Denny,

I have some bare spots in my lawn that I intend to repair with Scott’s Patchmaster. I also have some dandelions and chickweed in the lawn that I intend to treat with Scott’s Weed-N-Feed. The question is, which first? My inclination is to attack the weeds first, then patch. What is the proper order in your opinion?

Thanks!

Dan M.
West Chester, OH

First I wouldn't recommend using the Patchmaster. It is just a gimmick containing Rye Grass which is not a good grass for our area. It won't hold up in our summers. If you need to re-seed spots you're better off just using a good variety of Turf Type Tall Fescue like Finelawn Elite. Cover it with straw if you feel you need something extra to retain moisture.

For the weeds you should use a liquid broad leaf weed control. If you use Fertilome's Weed Free Zone you can re-seed two weeks after using it. Only apply it to the areas where you have the weeds. There is no reason and it is wasteful to spray your entire lawn. You don't want to use the weed n feed because at this time of the season you shouldn't be fertilizing. Weed N Feeds are also wasteful because it forces you to apply herbicide over your entire lawn, 95% of which hopefully doesn't have weeds. Also when you use these products you have to wait 6 weeks to re-seed. After that time you will be in the worst time of the year to re-seed.

If you feel like you have a bad weed problem you should tolerate them until late summer and fall. That is the best time to be able to eliminate the weeds and re-seed successfully.

Denny McKeown

*****

Hello..On Mother's Day I received 2 small inexpensive Cleveland pear tress ( $10.00 per) from my great grandaughters.....their parents planted the with some miracle grow for trees in the strip between the sidewalk and the street...I want to make sure I take good care of them and keep them alive and growing for the girls..any advise would be immensly appreciated as I do NOT have a green thumb ( although the knock out you reccomended is thriving)..thank you

Emily W.
 

Emily,

I wish you would have asked this question before the parents planted them. I wouldn't have recommended using the Miracle Gro soil. I would have suggested to just use the soil they take out of the hole. We do not believe in amending the soil. This is based on the practical thought that if growing well the tree is going to outgrow the amended soil and will have to grow in the 'bad' soil. The tree stands a much better chance of surviving if it adapts to the native soil right away. Hopefully they just mixed a minimal amount of the new soil with the existing soil. If they took out the old and completely replaced it this bad for the tree. This could eventually kill the tree because the new soil will hold too much water when surrounded by heavy soil. If they did this they should replant them and when they do they need to dig a much larger hole so they can mix the new soil with the existing soil.

If they planted it correctly all you will need to do is to water it properly. it is very important that you do not over water it. Let it dry out between watering. If you do this the trees should take root and start growing very quickly.

Denny McKeown

...From Frost Damage to Mom & Pops

Denny,
Last weekend we purchased some impatiens and wax begonias. I know it was early, but the impatiens were on sale. We didn’t plant, but they were outside on our patio during those chilly nights. They appear droopy even after we water. Will these plants be okay as the weather warms?
Debbie S.

Dear Debbie,
The weather has been chilly. We had four straight nights of very cool weather. Both the varieties that you bought are extremely sensitive to cold. They will probably grow, but won’t be any where near your expectations. With five to six months to enjoy yard color, I would seriously consider buying new ones and learn a valuable lesson. Annual flowers of all types don’t want to be chilled either by cool soil or cold air. Next year, don’t be so quick to be the first. You could wind up last. And don’t buy any annuals that have been displayed for sale in the open nighttime air.

Denny,
I have a lot of clover and other assorted weeds in my lawn and I would like to improve the looks of my lawn. What do I need to do?
Joan B.

Dear Joan,
It’s decision time for you. There are selective weed killers on the market that contain Trimee™ or Carfentrazone. They will both give you excellent selective kill but do you want to kill them now? I have an expression that goes, “If it’s green from the street, leave it alone.” If the weed content of your lawn is 25% or more, killing all those weeds now can give you lots of bare spots. You have to wait up to four weeks after the weeds die to reseed. That will put the calendar around June 15th. Putting grass seed down then has two chances to grow, slim and none. Your spring weeds can be summer friends, keeping your lawn green all summer. Around the first of August, go spray all the weeds with weed killer and reseed in September, the best month to seed. This process will also kill any of the summer germinating weeds so that one spray gets them all.

Denny,
I had relatives that operated a small grocery business for many years. They were always disappointed when people called it a “Mom & Pop” business. Ann and Dan enjoyed serving their customers. Maybe in the future you might think twice when referring to “Mom and Pop” business that grow and sell plants. Would you call your only location a “Mom and Pop” operation?
Mary

Dear Mary,
No, I wouldn’t call our only location a “Mom and Pop”. We call it a “Son and Pop”. My son and I both own our garden center. I think where your relatives saw sparks with my description is from years ago when all businesses were basically family owned. The larger independents tended to talk down to the smaller ones, hence “Mom and Pops” of the fifties and sixties. Now it’s all independents, “Mom and Pops” of all sizes against the box stores in all areas of retail sales including gardening. To me, “Mom and Pops” should tell the buying public that these people know what they’re talking about and have great merchandise to offer. Mary, you can call me Pops anytime.

Denny,
What’s a good tomato variety for a container and how much sun do they need to grow?
Tom M.

Dear Tom,
Technically speaking, any tomato variety will do well in a container. Just be sure that the container is at least 14” in diameter or larger. 16” to 20” diameter is better. Use a good soil less potting mix Ferti-Loam, Miracle Gro. Don’t use soil from the garden and place just one tomato plant to a container. Place a tomato cage around your newly potted tomato. Place the pot in an area that gets a half to full day of sun. Tomato varieties come in two growing patterns, determinate types that only grow to 4-5 feet and get very bushy and then there’s the indeterminate types that are more vine-like and never stop growing. Determinate types like ‘Patio’ and ‘Better Bush’ make the best type for containers. Check your pots daily for water. Keep your watering uniform, not too wet and not too dry. As far as the tastiest, any tomato that you grow will taste wonderful. Get our free tip sheet on ‘container gardening’ by going to www.DennysGuide.com and click on tip sheets. Help yourself to any and all of our tip sheets.

Denny,
We live in an area that was devastated by cicadas last year. I have three ornamental trees that we installed two years ago. These trees are about 8 feet tall. The tops on all of these trees appear dead as the leaves and flowers only appeared on the bottom half of the trees. Are these trees worth saving?
Jane W.

Dear Jane,
The cicada damage will actually cause your trees to be fuller. Cicada damage is Mother Nature’s way of pruning. Go ahead and prune off the dead part on each branch. Your trees will be temporarily reduced in size, but they will come back with lots of new growth very quickly and remember, the cicadas won’t be back till 2021.

Thanks for the great questions from your emails! Keep 'em coming!
- Denny

Denny,

Love your show. I have a heavily wooded back yard. One half is grass and one half is wooded. Each year the grass comes in great and then thins out quite a bit after the leaves come out. The grass has mostly sun. I have put down all kinds of seed, I have used sod and watered consistently. I also have 2 dogs and 4 young children who are in the yard daily. What can I do to keep the lawn thick and full and what kind of seed should I use? I’m thinking of going to a turf type grass at this point.

Mike

Denny's Response:

Mike,

You have two options for getting grass to grow. Cut the trees down or move. The problem with the shaded part of your back yard isn't the shade. The real problem is the grass, any type of grass, competes with the trees for moisture and nutrients in the soil. The grass always loses. This is why in the past years it grows well then disappears. It disappears when the competition begins. Turf Type Tall Fescue would have the best chance. It will also be vulnerable to the competition.

The dogs and the kids also add to the challenge. If you do get the grass to grow in the shaded area it won't be able to withstand much traffic. If you want to give up and are worried about the dirt/mud you can cover the area with mulch. If you want something green you could plant a groundcover like English Ivy. This will limit the play space but you'll have vegetation.

Denny McKeown

*****

How can I get rid of a stubborn crabapple tree.

Jenna
from California Ky.

Deny's Response:

Jenna,

A chain saw would be the easiest. A stump grinder will eliminate the stump unless it is small. If it is small a shovel will do.

Denny McKeown

 
I have some black bug that has wings and can fly but, they don't fly that much. When they open their wings they are redish orange on their body. They first appeared after I cut down a tree in my front yard and we then had hundreds on the outside of our house. Now we have one or two a day inside of our house.

Do you know what these are or where I can take one to find out how to treat them and get rid of them?

Thank You

What you have is a type of Lady Bug. They are not harmful. They are coming into the house seeking heat. You really can't treat them with anything. Most people get rid of them with a vacuum cleaner. If they were coming into the house in large numbers it would be a sign you have a void around a door or window you need to seal. Once the weather warms they will no longer try to get into your house.

- Denny

 Denny,

There is what appears to be some type of fungus that grows in the ground in
my yard. Sometimes it grows among the grass and sometimes in the flower
beds. It seems to be invasive and destructive. It grows down into the
ground and even seems to tunnel and emerge in other areas. It appears to be
a fungus because, when disturbed, it gives off a powdery substance that
appears to be spores of some kind. It is very dark, almost black, on the
surface, but lighter if broken open. There are no caps like toadstools.
I'm stumped on how to get rid of it. I've dug it up only to have it come
back. Do you know what it is?

Thank you,

Dottie

Dottie,

You do have a type of mushroom which is a fungus developing. You have some type of material decaying in the soil which the fungus is feeding and growing on. Once this material has decomposed the fungus/ mushrooms will quit growing. There are not any products you can use to stop these. Don't worry although they look bad they do not hurt anything.

Denny

THE POINSETTIA offers as much of a challenge as any plant when a person tries to keep it from one Christmas to the next. The newer cultivars that the florist grow now keep their color into the spring or early summer. However, to keep this plant for next year, continue to water the plant when required and keep it in a sunny window. About the first of April, gradually reduce watering and allow the plant to dry off. Do not let the stems shrivel or the plant will die. Then place the plant in a cool pot around 60 degrees and water only frequently enough to prevent drying of the stems.

About the middle of May, the stems should be cut back to about four to six inches above the pot. Some prefer to repot the plant at this time into a larger pot while others leave it in the same container. Use a good garden loam soil mixed at the proportion of two parts (pots, shovels, or baskets) soil, one part coarse sphagnum peat moss, and one part coarse sand or perlite. Commercial potting soil may also be used. Water thoroughly after potting.

The plant is then placed in a sunny window and watered when the soil starts to become dry. As new green shoots develop, more frequent watering will be necessary. Fertilize the plant monthly with a complete liquid fertilizer applied at the rate given on the container. After danger of frost is over and night temperatures are above 60 degrees, take the plant outside and place it in a partially shaded area. The pot is generally plunged in the soil, but it can be left on top, if desirable.

As new shoots develop, the tip should be removed by pinching or snapping it off and this is usually done in early July. Side shoots will develop after this pinch and these should also be pinched the latter part of August leaving three or four leaves on the shoot. The plant should be brought into the house and placed in a sunny window the early part of September when the night temperatures start to drop below 60 degrees.

Once the plant is brought indoors, the secret of flowering is controlled by light. This plant is a short day plant which means it normally would flower under the short days of fall. However, when the plant is brought indoors, the artificial light used for lighting our homes extends the day length and the poinsettia will not flower. Therefore, the plant should be placed under a box or in a dark closet where no light will be turned on from 5 p.m. until 8 a.m. each day. During the day return the plant to a sunny window.

This procedure must be followed from about October first until Thanksgiving in order to get flowers by Christmas. Once you see color developing in the top, tiny bracts (these look like leaves), the plant will begin to flower and there is no longer any need to place it in a dark area. Continue to water and fertilize as previously described and you should have a nice Poinsettia for Christmas

.

I was traveling and heard your program for the first time. I did not get the name of the product you said mix in gallon water and pour around roses.

I have a problem with japanese beetles and what makes black spots on the leaves and then they turn yellow and fall off?

Thank you for your time.

Betty

Betty,

The beetles are not causing the black spots. The black spots are a disease simply called Black Spot. It can be controlled with product called Triple Action Plus. It is made by the Fertilome Company. The beetles and other insects can be controlled by applying an insecticide called Systemic Soil Drench, also a Fertilome product. This product only needs to be applied once a year.

 

 Denny,

We have apple and pear tree's and in the last two years the blue jay's have knotted off all of the apples and pears. Last weekend we put up tin pans in the tree's but I don't know if that's really working. Is there anything we can do? The trees are too big to put nets on.

Thank you
Mary Lou Stacey

Mary Lou,

The only option you have for keeping the Blue Jay's off of your fruit trees is netting. There is netting made specifically for keeping birds off of trees. It is simply called bird netting and should be available at a hardware store.

August is the best month to start your fall lawn renovation. You start by killing your existing lawn! This month, follow these do's and don'ts....

- Don't rototill the soil. This process causes the soil to settle unevenly, wakes up thousands of weed seeds that will compete with the new grass (and it's alot of unnecessary work!)

- Don't apply topsoil to overall area unless you spread it to a depth of 4 to 6 inches to entire area. Use topsoil to fill in any low areas. Settle the new topsoil with irrigation or rain before putting down your seed. Re-loosen the top soil with a steel rake to break up the crust. Then put down your seed.

- Don't even read any further unless you can keep new seed dampened down daily 'till germination (assuming no rain on a given day.) Try the winter seed method if this seems like too much trouble.

- DO kill all existing vegetation in area to be reseeded. Weeds and other vegetation should be watered well prior to application of herbicide. Healthy weeds die faster. In the fall, allow 3 to 4 weeks to retreat some weeds that regrow after initial treatment. Old lawn should be between 2 to 3 inches tall when treating, especially true with nut grass. Great vegetation killers that are safe to use are Round-Up and Finale

- DO rent a seed slitter or verti-slicer. Set the blade to cut a one half inch slit. Run the machine east to west and north to south (checker board). Most machines come with a seed box. If so, set the seeder to drop 4/5 seeds per inch of soil. For Turf Fescue and Turf Rye, make another couple of passes northeast to southwest and southeast to northwest.

- DO freeze your seed overnight. It can even stay frozen until you're ready to apply. Do now before you forget.

- DO fertilize with a starter type fertilizer. Do not mix seed and fertilizer together in the same applicator hopper. Apply fertilizer first.

- DO lightly water grass seed daily (assuming rainless days) to keep seed moist until germination. Then water once weekly the equivalent of one inch of water and/or rain. Continue to water as above during dry and hot weather.

- DO mow your grass as soon as it reaches 2 1/4 inches. Mow at 2 inches and mow often. The more cuttings, the quicker the new grass matures. You will get a few new weeds. Do not apply weed killer till you've given the new grass three cuttings. Raise the mower one half inch after three cuttings.

- DO use good grass seed. If you're going to do all the above steps, don't mess everything up with so-called bargain seeds. Check the seed label for purity, weed seed content and inert ingredients.

Spot seeding bare spots in your yard:

1. Take a steel rake and loosen soil.

2. Apply seed with applicator or by hand at the rate of 4/5 seeds per inch (freeze grass seed overnight for faster germination.) Not necessary for winter seeding.

3. Dampen down daily until seed germinates (a light application of straw is optional.)

5. Mow as soon as the new grass reaches 2 1/4 inches or more. Cut to a height of 2 inches. Raise mower one half inch after four cuttings of new grass.

I have a purple butterfly bush. Should I clip of the ends, the flowerless couple of inches? Will this encourage growth? Or if I cut the plant back a foot (they are about 3 feet) will they continue to bloom or maybe bloom more?  Thank you ... I  Appreciate your knowledge and help!

Yes, trimming off the old flowers will encourage the Butterfly Bush to produce even more flowers than it had before. Butterfly Bushes bloom on new growth. Pruning encourages more growth which means more flowers.

Remember, this year is NOT last year. 
Make sure to check your soil for moisture before assuming your plants are dry.

Overwatering creates a serious health problem for your plants. Here are three ways to tell if your grass needs watering:

1.    The grass wilts, acquires a bluish tinge, and the edges of the blades start to curl or fold.
2.    The soil is hard and resists insertion of a trowel or screwdriver.
3.    Footprints where grass has been crushed from walking on it remain for several hours.

Remember, brown tips do not indicate drought stress. They can be the result of a dull mower blade, which frays the tips. Sharpen your blade!