(Our guest today in the NEIGHBORHOOD GARDEN is Bob Henrickson,
Assistant Director of Horticulture Programs with the Nebraska Statewide
Arboretum (NSA). Last week Bob wrote about how to design a Prairie
Flower Garden in your home landscape.
Today he shares about plants that can be planted in your Prairie
Flower Garden. ************************************************************* PRAIRIE
FLOWER GARDEN II Here's a list of plants from which to choose for your prairie
For more
information on prairie plants contact the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum
at (402) 472-7855, or go on line to www.arboretum.unl.edu.
************************************************************* PEST
ALERT FROM GEORGE This past week
I saw a sample of grass that was stressed and diseased.
Upon inquiry we found the homeowner had applied fertilizer
in mid-April, a weed and feed (fertilizer)
the end of May and then because the grass looked stressed and had some
brown blades he put on another bag of regular strength fertilizer the middle of June. His approach to weak and light green
grass was more fertilizer. We recommended that he apply a fungicide now
for the disease (brown grass), and then NO
MORE FERTILIZER until late fall (winterizer). This spring has
been wet and cool. Many
plants have put on a tremendous amount of growth and will be under a lot
of stress to support that growth when our hot Nebraska summer kicks in
shortly. Thus more disease and insect problems are coming.
Plant diseases and insects love to attack weak and stressed
grass, plants, shrubs and trees. Miracle-Gro (a fertilizer) will not
help a plant recover that is under stress from a disease or insect
problem. The pest this
week is the homeowner who did not get an informed diagnosis for his
light green grass with some brown blades mixed in. He applied fertilizer
thinking that would perk up his lawn. Some lawns may need a weak
application with high iron this summer to restore nice green color.
But for grass with dead blades or blades that are spotted, a
fungicide maybe the answer. Don’t
you be the pest of the week. Don’t
apply fertilizer or a fungicide, or an insecticide unless it is needed.
Get an informed diagnosis and then apply the right chemical, at
the right time, with the right dosage. To get that informed diagnosis,
take a sample to your full service garden center, or call the Lancaster
County Cooperative Extension Center at 441-7180. July 3, 2004 |