Now this may sound strange, but fertilizer can help control the weeds in the yard. But, it is not as direct as what you may be thinking or hoping. The fertilizer itself will not control the weeds, but it can help your healthy lawn to control the weeds. Now that introduction only seemed to complicate things. I first want to make sure that I have not muddied the waters, so…
Read MoreThe Wrong Kind of Weed Barrier
Weeds can be quite a pain. You can get everything looking nice in your landscape, then a few days later, that pesky weed appears. So you have an idea, we will put a weed barrier down to stop those weeds. Occasionally I will come across some bad ideas of weed barriers. Here are the top ideas that I have seen that were quite bad. I have seen a blue tarp…
Read MoreEpinasty
The first thing that you may be asking is what is epinasty? The definition of epinasty by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is a nastic movement in which a plant part is bent outward and often downward. Even simpler, it is the twisting and contorting of plant tissue. Why do we love epinasty? All property owners love to see epinasty. You may or may not admit it, or may not now what…
Read MoreRound Up Alternative
I have had people ask me about a Round Up alternative. The main reason for their concern is the toxicity of the active ingredient, glyphosate, in Round Up. The most common alternative is a combination of vinegar, Epsom Salt, and dish soap. Before you start to look up the recipe online, I would like to point out a few warnings about this mixture. Vinegar and salt on their own are…
Read MoreIntegrated Pest Management
Integrated Pest Management, that sounds fancy and confusing. So what is it? It is a way of dealing with pests within an area that involves more that just using pesticides (herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, etc.) Integrated Pest Management involves many different methods of controlling pests. When we think about controlling a pest within a landscape, many times it is thought to just treat the problem with chemicals. Chemicals are an option,…
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