Our What You Should Know
series of articles is
useful, need to know information
for anyone wishing to garden
in North Texas. Most of the
regular readers of our webletter
may already know this information,
but the series is written so
our customers can share
it with their friends, neighbors,
and family who need to know about
these topics, but didn't know
to ask! Feel free to send
any of our What
You Should Know articles
to anyone who could
use a bit of gardening help.
It's OK...we don't mind! Just
download the PDF, attach
it to an email, and send
to a friend. |
Covington's
Recipe for New Beds
- First, remove the grass
(if any exists) from the
new bed area with a sod cutter
or with a spray of 20% vinegar
or Hi-Yield Kill-Zall.
- Roto-till the area thoroughly.
- Add no less than a 2" layer
of expanded shale and a 2" layer
of our Back to Earth cotton
burr compost! The shale improves
drainage more or less permanently
(as it is stone, it doesn't
decompose!), and the porous
nature of the shale holds
moisture in drought conditions,
as well as air when the soil
would otherwise be waterlogged!
The compost provides further
initial drainage and feeds
the soil.
- Roto-till it again! Think
of this step like blending
a cake batter, working the
shale and compost throughout
the existing broken clay.
- Top dress with another
2" layer of your favorite
mulch! Hardwood
mulch, cedar mulch, and cypress
mulch are all good choices
for top dress. A thick layer
of mulch cuts dramatically
down on weed problems and
keeps your soil cooler during
the summer.
This bed preparation will
make it much easier
to succeed with your new plantings,
across the board.
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How to Eliminate
Brown Patch and Take-All Root
Rot in St. Augustine Lawns
Brown patch, a fungal disease
of St. Augustine grass, is
common when the temperatures
start dipping into the sixties at
night and we have moist weather.
Brown patch and the more serious
turf disease of Take-All Root
Rot both grow quickly in this
kind of weather. Take-All rot
will kill your turf, runners,
roots, and all - the roots
of dying runners pulled up
from the ground will be weak,
browned/blackened, and snap
easily, with black spots on
the grass runners.
Solutions for both diseases:
- First, don't fertilize
St. Augustine that's diseased
if you haven't already -
it only encourages the disease
to spread quickly.
- Spray affected areas, and
a good wide area around the
damaged area, with our Ferti-lome
Systemic Fungicide. Apply
this fungicide at label rate
once a week for three applications.
- Spread Canadian peat moss
over those sections of the
lawn at the rate of a bale
per 500 sq. ft. - the Extension
Service's research shows
it to be a great help in
treating Take-All infections
- it's acidic (neither disease
likes an acid environment),
moisture-absorbent, and inherently
anti-microbial.
Do all of the above for the
best results. Continue to mow
regularly, never letting the
turf get too tall between mowing. Long
cut grass blades don't break
down as quickly and build an
unhealthy amount of thatch
that provides an environment
for turf disease to thrive.
Brown patch areas will usually
fill back in without a lot
of work. Take-All areas
will have to grow in from the
healthy sides or even require
re-sodding. Make that judgment
based on how well the areas
fill in this coming spring.
Covington’s
now provides a service to
treat these diseases and
get your lawn healthy again.
Contact our Landscape Services
Team today at (972) 475-5888
Ext. 5 for more information
and to schedule your service.
Water
Conservation in North Texas
- Mulch
Everything -
This is the #1 priority:
when drought conditions
threaten, it's time to
mulch. Put a generous
two-to-three inch layer
on top of your flowerbeds,
around your trees, and
in your gardens. A good
thick layer of mulch
is the first
line of defense.
 Prepare
New Beds Properly -
Expanded Shale and Compost,
a two inch layer of
each tilled into your
soils of new plantings,
adds proper drainage
and also holds enough
moisture around your
plants' roots to help
prevent undue summer
stress.- Water
Correctly -
Water applied through
your sprinkler system
should be applied heavily,
but less often; follow
your home city's rules
for sprinkler usage.
Water in the early
morning to avoid
unnecessary evaporation,
and when you do water,
soak your plants hard. This
heavier, less frequent
watering encourages a
strong, deep root system
that is less prone to
drought stress.
- Do
Not Over Fertilize Turf -
Heavily fertilized lawns
need heavier watering.
In drought conditions
- with water restrictions
active - go easy on
the feedings. The turf
won't be a lush, brilliant
green, but it won't
burn up either.
Expanded Shale and Why You
Should Use It
Expanded Shale for our heavy
clay soil does the following:
- Shale
Opens Clay Soils - Using
a good two-to-three inch
layer of Expanded
Shale, tilled
in to the soil, opens
clay soils and keeps
them open for years.
One tilled-in application
of this shale will last
for at least 10 years
or more. This provides
a soil condition most
of us here in North Texas
never see - soil
soft enough
to easily dig without
"stomping" on your
shovel.
- Shale
Adds Air to Your Soil -
Even when your soil would
otherwise be waterlogged,
through rain or simple
over-watering, Expanded
Shale will still maintain
thousands of tiny pockets
of air, helpful for the root
system of your
plants.
- Shale
Holds Water in Drought
Conditions -
Shale also has thousands
more larger pockets within
a typical pebble, large
enough for water to come
in and make itself home.
Expanded Shale will hold
up to 38% of
its' weight in water,
but won't let it go until
the soil around it is
dry and in need of the
moisture.
|
Soil
Moist has been developed
to reduce the amount of water
needed to maintain vigorous
plants and other green goods.
When mixed in the soil, the
crystals will soften and swell
as water is added and absorbed.