More Myths & Water Tips

Horticulture Hotline 06/03/19

By Bill Lamson-Scribner

I’m going to continue with the myths from last week. I got a lot of funny comments about the myths.

Please water your grass. Don’t spend a lot of money on fungicides and insecticides when all you need to do is apply a little water. Wetting agents will greatly improve the efficacy of your watering, saving you money in the long run. Go to any of the 3 local Possum’s Stores and they can show you pictures of what Possum’s Wetting Agent with Biostimulants can do for your yard. If you have a brown area in your lawn, get a trowel, a shovel, serving spoon out of the kitchen (if the person reading this is a man, do not tell your wife you are using her kitchen utensils in the yard – trust me on this one – you’ll thank me later), dig in the soil and see if it is dusty dry. If it is dusty dry – just add water. This topic can lead right into Myth 1 for this week:

1.      Myth – “I have an irrigation system that I run 3 times a week; therefore, I must have a fungus not a dry spot.”

Depending on how they are designed and maintained, irrigation systems do not cover 100% of a yard 100% of the time. During the original design, some areas (like where sidewalks meet driveways in a triangle) could have been omitted. As the system ages, maybe a valve (zone) quits working, or a head is broken and not coming up or turning like it should. The landscape can mature and a shrub may block the spray from the head, causing an area to not get the water that is intended. Wind plays a factor, blowing the water into a different area. Heads get damaged by edgers, aerators, cars, mowers…

2.      Myth – “I heard nitrogen causes disease in turfgrass, so this year I’m going to only apply SeaHume and Iron to my lawn.”

Not a real good idea. Nitrogen is like protein for humans – it is needed. Nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium got to be the three numbers on a bag (16-04-08) of fertilizer because they are needed for healthy plant growth. Nitrogen got the number one position because it is the most important; however, there are 16 essential elements that need to be available in the correct amounts for optimal plant growth. If the turf does not have these 16 elements, it is more susceptible to disease, traffic, and insect attack.

Basically, in human terms, it would be like me saying I hate colds. I heard vitamin C prevents colds, so all I’m going to eat is vitamin C. I would die!

Those Crazy Myths

Horticulture Hotline 05/27/19

By Bill Lamson-Scribner

If you like the fragrance of magnolias and gardenias, what a great time of year to work in the yard or take a walk. Two weeks ago, I was smelling the thick intoxicating smell of banana shrubs, and now, the clean smell of the gardenias and magnolias. Stopping to smell the roses is great. Stopping to smell the magnolias and gardenias is underrated, a Lowcountry gem and should be done more often!

Watering your yard is at the crucial stage now. Driving around and walking my 16 year old pound hound – Ol’Boy, I have seen grass that is not going to come back even with rain. Weeds are moving into these drought stressed areas. Wetting agents will help you water more efficiently and lower your water bill.

When I am out and about, I hear myths about landscaping topics that have been around for decades (that I know about) that just are not true.

1.      Myth – Do not water in the middle of the day or you will burn your grass. Another version – If you water in the middle of the day, the water drops will act like a magnify glass and burn your leaf blades.

Have you ever experienced the “splash and dash” (Bill Walsh lingo) rain shower? The Florida Shower? The Houston (if you don’t like the weather, wait 30 minutes) rain? The New Orleans soaking? These showers all come in very hot climates during the middle of the day and have never burned up anyone’s lawn. Before a water drop could get hot enough to burn the leaf blade of the grass, the water drop would evaporate.

With brand new sod it is sometimes good to water in the middle of the day to cool the sod down and to keep the humidity level high around the leaf blade so the new grass is not trying to pull moisture from the roots that have just been severed.

A reason to hold off watering during the middle of the day is you would lose more water to evaporation. More water would go up into the air and less would go into the ground for your landscape. The wind is usually blowing more during the day as well. The wind could affect the efficiency of your irrigation system (coverage) and could also increase the evaporation of your water.

2.      Myth – If I cut my grass short, I will not have to cut it as often.

Not true if you believe the research that says only remove a third of the leave blade at a time. Say you had grass “X”. You mow at 2 inches. It grows to 3 inches then you mow it to 2 inches. So you should mow every time that grass “X” gets to 3 inches tall.

If you go by the myth and decide to mow it at 1.5 inches so you have to mow less, then when it grows to 2.25 inches you should mow. So if you believe in the one third rule, if you cut at 1.5 inches the grass should be mowed again after 0.75 inches of growth vs the 1 inch of growth if you mow at 2 inches.

Growing Tomatoes?

Horticulture Hotline 05/20/19

By Bill Lamson-Scribner

Blossom end rot is a very common problem for tomatoes (it can also get on peppers, squash and watermelons).  A dark water soaked spot appears on the blossom end which is opposite the stem end of the tomato.  This spot usually gets bigger and turns black, and then mold will grow on the surface. 

Ways to avoid blossom end rot include soil testing to be sure your calcium levels are adequate.  If calcium is lacking, you can amend it by adding calcium nitrate, lime, gypsum or spray foliage with calcium chloride, calcium nitrate or Neptune Harvest’s Crab Shell product (23% Ca and helps with nematodes).

Other factors that contribute to blossom end rot are:

·        Fluctuations in soil moisture.  Letting the soil get very dry then very wet.  Cotton Burr Compost used as a soil amendment or as a mulch will add organic matter to the soil reducing these fluctuations.

·        High nitrogen fertilization.  If plants get too much fertilizer, then get hit by a dry spell, this will cause blossom end rot.  Avoid trying to grow the monster tomato bush by piling manure or fertilizer around the plant.

·        Root damage.  Root damage can be caused by cultivating (hoeing) too close to the plant, having the tomatoes sit in water after a rain, nematodes and excessive salt.  When hoeing, stay away from the root zone of the tomato plant.  Be sure you have well drained soil (Cotton Burr Compost will help), so your roots will not suffocate.  Test your soil for sodium and remove the salts by leaching the salts out or by applying a salt removing product.  If you have nematodes, plant in a different area or in a container. Using Neptune Harvest’s Crab Shell product has shown to reduce nematode populations by building up chitin eating bacteria in the soil.

·        Container growing. Many potting soils are sterile and ‘soilless’ – meaning they do not have any fertilizer or nutrients built into the soil. Happy Frog or Ocean Forest soils would be an exception to that. If you are growing in containers, be sure you are adding what the plant needs for proper growth.

The main thing in controlling blossom end rot is to soil test and be sure there is plenty of calcium in the soil before you plant the garden. 

Always read, understand and follow product label. The product label is a Federal Law.