strange spring.
Usually the ideal time is between April 15th and May 15th in the spring
and between August 15th and September 15th in the fall. Grass seed needs
soil temperature of at least 55 degrees F. to germinate. This is soil
temp not air temp. I have a small meat/kitchen thermometer I use and
push it in the ground at least 2 to 3 inches and wait about 5 minutes
and read the dial. It is also helpful to check the soil temperature in
the vegetable garden so you know when to plant seeds that need certain
temperatures to germinate. If the ground is too cold the seed just sits
there and may rot. The same with tomato plants. I usually don’t put my
plants out until May 15th here in eastern
If you put
crabgrass preventer (pre-emergence) on your lawn, you will have to wait
until fall to plant grass as the pre-emergence herbicide will also keep
grass seed from germinating.
3.
BREAKING UP HARD
4. LEFT OVER WEED KILLER, ROUND-UP,
Last week one
of the
The other
reason the herbicide may not have worked is because many are temperature
sensitive. Most people do not realize that Round-up (glysophate),
Hi-Yield Kills-All (glysophate), Kleen-up (glysophate), Trimec, and
Weed-Be-Gone (has same active ingredients as Trimec) do not work very
well until the air temperature is above 60 degrees F. and stays there
for 3 to 4 hours after application. They are of limited use in the early
spring and in the late fall as a result. Some formulations of Super
Brush Killer (same active ingredients as Trimec but stronger) works when
the air temperature is 45 degrees F. or higher at the time of
application and for 4 to 6 hours after application. Dandelions, Henbit
(with the little purple flower that is in bloom now), Ground Ivy, and
Clover are best killed in the fall. This fall, after the first light
frost, spray with Super Brush Killer with Triclopyr (many
brands), and then repeat the application in about 10 to 14 days. Super
Brush Killer will not hurt your grass if applied according to the
manufacturer’s instructions. Remember the first rule of gardening:
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