Nutgrass or nutsedge, whichever way you want to call it; however, my customers call this a headache that can become a migraine when trying to get rid of these weeds!  I’ve talked about this weed before but there have been some changes in the products that work really well on this weed that I want to discuss.

Sedgehammer is the product I have recommended for several years.  When Monsanto owned the patent on the product it was called Manage.  They sold the technology to Gowan Company and they changed the name to Sedgehammer.  Now, Gowan has improved the formulation again to include the surfactant, the part that makes it stick longer to the weed, as part of the product and now they call it Sedgehammer Plus.  With the original Sedgehammer you needed to add a liquid surfactant along with the packet of weed killer to obtain the right solution for sticking to and killing the nutgrass.

Even though nutgrass resembles grasses and is often referred to as nutgrass, it really isn’t a grass at all but true sedge.  Their leaves are thicker and stiffer than most grasses and the leaves are arranged in sets of three at the base.  Nutsedge stems are solid, and in cross section they are triangular whereas grass stems are hollow and round and in cross section they are almost flat or oval.

Yellow and purple nutsedge produce tubers, which my customers call nuts; thus the origin of their common name, nutgrass.  The tubers are produced on underground stems that grow as deep as 8 to 14 inches below the soil surface.   Buds develop on the tuber sprouts and grow to form new plants.  Did you know that they can eventually form patches that range up to 10 feet or more in diameter!  Now that sounds like the beginning of a migraine!

Nutgrass Takes Persistance Not Pulling

I would venture to say it is almost impossible to get rid of nutsedge by pulling up the plants.  Roundup has not worked that well for me in the past either.  It does a good top-kill but does not do a good job killing the underground tubers.  Nutsedge is very aggressive when left alone.  It is a perennial weed so in the fall it will go dormant and then sprout again the following spring.

It takes persistence with the spraying of Sedgehammer to get rid of the nutsedge.  You can use it as a directed spray in flower beds, being careful around your ornamentals, and can be sprayed in most lawn grasses.  The Sedgehammer will work quicker if you can spray the nutsedge when it is only 2-3 inches tall.  The taller it gets, the longer it takes the chemical to work its way through the plant.

The process for getting rid of nutsedge is now easier with Sedgehammer Plus which you will find out as soon as you purchase it and begin your control over this headache weed!

A beautiful lawn is something I really enjoy.  There is a process involved with that, believe you me, with the weed control, fertilizing and watering.  It’s worth it to me to be outside and enjoy the green grass while I play with our dogs.  Now here is the dilemma…dogs have to go to the bathroom in the grass.

We love our dogs and we love our beautiful lawn.  What do you do with the effects on the pretty green grass when your dogs do their “business”?  Actually there are a few things that work well to keep on loving your pets and having pretty green grass.

Let’s stay “natural” and clean with bio degradable dog bags to pick up any mess that your dogs leave.  You get to keep a clean lawn, you continue to help the landfills with the bio degradable bag and there are no spots in the lawn from the residue.  Check this for being pro-active for our environment and keeping your grass looking great!

You may ask, however, what about other neighbors who aren’t quite as conscientious as you are and your yard becomes the toilet of the neighborhood dogs?  The damage has been done to the grass before you realize it and there is a bare spot.  A really great quick fix is an all in one dog spot repair kit for either sun or shady areas.  You can just shake it out and water it in.

The Pennington Seed All-In-One Dog Spot Repair Kit really does work because the seed is coated with a protection against fungus and disease along with having improved water penetration. Now, you can check this as a problem solved!

The urine stains on the grass are another issue.  The best I have found is a dog treat that is specially formulated for lawn protection called Healthy Baker Lawn Protection Dog Treats.  They are natural treats with added vitamins and dl-methionine and are oven baked.  No soy, sugar or artificial flavors & colors are added.  Having one dog with a lot of allergies, I really look for this type of product for her.

I always believe you can accomplish all that you want with your pets & your home with just a little added effort.

Question: I have a huge problem with plantain and creeping charlie; will this product [Weed Free Zone] work well on these weeds? Cheers, Charles

Answer: Weed Free Zone is a liquid chemical that will work from 45 degrees outside to 90 degrees which makes it one of the most versatile chemicals that can be used throughout the year.  It will also control over 80 of the toughest broadleaf weeds which does include ground ivy (creeping charlie) and plantain.

Weed Free Zone is safe for use in Kentucky Bluegrass, Perennial Ryegrass, Tall Fescue, Red Fescue, Colonial Bentgrass, Common Bermuda Grass, Hybrid Bermuda Grass, Bahia Grass, Zoysia Grass, Buffalo Grass, St. Augustine and Centipede Grass.

A 16 ounce bottle will treat 16,000 square feet.  You want to make sure that there is no drift onto desirable flowers and shrubs so spraying when the wind is calm in the morning or early evening is a good rule of thumb.

If winter weeds are ruining the aesthetic value of your lawn, get a bottle of Weed Free Zone and take out the weeds before they take over your lawn!

Question: I need help. My son, Matt and I want to plant a garden. Neither of us have ever done this before. Where do we start and what to do?

Answer: The foundation is the most important part of any venture whether it is your house, your health or your garden.  That is where we will start when planning the vegetable garden which actually can be applied to a flower garden, also.

STEP 1: The first thing you want to do is take a soil sample of the area you want to have as your garden. Go to 3-5 spots to fill up a quart ziploc bag which should be about 1 pound of soil. Take that to your County Extension office and they will send it off to determine exactly how much fertilizer and lime might be needed to have a prosperous garden.  I don’t advise a soil test kit because it will not tell you how much fertilizer and lime needs to be applied.

STEP 2: While that is taking place, look at the area and see how full of weeds it is. If you can catch a warm day, I would take the generic Roundup which doesn’t transpose into the soil, spray all the weeds and grasses, wait 7 days then till that under.

STEP 3: When you are tilling that under, get a bag of Treflan to till in at the same time which will keep any weed seeds from germinating.  Doing this will definitely cut down on the hoeing time!

Treflan is recommended around these vegetables:

Before Seeding:
Carrots, Okra, Southern Peas (cow peas), field peas, black-eyed pears, lima beans and snap beans.

Before Transplanting:
Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, peppers and tomatoes.

After Transplanting:
Irish potatoes

This will be a great start to building a strong foundation for your garden; soil sample, kill present weeds and then apply Treflan to deter weed seeds from germinating.  Now all you have to do is decide what you want to plant and plan out the next phase of the garden.

Sugar ants in the kitchen shocks most homeowners almost as much as a snake in the garden!  They are annoying invaders that require immediate action to rid them from the house.  These are some questions  that go through your mind when you see them: why are they here, where did they get in and how do I get rid of them.

The sugar ants come into the house or apartment for water, food and warmth.  The other rooms where sugar ants will venture are the bathroom and laundry room.  For the kitchen area, try to keep the counters clean of any food debris along with cleaning the dishes in the sink.  If you like to take your sweetened drinks with you to other rooms of the house, beware if you leave them, because the ant scouts are always looking for sweet nutrients wherever they can be found.

Where did the sugar ants in the kitchen come from?  Look around the windowsill in your kitchen, under the sink and around the door to see if there is a trail of ants.  Try not to squash the ants on the counter even though you want to, until you can follow their trail back to where they are getting inside.  Ants also like to trail under the edge of carpets.  Inspect the edge of the carpets along the tack strip.  If you have a fireplace or sliding glass door those are good places to look, also.

Third question and the most important is how to get rid of the sugar ants in the kitchen.  If you could use a sure fire product that works and is not harmful to you or your pets, wouldn’t that be great!  You don’t have to do any mixing or dripping; just a snip of the end, lay the trap on the counter and walk away. I’m not kidding; these Terro gel traps are filled with a sweet food based product similar to pancake syrup plus Borax.  Borax, a mineral mined in the desert in California, is a common active ingredient used in many soap products.

The gel  of the traps kills ants but will not harm people or pets.  If some gets spilled on your skin there will be no reaction at all. Just wash with warm water.  Pets occasionally find  the gel traps and eat the gel. When that happens do nothing because the product is not toxic enough to cause a problem and the pet will be fine.  Now that’s a really good recommendation from the manufacturer!  Today’s consumer really tries to buy products that are more organic and natural which is safer for them and the environment.

When you put out the gel traps, look to see where you see the trail of ants and place it in their path.  They will crawl in and nibble the gel, take it back to the nest to feed others and then they will all die.  It may take 48 hours to completely take care of the problem, but it will take care of the sugar ants in the kitchen problem.

Let’s look further around your house to see if we can detect any problems outside.  Check around the foundation of your house to see if they are living in the soil.   Ants like to nest and forage in trails behind vegetation that might be up against the foundation.  If you have any items on the ground near the foundation, check under them as ants like to nest there. If you have mulch in your landscaping, pull it back away from the foundation as that can harbor several colonies of ants.  Terro has a great outdoor liquid ant bait station that you can place around the foundation.  They are self contained so you won’t get any on yourself as you set them out.  Safe, clean and easy to use…plus they work!

When you have sugar ants in your kitchen, remember there is a solution that is safe & easy to use with the Terro gel traps.

Tall Fescue Grass Seed by Pennington does not mean it is tall grass but that it stands upright and the Pennington Smart Seed will change the way you think about your grass!

Pennington’s SMART SEED produces healthier, thicker grass that…

* Requires up to 30% LESS WATER every year
* Maximizes fertilizer performance
* Grows a Denser, Deeper root system than grass grown without using Pennington’s Smart Seed

What a great advertisement, right?  What is great is that it is true!  It is my goal to help people find the right product for their needs and when it is an “easier to use” product, it is just that much better for them.  Now you just need the facts about Tall Fescue Grass Seed to determine if that is the right grass seed for you and when the best time to plant would be.

Pennington’s Seed Planting Zones

Tall Fescue Grass Seed maintains a deep green color throughout the growing season.  It grows into a beautiful fine textured lawn.  This blend of Fescue Grass Seed contains improved heat, drought and disease resistant varieties.

Smart Seed™ with MYCO Advantage™ produces a healthier, thicker lawn that grows a deeper, denser root system, requiring up to 30% LESS WATER and maximizes fertilizer performance.

The planting zones for this type of grass seed are 1-8 on the above zone chart and upper sections of zones 9 & 12.  This grass seed needs 4-8 hours of sun to maintain a good stand.  This Tall Fescue Grass seed contains lower growing blend which requires less mowing than common Fescues.

This cool season, aggressive, perennial bunchgrass develops a uniform sod as it matures.  One of the Tall Fescue Grass blends best features is that it adapts to a wide range of soils, including poorly drained areas.  It has good traffic tolerance for those of you who have children and pets.

You now know more about this type of grass seed to determine if it is the best for your lawn’s environment.  Do yourself a favor and go buy a bag of Tall Fescue Grass seed now so you will be ready to plant when the time is right!

]]> http://rollingtstores.net/tall-fescue-grass-seed/feed/ 2 http://rollingtstores.net/keep-the-deer-out-of-the-garden/ http://rollingtstores.net/keep-the-deer-out-of-the-garden/#comments Wed, 18 Aug 2010 14:27:05 +0000 Rebecca Wilcox http://rollingtstores.net/?p=346 There are a multitude of tips on how to keep the deer out of the garden: Get human hair and hang from stockings around the perimeter Hang white strips of cloth around the perimeter Put blood meal out around the perimeter of the garden Urinating around the perimeter of the garden (be careful who might [...]]]>

There are a multitude of tips on how to keep the deer out of the garden:

• Get human hair and hang from stockings around the perimeter
• Hang white strips of cloth around the perimeter
• Put blood meal out around the perimeter of the garden
• Urinating around the perimeter of the garden (be careful who might see you!)

Those are just a few tips I have heard through the years of running my farm supply store.  But in our business we have found 2 ways that are successful whether it is our farmer with a soybean field, our truck patch farmer trying to protect their vegetable garden or our homeowners trying to protect their roses, begonias or hostas to name just a few delectable deer plants.

An easy, ready-to- use approach, would be to get Liquid Fence® Deer & Rabbit Repellent, which is an all natural, long lasting liquid that will stop deer and rabbits from eating flowers, shrubs, vegetable plants, trees and vines.  This is completely safe for you and it won’t harm your plants or animals!  There are a lot of chemicals on the market today that hurt our environment but this is not one of them and it is biodegradable.  It is USDA field tested to be effective at repelling deer and rabbits.  Liquid Fence® Deer & Rabbit Repellent is long lasting and rain resistant so you don’t have to keep applying over and over again.  Plus it is recommended by the National Home Gardening Club!

Our customers who want to keep the deer out of the garden, thank us for recommending Liquid Fence® Deer & Rabbit Repellent because who wants to go to the trouble to plant seeds or nursery plants, water, fertilize, nurture them just to watch them get bitten off to the ground by the deer!

If you have the capability to put up an electric fence, it has been field tested and proven that peanut butter will draw the deer first before they jump over the fence to eat your garden.  An easy method is to use tread-in fence posts with electric tape; every 10 feet put a glob of peanut butter on it, the deer will be drawn to that and get a little shock which will send him running away, leaving your garden untouched.  If that seems too cruel for you, just ignore this possibility, but it only shocks the deer, it doesn’t cause them any wounds or health problems.  By using the tread-in posts and tape, when your need for protection is over with, you can simply roll up the tape, pull up the posts and store them for the next season.

Don’t wait until the next time you see damage from the deer in your garden to get protection.  Go now to Rolling T Stores to buy the products that actually work to keep the deer out of the garden!

We have looked at the best way to plant grass seed and how to know if you have high quality grass seed.  Equally as important is knowing how to pick the right type of grass seed you need to plant for the conditions of your lawn; i.e., shady, sunny or wet and the particular area of the country.

Pennington Smart Seed grass seed is available in several varieties.  Let’s look at the different grass seeds and the conditions that will produce that lush lawn you are wanting.

Pennington’s Seed Planting Zones

Kentucky Bluegrass:

This produces one of the highest quality, most desirable looking lawns.  It is an aggressive, self-spreading grass which reproduces by seed and spreads by underground stolons.  It is naturally more disease and insect resistant than other grass varieties.  It contains both Pennington’s exclusive MYCO Advantage & Penkote technology.  This is a terrific variety but let’s see if it is suited for your zone and lawn environment.

The planting zones are all of 1, 3, 4, 6, 7 and upper parts of 5 and 8.  Look at the map above to determine if your home falls in any of those zones.  Now it also requires full sun to partial shade (at least 6-8 hours of daily sun). It has excellent traffic tolerance so if you have children, for instance,  and the first 2 requirements are met, this is the grass seed for your lawn.

The recommended planting time for this grass is Early Spring or Early Fall.  For new lawns you will need 3 pounds per 1,000 square feet and for over-seeding you will need 1 1/2 pounds per 1,000 square feet.  This is a fine textured, dark green grass that has a good drought tolerance and very good disease resistance.  This knowledge will help you pick the right type of grass seed.

This is the first of 8 varieties that are excellent choices for the gorgeous and easy to care for lawn you have been desiring.  If you live in one of the planting zones for Kentucky Bluegrass, and have the 6-8 hours of light required, don’t delay in getting this type of grass seed.  Your neighbors will wonder how you had the time to grow such an outstanding lawn and you will know it was because you knew how to pick the right grass seed.

The next grass seed to find out if it is the right one for you will be Tall Fescue Grass Seed.

The title “Vegetable Garden Bugs On The Attack” sounds like the name of a science fiction thriller movie! Fortunately for us the bugs aren’t giant sized, man-eating critters. But they can be a formidable foe when it comes to controlling their voracious appetite. You can go to bed one night feeling really good about the condition of your garden, just to get up the next morning to see holes in the leaves everywhere.

You need to narrow down what is happening to your plants and if you see any signs of the bugs still being on the plant. There is no need to spend money haphazardly just because you think you know what might be going on. Check to see if it is a chewing bug or not. Also, make sure it is not a fungus that is attacking your plant because that is a whole ‘nother story. If you have any doubts, it is best to take a sample to your County Extension Agent to receive a definitive answer to the problem.

Let’s focus on 3 of the chewing bugs:

1. Tomato Hornworm caterpillar-this is a magnificent looking caterpillar and a little scary if you get to see a really big one. They are often difficult to find because their color blends in or camouflages with tomato foliage background.   These vegetable garden bugs love to eat on tomato plants; a few holes may not be that big of a deal to you so you may want to just let them become the birds dinner.  If there gets to be too many holes in the leaves and stems go missing, it is time to take action. The plants most affected are: Eggplant; Peppers; Potatoes; and Tomatoes.  Apply BT-Bacillus Thuriengensis  (Thuricide) to the plant on both the upper and lower parts of the leaves.  The caterpillar will die a couple of days after ingesting the BT.  Thuricide controls not only the tomato hornworm but also gypsy moths, tent caterpillar, cabbage looper, & imported cabbage worm.  I always find it helpful if I can purchase a product to do many tasks.
2. Imported Cabbage Worm-(also know as Cabbage Worm & European Cabbage Worm) This is a sluggish, velvety green worm.  If you see jagged holes and signs of green excrement on the leaves then you know you have the imported cabbage worm.  The mom butterfly flies around and lays her eggs on the leaves and in about a week you have some hungry babies going to town on your plants leaves. These vegetable garden bug worms plan is to eat on the undersides of the vegetable when it is young and when the plant gets bigger they eat on the outer leaves and bore their way to the center.   These worms will eat on the entire cabbage family but prefer cabbage and cauliflower.  They frequently damage turnips, kale, collards, radishes, and mustard.  Ahhh, if you have the BT Thuricide, you can take care of the imported cabbage worm.
3. Cabbage Looper-let’s start this one off with all the vulnerable crops it attacks: Lima beans, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, collards, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, radishes, rutabagas, turnips, parsley.  The cabbage looper is green with stripes along its back and sides and travels in a looping motion.  Look for small to large ragged holes (sounds like another worm!).  As the season goes on, this vegetable garden bug will bore into the head of the vegetable.  The mother moth can have several broods per year so you have to be diligent in watching over your susceptible vegetables.  Here again BT Thuricide will eradicate your problem.

When fighting all types of bugs, it is important to make sure you don’t have weak or stressed plants that will then become the target for the bugs.  You can create a bird habitat that will draw songbirds to your garden to eat those pesky insects that do take advantage of your good nature & mother nature!  Lastly, take care of the ground in which you plant your vegetables.  Add some good organic material to the soil, be sure and clean up any diseased plants and remember to rotate your crops.

If in doubt of what your soil might need, take a soil sample to your County Extension Agent so they can tell you what ratio of amendments you will need.  But remember, whether you are seeing holes from vegetable garden bugs in the leaves or not, get Thuricide today and be prepared!

My previous post described how to plant grass seed whether you are planting new or over-seeding your lawn.  If you are going to do that work, then make sure you have purchased high quality grass seed.

Pennington’s Smart Seed has been carefully selected to ensure you grow the best lawn. The varieties were chosen not only for their ability to produce a thick, lush, healthy lawn, but also for their improved drought, disease and insect resistance versus other grass seed varieties.

The Penkoted® seed technology contains a fungicide that literally seals and protects each seed while in the ground, improving its ability to grow into a healthy plant. This technology is used in every bag of Pennington’s Smart Seed along with their newest exclusive technology MYCO Advantage™.

Pennington’s Smart Seed MYCO Advantage™  is Pennington’s newest seed enhancement technology.  MYCO Advantage™ also literally seals each seed and when planted reintroduces beneficial, all natural micro-organisms.  The micro-organisms in MYCO Advantage™ attach to the emerging seed roots, helping the grass grow a denser, deeper root system.  And the result is a healthier, thicker lawn that utilizes available moisture and nutrients more efficiently.  Now that sounds like a smart seed!

Naturally occurring soil micro-organisms can become destroyed or depleted over time, from either environmental stress, the use of harsh chemicals or today’s construction practices, including grading of home and building sites. This can cause a  lifeless, compacted soil that makes it very difficult to grow grass much less a thick, lush, healthy lawn.

A “picture is worth a thousand words” is so true with this comparison.  Personally, I want the extra help to have a successful and beautiful lawn.  I simply do not have the time in my busy schedule to baby a lawn past getting the ground prepared, seed planted and keeping it watered.

You have the information you need to buy the quality grass seed that you need to have a successful and lush lawn.  Next you need to know which type of grass seed would be best for your lawn.