I have a feeling that this year is going to be a weedy one. There is a large crop of henbit, dandelions, dallis grass and crab grass already visible in lawns and gardens. Do not panic! Get out there and spray vinegar, pull or get a hoe and cut down these weeds. Do not let them get ahead of you and go to seed. Remember last year when I said, “Do not let weeds produce a flower?” The flower produces seeds and the seeds produce more weeds. One flower can produce up to 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 seeds. Well maybe not that many. So go out to the garden and get busy before weeds takeover your world.

Things to Do in March

Lawn Care: Now is the time to fertilize the lawn and garden. It really does not matter what you are growing. Fertilize it now. If you use an organic fertilizer such as GreenSense All Purpose Fertilizers this is an excellent time to apply. The naturally slow releasing ingredients will work on the soil making it rich and fertile in time for spring blooms and summer growth. Additives such as lava sand, rock phosphate and humate will just make things better.

If possible apply soil activators like GreenSense Microbial Treatment. Unlike some of the other brands, GreenSense Microbial Treatment contains 7 species of live organisms that will start working in your soils immediately. Because of all the rain we have had the microbes will also help in loosening the soils and improve aeration and percolation.

Remember that microbes love to digest carbon materials, so always apply them after fertilizing the area.

Check out Rohde’s Chemical Free Fertilizing Program. Try to follow our program as much as you can to help improve your organic garden.

Pruning: Now is the time to prune shrubs that flower in the summer and evergreen shrubs that may have gotten too tall. Hollies, photinias, privet, crape myrtles and roses can be pruned now. BUT, spring flowering shrubs such as hawthorns, lilacs, azaleas, spireas, forsythia, and flowering quince should be pruned after they flower. Try not to deform the plants. If possible thin out the center of the plant rather than the outside, giving the plant a vase shape. Fertilize the plants after they have bloomed. You can use GreenSense Vegetable & Flower Food to help plants produce beautiful flowers and berries.

Roses: Most of you know that Rohde’s carries a large selection of Antique Roses from the Antique Rose Emporium. The reason that we carry mostly antique roses is for their low maintenance. Some antiques actually do better with a minimum of care and pruning. If you ever get a chance to go to an old cemetery or an old abandoned house out in the country do not be surprised if the only living plant or the most beautiful is an antique rose bush.

I found out a long time ago that when a plant is cut back it responds by sending sap to the area to “heal” itself. This sap causes new growth and if pruned too early, a March freeze can “burn” this new growth. If pruned in the middle of the summer when it is very hot then the new growth can also be burnt back by the extreme heat.

One of the first roses to bloom in the spring is the Lady Banks. These roses and other climbers should be pruned after they bloom. Climbers bloom on old growth so after they bloom remove all dead and diseased canes.

At my house I have two “Martha Gonzales” roses that started to bloom early in the spring and kept blooming into December. I only lightly trimmed my roses to create new growth for them to bloom on.

When I trim my roses I make sure that the blades are sharp. Luckily I have several employees that know how to sharpen a pruning blade without damaging it. There are several hardware stores that offer this service such as C&S Hardware in Richardson.

If you are going to prune heavily, first remove all the dead or diseased canes. If there is an excess amount of canes thin out some from the middle. Prune about a quarter inch above a bud at a 45-degree angle. During the pruning process periodically disinfect the pruner so that you won’t transmit a disease like fire blight. Before going from one rose bush to another always disinfect the pruner. Remember that roses are in the same family as hawthorn, pyracantha, cotoneaster, cherry laurel and photinias, and all of these plants are highly susceptible to fire blight. Always disinfect the pruner before going from one of these plants to another.

Do not forget that roses are heavy feeders and love food on a monthly basis. Yes, there is a GreenSense Rose Food available in 5 and 40 lb bags.

Vegetables

Repeat from March 2000

I am surprised at how many people are asking about vegetable gardens and the best way to prepare them.

Now is a good time to start your seeds indoors and have them ready to transplant as soon as the soil warms up. Check the seed package for proper planting times.

For transplants the time to plant is:
When soil temperatures have reached 45-50 degrees plant: Spinach, lettuce. When soil temperatures have reached 55-60 degrees plant: Chard, collards, and turnips.
When soil temperatures have reached 65 degrees plant: Beans.
March is a good time to plant fruit trees and berries too.

Starting Seeds: time to start vegetables from seed like tomatoes, cucumbers, leeks, lettuce and peppers. Herbs can be started now. Basil, chives, catnip, mints or any other of your favorite herbs can be started in the house now. Perennials will give you years of color and beauty and can be started from the seeds you collected last year. Start seeds using a rich organic soil and mix soft rock phosphate into the soil. Soft Rock Phosphate Colloidal Clay will help seeds root better and then encourage stronger stems and better flower and fruit production. You can sift this material if you wish even though many customers say they do not. Start your seeds in egg cartons, plant pots, or the old flats from the flowers you purchased last year. Find a sunny window or a protected patio that is bright, warm and protected from cold winds, be prepared to move the seeds indoors if temperatures are going to drop. This will give you a fun project to do with the kids and give you a head start on this year’s crop. Transplant these into the soil when roots are well developed and soil temperature is warm.

Landscaping: Transplant or divide any perennials that may have become too large or overcrowded for your landscape needs. Join a garden club and trade plants with other members. Find out what schools are doing landscapes and donate the plants to them. Only as a last resort compost your excess plants. Make sure you get a big enough root ball and that the hole you are moving the plant to is already dug and ready for the new plant. Finish your transplanting before the plant starts to put out new growth. Your survival rate will be higher the sooner you get this done.

After you have finished transplanting look for areas that can use more creativity, more color or plants that will bear fruit or berries for the birds. A while back I mentioned that I do not feed the birds with purchased food. All my bird feeding is done with my plants’ fruit. Because of this I no longer have a rohdent problem.

After the heavy rains we got in February, look for low spots where water might have stayed too long or come too close to a door, or too high above the foundation, possibly entering the house. Correct these problems before you do any other landscape projects.

If you are really confused and are not sure of what you want, consult with a Landscape Architect like Carol Feldman or a Landscape Consultant like Sally Sutton, Karen Gilley or Kathy Brock. Call us at Rohde’s to talk to one of the above.

Planting: Karen has found some new nurseries growing native plants and perennials that have not been available before. After last year’s drought we have seen an increase in request for drought tolerant plants, so these new growers should have plenty of plants to “grow” around. At this time of the year you can find a large selection of plants, many of them you may not be familiar with. Ask questions or read books, but experiment with the plant that caught your eye.

Flowers: Consider using perennials or flowers that will reseed themselves in the next season. Even though we make money when we sell you a flat of annual flowers, we would much prefer to sell you a plant that will give you years of enjoyment. Know the height and space required for each perennial that you buy. Find out the different bloom periods and plant your bed so that you can enjoy the different seasons with these long-lived plants.

Fruit and Flowering Trees

Last spring was also a very wet one and we had customers calling and coming to our nursery requesting help with their Bradford, and Aristocrat Pears, Roses, and Photinias. The ends of the branches were dying back, the leaves were still on and it looked as though it had been blow torched—that is fireblight.

It is best prevented rather than cured, by spraying a product with streptomycin, while the tree, or shrub is blooming,

We are recommending that you get started now with early prevention. Howard Garrett’s Sick Tree Treatment suggests aerating as well as adding organic matter to the soil and the use of products that contain Streptomycin such as ACTINOVATE which will help ward of fungal diseases. If treatment is not done, pruning it out afterwards is the only cure.

Watering: Even if we do not have a drought this year start acclimating your plants to drier conditions. Water less and infrequently. Add mulch. Mulch heavily and maintain the mulch throughout the year to a depth of 3”. If your budget allows add compost to your beds and grass. The more organic matter that is in he clay soil the looser the soil will become.

Try GreenSense Microbial Treatment on the lawn to help improve percolation and loosen the compacted soils. You may try aerating after the spring rains. Just remember the more organic matter and air space between in the clay soils, the faster the water will penetrate the soil.

Before mulching snake a leaky hose around the plants and foundation. Even though I have a sprinkler system I like using my drip hose to water the foundation. Because of this I do not have to use the automatic stations in certain areas of my lawn and get better moisture to the soil without wind drift or evaporation.

Always check the plants under the eaves of the house and the foundation itself. Most sprinklers are installed to spray away from the house, so that the windows and paint will not get wet. Last year most foundation repair people had a waiting period of two months before they could schedule a sales rep to come out and inspect foundations. Do not get a cracked foundation, it is not cheap to fix and they will tear up your landscape in the process. And they don’t care.

Have you heard about GreenSense Solid Water yet? We have been selling more and more of this product each year. I have used it in my house for the last two years and have had great results. From November to June I do not water my yard at all, only needing to hand water newly planted material and that I do by hose. From June through October I might water once every 7 to 10 days. More information on: GreenSense Solid Water.

Starting a Vegetable Garden

by Bill Graves

There's no need to wait until April or May to begin your herb/vegetable garden. Start your garden now indoors! Seedlings are fun, easy, and offer the satisfaction of producing a crop entirely on your own.

Seed size determines one of two methods of planting indoors. Tiny seeds must be sowed in a flat (preferably in shallow furrows) to sprout for later transplanting into 4" pots. This can be tricky. I liken pulling any plant up out of its medium somewhat akin to open-heart surgery. With practice, however, you can expect good results; and don't worry, seeds are very inexpensive.

If a seed is big enough to easily pick up with your fingers, you can sow directly into 4" pots. This is a much more efficient procedure. Although some seeds require sunlight to germinate (lying on top of the soil uncovered), as a general rule, cover the seeds with a layer 2-3 times the thickness of the seed.

The most highly mineralized seeds - and, therefore; the most highly nutritious - will sink in a glass of distilled water. Discard the floaters. If seeds are big enough, soak in a seaweed dilution for 24 hours before sowing.

Saturate your soil medium thoroughly before introducing seed. A fine, light soil is best. Rich, organic mixes can be too volatile for the tender seeds to survive. Mixing horticultural cornmeal at about 5 % volume will stem fungal problems. Remember, at first there will be no roots to absorb moisture, yet the soil must not be allowed to dry out. This is a potential fungus factory, and can cause death by 'damping off’.

Seedlings will need as much light as possible once the first true leaves are observed. An east window is ideal if there are no trees, fences, etc. obstructing the sunlight. When daytime temperatures are above 60 degrees, move the flats outdoors for additional photosynthesis, and then back inside for the cooler nights.

Once the sprouts are visible, weekly seaweed dilutions are extremely beneficial. You can alternate this weekly feeding with a solution of mild fish emulsion, if you don't mind the smell (and if you don't have house cats).

A rudimentary cold frame can extend the growing season, and be used to harden off tender seedlings before transplanting into the garden. Use 2 x 12 untreated lumber for the walls, but slope one side for runoff. A hinged or removable cover completes your mini-greenhouse. As temperatures rise during the day, raise the cover slightly to prevent over- heating.

As soon as the last expected frost date is past, most seedlings can be planted in your garden. Weather is unpredictable, of course, so additional measures can diminish crop failure. Cut off the bottoms of plastic milk jugs to place over early plantings. Keep the top on the jug overnight, and remove the top as temperatures rise. Remove the jug itself if temperatures get warm enough (say, above 60 degrees). Floating row covers can be purchased at most garden centers for frost protection. These are placed over the rows and anchored along the edges. The frost will form on the cover and not on your plants. Inverted nursery pots can also be used if the holes are covered.

You will be rewarded with an extended growing season if these efforts are successful. More vegetables than can otherwise be produced are possible as a result. This is an ‘if’ that's worth trying.

Control of Troublesome Ants in Your Home

1. Identify what ant species you are dealing with, and do some research. Each species has different habits and locating their food, water and shelter will determine your success.
2. Inspect and watch the activities of the ants; find where they are coming and going. If you find how they are entering your home you can physically exclude them.
3. Remove or alter the conditions which brought them into the house. Keep counters clean of food. If they are in search of water try to keep sinks and surrounding areas dry. Wiping counters down with vinegar or citrus oil can work as a temporary deterrent.
4. If steps 1-3 do not slow the ants down it is time to prepare a treatment plan. An important fact to remember about ants is that you are only seeing a small portion of the colony at any one time. It has been said that only 10% of a colony will forage outside the nest. Taking this into consideration we must bait the colony to solve the problem. Applying any insecticide, organic or chemical, will not work to solve an ant infestation in the long run. It could cause the colony to bud or split into multiple colonies creating more problems.
5. Liquid baits are highly attractive to ants and under most conditions provide good control. Mixing 9 tablespoons of sugar to 1 teaspoon of boric acid in enough water to dissolve. Place the liquid bait into spill proof containers out of the reach of children and pets. The stations will need to be placed along active ant trails. . It is important to remember that boric acid contains elemental boron and at high concentrations will sterilize the soil. This process is slow and will require continued monitoring and refilling of the bait stations.
6. OutSmart ant bait is a highly attractive food source for ants; it provides quicker control for foraging ants because it contains a much higher percentage of boric acid. Outsmart is a boric acid bait that is purchased in syringes from local garden centers.
7. Ants have a habit of changing food sources from sugars to carbohydrates. It may become necessary to mix peanut butter with boric acid to supply both forms of bait to keep the ants feeding on the boric acid.
8. There are ant baits with the active ingredient abamectin. These baits can provide good control and should be used for heavy infestations or when other bait is not effective. It can be applied in stations around foraging ants or broadcast around ant trails.
9. The next step up will be asking a professional pest control operator to use the assortment of baits at their discretion. Many times it comes down to having a working knowledge of the habits of a particular ant species to solve your pest problem. Ask questions and become an informed consumer.

Michael Bosco has provided pest control service for 10 years in Dallas and Collin counties. He has specialized in organic pest control as part of Rid-All Pest Control’s goal of finding better ways to solve pest problems. Understanding insect biology and their interaction with their surroundings provides Michael with the knowledge to reduce the use of insect control products. When treatment is required for control, natural products are used first before stepping up to stronger products. Rid-All’s office number is 214-340-6969 if additional help or service is needed.

Pest and Disease Control for Roses

Don Trotter

Hello Fellow Earthlings and welcome to the second of our five part series on rose care. This discussion will be focusing on pest and disease control.

Let's get a look at those roses.

It is widely known that roses can be a real pain in the --------- if they want to be or are in any way not attended to. This is not so of a rose that is allowed to grow under natural condition without nitrogen fortified chemical fertilizers and harmful insecticides and fungicides. The truth of the matter is that roses can be very easy to tend to if they are cared for with a light hand during the growing season. The fewer things that a gardener does to shock a natural balance of things the fewer problems will arise as a result of that shock.

Chemical insecticides are only effective until the target pest develops a resistance to that chemical. Then it becomes necessary to alternate harmful substances to control an insect population that continually gets worse because of lack of competition and natural predators due to high concentrations of chemicals. The major rose pests that we encounter here in your rose garden can be controlled by establishing populations of two beneficial insects and periodic treatments with a bacterium and a tree sap extract. The two beneficial insects are the Green Lacewing and Trichogramma Wasps. These two insects will guard your roses against everything from Aphids to some Scales and Spider Mites. Lacewings are very active and voracious feeders who's host or target prey are aphids, mealybugs, whiteflies of some species, juvenile scale insects, and some spider mites. The tiny Trichogramma wasp is a parasite of caterpillars some species of budworm and will antagonize a number of other butterfly and moth species. These parasites do not have a stinger (no need to fear them), they have an ovipositor that lays her eggs inside the host. As the wasp larvae develop they use the host as a food supply.

The bacteria that I spoke of are Bacillus thuringiensis, variety Kurstaki or Berliner. This product is often referred to as BT and is a paralyzing bacterium that affects many species of worm and caterpillar including the leaf skeletonizer worm. By paralyzing the stomach of its host this bacteria is very useful against its target pests.

The tree sap that I was referring to is Oil of the Neem Tree of India. The active substance in this sap (seed oil) has been named Azidirachtin after the botanical name of the tree. The extracted oils from the tissue and sap of this tree are very effective at repelling and keeping your rose bushes free of any sign of insects. Although it smells like hazelnuts to us it has the most repellent affect on pest insects. Neem oil is sold under the name Bio-Neem under the Safer label and Rose Defense under the Green Light label. These two products can be found at any garden supply store. The very best Neem oil product I have ever used is manufactured by a Dr. Robert Green at 760-598-6050. It is a super concentrated material and it really keeps the pest insects at bay as well as function to keep disease pathogens from getting too prolific. Just ask Dr. Green for the same Neem soap Don Trotter uses, and he'll mail it anywhere in the country.

Controlling diseases in your rose garden is really not very difficult at all. There is no need for harmful fungicides that can cause severe physical problems or have a negative affect on outdoor pets and bees as well as wipe out entire earthworm populations from a single spraying. Balanced nutrition and a couple of minerals can keep your garden disease free without weekly exposure to chemicals.

Most diseases of plants will leave a healthy plant alone. It is the same with us, if we're healthy we don't get sick. Plants also have immune systems. This is where a balanced diet that contains the proper amount of copper, sulfur, potassium, magnesium and calcium will ensure that certain very commonplace and damaging fungi don't get a foothold in your garden.

Potassium is very important for resistance against powdery mildew and rust on roses. Not in some crazy amount that is available to the plant in five seconds after application but instead long lasting natural sources from mineral deposits or from other natural source. When potassium is broken down in the soil by a healthy soil it will actually help to prevent the onset and spreading of powdery mildew and rust, which are tough problems for most chemical gardeners to control. High calcium levels along with an abundance of naturally available magnesium will cause your roses to produce thick healthy canes without problems with of slow root development in our heavy soils. Copper and sulfur are the two elements, which I use as a spray fungicide if absolutely necessary. Other than dormant spraying minimal spraying should be necessary to prevent fungus and disease if the roses are fed naturally.

Got Questions? Email the Doc at Curly@mill.net Don Trotter's natural gardening columns are printed nationally in environmentally sensitive publications. Check out Don's books Natural Gardening A-Z and The Complete Natural Gardener for lots of other helpful tips to tend your garden without chemicals. Both are available at all bookstores and on line booksellers from Hay House Publishing.

Carpets? Who needs stinking carpets?

On February 7^th my son Victor celebrated his thirteenth birthday.

I got home early on that day so that I could watch Victor open the presents sent to him from his grandparents, aunts and uncles. As Victor tore through boxes and envelopes, Alfred, our fat and nosey dachshund sat next to Sandra, my not fat or nosey wife and watched Victor tear open his gifts. As Sandra, Assisi and I gave Victor hugs and gifts Alfred looked a little upset that he had nothing to give his young master.

After all the gifts were opened and all the birthday money was hidden somewhere in Victor’s room, all unimportant clothes, cd’s and the birthday wrappings were left on the living room floor to be picked up after we returned from P.F. Chang, Victor’s favorite restaurant.

After Lettuce wraps and Dan Dan Noodle soup, a short drive for some Marble Slab Ice Cream to appease my, not fat, wife’s craving for sweets and another short ride home to find that Alfred, did after all, have a surprise gift for Victor.

Victor went running into his room to recount his money and make sure that no one came and took it while we were at dinner. We laughed at the thought of anybody being able to make it by our ferocious watchdog, but Victor knew that someone had gone into his room to steal his money. We did hear Victor scream loudly as, I swear this is true, he stepped into a nice pile of fresh dog doo. Alfred ran into Victor’s room to see the surprised look at receiving just one more gift.

“Did you like my surprise?” Alfred seemed to be asking as he wagged his tail.

I am sure that I took Alfred “out” before we went to dinner. I guess that he saved some for Victor.

One of the first things we did when we moved in to our house is to remove all the carpets from the bedrooms. This of course made cleaning Alfred’s mess easy, but the main reason for removing the carpet was because Sandra and Victor both suffer from allergy problems and we were told that carpets hold dust that contain molds, animal dander, mites and other allergy producing spores that could cause reactions. I had lived with Sandra for 13 years, always in homes that had carpets covering the floors, and to my amazement 3 nights after we removed the carpet from our room Sandra’s snoring did not wake me up.

As soon as we were able we tiled the floors in the rest of our house, with one exception, Assisi’s room. My soon to be 16 year old daughter does not want tile in her room, because she is afraid that she will drop a bottle of make up and that it will break.

I keep trying to convince Assisi that the carpet has to be dirty. Shampooing may remove some of the dust that lays on top of the carpet, but what about all the particles that have been pushed down deep in to the carpet’s backing. I keep telling Assisi that her mother’s health and the health of her brother would improve if we were to take out the last bit of carpet. “In two more years I will be out of the house and then you can do what you want.” she huffs.

Last Sunday, I was in the computer room with Assisi when I saw a very large shaft of sunlight shinning through the window illuminating dust particles that were floating through the air. “Look Assisi, these particles will float around the house and end up in your carpet. When Alfred goes outside and tracks dirt in, when he scratches, when Mommy sneezes all of these particles end up in your room,” I said. “Please let me put in the tile.”

People who are sensitive to dust, especially those with allergies and asthma, can start to breath easier if they create homes that are dust free. I know that it is impossible to get a 100% dust free atmosphere, but you can make cleaning up dust easier. One thing that we have done in our bedrooms is minimize the clutter on the surface of our nightstand, television and chest of drawers, this makes dusting a very easy process. After dusting these table tops we use a wet disposable cloth from Swiffer tm. It is amazing to see how fast the Swiffer can pick up dust compared to other normal household mops or even the vacuum cleaner.

It is important to dust properly and regularly, because of the mold, fiber, and dander from dogs, cats, and other animals, as well as tiny dust mites. Did you know that even tiny mites have to release waste from their bodies? This means that in that shaft of light that I was showing Assisi there were also tiny particles of mite excrement. What a happy thought!

Whenever we change our bedding we use our Rainbow Vacuum to suck up dust particles and possible mites that may live in the material on the mattress. Rainbow Vacuums use water to catch and retain dust particles and is excellent for allergy sufferers.

We wash all bedding materials at temperatures higher then 130 degrees F. and get new pillows as often as financially possible.

Clean blinds often at least every other week and do not forget the windowsills use a damp cloth to collect more dust particles; we use the same Swiffer disposable cloth on the blinds and wood surfaces. Dispose of the Swifter before it is too dirty - there is no sense in leaving grime behind.

The one thing that is very hard for me to do on a regular basis is to change the air filters. The filters are located in the attic at opposite ends of he house. The small screws that hold the filter covers in place are very hard for me to see. I am getting old, so I tend to change the filters every 2 months instead of every month.

Since I was writing this article I decided to change the filters. I know that the last time I went into the attic it was very cold and I did not want to wash our electrostatic filters, so I went to the hardware store and purchased a pair of filters that cost $6.00 a piece. When I tried to remove these filters the first one was bowed in the direction of the airflow making it very hard to remove. When I took it out, I took the time to make sure that I had installed it correctly with the arrow on the filter pointing in the correct direction. It was.

I went to the second filter and saw that it too was bent out of shape and as I started to remove it, it was falling apart. By the time that I got it out I was covered in dust and the filter was torn into 6 pieces. I think I learned my lesson. I will never again buy the cheap disposable filters. I replaced them with my washed electrostatic filters.

Because air filters do not trap all dust particles, and of course, whenever you dust there is a very good chance that some dust particles will fall to the ground immediately after you thought you had finished, leave the cleaning of the floor for last and hope that you do not have carpet. If you have carpet, even vacuuming will not be able to get up all of the particles. If possible, hire someone to steam-clean your carpets and rugs periodically or do it yourself.

Now the main reason that I do not like carpets is because of the fact that they are hard to clean, but also because of the way they are manufactured. The glues and other chemicals that are used can release noxious gasses that can be present for a long time. Another thing that I hate about carpets, especially when you are moving into an older home, is that you do not know what chemical carpet cleaners or pesticide residuals are left on the carpet from the previous owner. Consider the fact that the previous owner nay have used insecticide bombs and the particles of these products that may be on the carpet before you lay your newborn child, your pet, or even yourself on the carpet.

For those of you who have carpets in your bathroom and have ever had water overflow from the sink, the shower, or even worse - the commode (Lovely thought isn’t it?), what about the fungi that may have developed over time. Can this fungi spread into the sheet rock?

I do not know if I am paranoid or smart. I do know that I want to live in a healthy environment. By not using toxic chemicals outside the house I feel I have created a barrier between the inside of my home and my neighbors toxic waste yard.