by Dave Christensen on August 9, 2009
Weeds are common place in gardens and flower pots.
I live out in the country and it seems that I am always battling back the weeds that sneak in. The birds don’t help either. Once certain weeds get established in a garden it is almost impossible to erradicate them. On several occasions in the past, I have had huge gardens that became infested. At times, I gave up and just mowed them over. In recent years, I have made my gardens smaller and used the resources of weed killer, mulch and weed fabric. Gardens can not be planted and just left, they need to be tended to and managed. Some things to consider if you have weed infestation or want to keep them under control.
1. Allow PREEN to become your best friend. You can purchase this product at any hardware store. Keep in mind that Preen can only be effective on weed free soil. It does not allow weeds to germinate. At first i recommend that you apply it every 3 weeks. This is more than they recommend. But it is necessary. If the weeds are removed, this product will keep weeds at bay. If weeds are present, it will not rid them.
2. Mulch of any kind is critical around perennials and shrubs, along with preen
3. In the spring I burn my gardens, it kills alot of weed seeds that may have dropped in the summer. Once thistle gets established it is very difficult to rid there after.
We all know what weeds and weedy gardens look like, so no picture is on line at this time. Contact me for more information or tips (docsperennials@yahoo.com)
by Dave Christensen on August 17, 2008
Several years ago, I made it a habit each spring to purchase young sapling trees from the Clearwater Soil and Conservation office. These trees are economical and you can purchase large quantities for good prices. The difference in buying these trees and the trees you buy at a local nursery is that you have to wait longer for maturity. They range in sizes from 15 inches – 3 feet in height depending on the variety you are buying. Each year I made it a pact to buy at least 200 trees and each year the survival rate was quite low. My soil on my property is poor consisting of gravel, sand and clay.
My kids were small at this time and I always felt it was a waste to use disposable diapers as I knew they would just end up in the landfills. [click to continue...]
by Dave Christensen on August 16, 2008
1. A clipper
There are all sorts of clippers out there. I personally like Fiskars. They are reliable and don’t break after the 5th use. When gardening you need to be able to snip this and that at a moments notice, clipping off branches, dead heading, not good for clipping your finger nails. [click to continue...]
by Dave Christensen on August 12, 2008
It is best to fertilize your garden in the spring when you first see signs of growth. Getting a good fertilizer that allows a rich addition to your plants is a good start. Check out Clearwater Nursery for the right fertilizer for your needs. You can call them at (218) 785-2160 or contact Jennifer at Jennifer’s Hardware (218) 694-6229 in Bagley, Mn. [click to continue...]
