Ask Greg - Page 20

Greg, I need to know what is the best product to use to control/destroy my grub infestation. I have skunks and whatever else that like these little devils digging little holes in by backyard (I have a border on the south side of my 1/2 acre property of a man made pond and large maple & oak trees which shades half my lawn most of the day and on the other side large pine trees - which the deer love and anything else I plant. My other question is when and what do I use to kill deer ticks? The deer have decided it's meal time @ my house so ticks are a problem that I need to address. Rosie - Cortlandt Manor.

A. Hi Rosie, Merit is a good product for killing grubs. It is available at your local garden center under a variety of brand names such as "Grub X." Be sure to read and follow the directions on the package for recommended dosage and application procedure. Unfortunately there is not much you can do about the presence of ticks. There are several approved sprays that do a decent job on killing the ticks on your property. Some of the brands have a handy applicator that attaches to your garden hose. You may also want to talk to some pest control professionals who can put you on contract to keep the critters under control. There are also commercial deer repellents available but their effectiveness is questionable.

Hi Greg, Large areas of my yard are shady and damp. There is a lot of moss. It seems to be spreading into the grass. Is there anything I can do to encourage grass? The lawn service is very good at creating mossy divets. Thank you, Betsy Weir

A. Hi Betsy, Grass is not a shade plant, and it will be tough to get it to grow in those conditions. Moss on the other hand grows well in shady damp areas so it seems you may be trying to grow the wrong plant. I personally love moss and would encourage it to grow there by removing any weeds that might be growing among it, moss is beautiful and low maintenance. You could also plant another ground cover such as pachysandra, vinca or sedum ternatum. If you are really intent on having grass, you may want to remove some trees to open up the area to more sun.

Greg: I had planted Mums outside last year and was told that they will bloom or resurrect in the warm weather. They are all brown. I think they are dead and they are not the type of plant that you can expect to see "come back" after the winter. Please tell me if this is correct. Thank you. Linda McCauley Project Manager, NY Metro

A. Hi Linda, It is possible that you thought you were purchasing hardy mums, but they really weren't hardy. By now you should have started to see some growth on the plants and if they are all brown, it is likely that you have the "hot house" mums which are not hardy in this area. Hardy mums, sometimes called "garden mums" will come back for many years. My once lush, green pachysandra has bloomed and is nowstraggly. What's wrong and what can I do? A. You can prune your pachysandra! Take off the stems that had flowers on them by cutting or pinching them, and also prune the central leader which will encourage side shoots. You should also feed them with a high nitrogen fertilizer such as a 10-6-4 according to label directions to encourage the foliage growth.

Hi,Greg i like listening to you on whud. I do have a question. I found a pistacho nut with a leaf coming out of it 3years ago.It seems to die or go dormit once a year. It came back the first year the secone year it grew to 3in..This year it grew to 10in..If you could tell me anything you know about,or how to care for a pistacho tree i would really appreciate it.So fare I have been lucky, I don't know how I have been keeping it alive.Does it need hot weather, light, special food, do they go dormit? It would be a shame to lose it,anything you can tell would help.Thank you. Sincerly Yours Jim S.

A. Hi Jim, Congratulations! Pistachio trees grow where it is hot and dry. Whatever you are doing seems to be working, I would only advise you to keep it in a container and not to plant it outside, but put the container outdoors in the summer in a full sun situation with regular watering. Be sure to let the soil dry between waterings. As the tree gets bigger you can transplant into a larger container. Pistachios need bright light and a 15-30-15 water soluble fertilizer would be just the ticket. Good luck.

Hi Greg, I listen to you every week and really enjoy your show with Mike & Kacey. I was listening to you this week and someone called in about their lawns and you mentioned that no lawn will grow in shade and the seeds that are on the market are in essence "no good" - is that what I heard? I have a very small yard which I had reseeded last year and the grass (dense shade-type) had started to grow but then a water drainage pipe near my yard got clogged so a stream of water gushed over the new grass and killed it. I'm just wondering if I should go to the bother of replanting again. I have tried numerous times to replant this grass but everytime it starts to grow, something happens and it doesn't get thick enough to withstand the outside problems. This yard only gets the afternoon sun. HELP!! Any suggestions. Thanks, Roz in Peekskill

A. Hi Roz, Thanks for being a loyal listener! I won't say that turf grass "can't" grow in shade but as you've discovered, there's little room for error. If this is not an area that you need to walk on all the time, you may want to consider planting a ground cover such as pachysandra or vinca. With the part-sun situation, you have many choices of perennials such as hosta, astilbe, ornamental grasses, and many more. Make a visit to your local garden center to see the variety available and get inspired!

Dear Mr. Quinn, I have some huge Daffodils which are mostly leaves and very few flowers. I want to separate them but don't know when the best time to do so. I also have some huge Hostas that I'd like to separate too. Should I separate them now or wait until the fall? Thank you in advance for your response. Sincerely, Lisa

A. Hi Lisa, Daffodils should be divided about every five years when the clumps get large and flowering diminishes. After the foliage on your daffodils has begun to turn yellow (about 6-8 weeks after bloom) is a good time to divide them. Dig them out of the soil, apply a fungicide if possible, and let them dry in a shady place for a week or two to determine if there is any basal rot. Discard the rotted bulbs and then plant or store the remaining bulbs. You can dig up your hosta, cut them apart with a knife, and replant them at any time. i had rooted some pussy willow were and when is the best time to put it in the ground and do you know any organic fertilizer i can make for my vegetable garden thanks A. If the pussy willow has roots you can plant it in the ground now. As far as the fertilizer goes, compost is a good start and I would incorporate equal amounts of blood meal, bone meal and green sand or you might be better off going to your local garden center and picking up a bag of organic fertilizer.

Dear Greg, Our female dog keeps making "brown spots" on the lawn! What can we do to neutralize the area?

A. f The brown spots is a result of the nitrogen in the urine. Oddly, enough, it's an example of over fertilization! It can be neutralized by washing the area down well with water but you'll need to do shortly after each incident. It is best to try diligent training to encourage her to go someplace els, perhaps an area covered with wood chips.

I have 2 cherry trees that have borne small amounts of fruit last year. Before they were picked the various insects devoured them and caused the leaves to curl up. Right now the tree has flowered and the petals have fallen off and the fruit will slowly begin to develop. Is there anything that I can do now to protect the fruit and still be able to eat the fruit when it is ripe?

A. I like to use a product called "Home Orchard Spray" according to label direction for cherries beginning in early spring.