Although we may have just entered spring, it can’t hurt to plan how you want your garden to look.
Allison Jackson, from Rent-A-Gardener in Cadillac, is answering gardening questions before we try exercising our supposed “green thumbs.”
Q: What’s the proper way to use weed preventers like Preen?
Jackson:
“The proper way to use preen, the weed preventer, is to apply it topically. It’s a granular product that’s made from corn gluten meal, which is organic. You can sprinkle that on top of your flower beds or out in your vegetable garden. What happens is as it rains or once you apply that, you’d want to sprinkle that area with water because that corn gluten meal bonds to the water and creates that barrier. What it does is it prevents that annual weed seed from germinating. You don’t want that seed to take on its roots and start growing.”
Q: Will left-over plant seed from last year still grow this summer?
Jackson:
“The answer is yes, traditionally seeds will last for more than one season. With the exception of onion, and a few other herbs that traditionally won’t come back. Tomatoes, melons and some of those type of seeds, they’ll last for five to ten years. Some of the other seeds, like beans, carrots, corn, squash and things like that, they might only last two years, maybe up to five. The best way to know if your seed is viable is to go ahead with what we call a germination test. That could be something as simple as moistening a paper towel, laying ten seeds out on that paper towel, rolling it up, placing it in a baggie in a dark, cool place, and letting those seeds germinate. If you’ve put ten seeds in there and eight of them germinate—sprout—then you know 80 percent of your seed is viable. If only three seeds out of ten, then you know you only have about a 30 percent germination rate and I would recommend going ahead and buying new seed.”
Q: At what height should I mow my grass?
Jackson:
“Traditionally, anywhere from two to four inches. For non-irrigated lawns, I typically recommend mowing at a four-inch height. If your home or business has an automated irrigation system, you can go ahead and cut that a little shorter. What the taller grass will do at four inches is it protects the soil around it and it actually shades those areas of open soil between those blades of grass, which also prevents weed seed from germinating. Not only that, but it helps to maintain that moisture, which is a key ingredient for a healthy lawn. I always say if your turf is four inches long, then you know your roots are four inches. If your turf is two inches, chances are your roots are two inches. So if you’ve got a non-irrigated site, that’s going to make a huge difference in how well that grass thrives.” Jackson says.
Q: How can I tell what kind of soil I have?
Jackson: “Now there’s many answers to that question. What we traditionally do for customers is actually take a soil test. MSU Extension Office is a great resource here in Cadillac, and they actually offer that soil test. You can request that online and they’ll send that packet right to your house. It’s a great idea to get out there and test your soil. Whether you’re planting your vegetable garden, your flower garden or you’re fertilizing your turf grass, to know what the makeup and the analysis of your soil composition is–that’s a critical factor.”
credit:9and10news.com