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A Paradigm Shift.
The man on the other end of the phone is clearly annoyed.
A Home Hardware dealer on the Prairies has called me to ask WHAT he is to say to customers who are looking for effective control of lawn weeds.
The fact of the matter is, there is no simple, straight forward answer.
My response to the question is this:
You compete lawn weeds out of existence by cutting your lawn 2 � inches high (to shade out lawn weed seeds before they germinate), use a mulching mower (to return the nitrogen rich lawn cuttings to the root zone), fertilize with the best quality lawn fertilizer that you buy 3 times a year (I only use Golfgreen as it is slow release and made in Canada), water less frequently but deeply (when you water at all).
This little recipe eliminates 90% of your lawn weeds over a year or so.
And for really tough lawn weeds you spread triple mix or lawn soil over them and reseed with quality seed (again Canadian Golfgreen).
Perhaps you have heard me say this before. Maybe it is not a big deal to you. But when I offered this answer to the same question from a customer in Barrington Passage, Nova Scotia in June this year she walked out of the store on me. No 'thanks' or anything. Clearly she was as irritated as the retailer on the phone.
It was a big deal to her.
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To Do This Month
* Cut back perennials that have finished flowering. Speedwell, delphiniums, day lilies, roses and even lupines and the like will often re-bloom in September when they are cut back aggressively early in August. Note: roses are on this list and there is no question that you will get a nice September show when you 'dead head' mid summer.
* One last fertilizer application. I use a lot of Green Earth granular fertilizer in my garden, especially around the heavy feeders like roses and peonies. Early August is your last chance to feed your perennials, shrubs and trees before late autumn. The reason is that you do not want to force new growth late into the season that is soft and therefore susceptible to winter kill.
* Prune your cedar hedge. Truth is, there is no bad time to prune a cedar hedge - but if you do it in August you will gain the benefit of the last flush of growth come late August and September. Come late fall you will stand back and say, 'Nice job!'
* Plant. Many of us forget, come mid summer, that this is a great time of year to plant trees, shrubs, evergreens, perennials and even late season annuals. The #1 reason for doing it now may be this: the savings at your local retailer! A lot of stuff is on sale at a lot of places. Choose wisely - don't buy junk. Avoid yellowing leaves, plants that have out grown their container.
Do look for plants that are deep green (a sign that they are well fed), lush and ready to grow.
* When you remove a new plant from its' pot the roots should fill up to 2/3 of the soil mass but no more. If the pot is 'all roots' you have a root bound plant that is going to have trouble putting down new roots in your garden.
Lawns.
* Cut your lawn high. I have mentioned this before, but it is important to repeat: during the summer months cut your lawn at 2 � to 3 inches high. No shorter! Keep in mind that the 'taller the grass blades the deeper the roots' the deeper the roots the more drought tolerant they are. You will water less. You will also have a lot fewer lawn weeds to deal with as the young ones will be shaded out by the long grass blades.
* Sow grass seed. To thicken an established lawn or start a new one, this is your best bet. I recommend Golfgreen grass seed 99.9% weed free. Produced in Canada too. Sow grass seed in the 3 rd or 4 th week of the month to take advantage of heavy morning dew, shorter days and cool evening temperatures. This is when 90% of all sod growers sow their next crop of sod - makes sense that we do the same.
In the veggie garden:
* Apply Green Earth Bordo mixture to all of your tomatoes. I cannot over emphasize this one for anyone that lives in parts of the country where you have experienced lots of rainfall this summer and cooler than normal temperatures. The copper that is in the Bordo will act to prevent 'early blight': the #1 scourge of tomatoes everywhere.
* Pick your ripe veggies and fruit. It is a rule to live by: pick your beans/peas/raspberries/tomatoes etc. as they ripen and this will encourage new fruit to develop. Period end of story.
* Fertilize your tomatoes. I use Green Earth granular 4-6-8 Tomato food. Tomatoes are heavy feeders.
* Mulch your melons. Use a 10 inch (25 cm) layer of loose straw to insulate the soil from drying out too quickly and to minimize weeds. Squash, pumpkins and all other members of the cucurbit family benefit from the mulch treatment.
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Book a Tour at Toronto Botanical Garden
The Toronto Botanical Garden offers an array of 17 award-winning themed gardens spanning nearly four acres, designed to educate and inspire. You'll also find a complete range of innovative indoor and outdoor learning experiences for all ages including programs, garden tours, nature day camps, field trips and an extensive horticultural library; LEED Silver Certified Building with an energy-efficient sloping green roof and award-winning ecologically conscious design; rental facilities; garden shop and seasonal caf�.
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For prices, packages and booking information
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Think of your lawn like a potato: is a potato a bad thing? You know that it is not. There is 50% of your daily requirements of vitamin C and lots of fiber in a potato (especially if you eat the skin).
As summer heat persists it is important to keep the perennials and annual flowering plants watered, especially those in containers (as they dry out much more quickly).
Date: Monday, August 8, 2011
