Horticulture Hotline 01/17/22
By Bill Lamson-Scribner
Well, I had something happen to me last week that I guess most people have happened to them at some point in their life. I realized I must be getting old. I was with the Director of Grounds of a college and one of the coaches. The coach and I were exchanging phone numbers. I said the same thing that I have said for many, many years, “are you sure you want my last name. I have a long last name that is hyphenated. It is the name I was born with from my dad’s side and it’s not like my mom (although she was a model and could still be a model) hyphenated her name like Farrah Fawcett-Majors.” My reference about Farrah Fawcett-Majors was met with deer in the headlights looks and crickets. I had to try to explain Charlie’s Angels (but of course since I’m old I couldn’t remember the show’s name at first), the hair, and ‘The Poster’!
The early signs of spring are here. Saw some cardinals messing around and my favorite indicator the saucer magnolia (tulip magnolia) showing some color.
Three “secret” products that have proven to be useful; however, not everyone talks about:
3. 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.
2. 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?”
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.
Always read, understand and follow product label. The product label is a Federal Law.
