Weed Control Methods For Your Lawn

Anything Grows — Sat, 05 May 2012 01:55:31 +0000

Weed & Feed

The common method of weed & feed has changed over the years. It used to come as lawn fertilizer with weed control chemicals in it. This has been banned in Alberta and most of Canada and many other places. This is due to the large applications of herbicide for only a few weeds in the lawn. A new alternative has come onto the market over the last few years.

Corn Gluten lawn fertilizer adds much needed nitrogen to the lawn while inhibiting germination of seeds. This means those dandelions won’t be able to thrive in your lawn. The first application of Corn Gluten is about 80% effective. Continuous use over time builds up effectiveness to 99.9% after about 2 years of using. Benefits of Corn Gluten are that it is totally organic and we have an abundance of available resources. Drawbacks, compared to basic chemical lawn fertilizer it is more expensive and more is required to cover the same area. But…. Much better for the environment.

Herbacide Sprays:

There are a few herbicide sprays available that you can use in your lawn to control weeds like dandelions and thistle. “Killex” is the only spray you can use on the lawn and won’t kill the grass. It is just a spot treatment option as needed. “Killex” also has no residual soil affects; once the product has dried it is no longer there. Safe for kids and pets 2 hours after application. Alternatives include a few iron based sprays, much harder to find but it’s a chemical free option. Although iron takes much longer, up to two weeks, to fully kill off any weeds that are present.

Top Dress and Overseed:

This is the method of adding a small amount of soil and applying grass seed over the existing lawn. The new grass will help to choke out weeds by using up all the nutrients. A mix of seed that is close to your current lawn is ideal. Anything Grows now carries Scotts Coated Grass Seed, both in Sun/Shade mix and All Purpose mix.

Lawn Tips

Fertilize your lawn on a more regular basis. Once per month during the growing season is sufficient. Also, should use a fall fertilizer in the fall, this will help aid your lawn as it gets ready for winter. On average you can fertilize about 4 times in one growing season.
If you are having no success with controlling dandelions in your lawn try adding some form of calcium to your lawn such as lime or bone meal. Dandelions grow long tap roots to reach deep down for nutrients that are not present on the surface. Mainly they are looking for calcium. In nature they will pull the calcium to the surface and when they die they release it back for other plants.
Try a concrete edging around trees, shrubs and flower beds. As you mow the lawn you can run the mower wheel along the edge and can eliminate the need to using the trimmer.

Potato Planter, Grow potatoes on your patio!

Anything Grows — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 17:27:51 +0000

Never tried growing your own potatoes before? Don't think you have room in the garden to grow potatoes? Maybe it just seems like to much work. Try a potato planter! A reusable bag that is perfectly suited to growing potatoes. This planter allows you to grow potatoes in a small space and you get the added bonus of being able to harvest before the season end. Check below to see a potato planter in action.

Potato Planter

Using a Potato Planter

Roll top of bag down until about 30cm or 12in. You may want to add some soil to the bottom for weight to aid in rolling down the bag.

Make sure about 1/3 of the rolled down bag is filled with soil.

Add 3-4 potatoes to the bag and fill another 1/3 with soil. Your bag should be 2/3 full and the potatoes about halfway down in the soil.

Water Well

Once plants are growing, unfold some of the bag and add more soil around the plants. Continue this process as the plants grow until the bag is completely unfolded.

Keep soil moist but not soaking.

Harvest potatoes a few at a time after the blossoms have faded using the opening on the side of the planter.

Primula Care

Anything Grows — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 02:53:26 +0000

Enjoy your primula inside for 2-3 months. Do not let them dry out completely, but be careful not to over water.

The soil needs to be kept moist. Primula will show you when they need water by wilting. A thorough watering should perk them back up in no time.

Pluck the dead flowers off at the base to promote more flowers to be produced.

When they are finished blooming you will need to water less often. Let them get a little drier in between watering.

Plant them outside in May after the threat of frost has passed. They would love a shady area, preferably east facing.

They should bloom again once they have been put out into the garden.

Protect in the winter with mulch and they should come back the following year.

Note: Primula normally do not survive the winters here. Following the above directions will help you provide the best possible chance of survival. However, it does not always prove successful but don’t get discouraged, gardening is an ongoing experiment. Never be afraid to try again next year.

When is it time to transplant your indoor tropical plants?

Anything Grows — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 20:12:24 +0000

The best time to transplant your tropical plants is in the spring time. This is when they are just starting to produce lots of new growth. This means the roots will be more able to re-establish before the dormant season in the fall. It is still ok to transplant during the growing season as well. However, you should try to avoid transplanting during the winter season unless it is absolutely necessary.

How do I know if I need to transplant my indoor house plant?

The key is recognizing when your plants are root-bound in their containers.

Stem and leaf growth is very slow even with regular feedings in the spring and summer.

The soil dries out very quickly, as if it is not holding onto any of the water you are adding.

There are many roots growing through the drainage holes in the bottom.

There is one final check to see if your plant is root-bound:

Carefully remove the plant from its pot or container. If it is root-bound there will be a large matted mass of roots on the outside and not much soil will be visible.

If any of the 3 above signs are present that may be a sign that your plant is need of re-potting. The final check is to remove the plant and examine the roots. If you have a matted root mass then you need to re-pot, preferably sooner than later.

Consider transplanting your house plants into larger plastic growers' pots and then you can use ceramic containers to hide the plastic. This makes watering easier if the plant needs to be transported to the sink or tub. A wide range of decorative containers are available in many styles for all settings.

Plants that already have very large pots and containers...

Larger specimen plants that have larger pots or containers like to be more root-bound. At this stage in their life they won't be growing as much as when they were much smaller and younger.

Even though they don't need to be transplanted they still need nutrients. Fertilizing solves this problem although after several years with nothing but chemical fertilizers the soil is by best definition; dead! Top dressing is the answer here. Simply remove the top few inches of soil around the plant and replace with a fresh potting soil or compost. This will add much needed micro organisms back to the soil and provide your plant a healthier living environment. Continue your regular fertilizer schedule as normal and consider starting one if you don't already.

Above: A very, very root bound Monstera. Notice the roots have even engulfed the label for the plant.

Above: A large palm in a growers container hiding in a decorative planter. Much easier to manage larger plants in this manner. The tin-foil balls help keep your kitties from using plants as a bathroom.

How To: Transplanting your indoor tropical plants

Anything Grows — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 04:47:04 +0000

Spring is the best time to transplant tropical plants that are in need of an upgrade. The roots will have plenty of time to re-establish themselves before the resting period in the fall. Before transplanting you should find out if your plant needs to be re-potted. See our post on how to know if you need to re-pot. Below is a guide for transplanting your indoor house plants.

Before

After

You need to select a pot that is slightly larger than the current one. To large an increase can cause growth problems in your plant. Approx. 1"- 3" is a good size increase. See pot difference in before and after pictures above.

If using a clay or ceramic pot you should put something in the bottom to give more drainage even if the pot has a few drainage holes. If a plastic pot is used there should be adequate drainage already. Suitable materials for the bottom of your pots include: rocks/gravel, old broken pot pieces or charcoal.

You need to remove the plant from its current container. If its in a plastic container you can squeeze the sides to loosen the roots or you may need to run a knife around the rim of the pot. Plastic containers can also be cut off. Flip the container upside down with a hand over the top of the container (try laying larger plants on their side). The plant should come out easily, sometimes a tug is required. The bathtub is a great place for removing bigger plants as mess can be washed away easily. (See Fig. 1)

With the plant out of its container you should remove any dead rotted bits of root away from the plant. Also, gently tease the roots to loosen the outmost ones slightly. This will help the plant establish quicker in its new setting. Sometimes plants are so root-bound that you will be unable to loosen the roots. (See Fig. 2)

Fill the bottom of the new container with a good potting soil and pack down slightly. Place the plant in the new container to check the height. The base of the stem of the plant should be below the rim of the pot. Consider how much water the plant will need when leaving space at the top of the pot. (See Fig. 3 & 4)

Fill in the sides of the pot with a good potting soil and pack down firmly. You want to make sure the plant is snug in the container but you don't want it to compacted. Wipe away excess soil and water thoroughly to soak the soil. You can add a transplant fertilizer if you wish to boost new growth. Continue your regular fertilizer schedule after about 2 weeks.

Let the soil settle after watering. You may need to add some more soil if it has sunk away from the root mass. Leave for a few hours to drain before replacing to its original home. (See Fig. 5)

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Fig. 3

Fig. 4

Fig. 5