Dallas Morning News – March 16, 2017
Q. We just built a house and new sod was laid. What is your suggestion for an initial application of fertilizer and a maintenance program on the new grass? J. M. Little Elm, TX
A. Put the sod down on bare soil that has been loosened if compacted, then apply one of the organic fertilizers at about 20 lbs. per 1000 sq. ft. A light topdressing of compost is also helpful and can help fill in any visible joints. Two more application of the fertilizer this first season is good and spraying Garrett Juice monthly is ideal.
Q. I have a WORX combination electric Blower/Mulcher. Each season I have a bounty of live oak leaves as well as other varieties. The mulcher breaks down the dried leaves into dime sized particles that is collected in a carry bag. The reduction rate is roughly 9 to 1. I’d love to use this no-cost mmaterial both to mulch my raised beds as well as cutting it into the soil. What do you think? B. H. Plano, TX
A. That’s a great mulch for any plants but especially good for small transplants. Thanks for the product recommendation.
Q. When using caliche under a pebble/rock path to deter weeds, how thick should layer of caliche be? Thank you very much for your help. J. C. Dallas, TX
A. The thicker the better I guess, but 2″ of well-compacted material would probably be plenty.
Q. What is the average life expectancy for a desert willow tree that is planted and maintained under great conditions in Fort Worth? They are said to be “short-lived” trees. What does that mean? S. M. Fort Worth, TX
A. I think desert willow is a great little tree. Despite what the native plant critics say, this tree will live easily 50-75 years, probably a lot longer under an organic program.
Q. There are 3 things I have been told I can add to soil for calcium. Lime, bone meal and powered milk from grocery store Which of yours or the above choices do you recommend? N. P. Dallas, TX
A. Lime should only be used in acid soils. Bone meal and milk can be used in any soil but the best choices would be soft rock phosphate, such as Calphos, or the mineral product Azomite. These commercial products are much more quickly available to plants than bone and milk.
Q. My asparagus is doing what I heard you talking about – producing thin sprouts that go to fern over night. Some haven’t even started. So glad I’m not alone in the hunt. Is there ever a way that Garrett juice could be put into dry ingredients? Want to use it but rain is halting liquid. C. N. New Braunfels, TX
A. The strange growth on asparagus and other plants is apparently due to the roller coaster weather. All we can do is wait it out. We have tried to talk manufacturers into putting the Garrett Juice into a dry form for years. Our thought was that just putting a couple of scoops of GJ dry in a gallon of water would be great. Finding the vinegar in dry form seems to be the hold up. On the other hand, using the liquid spray before, after or during light rain is no problem. The soil and plants are receptive when it’s wet.
Q. Is it too late/too warm to do any trimming on my live oaks? Nothing heavy – just so I can mow under the trees and park under the one next to my driveway! Just trying to reduce the chances of oak wilt. I have 7 live oaks on my property, and I thought one of them was going to die a few years ago after the long drought. Used the sick tree treatment and it came back beautifully! However I noticed this winter that the sapsuckers were hammering away on it, so I just applied the sick tree treatment again, and tree trunk goop on the damaged areas from the sapsuckers. I only do light trimming on my trees every couple of years, so we can ride the mower under them without taking a limb to the face! G. G. Dallas, TX
A. I’m doing light pruning as necessary but to be on the safe side, wait till hot weather for any major pruning.
Q. Hi. I’m trying to find information on lilac trees/bushes. Do they grow well in North Texas? S. K. Denton, TX
A. I haven’t talked about lilac in the past much because It really likes cooler weather. I does fine for example west of the DFW area and of loves the more northern parts of the country. in the organic program, lilac will do pretty well here but not as well as althea and crape myrtle.
Q. Heard you speak at Texas Mother Earth News Fair. You mentioned sweet almond verbena bush and white Gregg’s mistflower as the best pollinator neither of which I can find locally. Do you have a recommended source to order them? Thanks. J. R. Holland, TX
A. Barton Springs Nursery in Austin has them both and the seed of the white mistflower can be purchased from the Johnson Wildflower Center.
Q. I put down dry molasses over an area I mulched with cardboard and shredded tree trimmings. I have not used the dry molasses to that extent before – usually it’s just in my compost tea. The smell in that area is VERY musty, in fact it permits the whole outside in the front of my property. I’m concerned not just because of the smell but because there may be some bad fungi or bacteria hanging around and these areas are fruit trees and edibles. Any ideas as to what this might be and how I can eliminate the smell? I applied dry cornmeal to see if that helped but it’s been a week, nothing improved. D. B. Naples, FL
A. Covering a lot of dry molasses with cardboad may have trapped moisture and created an anaerobic condition causing the smell. Should be temporary and not hurt microbes but you can end the odor by stabbing holes in the cardboard with a turning fork or broad fork. You can also neutralize the smell by applying zeolite to the site at about 40 lbs per 1000 sq. ft. It’s good for the soil long term as well.
Q. I am going to buy 3 trees but I am a little concerned with their planting method and wanted your opinion because I know you recommend a much larger diameter hole. They do have an 18th month partial warranty. Here is their planting technique: Dig holes only 4″ – 8″ larger in diameter than the size of the container. When planting trees that are 30 gallon or larger it is best not to dig the hole twice as large because it leads to standing watering in the bottom of the hole which is followed by root rot. When the soil is undisturbed there are no air pockets for the water to permeate into which leads to less standing water. A. I. Forney, TX
A. Those are very bad recommendations. Wide, rough-sided holes and planting so that the root flares are above ground are the two most important techniques to give new trees the best chance to survive, grow and reach their potential. I would also expect to get 100% one year guarantee at a minimum. This isn’t just opinion by the way. Dr. Carl and other experts have done research on this for years. So have I.