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GardenChatter
The Official Publication of Laclede County Master Gardeners
October - 2016
Laclede County Master
Gardeners 186 N. Adams Ave. Lebanon
Ph. 532-7126
President
Glennie Kinnett 417- 588-0198
Secretary
Barbara Thompson 417-533-8148
Treasurer
Brent Smith
Newsletter Editor
Robert “Bob” Smith III, 417-532-5783
Master Gardeners of Laclede County
186-D N. Adams Ave.
Lebanon, Missouri 65536
Phone: 417-532-7126 •
Fax: 417-532-4587
University of Missouri Extension does not
discriminate on the basis of race, color,
national origin, sex, religion, age, disability or
status as a Vietnam-era veteran in
employment or programs.
There is limited seating for this program
So be sure and call in our reservations
NOW
Call The Extension Office at 532-7126
Wet Weather Can Cause Seeds to Sprout on the Plant
William J. Wiebold
Corn and soybean seeds possess several mechanisms that prevent sprouting before maturity. The
primary mechanism is a balance between two growth hormones, gibberellic acid (GA) and abscisic
acid (ABA). In general, GA promotes germination and ABA inhibits ge rmination. The
concentrations of ABA in corn and soybean seeds peak during the middle of seed filling and begin
to decrease as the seeds near maturity. Before maturity, seeds are prevented from germinating even
though water content and other factors would stimulate germination. After maturing, seeds of most
of our grain crops are capable of germinating if conditions are favorable. Unfortunately, this also
means that, seeds from normal corn and soybean plants can germinate on the ear or in the pod if
certain weather events occur.
The two primary requirements for seed germination are temperature and moisture. The minimum
temperature for corn and soybean seed germination is about 50°F or a little cooler. Germination can
occur within a couple of days with temperatures in the 80s. This year has provided abundant
number of days with temperatures conducive to rapid germination. So, the primary factor that
should reduce seed germination on the plant is moisture. Critical grain moistures that stimulate
germination are 30 to 50%, depending on crop. In normal years, grain dries as it matures to
moisture percentages far below requirements for germination. Unfortunately, weather in late
summer and early fall has included heavy rain events and heavy, long-lasting dews.
Normally, corn husks protect mature kernels from moisture that may cause germination. If the ear
turns downward at maturity, the husks shed water and the chances of kernels sprouting on the ear
are almost eliminated. But, if the ear remains upward, water from rain or even a heavy dew may run
down the inside of the husks and pool at the butt end of the ear. Husks trap water near the kernels
and if temperatures are above 50°F kernels will likely germinate. Sprouting on the ear is almost
always limited to several rows of kernels at the butt end of the ear because this is where water is
trapped. But, this year occurrences of rainfalls greater than several inches may have allowed water
levels in upright ears to rise higher on the ear.
For soybean, the pod wall helps prevent mature soybean seeds from absorbing water by shedding
rain water. Frequent rains, continuous drizzle, or foggy days and nights can bathe the soybean pod
in enough water that the water soaks through the pod wall and wets the soybean seed.
A more common reason for soybean seeds sprouting in the pod is that the pod wall has separated or
broken. This allows water access to the seeds. During wetting and drying cycles, mature soybean
seeds expand and contract. Expanding seeds exert heavy pressure on the soybean pod wall. Soybean
pods walls do not expand as much as soybean seeds. The two halves of the pod wall are sutured
together and these sutures can rupture if enough pressure is provided by expanding seeds. If the two
halves of the pod wall separate and the seed dries and shrinks, the seed may fall from the pod. This
is called shattering.
Under wet conditions, the soybean seed remains swollen and will not fall from the pod. But, the
now exposed seed will likely germinate if it remains wet long enough and if the temperature is
above the minimum.
Premature sprouting is quite damaging to grain quality and reduces safe storage time. During
germination, seeds release enzymes that break down carbohydrates, proteins and fats. This
breakdown releases free sugars, amino acids, and fatty acids. These simple compounds spoil easily
in storage and stimulate fungal growth. The soybean seed coat and the corn kernel pericarp rupture
during germination, and this makes the grain vulnerable to invasion by fungi and insects.
Germinated seeds will crack during combining. Debris from sprouted seeds will often accumulate
in the center of a bin and may be a fire hazard.
Unfortunately, sprouted seeds is a permanent damage to grain. Spread of the damage can b e
reduced by timely harvest and quick drying of grain to stop germination and grain deterioration. If
possible, grain should be screened to remove debris before storage. Be aware that dockage at the
point of sale may reduce grain price.
Add Some Eye Candy to Your Garden This Fall By Melinda Myers
Shorten the winter season with the help of spring flowering bulbs that you plant in fall. These beauties often provide the
first bit of color, fragrance and winter relief each year.
Look for new and unique ways to incorporate bulbs into your landscape. Create a seasonal water feature with a river of
blue scillas and grape hyacinths meandering through the garden. Welcome visitors with a front door or walkway garden
that blooms from early spring through early summer and is loaded with crocus, tulips, daffodils and allium.
Don’t overlook those shady spots. Many of these locations provide enough early season sun, before the trees leaf out, for
bulbs to grow and flower. Use more shade tolerant spring bloomers like snowdrops, grape hyacinths, scillas, anemones,
daffodils, fritillarias and Camassias in shady areas among hostas, ferns and other shade tolerant perennials.
Whether you’re new or experienced, growing bulbs is an easy endeavor. Just follow these simple steps to a beautiful
spring garden.
Selection
Purchase bulbs that are dense and firm, and free of bruises or mold. Shop early for the best selection. Mail order sources
will ship your bulbs at the proper planting time. If you buy locally, store the bulbs in a dry, well-ventilated and cool 60-
degree location until it’s time to plant.
Don’t let deer, rabbits and chipmunks dissuade you from planting. Include hyacinths, grape hyacinths, scillas, glory-of-
the-snow, fritillarias, alliums and Camassias that the animals tend to overlook.
Design Ideas
Include a variety of bulbs for added color throughout spring. Early bloomers like Glory of the Snow, crocus, early tulips
and daffodils, and grape hyacinths (Muscari) are followed by mid-season daffodils and tulips along with fritillarias. Late
spring blooming tulips and alliums finish off the spring display.
Combine several bulbs that bloom at the same time to double the floral impact or at different times to extend the color
throughout the spring. You can create your own combinations or look for prepackaged combinations prepared by experts
like those at Longfield Gardens (www.Longfield-Gardens.com). Low growing White Splendor anemone along with
Ocean Magic grape hyacinth make a striking combination for under shrubs. The yellow blossoms of Dutch Master
daffodils, pink Involve tulips and purplish blue grape hyacinths will give you several layers of color in the garden.
Or add a bit of eye-catching red to the garden throughout the spring with the Really Red collection of tulips. Red Emperor
starts things out in early spring, followed by Oxford and ends with double-flowering Red Princess and Sky High Scarlet.
Location
Plant bulbs in well-drained soil for best results. Avoid areas such as next to the dryer vent or against the south side
foundation of your home that tend to warm up early in spring or experience a winter thaw. These bulbs often sprout too
early and subsequent cold temperatures can limit or eliminate their bloom.
Reduce maintenance and boost your garden’s beauty by mixing bulbs with perennials. Once the bulbs are done blooming,
the neighboring perennials mask the fading bulb foliage.
When and How to Plant
Increase growing success in poor soils by incorporating several inches of compost, peat moss or other organic matter into
the top 12” of soil. This improves drainage in clay soil and the water-holding ability of sandy and rocky soils. Then be
sure to incorporate a low nitrogen, slow release fertilizer.
Wait to plant your bulbs until the soil cools. This is any time after the night temperatures are consistently 40 to 50
degrees, but several weeks before the ground freezes.
Plant spring blooming bulbs three times as deep as the bulb is tall. Water thoroughly to remove air pockets and encourage
fall root growth. Add a layer of mulch to conserve moisture, suppress weeds and reduce the risk of early sprouting.
So break out your trowel and garden gloves and get busy planting. You’ll be glad you did when spring arrives and your
yard and garden are filled with a rainbow of beautiful flowers.
Melinda Myers has over 30 years of gardening experience and has written over 20 gardening books, including Small
Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything: Food Gardening For Everyone” DVD set and
the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor
for Birds & Blooms magazine and was commissioned by Longfield Gardens for her expertise to write this article.
Autumn Crocus: A Touch of Spring in Fall
David Trinklein
As the gardening season begins to wane, a plant with crocus -like flowers comes into bloom, seemingly out
of nowhere. The result is an unexpected appearance of spring in the fall of the year.
The plant in question is Colchicum autumnale , commonly known as autumn crocus or meadow saffron. Its
flowers arise from the soil without leaves and often achieve a height of between 8 to 10 inches. Although
the flower resembles that of a crocus in shape, autumn crocus is a member of the Liliaceae (Lily) family of
plants while crocus belongs to the iris ( Iridaceae) family.
Autumn crocus often is planted just before it blooms. In fact, it can even be planted while in full bloom.
The large bulb-like corms the plant produces contains sufficient nutrients and water to comple te the
flowering process without being in soil. At times in the past, gardeners would purchase the corms and allow
them to flower indoors and then plant them in the garden. This practice, however, did result in some drying
of the corm while indoors resulting in flowers that did not last very long after being planted outdoors.
The leaves of autumn crocus are produced in the fall of the year, after flowering has occurred. However,
they do not make significant growth until the following spring. By late spring, the strap-like leaves which
are about 12 inches long and one inch wide, wither and die. No further above -ground evidence of the plant
exists until its flowers appear in September.
Autumn crocus tolerates a wide array of exposures from full sun to partial shade. It prefers a well-drained
garden loam; poor drainage or very tight soils can weaken plants and induce bulb rot. Plant the corms three
to four inches deep in soil that has been amended with a general purpose fertilizer such as 5 -10-5.
Rock gardens, raised beds or sites under trees are ideal locations for autumn crocus. It can tolerate light
shade from deciduous trees but avoid planting it under trees that cast dense shade. Much of the leaf growth
of autumn crocus occurs in early spring before trees ha ve leafed out fully.
There are several varieties of autumn crocus available. ‘Lilac Wonder’ and ‘The Giant’ are two of the most
spectacular because of their large flower size. Flower color is violet -mauve and rosy-lilac, respectively.
‘Waterlily’ is a double-flowered pink variety also available. Although not as large as the previously -
mentioned varieties, it is quite attractive.
There are no major pests of autumn crocus, but a word of caution must be given. The corms of autumn
crocus are highly poisonous because of a compound they produce called colchicine. The latter has seen
limited medicinal use to treat conditions such as gout, certain types of cancer, irritable bowel syndrome and
pericarditis. It also is used in plant breeding to induce polyploidy in p lant species such as daylily.
Because of its highly toxic nature, autumn crocus should not be planted in gardens frequented by
unattended children or pets.
In addition to autumn crocus, there are several species of true crocus that also flower in the fall, rather than
in the spring. Like autumn crocus, their corms need soil with excellent drainage. Failure to provide the
latter results in general decline and ultimate loss of the plant. Loose, somewhat sandy, soil ideally fits their
preference. Again, these crocuses are good candidates for rock gardens, raised beds or under trees that cast
light shade.
Most of the true crocuses that flower in autumn bear flowers that only rise about six inches above the soil.
Additionally, their foliage is much smaller and more grass-like when compared to Colchicum autumnale .
Crocus sativus, commonly known as saffron crocus, is probably the best -known of the true crocuses that
flower in the fall. In addition to being a highly attractive flower, it is the source saffron. The la tter is
widely known as the most expensive spice in the world. Saffron is derived from the deep -orange stigmas of
the flowers. There are only three stigmas (also called saffron threads) per flower. Given that it takes about
14,000 threads to produce one ounce of saffron, it is no wonder that saffron is priced and sold by the gram.
Another reliable true crocus that flowers in the fall is Crocus speciosus, also known as Bieberstein's crocus.
It bears attractive flowers that are light purple in color with violet veins. It increases rapidly in the
landscape and is a good choice for naturalization.
In both of the above cases, the crocus will flower soon after it is planted. Now is an
ideal time to look for their corms at retail outlets.
Someone once mused, people should plant autumn crocus at least once, if for no other reason than to
surprise your neighbor. An under-used fall bloomer, autumn crocus plants are a welcome addition to the
usual combination of chrysanthemums and asters used by gardeners to exte nd color in the garden late into
the growing season.
Gardening by Month - October Monthly Tips and Tasks
Category
Week
Activity
1 2 3 4
Ornamental x x x x Continue watering, especially evergreens if soils are dry.
x x x x
Nuts or seeds of woody plants usually require exposure to 3 months cold before sprouting. This may be provided by outdoor planting in fall or "stratifying" in an unsealed bag of damp peat moss placed in the refrigerator.
x x x x Container grown and B & B trees and shrubs can be planted. Loosen the soil in an area 2 times the diameter of the root ball before planting. Mulch well after watering.
x x x x Plant spring bulbs among hostas, ferns, daylilies or ground covers. As these plants grow in the spring they will hide the dying bulb foliage.
x x For best bloom later this winter, Christmas cactus, potted azaleas and kalanchoe may be left outdoors until night temperatures drop to about 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
x x x Spring bulbs for forcing can be potted up now and stored in a cool, frost-free place until it is time to bring indoors, usually 12 to 15 weeks.
x x Cannas and dahlias can be dug when frost nips their foliage. Allow the plants to dry under cover in an airy, frost-free place before storage.
x x Transplant deciduous trees once they have dropped their leaves.
x Plant tulips now.
x Trees may be fertilized now. This is best done following soil test guidelines.
Lawn x x Seeding should be finished by October 15.
x x Broadleaf herbicides can be applied now to control cool-season weeds such as chickweed and dandelion.
x x Continue mowing lawns until growth stops.
x x Keep leaves raked off lawns to prevent smothering grass.
x x Now is a good time to apply lime if soil tests indicate the need.
x Winterize lawn mowers before storage.
Vegetables x x x x Sow cover crops such as winter rye after crops are harvested.
x x Harvest winter squash and pumpkins before frost. For best storage quality, leave an inch or two of stem on each fruit.
x x Dig sweet potatoes before a bad freeze.
x x x x Gourds should be harvested when their shells become hard or when their color changes from green to brown.
x x x x A few degrees of frost protection may be gained by covering tender plants with sheets or light-weight fabric row covers.
x x x x Continue harvesting tender crops before frost.
x x x x The average first frost usually arrives about October 15-20.
Fruits x x x x Store apples in a cool basement in old plastic sacks that have been
Category
Week
Activity
perforated for good air circulation.
x x Persimmons start to ripen, especially after frost.
x x Monitor fruit plantings for mouse activity and take steps for their control if present.
x Place wire guards around trunks of young fruit trees for protection against mice and rabbits.
x Fall color season begins.
x Begin peak fall color in maples, hickories and oaks.
x End of peak fall color.
October Pests and Problems
Plant cool-season lawn grasses by October 15. Existing lawn or newly seeded areas that are at least one month old can also be fertilized at this time. Dig and divide or plant new perennials by October 15 to allow time for the plants to root in well before winter.
Apply herbicides to kill cool-season, broad-leaf weeds in lawns, such as dandelion, plantain, chickweed, henbit and dead nettle now when the weeds are actively growing. Applying herbicides in the fall can reduce damage to nearby plants. Spot-application to individual weeds is more environmentally friendly than wholesale application to the whole lawn.
Winter Annual Weeds
Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule)--also called, dead nettle, blind nettle, bee nettle--can be a
pest of the lawn or garden
Winter Annual Weeds
Red deadnettle (Lamium purpureum) can be a pest of the lawn or garden
Perennial Broadleaf Weeds
in Lawns Dandelions are native
plants but most homeowners would
consider them weeds
Protect newly planted spring-flowering bulbs from squirrels and dogs that can dig them up by covering the areas with chicken wire. Hold off planting tulips until November when the soil temperature is cooler.
Turn Yard Waste into Gardener’s Gold - Compost By Melinda Myers
Save time and money by turning landscape trimmings into a valuable soil amendment.
The idea is simple, just collect disease- and insect-free plant debris into a heap and let it decompose into a fine,
nutrient rich material that helps improve the soil. Don’t add meat, dairy, invasive plants, weeds that have gone
to seed or perennial weeds that can take root and grow in your compost pile.
Speed things up by layering yard waste with soil or compost, adding a bit of fertilizer to each layer and
moistening to a consistency of a damp sponge. Further speed up the process by making the pile at least three-
feet tall and wide.
Turn the pile as time allows, moving the more decomposed materials from the center to the outside of the pile.
It’s a great work out and speeds up the decomposition. The more effort you put into composting the sooner you
have rich organic matter for your garden.
Build the pile in a location that is convenient for adding raw materials and harvesting the finished compost.
Consider placing the pile near a water source to make moistening the pile easier. Avoid poorly drained
locations that may lead to the pile of compost becoming waterlogged. Soggy materials break down more slowly
and may smell.
Enclose the pile in a bin to keep the process neat and tidy. Purchase a compost bin or make your own from
fencing, concrete reinforcement wire or old heat-treated pallets.
Single bin wire composters are easy to assemble and move. Enclosed bins keep materials out of sight and
neighbors or less enthusiastic family members happy. Look for bins of sturdy UV resistant materials, ventilation
for efficient composting and designed for easy loading and unloading.
Tumbler composters are great for small spaces and make loading, unloading and turning much easier. The
closed system also keeps out rodents, wildlife and pets. Add garden waste, keep it consistently moist and give it
a turn. Continually adding fresh material slows the process, but you will still end up with good compost. Speed
up decomposition with two tumblers. Fill one tumbler with plant waste and let it cook, while collecting fresh
materials in the second. Not enough room for two? Try the Dual-Batch Compost Tumbler (gardeners.com),
Compost Twin or other tumbler system with two individual bins mounted on one support. Further speed up
results with an insulated unit like the Jorafoam Composter 125. The insulation ensures compost reaches higher
temperatures for more efficient composting.
And don’t let cold temperatures or a lack of space stop you. Everyone can convert kitchen scraps into nutrient-
rich compost with the help of red worms. Convert a plastic container filled with shredded paper into a home for
the worms and place to recycle plant based food scraps. Or dress things up with a stylish bin like the green
Worm Farm Composter and move the worms indoors for convenient recycling.
Add finished compost to your vegetable and annual gardens every spring to help build healthy soil and a
productive and beautiful garden. Or spread a one-inch layer over the soil surface of perennials gardens every
year or two to keep your flowers looking their best.
As you clear out the summer garden, put all that green debris to work. Convert it to rich compost for next year’s
garden. Then enjoy the many benefits it will have on your landscape.
Sautéed Summer Squash with Red Pepper and Onion YIELD Serves 6 to 8 TIME20 minutes
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
This is the time of year when, no matter what part of the country you live in, tables at farmers’ markets are piled high with summer squash, mounds of it: yellow, light green and dark, round and long. This is a vegetable that expresses itself well in a wide range of dishes; just about every cuisine in the world knows how to show it off. It's an excellent low-calorie food, with only 19 calories per cup of raw squash. This dish is great on its own as a side dish, but it can also be incorporated into many other recipes.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup chopped)
2 plump garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ pounds summer squash, cut in 1/2-inch dice
1 small red pepper, cut in 1/4-inch dice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Preparation
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until tender, 5 to 8 minutes, and add the garlic, summer squash, red pepper, and about 3/4 teaspoon salt. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring, until the squash is translucent and the red pepper tender, about 10 minutes. Add freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust salt. Stir in the parsley and remove from the heat. Serve as a side dish, or use as a filling for a vegetable tart, gratin, or frittata.
Tips
Some types of squash cook faster than others. Zucchini cooks more quickly than pattypan, for example.
You can make this a few hours before you serve it and reheat it gently. If you’re using it as a filling for
another dish, it will hold for 3 days in the refrigerator. The squash may throw off some juice in the
refrigerator; just stir the dish well and use
Weed Control in Ornamental Beds
Someone once mused, “It takes a lot of water to grow a garden, much in the form of perspiration”.
Quite likely, that remark was made after pulling or hoeing weeds on a warm, humid summer day.
Along with death and taxes, weeds are inevitability in the life of a gardener.
One of the first steps in effective weed control is to “know the enemy”. In general, weeds can be
grouped into three categories: grasses, sedges and broadleaved weeds. A knowledge of the life
cycle (e.g. annual versus perennial), reproductive habit, rate of spread, etc. of a weed is helpful
when attempting to control it. A number of good pictorial guides are available on the internet to
help with weed species identification.
The majorities of weeds that plague ornamental plantings are annuals and emerge from seeds in the
soil. For the average flower garden where a wide range of flowers are planted, weed control via
mulching should be considered. Mulches control weeds by depriving them of light. They provide an
easy, safe and “environmentally-friendly” way to accomplish weed control of an entire bed planted
with a number of different ornamental species. To control weeds using mulch, it should be applied
uniformly to a depth of at least one to two inches. Mulches should be from materials dense en ough
so they are not easily blown away. Pine bark, leaf mold or pine needles represent good choices.
In more permanent beds, landscape (weed control) fabric may be placed beneath the mulch to
provide even more effective weed control. After carefully placing the fabric over the bed to be
planted, cut an “H” into the fabric where plants are to be placed. After planting, fold the flaps of
the H back toward the plant, taking care not to allow any disturbed soil to remain on top the fabric
for fear of weed seed contamination. After plants have been installed, the fabric is ready to be
covered with organic mulch.
Perennial weeds such as quack grass, horse nettle and field bindweed not removed before planting a
bed may push their way through even deep mulches. Using the afore-mentioned landscape fabric
beneath mulches with help to deter them. However, some might still emerge through holes created
in the fabric when it was put in place or when the mulch was applied to cover it. At such times,
either hand weeding or the use of some type of herbicide may be needed to control them.
Unfortunately, there is no safe and effective herbicide that controls all types of weeds mixed among
garden plants without damaging the garden plants also. The use of a nonselective herbicid es (i.e.
one that kills every plant it contacts) very carefully applied to the weeds often is the only
alternative to hand removal. Perhaps the most widely used nonselective herbicide today is
glyphosate, which is available in several different trade names (e.g. RoundUp®). For those who
prefer organic weed control, horticultural vinegar (20% acetic acid) is an option worth
consideration as a non-selective herbicide.
When nonselective herbicides are used as “spot treatments” among desirable plants, extreme c are
must be taken during application to avoid contacting desirable plants. First, keep the sprayer
pressure low and use a coarse spray to make drift less likely. Apply herbicides when the air is very
still. Early morning or late even are good times. Finall y, a shield of some type placed between
target weeds and desirable plants is a good idea. If the shield is moved during the treatment of a
large bed, make certain to keep the same side toward target weeds, since herbicide accumulated on
the shield can damage desirable plants.
Wick applicators are a novel and relative new way to safely apply nonselective herbicides. These
devices feature materials such as a sponge that is kept continually moist with herbicide as it passes
from a small bottle atop the applicator through its hollow handle. The herbicide-laden sponge is
rubbed against the leaves of target weeds while desirable plants are avoided. Spray drift thus is not
a problem.
Some of the most difficult and invasive weeds to control in ornamental beds are an nual grasses,
such as crabgrass. Several pre-emergent herbicides that may be used among garden plants to
prevent the germination of annual weed seeds are available commercially. Examples of materials
available for this purpose include trifluralin (Preen®), DCPA (Dacthal®), oryzalin (Surflan®),
pendimethalin (Halts®) and isoxaben (Gallery®). Unfortunately, some of the previous are not
readily available to home gardeners, since their primary use is by professional applicators. In all
cases, careful reading of the herbicide label is important, since not all herbicides can be used
among all ornamental plants and certain herbicides require special application techniques. For
example, trifluralin must be soil incorporated within 24 hours after application.
Among those pre-emergent chemicals more readily available to homeowners, DCPA and trifluralin
have been two of the most widely used in ornamental beds of annuals and perennials. As in the case
of all pre-emergent herbicides, they must be applied to the garden after ornamental plants are
established and before weed seedlings have emerged. Pre-emergent herbicides act by forming a
chemical barrier that prevents weed seeds from germinating and emerging. If the barrier is
disrupted in any way, the herbicidal action in that immediate area is lost.
There are relatively few selective herbicides (i.e. ones that kill only certain types of plants) that can
be used in ornamental beds to control grasses after the grasses have emerged. Classified as post -
emergent herbicides, they are applied uniformly across the planting and kill only grasses, leaving
broadleaved plants unharmed. Examples include sethoxydim (Poast®), fluazifop (Fusilade II®),
fenoxaprop (Acclaim®) and clethodim (Envoy®). Check the labels of each herbicide before using
for labeled bedding plants, susceptible weeds and any precautions that should be observed.
Although herbicides control a wide array of weeds, none is able to control them all. Therefore, total
weed elimination through the use of chemicals probably is not a realistic goal for gardeners.
However, even though herbicides may not control all weeds, they do control a large number of
them and can be real “labor savers” for many gardeners.
Trick or Treat Days are coming soon – be nice to the kiddies
7 Ways to Use Coffee Grounds in the Garden
The next time you finish your morning coffee, think twice before you toss those used coffee grounds into the trash. Coffee grounds have many uses in the garden. They enrich the soil with nitrogen, potassium and other minerals, improve soil quality, and plant growth.
Here are 7 ways how to use coffee grounds in your garden. You may be amazed at how versatile this item is!
1. Composting
Add coffee grounds to your composting bin. They’re a valuable source of nitrogen.
2. Pest Control
A barrier of coffee grounds around the plants may protect them from slugs and snails.
3. Cat Repellent
Put coffee grounds in the soil to keep cats away from digging in your garden.
4. Acid-Loving Plants
Place coffee grounds around the soil of your acid-loving plants such as roses, rhododendrons, fothergillas, holly, gardenias and so on. Coffee grounds increase acidity and nutrients in the soil.
5. Easy Fertilizer
Add 2 cups of coffee grounds to a 5 gallon bucket of water and allow it to steep overnight. Mixing these two ingredients is one of the simplest ways to make your own homemade fertilizer.
6. Mulch
Using coffee grounds as a mulch can help controlling weeds and keep your vegetable plants more hydrated during the heat of the day.
7. Boost Carrot & Radish Harvest
Double your harvest of carrot and radish, mixing your carrot and radish seeds liberally with coffee grounds.
