This is the Q&A for the Yard and Garden show for April 19, 2024. Yard and Garden Live is a call-in radio show I do on KUTT 99.5 FM from 10-11:30 am and it will run through July 26 and continue again in September for two fall episodes. It can also be found on kutt995.com for online listening. If you missed a show or just want to read through the questions, I have written them all in my blog and will continue to do so throughout the season.
Guest Host: Andrew Campbell, Manager of the Landscape Department at Campbell’s Nursery
- The first question of the show came via text, he wants to know how to control fescue turfgrass in landscape beds?
A. You can use a non-selective product such as the glyphosate formulation of Roundup. You would have to do spot sprays in these areas because the glyphosate will harm your desirable plants. You can also try grass-b-gon, which would be more selective for grasses. If you are looking for a non-chemical method, you can dig it out, if you get down underneath the grass and to the roots, you will eliminate it by digging it out. Once it is eliminated, you can reduce the spread back into the garden by using mulch.
2. This caller is curious about the efficacy of overseeding the lawn?
A. This can be helpful in a thin lawn or just to thicken it up or cover up bare spots in the lawn. When overseeding, you can go with the half-rate of seeding if the lawn isn’t too thin. In the bare spots, rake through those first. You can cover it with peat moss or leave it exposed if you prefer, just be sure to keep the seedbed moist until germination and work back down to regular irrigation once it begins to grow. Mow as soon as you can, this will help with tillering of the grass plants. Do not use a crabgrass pre-emergence herbicide if you plan to overseed yet this spring. If you have already applied crabgrass preventer, wait until the fall to overseed.
3. A caller has surprise lillies growing in her garden but they didn’t bloom last year. What is wrong?
A. It could be that they need some irrigation, especially since we have been dealing with a drought for the past year. A little fertilization could help get those blooming more as well, just not too much nitrogen near the blooming period of early fall. Also, if they have been there for a long time, they may need to be dug up and divided. If bulbs get too crowded they can reduce their blooming abilities. Share extras with your friends if you need to.
4. This caller has crabapple trees. She fights suckers at the base of the tree annually. She has tried the sucker-stop products but it doesn’t seem to help. What can she do?
A. The sucker-stop products are not 100% effective, so it isn’t surprising that it isn’t working for her. Keep pruning those off, that’s about the only thing to work. If the tree is somewhat stressed, that can attribute to some of the suckering, but crabapples tend to sucker more than others. Ensure the trees have a good 2-3 inch deep layer of mulch around them and that they are well-watered. Irrigate trees separately from turf with a sprinkler or soaker hose or hose on trickle in the root zone for 20-45 minutes weekly, depending on the size of the tree. Use a screwdriver to probe for soil moisture down to 12-18 inches where most of the roots are located for trees.
5. This caller is looking for a variety of sweet cherry tree to grow in Nebraska.
A. Sweet cherries don’t grow well in southeast Nebraska. You can get them to grow in a protected location, but will likely only get a crop every 7 years at most. Some varieties to try include Whitegold, Stella, or Blackgold. Tart cherries would be more productive. Try North Star, Montmorency, or others. Here is a good NebGuide on Fruit Tree Cultivars. Visit: https://extensionpubs.unl.edu/publication/g2354/pdf/view/g2354-2023.pdf
6. A caller planted strawberries in raised beds last year. They all died over the winter. What caused that?
A. The roots are more exposed to winter conditions when planted in a raised bed. They need to be only planted in the middle of the raised bed and it might help to protect the root area more throughout the winter by wrapping the bed in straw or burlap or move it to a location out of the wind, if they can be moved.
7. The final caller of the day planted a peach tree that has ants on it. How can he control the ants so they don’t kill his tree?
A. The ants don’t kill the tree. Decay gets into trees, especially peach trees, and the ants make their home in decaying wood. The ants aren’t making the problem worse or killing the tree. Peach trees commonly get a wound that gets infected with gummosis, which will cause the demise of the tree. To ensure the longest, most productive life for the peach trees, it would be best to get the trees on a spray schedule. Use an orchard fruit tree spray throughout the season, every 10-14 days, avoiding the time when the blossoms are open. For more information on fruit trees, visit: https://food.unl.edu/local-food-production
*Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by Nebraska Extension or bias against those not mentioned.
FULL PODCAST: If you would like to hear the full recording of this show, Listen to the Podcast found at: https://yardandgarden.buzzsprout.com
Plants and Pests with Nicole 