Four “secret” products that have proven to be useful; however,
not everyone talks about:
4. Dog Rocks – a great product from “Down Under” that
neutralizes dog and cat urine, so you do not have dead areas in your grass. It
is crazy, but these rocks from Australia work great! Many dogs will urinate in
the same area, killing the grass, and opening the area up for weed attack
(often times the more salt tolerate Bermuda grass – sometimes called joint
grass – that is very hard to control).
Your neighbor who is using Dog Rocks might be in your
backyard for a few “shrimp on the barbi”, and might comment about the urine
spots killing your grass. Then, take a sip of his oil can Foster’s Lager, and
never mention the Dog Rocks. Competition between neighbors is alive and well.
3. Nitrile disposable gloves – similar to what Doctors use.
The people that buy these gloves use them all the time for everything. They are
nitrile, so no latex issues and are resistant to most chemicals. Spreading
fertilizer, spraying control products, painting, cleaning up after a pet,
changing diapers, putting fuel in mower or car, carrying out trash, cleaning
the house, changing the oil in a mower or vehicle, and carrying in the Christmas
Tree are just a couple of uses for these gloves. The gloves are very
inexpensive; however, not many people know about them.
The same neighbor that uses the Dog Rocks reaches out to
shake your hand that is covered with paint, then pulls back his hand and says, ”doing
a little painting today, Ol’Sport?”
2. This same neighbor notices a box of name brand Fipronil
spot treatment for your dog’s fleas and ticks on the counter (another good time
to wear the disposable gloves while applying control products to your animals).
Of course, he does not mention that be buys Prefurred Plus and Prefurred One (a
post patent – generic product) for one half to one third the cost.
1. Neem oil. Most people have heard of horticultural oils
for insect control; however, not everyone has heard of Neem oil. They work very
similar on insects, but Neem oil also controls certain fungi as well. Powdery
Mildew on Crepe Myrtles, Dogwoods, and Roses can be a big issue in the
Lowcountry. Lucky for us, this disease usually only lasts for a short period of
time, making it a perfect candidate for this organic product.
