HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1980-04-17, Page 46{1.
exp
By Don Kitchen
Department .of
Horticultural Science
University of
"Guelph
'It seems every. 'Spring,- a
new crop of lawn weeds.
.appears, along ' with the
robins, Unlike `the birds, the
turf weeds are nota welcome
sight. Gardeners have tried.
for years to control
crabgrass in the backyard,
or tbe ,-dandelions at the
front, with only Limited
success, '
There .is 'no single answer
to this problem. The solution
to successful weed ':control
lies in the correct use of a
number of• principles and.
techniques..
• Or primary importatiee is
the general condition of the
turf area. If the lawn v is
actively growing anal in good
genera-I---eonriftton, eu n--"'
petition alone will control
many . weeds. Healthy turf
will fill in bare spots, and
damaged areas •will heal
quickly. This prevents the
establishment of weeds.
To keep the lawn area in ,
good condition, several
factors must be considered.
These include variety
selection, drainage im-
provement in wet areas,
proper rate and timing of
fertilizers, and watering.
Proper mowing height (3 to 5
cm) is important, so that
there is enough top growth to
.maintain
a good root system.
These cultural practices
are particularly important
for the control of perennial
grass weeds, such as quack
grass or creeping bent grass.
For example ' a consistent
mowing height of 4 cm will
tend to discourage quick
grass in a home lawn,
because this plant will not
tolerate a low cutting height.
Currently, there is no weed
controlchemical (herbicide)
that will kill perennial grass
weeds in a lawn, without
damage to the desired turf
grasses,
The herbicide 2,4-D has
been used for many years. It
can be used safely as
direeted, and is effective on
many broad-leaved weeds,
si,ich as dandelions and
plantain. For more resistant
weeds, such as clovers, -
black medic, chickweed, and
creeping Charlie, use her-
bicide mixtures containing
2,4-D, mecoprop and
Plant cuttings
Growing Up_
Spring is here, and it's the
best time to take cuttings
from overwintered garden
plants.
R. A. Fleming, Ontario
Ministry of Agriculture and..
Food horticulturist at
Vineland Station, feels that a
keen gardener can achieve
good results with cuttings
taken from plants such as
coleus, fibrous begonia,
impatiens and fuschia.
"The best cuttings consist
of vigorous new growth,
cm (3-5 in.), with three or
four well-developed leaves.
Root the cuttings in moist
sand or a combination of
sand, perlite or vermiculite
mixed with an equal volume
of peat moss."
"In a bright, moderately
warm (15-17 degrees C)
-location, rooting should take
place in two to three weeks."
There is no need to use
rooting hormone. The
rooting medium should be
kept -moist, but not wet. A
greater degree of success is
assured if cuttings are
dusted with a fungicide such
as Benamy-t or Captan as -
they are_takeri
"The next important
factor is sufficient light. If
cuttings do not get enough
light, they develop soft, weak
growth as they strive to
reach the light."
When healthy root systems
are established, cuttings
should be transplanted into a
good potting soil and allowed
to grow indoors until all
danger of frost is past.
"Care and attention in-
doors toward the end of
March will pay huge
dividends in the. months
head. Spring plantings of
trong, healthy stock grown
from cuttings ensure a good
start toward abundant.
summer d isplays."
Native plants
_The Kentucky Coffee Tree
is one of Canada's rare
native trees that will grow
well in southwestern
Ontario. The picturesque
tree can reach a height of 50
feet.
dicannba. To ensure good
weed control, without
damaging other •ornamental
plants, prop'ejr rate and
tinning of :herbicide spraysis
important. The usual ap-
plication rate .of 2,4-D is one
ounce acid (active
ingredient) per four gallons
of water for approxin ately
2,5Q0 square feet of
established bluegrass turf..
Since several Companies
manufacture 2,4-D,and the
amount of active ingredient
'varies the rate must be, given
in terms of 2,4-D acid. The
manufacturer's • label will
recommend the amount of •
product to use.
Herbicides, such as 2,4-D
,enter susceptible `plants
primarily through the
leaves. They ,ki11 by
distrubing the plant's nor-
mal growth pattern. The best
time to spray is during
periods of active growth
(late May through June, and
again in September). Fall
application is often most
successful because weeds
are growing rapidly and
most weed seeds. have
germinated, This allows the
grass to fill in these areas
before winter. Another
advantage is that many trees
and, shrubs have ceased
active growth and are
therefore less susceptible to
injury. .
Crabgrass "is an annual
grass weed which
reproduces by seed, It is a
coarse, " prostrate plant,
unattractive in the lawn and
difficult to mow. Some
control can he achieved by
:mowing: at 5 cm to provide
more shading and limit the
crabgrass establishment.
Proper watering and fer-
tilizer practices will also
help. The object of chemical
control is to prevent the
germination of the crabgrass
seed. Seed gerrninates early,
so treatment rnust be made
in .April before growth
begins, ,Late fall (October -
November) applications also
show good results. Some of
the chemicals used are
l3etasan, Pacthal and
Tupersan. These are.
available 'as granules,
liquids, wettable powders
and in some cases, are in-
cluded in fertilizers. 13e sure
to follow the manufacturer's
directions.
There are several points to
remember when using
herbicides. Ilse a sprayer
'reserved for this purpose,
because chemicals cannot be
washed out completely. Any
cost saving is 'insignificant if
you injure or kill valuable
ornamentals becaus-e of a
contaminated sprayer.
To reduce spray drift, use
a coarse spray` with only
enough pressure to get even
distribution. Spray when
there is no wind. Early
morning or evening is
usually the best time.
Fertilizers, with her-
bicides added, are quite
effective if used properly.
Use these fertilizers on turf
areas only, as the chemicals
could severely damage other
plants.
building
Remodelling? Reairing?
Look to the people helping people
All -Credit Union
Loans
Feature:
LOWER INTEREST
RATES
Shop and. Compare!
REASONABLE
TERMS
Designed to fit your budget!
LIFE
INSURED
at NO extra charge!
These are just a few of the many advantages you'll find when dealing with
your Community Credit Union. No one like to borrow, but when the need
is there we urge you to check us out. We are people just like you, working
for you! Together we help ectt other create the better terms and better
rates we feature. When it's time to borrow, come to where you'll find...
eop le helping
SAVINGS ACCOUNTS
rHEQUING ACCOUNTS
1M
OUR
COMMUNITYYCREDIT UNION
39 ST. DAVID ST. 70 ONTARIO ST.
GODERICH/524-7931 CLINTON/482-3467
people
EXETER BRANCH OLD TOWN HALL BUILDING/235-0640