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It’s emailed gardening
question week! Time to answer more of those great gardening questions as
the outdoor gardening season begins to wind down.
Our first Local 12
emailer asks, “I want to mulch around trees that have grass growing around
them. It’s a lot of work to try and remove all that sod! Do I have to
remove all the grass before I mulch?”
Well, this is one time
we can cheat a little bit, if needed. Mark the size of the ring you’d like
to make around the tree, and using a sharp edged spade, cut the bed edge
around the tree. Take those pieces away…do not throw them back into the
area that will be mulched. Then, spray the grass with Roundup. This will
kill the grass in the circle, but not affect the tree. Give the Roundup a
few days to start working, then go ahead and mulch on top of the treated
grass. Remember, 1-3 inches deep maximum, and never place mulch against the
trunk of the tree. Mulching around trees should look like a donut.
Our next emailer asks,
“When is the time to apply WiltStop on my evergreens for added winter
protection?”
WiltStop is an all
natural antidessicant that helps to seal moisture inside evergreen needles
and leaves to help protect against moisture loss and winter burn. But it’s
too early to apply WiltStop. We’ll do this later in the fall, possibly
around early to mid December.
Our last emailer asks,
“I heard you mention a formula for spraying on moss to kill it. What was
that again?”
There are sprays
available for you to purchase for temporary moss control, or you can use
this simple formula. 1 small box of baking soda dissolved in 2 gallons of
luke warm water. Kills moss, but won’t harm other plants or structures.
But remember this is a temporary fix, and to get rid of moss permanently,
you need to change the growing conditions so they’re not conducive for
growing moss. |
