Tools and Chemicals
Dihydrogen Monoxide – Using on Plants
When I mentioned on radio that I had found nothing better than dihydrogen monoxide to keep my Christmas tree fresh, I was deluged with requests for a source. Fortunately, there are several vendors of this miraculous liquid in the metro...
Pre-emergent (Halts, pendimethalin) – Staining Driveway
Sometimes it just takes a little hands-on research to solve a problem. A member of Hometalk.com asked this question: How can we remove the rust stain from a fertilizer from our concrete driveway and sidewalk? I replied: If the product...
Glyphosate (Roundup) – Claimed Not to Work
Glyphosate (Roundup, etc) is a common herbicide. By most accounts it is effective at killing plants as stated on the label. However, some gardeners swear that “Roundup won’t touch my ivy (liriope, wisteria, etc)!! Why doesn’t it work?” I think...
Bioassay – Testing Manure and Hay for Herbicide Contamination
How to Test for the Presence of Herbicides: Pot and Field Bioassays taken from “Herbicide Carryover in Hay, Manure, Compost,and Grass Clippings” NC State University Some laboratories can test for the presence of herbicides, but the tests are expensive and...
Dominion – Use for Azalea Lacebug
Q: Can I use Dominion insecticide to control azalea lace bug? It has the same ingredient as the “tree & shrub systemics” I see for sale at garden stores but Dominion is more concentrated. A: Dominion 2L insecticide is labeled for use...
Pesticide Half-life and Mode of Action
Q: What is the half-life in soil of 2,4-D? How can I tell if it is the culprit for damage to my tomatoes? A: 2,4-D is a common component of broadleaf weedkillers. According to material from Canada, the half-life is...
Tools (Gifts) Recommended by Other Gardeners
A couple of weeks ago I listed several garden tools to which I am particularly partial when performing garden chores. I invited readers to tell me which tools they found especially useful. Jim Wallace responded “I am encouraged on two...
Robotic Lawnmower (LawnBott)
Recently the nice folks at Kyodo America loaned me a robotic lawnmower, a LawnBott, to use on my lawn. In a word, it is fantastic! A small wire is buried around the perimeter of the lawn. When the mower begins...
Georgia Pest Management Handbook
If you want to know the latest recommendations on the best pesticides to use in your landscape or garden, your first resource should be the Georgia Pest Management Handbook. It contains excellent list of pests and diseases that attack lawns,...
Spinosad
Spinosad is a useful organic insecticide. It is derived from a naturally occurring soil bacteria, Saccropolyspora spinosa, which happens to be deadly to insects but not to animals. Spinosad is found in bait products for fire ant control as well...
Systemic Insecticide
Systemic insecticides kill insects by being drawn up into the sap of a plant before insects attack. When a pest insect drinks the plant’s sap, it is poisoned by the insecticide. When a harmless insect simply lights on the plant,...
University of Georgia Soil Test Handbook
If you want to get behind the science of how fertilizer recommendations are made, there is no better source than the University of Georgia Soil Test Handbook. This large publication is developed with the collaboration of soil scientists and plant...
Lawn Insecticides
Lawn insecticides are labeled for controlling insects in a lawn. The insecticide may be a bait or a broadcast product. Synthetic (non-organic) insecticides are usually pyrethroid chemicals. These chemicals originated in the organic insecticide pyrethrin. Pyrethroids are chemivals that have...
Science Project – Effects of Vitamins on Plants
This link discusses the research of scientists in India who soaked pearl millet seeds in various vitamin solutions. The results indicated that vitamins reduced the incidence of disease. This would be an excellent science project. Try soaking alfalfa seed or...
Bayer Product Labels
These product labels are current in 2007 Bayer Advanced Tree & Shrub Insecticide Bayer Bermudagrass Control for Lawns Bayer Termite Killer Granules Bayer All in 1 Weed & Crabgrass...
De-Icers – Damage to Plants
When ice and snow pile up it’s not unusual to reach for a deicing product to help melt the frozen stuff. Deicers work by lowering the freezing point of water, creating a brine (chemical-water solution). This allows water to evaporate,...
Tools (Gifts) – Recommended by Gardeners
A couple of weeks ago I listed several garden tools to which I am particularly partial when performing garden chores. I invited readers to tell me which tools they found especially useful. Jim Wallace responded “I am encouraged on two...
Tools (Gifts) – Choosing
I was out working in the garden last weekend, doing final cleanup chores for the winter. I’m a rather haphazard gardener so in the process of cleaning up I discovered several tools I’d mislaid during the summer. The wooden handle...
Wood Ashes – Use as Plant Fertilizer
On a cold winter weekend, nothing is cozier than a fire in the fireplace. But when the fire has died, you’re faced with the chore of cleaning out the ashes and disposing of them. Rather than putting them in the...
Labels – Read Before Buying
Some people collect stamps. Others accumulate coins. I collect garden product labels. I don’t actually collect the labels. Rather, I make it a habit to cruise the aisles of each garden center, nursery or home improvement store I visit, examining...
