May 30, 2015 | Blog, Spring, Summer
Oh, so sweet…your five-year-old just picked you a large, beautiful bouquet…of dandelions! It’s time to eliminate 
them for good.
When dandelions are blooming, mow them often to prevent the yellow blossoms from maturing into seeds. Prefer more manual labor? Dig them out! A “dandelion digger” is a specialized yard tool that removes a wide variety of weeds, including their roots, with little soil disturbance. Getting rid of the root and all is definitely one way to eliminate them for good.
There are some other non-conventional, methods worth trying, too. To control dandelions in much smaller, concentrated areas, try pouring boiling water over them. You can also smother them with a variety of objects including black plastic (weighted down), grass clippings, compost, or bark mulch for a nicer look. Lastly, a 5% concentration of vinegar (similar to household vinegar), is an effective weed killer against annual and perennial weeds such as dandelions, foxtail, velvetleaf, smooth pigweed and thistle. (And it won’t pollute the soil.)
Probably the most effective organic weed and feed is corn gluten meal. (This is a by-product of milling corn, primarily used in farm animal feeds and dog food.) This yellow, powdery substance can also be used as a “pre-emergent” weed control for lawns. For dandelion prevention, it should be applied to your lawn about 4 – 6 weeks before weeds germinate. If you’ve missed this window of opportunity; don’t worry. Not all weeds sprout at the same time, so try applying the corn gluten meal a few times during the growing season.
Apr 28, 2015 | Blog, Gardens
Short of lighting fire to your yard, it seems almost impossible to eliminate unwanted wild onions from your garden 
or lawn. Wild onion plants are extremely difficult to control for two reasons. First, they grow from bulbs, so it’s difficult to remove an entire clump without leaving one of the bulbs or some of the roots behind. Secondly, herbicides have a hard time sticking to the leaves because of their thin, waxy nature; therefore herbicides can’t penetrate the wild onion as easily.
Let’s start with the soil itself. Wild onions (and wild garlic) prefer to grow in acidic soils that are low in organic matter. Try applying lime and compost to the soil. This increases the organic matter and changes the pH to levels that are inhospitable to wild alliums. (Be careful to not apply lime near acid-loving plants such as rhododendrons or azaleas.)
Moving onto removal…while this method of removal is most time consuming, it is best to attempt digging out each and every clump you have with a spade or trowel. (Simply tugging off the leaves will do nothing to eliminate them.) Once dug up, do NOT discard the clump in the woods; do NOT shake off the excess dirt; and do NOT place in your compost pile – throw them away! If you’ve missed any of the onion, you’ll know right away. It will re-sprout in a couple of days; repeat the process immediately.
Next, treat the area with either a non-selective herbicide (like Round-up) or boiling water. Remember this — both boiling water and non-selective herbicides will kill any plant it touches! And do not use chemicals if the wild onions are growing in your veggie garden.
If digging isn’t your thing, look for a post-emergent herbicide that can be applied to the wild onions. (Do not use a pre-emergent herbicide.) Before applying the herbicide mow the plants to rough up their foliage and increase their ability to absorb the herbicide. Once the herbicide has been applied, do not mow again for at least two weeks.
There is one last option; but it’s a tad drastic. No, it’s not setting fire to your lawn. With this option, you must go in knowing that you’d most likely have to replace your lawn. First, build a strong fence around the infested area and then bring in a PIG! Yep, a pig. They love wild onions and will root out and eat all of the bulbs.
Mar 13, 2015 | Blog, Spring
It’s in the air…can you smell it? No, not Spring. It’s the awful, foul, noxious smell of a skunk! Spring has sprung and 
those pesky, but useful, mammals have been making their presence known to homeowners throughout the area. If you think you may have skunks regularly visiting your yard, there are a few things you can do to help prevent them from nesting in and digging up your yard.
Remove Food Sources
Keep lids on your trash cans and always tie off the trash before putting it in the can. It’s important to regularly check under your porches, sheds, patios and crawl spaces for openings that may need to be sealed; this will keep skunks from coming into your home in search of food. If you have trees or bushes that harvest fruits, berries or nuts, try and remove as many as you can from the ground. Also, eliminate all water sources that skunks can easily access.
Light it Up
Skunks are nocturnal, therefore they prefer to come out and search for food at night. Light sometimes frightens them and sends them elsewhere to look for food. Using a bright light at night can keep them from coming in your yard and digging for their supper. It may be worth your while to invest in a motion activated light; however, animals can become immune to specific things after a certain period of time. You may find yourself looking for another repellant before you have a chance to actually get rid of your little, smelly friend.
Spray a Skunk
Like the motion activated lights, the automated sprinklers are also a common way to deter skunks. The automated sprinklers have motion sensors that come on and spray the skunk (or any other animal) that comes within so many feet of it. (Let’s see how the skunk likes getting sprayed!) Hopefully, the skunk then associates this frightening experience with your yard, and decides never return. You can place these sprinklers anywhere in your yard near the area you want the skunk to stay away from.
Hot Pepper Recipe
Store-bought repellents can get quite costly, so you may want to give this home-made concoction a try. Chop a yellow onion, two (2) jalapenos and a tablespoon of Cheyenne pepper. Place all of the ingredients in (2) quarts of water and boil for at least 20 minutes. After the ingredients have finished boiling, use a cheese cloth to strain the liquid, then pour the liquid into a spray bottle and spray it on anything that you don’t want the skunks taking a bite out of. This recipe has been known to produce effective results, but it only lasts about 3-5 days before you have to reapply it again.
Build Barriers
When it comes to barriers, this just might work. Skunks aren’t the best climbers and even worse at jumping. However, they are excellent diggers and can squeeze themselves into holes that are about four (4) inches wide. So again, it’s important that you seal up any holes and ditches around your home, shed and decks. Skunks won’t attempt to dig under a fence unless they are able to see an opening on the other side.
If you are unable to get a handle on the skunk problem in your yard, do not attempt to trap the animal. Contact a local wildlife removal expert.
Feb 23, 2015 | Blog, Gardens, Spring
Tired of the cold? Longing for warmer temperatures? You can actually allow yourself to “think spring.” It’s time to 
begin planning your outdoor summer garden…indoors!
If you want to get a jump on the growing season, there are a number of garden vegetables that you can sow indoors, undercover, beginning in mid-March. At the appropriate time, the vegetables can then be transplanted into your outdoor garden. By starting vegetables indoors, you usually gain 4 to 6 weeks over crops started by seed in the ground. Another benefit – it’s less expensive to grow your own plants than it is to buy more established seedlings at planting time.
The best plants for an early start are those which tolerate root disturbance including broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant, leeks, lettuce, onions, peas, peppers, and tomatoes. Seeds are typically easier to start indoors than outdoors, as you have more control of the growing conditions.
For some suggestions and advice on growing indoors, check out this website:
http://www.weekendgardener.net/plant-propagation/vegetable-seeds-020702.htm
Dec 24, 2014 | Blog, Winter
If you don’t have a green thumb, the Christmas Cactus is the holiday plant for you. They prefer diffused light, and it’s best to let the soil dry 
completely between watering. Avoid overwatering. While you don’t have to worry too much about the temperature, 70 degrees is suitable. Try to avoid drafts by keeping them away from frequently opened doors. Pruning lightly after flowering re-energizes the plant. Once summer arrives, the cactus can be put outside in indirect light. This encourages it to set buds and bloom more heavily the following holiday.
The Poinsettia requires more care. These tropical plants love sunlight, so place it near a sunny window — the more direct sunlight, the better. If you want to keep the poinsettia in bloom as long as possible, try and maintain a temperature of 65-75 degrees during the day. It can go down to about 60 degrees at night. Avoid drafts and temperature shifts; this will injure the leaves and cause premature leaf drop. The plant should be watered when it feels dry to the touch. Allow the water to drain out the bottom, but avoid letting the plant sit in water.
Cut Holly is best suited in a cooler location or outside. You’ll find that it dries out quickly; once that happens, the berries drop and the leaves become brittle and sharp. Keep the holly branches in water and soak wreathes or swags overnight before displaying to make them last a bit longer. You can treat most potted hollies as annuals, but it’s best to keep them indoors until they can be planted in the spring.
Nov 17, 2014 | Blog, Winter
Most of the leaves have fallen and been raked into piles;
but that’s not quite the end of your outdoor “to do” list.
Once all of the leaves in your area have dropped, do yourself a favor and clean out the gutters. Gutters and downspouts direct rainwater away from your house; but if they’re clogged with leaves and/or other debris, they won’t work properly, resulting in damaging ice dams once the temperature drops below freezing.
In a previous blog, we touched on fall fertilizing (http://three-z.com/2014/10/03/fall-fertilizing/). Again, if you haven’t spread a lawn fertilizer yet, there’s still time. This is a critical application which prepares grass roots for the long, cold winter ahead and ensures nutrients will be available to them in spring, when growth resumes.
As far as the mower goes, some will advise that gasoline should not be left in your lawn equipment for more than two months. Before you stow away the mower and other gas-powered equipment for the winter, run the engine until it’s out of gas. However, there’s another school of thought – others advocate adding stabilizer to a mower’s fuel tank, briefly running the mower, and then putting it away for the season. It’s really a personal preference. Now’s also a good time to sharpen the blade so it’s all ready for the first spring-time mow!
Don’t forget to drain and store garden hoses and protect outdoor faucets from freezing weather. If you know you won’t be using the outdoor spigot until spring; shut off its water supply if that is an option.
It’s never too early to start thinking about your Christmas tree! If you plan to plant the tree after the holidays, save yourself some work by digging the hole now while the soil is workable. Make the hole twice as wide as the root ball will be. Then, fill the hole with mulch and protect the soil with a tarp. And another fun holiday tip…be on the lookout for berry-covered branches for use in indoor decorating.
