Lifestyle Gardening 501

Brad Mills Author

01/09/2018 Added

6 Plays

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Backyard Farmer Presents: Lifestyle Gardening

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[00:00:15.137](melodious instrumental music)
[00:00:38.265]Hello and welcome again to Lifestyle Gardening.
[00:00:41.311]I'm Kim Todd and thanks for joining us
[00:00:43.296]for another season of wintertime gardening.
[00:00:46.036]On today's program we'll be helping you
[00:00:47.784]keep your grass green and weed free.
[00:00:50.392]We'll help you demystify terms
[00:00:52.476]like organic natural and GMO free
[00:00:55.091]on the products we see at the garden center.
[00:00:57.517]And will help new gardeners store and check
[00:00:59.851]the viability of their seeds.
[00:01:02.163]We'll start off today's show
[00:01:03.495]by hearing from extension turf specialist Cole Thompson
[00:01:07.107]about dormant seeding of turf.
[00:01:09.232](melodious instrumental music)
[00:01:14.996]So dormant seeding is a process where you're actually,
[00:01:18.403]we're actually seeding the lawn at a time of year
[00:01:20.205]it's not gonna germinate
[00:01:21.845]because the soil temperatures are too cold.
[00:01:24.246]And so if you weren't able to see the cool season lawn
[00:01:27.221]at the preferred time of year which is in fall
[00:01:29.476]and that lawn is thin and needs improvement
[00:01:32.055]we can actually see that lawn over winter,
[00:01:34.266]usually from the months of November to March
[00:01:37.081]or even April in some areas in Nebraska
[00:01:39.449]and get that seed in place so that it'll germinate
[00:01:41.864]right away in spring
[00:01:43.041]when the soil temperatures are warm enough
[00:01:45.899]to allow that seed to germinate.
[00:01:47.609]And so we can actually do the same thing
[00:01:49.310]with warm season grasses
[00:01:50.928]where the preferred seating time is in spring
[00:01:53.708]where we can get a little bit of a head start
[00:01:55.364]by dormant seeding.
[00:01:56.903]And again having that seed in place
[00:01:59.484]when the soil temperatures
[00:02:00.839]are conducive to germination.
[00:02:02.504]So you want to follow the same types
[00:02:04.139]of seedbed preparation procedures that you would
[00:02:07.122]for a fall or spring seeding.
[00:02:09.278]You still want to control persistent weeds,
[00:02:11.353]you want to disturb the top quarter inch of soil
[00:02:14.758]to ensure that you have some loose soil
[00:02:16.536]for seed to soil contact.
[00:02:19.152]Or even rototill and in firm the soil
[00:02:22.593]if you have a lot of surface issues
[00:02:26.338]where the soil is not smooth,
[00:02:27.510]there's a lot of potholes or something like that.
[00:02:30.554]After we've prepared the seed bed,
[00:02:32.151]really all you need to do is spread the seed and walk away
[00:02:35.789]because that seed doesn't need anything
[00:02:37.165]until spring when it's germinating.
[00:02:38.968]So we'll apply starter fertilizers,
[00:02:40.979]wait for natural irrigation
[00:02:42.626]and then control any weeds that pop up in the spring.
[00:02:45.728]Probably the most common issue is that
[00:02:48.534]it ends up being not that much different
[00:02:50.161]from a spring seeding
[00:02:51.650]and so there will be lots of weed competition in the spring.
[00:02:54.487]And so you'll have to use herbicides
[00:02:56.606]and other management practices to control those weeds.
[00:02:59.932]Another common mistake is not applying enough seed,
[00:03:02.961]because especially in Nebraska there are times
[00:03:05.660]when we get warm spells during winter.
[00:03:08.733]Some of this seed could actually germinate
[00:03:10.679]and start to grow.
[00:03:12.009]And so it's important to increase the seeding rate
[00:03:14.175]by about 25% compared to what you would do in the fall
[00:03:17.122]to account for some of that mortality.
[00:03:19.470]We also want to usually not use this process
[00:03:22.463]with faster mating species like putting on ryegrass
[00:03:24.988]because more of that seed will germinate
[00:03:26.580]and you'll have more mortality over winter.
[00:03:28.653]So this is a better process for tall fescue,
[00:03:31.423]Kentucky bluegrass and even buffalo grass.
[00:03:34.211]So the important thing to remember
[00:03:35.625]is after a dormant seeding
[00:03:37.295]we still need to treat the seed bed like a spring seeding
[00:03:40.777]when spring comes around.
[00:03:42.101]That means doing things like applying starter fertilizer,
[00:03:46.175]irrigating as appropriate
[00:03:48.205]and controlling any weeds that pop up
[00:03:50.032]with herbicides that are safe in seed beds.
[00:03:56.086]If your lawn is looking a little ragged
[00:03:58.204]at the end of the season
[00:03:59.371]and you missed your chance to get a fall seeding done,
[00:04:02.185]dormant seeding will help fill in those patches.
[00:04:05.086]As long as you get good seed to soil contact
[00:04:07.421]and treat it like a spring seeding,
[00:04:09.339]you should have good results.
[00:04:12.822]We started our go gardening features last year
[00:04:15.603]to help teach beginning gardeners
[00:04:17.296]the basics of growing plants the right way.
[00:04:20.487]Last year we focused on getting soil prepared for a garden,
[00:04:24.135]today we're going to be giving you some tips and techniques
[00:04:26.535]for storing seeds and checking
[00:04:28.735]older seeds and packages for viability.
[00:04:31.438](melodious instrumental music)
[00:04:38.904]We're starting this year's Go Gardening series
[00:04:40.889]with talking about seeds and not seed saving
[00:04:44.706]but what do you do with those seeds after you've saved them,
[00:04:47.848]are they still going to be viable?
[00:04:49.876]There are multiple ways to propagate plants
[00:04:52.030]and a lot of gardeners do like to collect seed,
[00:04:55.053]store it properly, bring it out the next year.
[00:04:58.044]Sometimes they're successful, sometimes they're not.
[00:05:00.899]Another way of course to propagate plants is cuttings.
[00:05:04.221]We have a whole bench full of beautiful cuttings behind us
[00:05:07.430]that is another topic for another day.
[00:05:09.723]But let's talk about, if you have saved seeds,
[00:05:13.158]how do you know whether they're going
[00:05:14.788]to actually produce good plants for you.
[00:05:17.189]Start by thinking a little bit about did you do it properly?
[00:05:20.720]Did you throw them into a sack in the garage
[00:05:23.083]and forget about them?
[00:05:24.362]Did you store them in a dry cool place?
[00:05:26.930]Did you make sure that they didn't get moist
[00:05:29.009]or they didn't get rotten?
[00:05:30.931]Or like I said, did you just let them be
[00:05:33.751]and hope for the best?
[00:05:35.449]You want to look first
[00:05:36.857]at what is on the back of the seed packet,
[00:05:39.051]if you have been somebody like I am
[00:05:41.166]who throws them into a box and sticks them in the closet,
[00:05:43.665]which is not what you're supposed to do.
[00:05:45.653]But what you want to look at is when were they packed?
[00:05:48.635]What is the pack date?
[00:05:50.212]And seed packets will tell you that they are packed
[00:05:52.819]for a certain date.
[00:05:54.646]You want to keep that in mind
[00:05:56.012]especially as we head into 2018.
[00:05:58.290]I think I have a packet in here that says
[00:06:01.180]it was packed in 2004, that would be kind of old seed.
[00:06:05.830]Now here's the deal with plants.
[00:06:07.897]Certain plants and many of them will actually grow only
[00:06:12.010]if it is what we call fresh seed.
[00:06:14.504]That means if it is packed for 2016
[00:06:17.173]and you want to get it to germinate in 2018,
[00:06:20.137]you might have a low germination rate.
[00:06:22.641]One of the things that I like to do
[00:06:24.512]and this is a pretty common practice for gardeners,
[00:06:27.367]is if you're going to try to attempt to see
[00:06:30.350]how much of your seed is viable,
[00:06:32.639]you start that process before it's time to order the seeds.
[00:06:36.954]So you simply open that packet,
[00:06:38.653]you put some of those seeds in a wet paper towel,
[00:06:42.038]close over the top of the paper towel.
[00:06:43.832]Don't have it too soggy, don't let it dry out,
[00:06:47.248]peek at it every now and then,
[00:06:48.997]and see how many of the seeds
[00:06:50.448]that you have put in this little moist environment
[00:06:53.352]actually you're going to germinate.
[00:06:55.222]That gives you a pretty good indication
[00:06:57.126]that out of that particular packet
[00:06:59.317]you will have a percentage of those seeds,
[00:07:02.221]whether it's a high percentage or a low percentage
[00:07:04.656]that you can expect to germinate
[00:07:06.724]and produce a decent plant in the garden.
[00:07:09.006]Again, if you do that next step properly.
[00:07:15.718]We hope you're enjoying our Go Gardening features
[00:07:18.003]that are really designed to help novice gardeners.
[00:07:20.821]So if you've tried gardening before
[00:07:22.523]and you have some old seed packets lying around,
[00:07:25.015]this method will help you figure out
[00:07:26.465]if you can still use those old seeds.
[00:07:29.747]On our landscape lesson this week,
[00:07:31.284]we're going to focus on garden trends
[00:07:33.568]for the upcoming season.
[00:07:35.147]Just like fashion trends what's in last year is out
[00:07:38.867]and what's old is new again.
[00:07:41.236]Let's take a few minutes to hear about
[00:07:42.692]what's trending for the upcoming gardening season.
[00:07:45.769](melodious instrumental music)
[00:07:52.271]We love to start the new year talking about
[00:07:54.227]all the great gardening trends.
[00:07:56.097]So for our very first landscape lesson of 2018,
[00:07:59.178]let's talk about what some of those are.
[00:08:01.172]I get a kick out of it because many of them
[00:08:03.456]are classic design principles.
[00:08:05.579]Let's create spaces that are relaxing.
[00:08:08.274]Let's use nature as the prescription
[00:08:10.696]for health and well-being.
[00:08:12.363]Let's create a sense of enclosure.
[00:08:14.310]Let's do al fresco dining,
[00:08:16.512]which means draw your your guests and yourself
[00:08:19.235]out into your landscape,
[00:08:20.909]rather than having that patio furniture
[00:08:23.119]smashed right up against the house.
[00:08:25.359]Water is a big one.
[00:08:26.443]Millennials are going to be spending more money on water.
[00:08:29.626]And of course you can't live without it,
[00:08:31.377]it's soothing, it's beautiful.
[00:08:33.595]We also have some of the gardening trends
[00:08:35.502]that are a little bit different.
[00:08:37.655]Flexitarian as an example,
[00:08:39.563]which means let's try to figure out
[00:08:41.348]how to grow our own protein in the gardens.
[00:08:44.222]A little bit trickier unless you have a lot of space.
[00:08:47.070]We certainly are celebrating small spaces.
[00:08:50.382]Many people have big acreages,
[00:08:52.120]but it's those small spaces and creating places
[00:08:54.739]where you can relax, get a sense of meditation,
[00:08:58.046]enjoy nature, those are really important places.
[00:09:01.404]We also have something called forest bathing,
[00:09:03.723]and it's not what it sounds like.
[00:09:05.870]It is actually taking a quiet, small walk
[00:09:09.023]in a forest during a canopy space,
[00:09:11.719]where you have that incredible sense of relaxation,
[00:09:15.293]calm connection with nature.
[00:09:17.902]We also have a color of the year,
[00:09:20.391]the Pantone color of the year, this year is purple rain.
[00:09:23.935]And it's great to think of that
[00:09:25.422]in terms of the Royals with a marriage.
[00:09:27.870]It's perfect to think of that with Prince,
[00:09:29.986]of course Purple Rain.
[00:09:32.203]And purple in the garden can be an incredible,
[00:09:35.021]brilliant kind of a color.
[00:09:37.167]Another garden trend that we have been practicing for years
[00:09:40.396]is low input, low water use, the newer term is rainscaping,
[00:09:45.652]which is putting plants that want the water
[00:09:47.617]in places where they need it.
[00:09:48.863]Putting plants that don't, in the places where they don't.
[00:09:51.711]Using succulents, using the plants in the places where
[00:09:56.191]additional irrigation is going to be managed very carefully.
[00:09:59.781]And then we have what we love really best
[00:10:02.564]in our gardens in the backyard farmer area
[00:10:04.961]and in our courtyard, and that is, let's let things be.
[00:10:08.995]Call it bedhead, call it cottage gardening,
[00:10:11.804]leave those seed heads standing.
[00:10:13.493]It's a little bit messier.
[00:10:15.419]It's certainly one of those kinds of things in the landscape
[00:10:18.572]that lets us attract wildlife to the gardens
[00:10:21.145]using berries and seeds
[00:10:23.151]and really repurposing how we use our spaces
[00:10:25.402]in the landscape.
[00:10:30.851]As always your own personal style and taste
[00:10:33.156]will really determine what you want to plant this year.
[00:10:35.962]But don't be afraid to try something new.
[00:10:37.973]Whether it be some different vegetables,
[00:10:40.035]planting some new ornamental varieties
[00:10:41.769]or playing around with color.
[00:10:43.840]Your 2018 garden catalogs will be full of new ideas
[00:10:47.668]and plants to try.
[00:10:50.068]Speaking of trends,
[00:10:51.133]a lot of people are into organic gardening.
[00:10:53.765]But what does that word organic really mean?
[00:10:56.774]Does all-natural really mean all-natural?
[00:11:00.035]These words can sometimes confuse
[00:11:01.674]even the most seasoned gardener.
[00:11:04.190]For our first interview this year,
[00:11:05.674]we're going to hear from
[00:11:06.507]Nebraska Extension educator John Porter
[00:11:09.368]about what these words mean on the label
[00:11:11.643]and what they mean for you in the garden.
[00:11:13.586](melodious instrumental music)
[00:11:22.192]I'm talking today with John Porter
[00:11:23.629]about what is an interesting and oftentimes
[00:11:25.642]controversial subject,
[00:11:27.480]which is organic, natural, Non-GMO, GMO,
[00:11:32.189]touched the earth lightly,
[00:11:33.568]all of these different terms we use
[00:11:35.499]to describe both the products that we use in our landscapes,
[00:11:39.444]the food we eat and the seeds we sow.
[00:11:41.791]So John, can you tell us the differences in the levels
[00:11:45.204]of organic certification or are there differences?
[00:11:49.199]If you look at a label you might see different versions
[00:11:51.916]of organic on there.
[00:11:53.352]And so it's, it can be really important
[00:11:55.451]to know the difference.
[00:11:56.471]So sometimes you might just see organic.
[00:11:59.023]And that may or may not have some sort of certification,
[00:12:02.394]someone behind it actually certifying that it is organic.
[00:12:06.281]Now I will say that a lot of local small farmers
[00:12:09.080]might use the term straight organic
[00:12:11.974]because the certification process can be expensive
[00:12:15.239]and long term.
[00:12:17.799]So a lot of them forgo that
[00:12:19.636]and you basically have to have that relationship with them
[00:12:21.944]to know are they telling the truth or not.
[00:12:24.427]Then you might see certified organic.
[00:12:26.699]And there are sort of third-party organizations out there
[00:12:30.157]that will go around and certify organic farms
[00:12:32.977]or organic producers,
[00:12:34.546]so they might have their own set of criteria.
[00:12:37.306]And then you have USDA certified organic,
[00:12:39.787]and that's a set of criteria that comes down from the USDA
[00:12:44.596]that says you have to use these
[00:12:45.909]certain materials and practices.
[00:12:48.093]And so we have those certifiers
[00:12:50.159]that will go out and make sure that they're USDA certified.
[00:12:52.916]So I think that's the level of sort of
[00:12:55.042]least to most certification there,
[00:12:57.770]and that's what you can see on all those different labels.
[00:13:00.233]So John, what about the word natural
[00:13:02.992]as applied to products or GMO versus Non-GMO?
[00:13:07.711]So natural really doesn't have a real definition,
[00:13:12.074]there's no actual USDA definition.
[00:13:14.911]So companies can really use that however they want
[00:13:18.289]and so there's not really something set
[00:13:21.662]that it really means,
[00:13:22.853]it can be pretty meaningless for some time.
[00:13:25.571]So if you're really wanting organic
[00:13:27.991]or some earth friendly type of practice,
[00:13:31.326]look for the organic label rather than natural,
[00:13:33.592]because that can be misleading sometimes.
[00:13:36.643]Now for the Non-GMO versus the GMO
[00:13:38.572]which is a big topic of contention.
[00:13:42.000]So I'll first say that a better term to use for that
[00:13:45.060]is genetically engineered.
[00:13:46.328]Because a lot of people sort of misuse the term GMO
[00:13:49.176]to mean anything that's a hybrid
[00:13:51.247]or has some sort of genetic variation.
[00:13:54.017]And I could say that all humans are GMO
[00:13:56.858]because we are a hybrid of our parents genes.
[00:13:59.943]And everything is a GMO
[00:14:01.350]because it has been cross bred at some point.
[00:14:04.267]But genetic engineering means that
[00:14:06.123]we've used some sort of laboratory technique
[00:14:08.889]to insert or extract genes for some sort of trait.
[00:14:14.571]And so we look at those and we have Non-GMO versus GMO
[00:14:19.370]and I think there's a lot of confusion there.
[00:14:21.944]Consumers have sort of been misled a little bit in some ways
[00:14:25.534]because a lot of the stuff that is labeled Non-GMO
[00:14:28.656]really doesn't need that label because nothing,
[00:14:31.791]it has no counterpart that really exists.
[00:14:34.630]So lots of our fruit and vegetable seeds and plants
[00:14:38.184]there are no GMO versions of it.
[00:14:40.502]So we look at that and we want to make sure that
[00:14:44.167]we know exactly what we're getting
[00:14:46.009]and maybe look at those labels because sometimes
[00:14:49.279]that Non-GMO label is put on there just so that
[00:14:52.179]the store can charge a little bit more money for it.
[00:14:55.809]What exactly are you going to tell people
[00:14:58.206]about using these products in their landscapes?
[00:15:01.193]How should they make those decisions?
[00:15:03.683]So I think looking,
[00:15:05.002]if they want to be sort of an organic gardener
[00:15:08.022]or low-impact gardener,
[00:15:10.372]doing integrated pest management
[00:15:12.356]to avoid the problems in the first place
[00:15:14.705]is the best solution and then don't be afraid.
[00:15:17.850]So a lot of people think that the term organic means
[00:15:20.124]that there's nothing ever sprayed on it,
[00:15:21.987]and that actually isn't true
[00:15:24.172]especially in the grocery store.
[00:15:26.479]But even in the home garden
[00:15:27.507]there are products that can be used
[00:15:29.355]to deal with diseases and insects.
[00:15:31.882]So if you're wanting to grow at home in an organic way,
[00:15:34.898]look for those products that have that listing.
[00:15:38.442]A lot of them are derived from natural products
[00:15:41.150]like plants or bacteria or even minerals from the ground,
[00:15:44.978]so that's where I would focus on.
[00:15:48.272]There are organically certified seeds,
[00:15:50.174]but I think that isn't as big of an issue
[00:15:53.412]because how much actual pesticide
[00:15:55.596]if there was some sprayed on that plant
[00:15:57.733]is going to come through that seed, it's not very much.
[00:16:00.905]Now if you're doing organic certified, then yes, it is.
[00:16:04.500]But for home gardeners, I wouldn't worry about that.
[00:16:08.209]And then for the Non-GMO versus the GMO,
[00:16:10.646]most of the things we grow in the home garden
[00:16:12.331]do not have a genetically engineered counterpart.
[00:16:15.673]So if you look at a seed label and you say,
[00:16:17.642]"I have to have a Non-GMO tomato."
[00:16:20.497]Well guess what?
[00:16:21.547]All tomatoes are Non-GMO.
[00:16:22.995]So don't be mislead by that label
[00:16:25.381]thinking that you have to pay
[00:16:26.898]five dollars for this pack of Non-GMO tomato seeds versus
[00:16:30.738]the $2 for the pack of Non-GMO tomato seeds
[00:16:33.430]that are just as well.
[00:16:34.263]So, I wouldn't even worry about that for home gardeners
[00:16:36.775]because they're not available to home gardeners.
[00:16:39.313]Thanks, John.
[00:16:40.146]I think that will really help our audience understand
[00:16:42.145]the differences between those terms
[00:16:44.292]and then make some good decisions about products, food
[00:16:48.010]and what they're going to use in their landscapes.
[00:16:50.962]So read those labels carefully
[00:16:52.816]and really proceed with caution.
[00:16:55.011]The active ingredients will usually also tell you
[00:16:57.538]a lot more than the advertisement on the package.
[00:17:00.227]And your garden center professional or Extension educator
[00:17:03.163]are also good sources of information
[00:17:05.429]if you're still not sure about what you're planning
[00:17:08.036]or what you're applying.
[00:17:10.678]Alrighty, let's switch gears for a few minutes
[00:17:12.741]to answer some viewer emails.
[00:17:14.837]We really love getting questions from you
[00:17:16.920]and we do hope that you'll keep us is mind
[00:17:18.783]if you've got something
[00:17:19.616]that's causing a problem in your gardens
[00:17:21.238]or in your landscape.
[00:17:22.882]You can send your questions and JPEG pictures
[00:17:25.978]to byf@unl.edu,
[00:17:29.184]and it has to be to the email for the pictures.
[00:17:32.460]Our first question comes from a viewer in the Omaha area.
[00:17:36.027]She had a ninebark, a Diablo
[00:17:37.540]which is one of the bigger,
[00:17:38.560]older purple foliage varieties.
[00:17:41.449]And probably based on our strange
[00:17:43.364]weather conditions this year,
[00:17:45.197]that shrub put on huge amounts of growth
[00:17:48.184]pretty late in the season.
[00:17:50.003]We don't recommend to people that they do any pruning
[00:17:53.137]after the 1st of August,
[00:17:55.119]really on most every plant unless it's a safety hazard.
[00:17:58.561]So what she can do next year
[00:18:01.284]is she can go ahead and take those canes back
[00:18:04.260]down to a set of buds pointing in the direction
[00:18:08.024]that you really want the growth to occur.
[00:18:10.880]You can take them all the way down if you want to,
[00:18:12.893]but then you're gonna get this interesting
[00:18:14.453]sort of strange shrubby growth
[00:18:16.652]right at the point of the cut.
[00:18:18.716]You also want to make sure that you understand
[00:18:20.983]when ninebark blooms,
[00:18:23.493]whether that is on buds that were said in the previous year,
[00:18:27.001]which means it's old wood,
[00:18:28.775]which means you prune after flowering
[00:18:31.292]or in the current year.
[00:18:33.148]With those canes I wouldn't worry about it,
[00:18:35.513]because you really don't want that growth
[00:18:38.326]to go ahead and branch way up at the tip.
[00:18:40.912]This is going to be true on an awful lot of our plants
[00:18:43.194]that two, three or four or five feet of growth.
[00:18:47.428]Our second question is a really interesting one
[00:18:51.585]in terms of what happens when a utility company
[00:18:56.956]or a public works sort of individual comes in
[00:19:01.114]and needs to do some marking in the landscape?
[00:19:04.666]This one isn't marking in the landscape per se,
[00:19:07.971]but what it is is the client had some painting done
[00:19:11.732]and the painters actually did
[00:19:13.460]a little bit of brush cleaning.
[00:19:15.450]Looks like maybe a little bit of spill that was bright blue
[00:19:19.453]on the trunk of a tree and in the turf.
[00:19:22.382]They're concerned about what is the impact of that paint
[00:19:25.692]on the tree in particular.
[00:19:27.393]Can they get it off the tree?
[00:19:29.062]Will it harm the tree?
[00:19:30.894]They used latex paint, which is great,
[00:19:33.288]because although latex is really no longer made
[00:19:36.475]from a rubber product,
[00:19:38.407]it is one that is a water-based paint.
[00:19:42.326]And so really no harm, no foul on this.
[00:19:45.622]If it's really bothersome,
[00:19:47.225]you can go ahead and take that paint off
[00:19:50.027]with a detergent, a light detergent and water solution,
[00:19:55.770]but it is not something that is going to cause
[00:19:57.712]great harm to the tree.
[00:19:59.980]And interestingly enough one of the things
[00:20:01.703]that is recommended especially with fruit trees
[00:20:04.893]is to go ahead and paint the trunks white with latex paint,
[00:20:09.185]which is actually one of the things
[00:20:10.499]that is a protective quality for those particular plants.
[00:20:16.252]Our third question comes to us from a Gretna viewer.
[00:20:20.349]He backs up to a railroad right-of-way
[00:20:23.329]and there's a huge drop, you can see that from the pictures.
[00:20:27.668]There have been a lot of old probably junk trees,
[00:20:31.098]that's sort of a word we use for them
[00:20:32.578]even though in certain situations these trees are not junk,
[00:20:36.031]that have come up in the railroad right-of-way.
[00:20:38.332]Mulberry, ash, some of the hackberries
[00:20:42.165]that the plants that are really spread easily by seed,
[00:20:45.368]sort of those let's take over the earth kinds of plants.
[00:20:49.423]Some of those big trees have been removed,
[00:20:52.035]some of the others he has done as well.
[00:20:54.892]Done some piling of the brush at the base.
[00:20:57.441]He's now discovering that he really has a steep slope
[00:21:00.782]which he knew about to begin with.
[00:21:02.927]But there's a great concern about that soil eroding
[00:21:06.382]and really causing a lot of difficulty.
[00:21:09.340]So what he had hoped to do was be able to seed
[00:21:12.618]a ground cover that is actually very shade tolerant.
[00:21:17.188]That's a really tough one.
[00:21:18.978]Couldn't come up with a ground cover that is shade
[00:21:22.079]and drought tolerant in those situations
[00:21:24.905]that would be one that would be aggressive enough
[00:21:26.813]to actually cover that soil pretty immediately.
[00:21:30.911]So one of the things that we might suggest to him
[00:21:33.634]is go ahead and start some perennial ground covers,
[00:21:37.685]even if you're going to have to buy them in rooted cuttings
[00:21:39.854]or some small 32's or containers and get those started.
[00:21:46.141]You'll want to use some erosion
[00:21:47.314]control material probably as well
[00:21:50.165]to hold that soil in place while the ground cover roots.
[00:21:53.520]Don't use landscape fabric,
[00:21:55.202]that is not something we recommend
[00:21:56.899]in pretty much most situations.
[00:21:59.501]But you can get the straw mat that is actually held in place
[00:22:02.405]with some netting,
[00:22:03.822]that would be a good option in this situation.
[00:22:06.594]You can just cut holes in that or poke holes in it
[00:22:09.518]and of course the straw deteriorates
[00:22:11.762]so the groundcovers can root into it.
[00:22:14.294]I had a couple of suggestions for him,
[00:22:16.382]one of them that I know is used extensively on campus
[00:22:19.192]in these tough, full shade, hardly any irrigation,
[00:22:23.450]tree root competition locations,
[00:22:25.839]and that is lamiastrum, the variegated one,
[00:22:29.373]spotted dead nettles is another name for that one.
[00:22:32.515]It will spread by stolons
[00:22:35.314]rooting down like a strawberry plant does,
[00:22:37.689]cover a lot of soil pretty aggressively.
[00:22:40.641]Liriope is a plant that we're seeing a lot of use of
[00:22:44.009]all over the eastern part of the state
[00:22:46.481]in terms of sort of a grass like texture.
[00:22:49.294]Again it's a very thick plant that when will spread as well.
[00:22:53.170]We have seen some seed production from that
[00:22:56.222]from established plants, but not much.
[00:22:59.310]There are also a couple of sedges
[00:23:01.567]that actually would have the grass like texture
[00:23:04.244]and those are ones that will tolerate the shade.
[00:23:07.945]Pennsylvania sedge comes to mind as one of those.
[00:23:10.867]So again, to be able to see the ground cover
[00:23:14.929]may be able to find a source for some seed
[00:23:18.316]for those particular plants, at least the second too,
[00:23:22.478]but it's probably pretty unlikely.
[00:23:24.449]And it'll be a lot of crossing of fingers
[00:23:26.009]and paying attention
[00:23:27.615]and hoping we don't get a lot of those
[00:23:29.311]gully washer kinds of rains.
[00:23:32.101]We're going to wrap up this week's episode
[00:23:33.773]by hearing again
[00:23:34.681]from Extension turf specialist Cole Thompson
[00:23:37.653]about keeping your lawn weed free.
[00:23:39.796]Spring will soon be upon us.
[00:23:41.933]That means we're all going to be seeing
[00:23:43.255]a dandelion or two or 200.
[00:23:46.521]You can do a few herbicide treatments in the spring
[00:23:48.847]to knock them back.
[00:23:50.451]But here's Cole to tell us
[00:23:51.408]that fall broadleaf weed control of these dandelions
[00:23:53.980]is really a much better option.
[00:23:55.960](melodious instrumental music)
[00:24:01.711]Broadleaf weeds are a common problem in home lawns.
[00:24:04.680]And the problem is that most people consider
[00:24:06.786]controlling broadleaf weeds in the spring,
[00:24:09.055]and frankly that's just not the best time of year
[00:24:10.736]to control broadleaf weeds.
[00:24:12.880]The fall is preferred for a number of reasons.
[00:24:15.641]But one of the main reasons is because of the
[00:24:18.400]many different life cycles of weeds
[00:24:19.758]that are encompassed within the term broadleaf weed.
[00:24:23.161]Broadleaf weeds contain weeds with life cycles
[00:24:26.830]in winter annual, summer annual
[00:24:29.339]and also perennial life cycles.
[00:24:31.725]Summer annuals are maturing now this time of year
[00:24:34.387]and setting seed and they'll be dead
[00:24:36.486]or killed by the first frost.
[00:24:38.515]And so we don't need to worry about
[00:24:39.496]controlling these weeds right now.
[00:24:41.151]We want to get them with the pre-emergents herbicide
[00:24:42.771]in spring.
[00:24:44.353]In fall, the weeds that we're going to really try to control
[00:24:47.960]are those in the winter annual and perennial life cycles.
[00:24:51.394]Winter annual weeds such as chickweed,
[00:24:54.428]common or mouse-ear chickweed
[00:24:56.679]are germinating this time of year
[00:24:58.851]and they will mature throughout the winter
[00:25:00.290]before setting seed and spring and dying.
[00:25:03.563]So they're small this time of year and easier controlled,
[00:25:07.133]more easily controlled I should say.
[00:25:09.539]Perennial weeds are also more easily controlled
[00:25:11.781]this time of year
[00:25:13.055]because they're translocating stored energy downward
[00:25:16.606]to below ground plant parts such as roots and tubers.
[00:25:20.528]Another reason that fall is the preferred time
[00:25:22.810]to control broadleaf weeds
[00:25:24.580]is because by applying herbicide this time of year
[00:25:27.293]we're reducing the risk for damaging other landscape plants
[00:25:30.831]or non target agricultural plant.
[00:25:32.924]And so again because people tend to notice weeds
[00:25:35.619]in their lawn during the spring
[00:25:36.530]they get excited about weed control that time of year.
[00:25:39.242]But right now during September/October
[00:25:41.318]is really the best time of year to control these weeds.
[00:25:43.969]And so as always,
[00:25:46.111]the best weed control or weed management program
[00:25:48.483]begins with proper turf grass management.
[00:25:50.380]And so this includes proper fertility
[00:25:53.403]and mowing height and frequency
[00:25:55.346]and do irrigation practices throughout the year
[00:25:58.620]to encourage a healthy growing lawn
[00:25:59.894]that's going to resist weed infestation.
[00:26:02.928]After cultural management
[00:26:04.564]there are herbicides that we can use to control these weeds.
[00:26:08.016]There are commonly available pre-mixed products
[00:26:10.928]that contain active ingredients
[00:26:12.395]such as 2,4-D Dicamba or MCPP,
[00:26:15.815]and these are available again usually
[00:26:17.799]in two or three way mixtures,
[00:26:19.563]and they offer a pretty broad spectrum control
[00:26:21.653]for a number of broadleaf weeds.
[00:26:24.042]For a very difficult to control weeds,
[00:26:26.285]perennials such as ground-ivy
[00:26:28.423]or maybe you've heard it called creeping Charlie
[00:26:31.103]or even a wild violet the active ingredient triclopyr
[00:26:36.693]or products containing triclopyr or fluroxypyr
[00:26:39.794]are going to be most effective for these weeds.
[00:26:42.421]So although it may be counterintuitive,
[00:26:44.542]try to get excited about controlling broadleaf weeds
[00:26:46.875]in your lawn this fall
[00:26:48.247]and then you won't have to worry about the flowers
[00:26:50.362]that you normally see in the spring.
[00:26:54.679]It's winter and there's not much of anything
[00:26:57.374]growing out there right now.
[00:26:59.035]But weeds in our turf are going to be a problem
[00:27:01.264]and we just want you to keep in mind,
[00:27:03.447]that if you're going to use herbicide applications
[00:27:05.695]for broadleaf weeds,
[00:27:07.246]the fall application will give you much better results
[00:27:10.417]and keep that lawn green not dandelion yellow in the spring.
[00:27:15.409]Thank you so much for joining us again
[00:27:17.642]for Lifestyle Gardening.
[00:27:19.373]Next time we'll show you some fall color in the garden
[00:27:22.160]and talk about how a lookalike ornamental grass
[00:27:24.959]can really be hazardous to the environment.
[00:27:27.899]Don't forget to check us out on Facebook,
[00:27:30.552]YouTube and Twitter.
[00:27:32.445]So good day, good gardening, thanks for watching.
[00:27:35.862]We'll see you all next time on Lifestyle Gardening.
[00:27:38.971](melodious instrumental music)

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