Gardening

“Homeowner’s Guide To Weed Control" Seminar On Sat., April 30

by Dr. William M. Johnson
Galveston County Extension Agent - Horticulture

April 27, 2005

No matter what type of landscape you tend, weeds are likely one of your more frustrating challenges. However, there are a number of practices you can incorporate into your battle plan to keep weeds under control. "Common, Everyday Weeds–A Homeowner’s Guide to Weed Control" will be presented by Master Gardener Anna Wygrys on Saturday, April 30, 2005, at the Galveston County Extension Office. Photo credit: William M. Johnson

Do you have a bumper crop of something growing in your yard this spring that you did not plant? Is your lawn more weeds than grass? What can you do about the problem weeds that are taking over your yard?

One of the greatest challenges in landscaping and gardening is weed control. There is an appropriate saying, "Nature despises a void." Weeds are quite willing to fill such voids!

No matter what type of landscape or garden you tend, weeds are likely one of your more frustrating challenges. However, there are a number of practices you can incorporate into your battle plan to keep weeds under control.

Major weed pests in our home landscapes and options for their control will be the subject of "Common, Everyday Weeds–A Homeowner’s Guide to Weed Control" to be presented by Anna Wygrys. Anna is a Certified Texas Master Gardener and longtime resident of Santa Fe.

The seminar will be held on April 30, 2005 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.. at the Galveston County Extension Office located at 5115 Highway 3 in Dickinson. The program is free-of-charge but pre-registration is required (GALV3@wt.net or 281-534-3413, ext. 6) due to space limitations.

The Galveston County Master Gardener Association is sponsoring this educational program as a public service to our county residents.

Philosophical Musings on Weeds

Weeds in the home landscape, weeds in the home garden–virtually everyone has them but few people want them. Their notoriety and tenaciousness have inspired amusing perspectives by experienced–and determined–gardeners. Here are a few philosophical testaments on weeds:

A weed is a plant that is not only in the wrong place, but intends to stay. - Sara Stein

The philosopher who said that work well done never needs doing over never weeded a garden. - Ray D. Everson

My basic weeding rule: if they grow in rows, they're flowers; if they don't, they're weeds. - David Hobson

If I wanted an easy care garden, I would have planted weeds. -Unknown

A weed is a plant that has mastered every survival skill except for learning how to grow in rows. - Doug Larson

If dandelions were hard to grow, they would be most welcome on any lawn. - Andrew V. Mason

GARDENERS’ Q&As

Question: Do you recommend use of fertilizer spikes around landscape trees?

Answer: While fertilizer spikes will not harm landscape trees, I do not recommend their use. Fertilizer spikes provide a concentration of nutrients in a limited area while not providing any nutrients in the remaining area. The roots of most trees extend out as far as the limbs (known as the drip line) and in many cases, extend out much farther than the limbs.

Tree roots that absorb water and nutrients are also distributed fairly uniformly under a tree’s drip line. I recommend use of a complete fertilizer (such as 15-5-10 or 13-13-13) that is spread uniformly around the tree within the drip line.

Question: I am concerned about all the old insecticides that I have used over the years being taken off the market. The stores seemed to be filled with ones I have never heard of or read about. Are they as good as the ones before?

Answer: The only thing that is constant is change. Over the past few years many of our more popular insecticides, such as Lindane, Dursban and diazinon, have been removed from the marketplace.

They are being replaced with products from Bayer, Ortho, Fertilome, Spectracide, and other companies and are being sold as general-use or all-purpose type sprays. This new-generation of insecticides provides effective insect control at low rates. The marketplace is full of new insecticides containing active ingredients such as permethrin, cyfluthrin, esfenvalerate, and tralomethrin. They are found under various trade names. They work quite well for the pests for which they are labeled.

Dr. Johnson is a horticulturist with the Galveston County
Extension Office of Texas Cooperative Extension, Texas A&M University. Visit his web site at http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/index.htm

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