Simply put, weeds are the bane of my existence. They surround our building -- peeking up from cracks in the concrete, mocking me as they brazenly poke their haughty heads through the weed-proof layer beneath the mulch. I hate weeds!
Luckily for me, living in a highly-urbanized downtown area doesn't leave much space for weeds to grow, which keeps my weed stressing at a tolerable level. I can't imagine how crazy I'd be if I had a real yard, with real grass, and lots and lots of real weeds. Suffice it to say, weeds and I don't get along, and I'm always on the look out for new, ingenious ways to kill them.
The most obvious way to kill weeds is to buy some name-brand chemicals from your local hardware store, and spray those suckers till they shrivel up and die. Over the years, however, there have been allegations made that certain weed killers are harmful to the environment (beyond the weeds) and wildlife. So what's the best way to get rid of weeds using safer, less expensive ingredients? The three most common DIY weed killers are:
1. Vinegar - Supposedly the high acidity kills weeds. It's cheap, fairly benign to the environment, but smells like... well, vinegar.
2. Bleach - Bleach isn't much better for the environment than store-bough weed killer, but I heard if used in small amounts, it will kill weeds and dissipate rather quickly.
3. Salt - Ever heard the saying, "salting the earth." Apparently salt makes the ground inhabitable to weeds, or any other plant for that matter.
So, how well did these DIY solutions stand up to the name-brand weed killer? As you can see in the video, none of them were quite as effective as the expensive weed killer I bought from the store (although the bleach came close). The biggest problem with simple, DIY weed killers is that they're not systemic -- they only kill what they touch, which leaves the weed wounded, but far from dead. A good weed killer gets inside the weed, destroying the root system and devouring the cells like a virus from a cool sci-fi movie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3XcfC8qoRg
Still, the most environmentally-friendly AND cost-effective way I've found to remove weeds is by simply using a little elbow grease and pulling those suckers out by hand (roots and all). Sure it takes a lot longer, and isn't nearly as easy as spraying them with dangerous chemicals, but it gets the job done while having the least impact on your surrounding environment, and in the end, that's all that matters.
NOTE: No matter how tempting it may seem, do not mix the bleach and vinegar together to make a super weed killer like this person did. The combination will create toxic chloride gas, which is not a good thing.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
DIY weed killers
Neem for the Bathroom
adfaNeem Oil has uses for your hygiene. Toothpaste and anti- bacterial and anti-dandruff treatments.
Meet the Beetles
Monday, July 20, 2009
Meet the Beetles
They're the pest known the best, and as the saying goes, familiarity breeds contempt.
A mere mention of the Japanese beetle sends shivers up the spines of tri-state gardeners. And little wonder why.
These bugs want to take a bite out of more than 300 plant varieties, according to the Iowa State University Extension, and they're not put off by no trespassing signs.
"They're pretty much everywhere, especially up there in Dubuque," said Mike Griffin, Iowa Department of Natural Resources biologist.
The critters have been spotted this season in Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin, and they are likely to hang around for a while. Although they emerge mid-June, Japanese beetles enjoy making themselves comfortable for months.
"I think we're going to pretty much wait until it gets cold at night," Griffin said.
By Bekah Porter http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=250497
Control Poison Ivy with Goats- No Kidding
Goats to picnic on brush at Pasadena park
Part of Resolution Park is 'challenging' for mowers
By Nicole Fuller | nicole.fuller@baltsun.com
In yet another partnership between Maryland government and goats, Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold said that the munching power of a herd of 40 goats will be employed to help clear invasive vines and plants from a half-acre site at Hancock's Resolution Park in Pasadena.
Monday's announcement came two months after the State Highway Administration enlisted another group of goats on a similar mission in Carroll County to protect the habitat of the bog turtle.
The goats, on loan at no cost to the county from Garden Farms in Davidsonville, are scheduled to graze on overgrown bittersweet, honeysuckle and poison ivy plants for two days later this summer. On Aug. 2 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., park visitors can watch the goats at work.
In the past, county officials had used manpower and heavy machinery to clear undergrowth and vines and allow for the growth of the native oaks and hickory trees on the site, but they wanted to use a more environmentally friendly method, said Karyn Molines, supervisor of cultural resources at the county Department of Recreation and Parks. Molines described the area where the goats will graze as "very challenging."
"A group of 40 goats will just descend on the problem plants and just devour them," said Brian Knox, owner of Sustainable Research Management Inc., a natural resources consulting firm that connected the county with the goats. "They're very effective. They love to eat poison ivy. They can get on steep and rocky ground. They're really adept at reaching things that you can't do by machine and by hand."
Jim Morrison, president of Friends of Hancock's Resolution, said the group is "thrilled."
"We wholeheartedly support this," Morrison said.
The park, a historic farmstead, is situated on Bodkin Creek, the site of explorations by Capt. John Smith in 1608 and battles during the War of 1812. The area cleared by the goats will serve as a site for historical re-enactments.
"This use of goats for targeted grazing serves as a role model for other parks and sends a strong conservation message to the community," Leopold said in a statement. "Goats provide a unique opportunity to move toward economical, sustainable and ecological weed control and away from methods relying on the use of heavy equipment or herbicides."
Copyright © 2009, The Baltimore Sun
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/anne-arundel/bal-md.ar.goats21jul21,0,5192596.story
White Grub that had stumped me.
A couple of years ago we found a huge white grub in the rotting stump of a tree. Looked just like a white grub we find on lawns, only bigger.
Today read a post Morgan County Herald about stag beetles whose larvae are found in stumps.
My guess is that we were looking at a stag beetle larva.
Gardens need summer pruning
Gardens need summer pruning
Published Tuesday, July 21, 2009 10:30 AM
Berkeley Independent
It is time for some hot, summertime pruning. Many of your spring blooming plants have finished blooming and need to be pruned before they set their flower buds for next year. Arm yourself with a pruning saw, a pair of loppers that can cut up to two inches, a good pair of hand pruners, a water jug, a wide bream hat, sunscreen and a can of wasp and hornet freeze and get ready to sweat (I know you lady gardeners ‘glow’)!
Be sure your saw, loppers, and pruners are sharp and in good working order as this will make your pruning easier and what you are cutting will appreciate it as well (you would not want someone cutting on you with a dull scalpel)!
Azaleas are getting ready to set their flower buds for next year, so it is very important to do any pruning on these plants right away. Even if you pruned them hard right after they bloomed, you can still do any touch up pruning to manage any growth that might have occurred since the last pruning.
Any of the repeat blooming azaleas (Encore, Red Slipper) should be pruned right after they flower. If you prune fairly hard, you will likely lose some of the next flush of blooms; however, they should get back in sync fairly quickly, providing you multiple blooms.
Gardenias can be a little tricky as well. There is a variety called “August Beauty” that blooms in August. If you have this variety, you will want to delay pruning until after they bloom in August. Other Gardenias and the Dwarf Gardenias, if they need shaping, can be pruned as soon as they finish flowering.
Indian Hawthorn can be pruned as needed. Watch out for the leaf spot disease that attacks these plants. Honor Guard does a good job of keeping this fungus in check; however, this disease will always be out there so regular spraying is a must. Also, when spraying fungicides, it is important to switch chemical classes to avoid resistance.
Contact a local arborist for pruning trees that have limbs rubbing on your roof or are potentially dangerous. Many trees were damaged almost twenty years ago during hurricane Hugo in the Charleston area, and the rot in certain areas has grown to a dangerous level in certain trees.
If you remove a lot of foliage when pruning, remember this foliage use to keep the roots of the plant cool. Some cotton burr compost used as a mulch will help cool the roots and provide nutrients to the plants.
If you are taking a vacation this summer and have St. Augustine grass, be sure to put out an insecticide to protect your lawn from ‘the nasty rascal, the chinch bug.’ Chinch bugs can do serious damage in a very short period of time.
Fire ants, yellow jackets, fleas, mosquitoes, flies, gray leaf spot, salt water damage, moles, roaches and the weather seem to be other hot topics at Possum’s this week.
Bill Lamson-Scribner can be reached during the week at Possum’s Landscape and Pest Control Supply, 481 Long Point Rd in Mt. Pleasant (971-9601), 3325 Business Circle in North Charleston (760-2600), or 606 Dupont Rd, in Charleston (766-1511). Fax your questions to 406-2700 or e-mail them to your newspaper’s editors. You can also call in your questions to the Garden Clinic, Saturdays 11:00-11:30 AM, on News Radio 94.3 FM (721-TALK).
http://www.berkeleyind.com/culture/Gardens-need-summer-pruning2009-07-21T07-30-32
