Entertaining Video form Utah State Extension

I got a great chuckle out of this video produced by Utah State University Extension. Take a few minutes and enjoy the hard work put into this video of "Gnome Control in the Garden".

Henderson County residents can dispose of expired medication at four Ingles locations Saturday, March 20th.

Operation Medicine Drop takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Howard Gap Road and Highland Lake Road Ingles in Hendersonville, as well as the Fletcher and Etowah locations.

See my previous post from November 13th for more information on the importance of keeping medicines out of our waterways.

Wood Ashes as Soil Amendment

Wood ashes are often used as a soil amendment. They contain potash (potassium), phosphate, boron, and other elements. Wood ashes can be used to raise soil pH; use twice as much wood ash as limestone for the same effect as lime. Ashes should not come into contact with germinating seedlings or plant roots as they may cause root damage. Spread a thin layer during the winter and incorporate into the soil in the spring. Check pH yearly if you use wood ashes. Never use coal ashes or large amounts of wood ash (no more than 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet), as toxicity problems may occur.

Time to Think about Preemergent Herbicides

It is time to think about preemergent herbicide applications for summer annual weed control in turfgrass environments. Preemergent herbicides offer a great option for select annual grass and broadleaf weed control in warm- and cool-season turf. Preemergent herbicides are commonly used for crabgrass and goosegrass control but also control other grass and broadleaf weeds propagated from seed. As with any herbicide, one must be mindful of the herbicide mode of action. Specifically, with preemergent herbicides, application timing, application coverage, and single versus split applications among other factors are crucial to the results obtained.

Preemergent herbicides are typically applied late winter for control of many summer annual weeds, particularly annual grasses including crabgrass and goosegrass species. Application timing is critical with these products to obtain desired results. Specifically, smooth and large crabgrass germinate when 24 hour mean soil temperatures (four inch depth) reach 55 degrees F whereas goosegrass germinates when 24 hour mean soil temperatures reach 60 degrees F. Since these herbicides control susceptible species as they grow through the herbicide treated zone, the herbicide barrier must be established prior to weed seed germination. In most areas in NC, this occurs in mid- to late-March. If you are not able to track 24 hour mean soil temperatures on-site, you can visit this site and find a site in your geographic region to track 24 hour mean soil temperatures.