ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, October 20, 1996 TAG: 9610230011
SECTION: HOMES PAGE: D-2 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: Dear John
SOURCE: JOHN ARBOGAST
One way to help reduce any negative effects residential horticulture has on the environments is to establish an annual landscape management calendar to remind ourselves of the best time to do certain tasks, such as fertilizing, pruning, controlling weeds and transplanting.
If you need help, you can find it Nov. 20, 7 p.m.-8 p.m., in the Training Theater on the first floor of The Jefferson Center, 541 Luck Avenue S.W. in Roanoke. The Roanoke Extension Office's "Establishing an Annual Landscape Management Calendar" is open to the public but preregistration is required by calling 857-7915. Participation will be limited.
Some chores that should be on a management calendar:
* Controlling broadleaf weeds in the lawn: The preferred time get rid of leafy weeds in a bluegrass or fescue lawn is usually in mid- to late fall or in the spring. Even though the weeds that are bothersome are not very evident at the preferred control time, chemicals are used most effectively when the weeds are young and more susceptible. For many lawn weeds, now or early November are the best times because there is less likelihood of injury to good plants from spray drift. Accidental injury from high temperature reactions also is reduced, and active growth of weeds is sufficient with our mild midday temperatures.
* Transplanting plants: This can be successfully done in the next few weeks after the plants to be moved have become dormant but the soil temperature is still somewhat warm. Dormancy plus mild soil coupled with digging an adequate root system, preparing a suitable location to receive the plant, and providing adequate water are essential parts of relocating plants with as little stress as possible. Plants so moved should be ready to start the next growing season vigorously rather than in a weakened condition, which would make that plant attractive to pests.
*Midfall sanitation of flower beds, gardens and fruit plantings: This is an important defense against fungal diseases that remain viable during the winter ready to cause infections the following growing season. This horticulture job is especially critical for the small urban/suburban garden that makes the old-fashioned agricultural practice of crop rotation difficult.
Q: How late in the fall should I continue to mow my lawn? Also, is it true that I should have been cutting my grass at a lower height this fall?
A: Cut your grass as late in the fall as it continues to grow. Bluegrasses or fescues that go through the winter in a tall condition are more likely to suffer winter injury such as matting and browning where there is traffic on the dormant lawn.
While it is all right to reduce the cutting height somewhat during the fall, it is certainly OK to maintain the summer mowing height as long as the grass is growing.
Send short questions about your lawn, garden, plants or insects to Dear John, c/o The Roanoke Times, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, Va. 24010-2491. We need your mail, but this column can't reply to all letters. Those of wide appeal will be answered during the weeks that the subject is timely. Personal replies cannot be given. Please don't send stamps, stamped envelopes, samples, or pictures.
Gardener's checklist
Jobs for late October:
Remove and destroy all faded iris foliage to reduce the sites that are attractive to the iris borer for fall egg laying.
Prevent rodents such as squirrels, mice or chipmunks from digging up the loose soil where you've planted spring flowering bulbs by covering the new bulb bed with some type of wire, such as chicken wire, with a 1- to 11/2-inch mesh that should be big enough to allow bulb foliage to grow through next spring.
LENGTH: Medium: 72 linesby CNB