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By Bill Scheffler
~ Sept 20, 2004
Last week's rain was very nice but it's all gone
now. We should definitely be watering trees and
fertilizing the annuals. We won't be getting rain
for a while and now is when the plants are storing
food in their roots.
Feed Your Trees
The soil is beginning to recharge itself from now
until next March so any food we give to the soil
will be digested and made available for next year.
This is the time for the decomposition cycle in the
soil, and it is a great time for decomposing leaves.
All the brown leaves flying around now should be
collected, ground up into small pieces with the lawn
mower and put back under the trees. From the soil's
point of view, it is desperate for organic matter
and under no circumstances should the leaves be put
out into the street. Use them to feed your trees!
The smaller the pieces, the faster it will break
down. I have a mulching mower that does a great job
of shredding leaves.
Later in the fall when the leaves are too thick,
I rake the leaves onto the driveway and chop them up
with the lawn mower and then use a shovel to put the
mulch under the trees and bushes. In most cases it
will be gone by Memorial Day! Of course trees can't
live on leaves alone so toss in some gypsum, bone
meal, alfalfa and fireplace ashes (spread out ...
don't dump in a pile!). Minerals applied now will
break down nicely. The main point is to have all
this good food digested and AVAILABLE for the plants
next spring when they finish their growth spurt and
have to start living off the soil. The growth spurt
comes from the food that is stored in the roots
right now.
Grubs and More Grubs
Grubs are a month late but they are around right
now. If you see evidence of digging, then you either
have grubs or squirrels. Don't put down poison until
you are sure you have grubs and even then, don't do
the whole yard ... just do the affected area. The
university says don't treat for grubs until we have
5-7 grubs per square foot which is very high. Less
than that and the grass will regrow itself and it
isn't really worth the poisons.
That's it for now ... if you know someone who
would like to receive these tips then by all means
tell them about me and have them sign up! The price
is right and they will definitely learn a lot! Also,
please send in your questions so I can write about
it for next week.
Remember, "mulch now or forever hoe your weeds!"
(borrowed from a Seattle mulch company)
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