orost@homxa.UUCP (J.OROST) (07/09/85)
This is in answer to rookie gardener Julio. 1) Is it too late to start planting flowers/vegetables from seeds. Probably. But don't get discouraged. Try some mum cuttings and some marigold or zinnia plants from your local gardening store. They are relative inexpensive and put on a good show. 2) What is best to kill off weeds from a lawn. The best way I know of is to plant a good strong healthy lawn. Grass is one of the most persistent "weeds" money can buy. Grass will choke out all of its competitors. Second choice is "Round- up" (very expensive) and then "Kleen-up" (very very expensive). But--Stay away from chemicals. There are probably other ways of taking care of the problems which are better and healthier for both you and the garden or lawn. 3) What is the best fertilizer to use on a lawn and garden. Make sure the PH of your soil is around 6.5 to 7. If below, use lime. This is the cheapest soil additive. The cheapest fertilizer is the best. But!!!! Make sure the first number (Nitrogen) is high. For instance, 10-6-9 means that there are 10 lbs of nitrogen in 100 lbs of fertilizer. A higher number means you can apply less, for instance, 20-10-10 can be applied at half the rate. Apply in Spring, Fall and Late Fall. If you (insist on using) the expensive (organic stuff) follow the directions on the bag. 4) Flowers and vegetables that are easily grown and cared for by a rookie. Start by planting Dutch Bulbs in the Fall. Possibly, daffodills, tulips, crocus, etc. Since the flowering energy comes from Holland and is built-into the bulb there is little you can do to mess them up. Get yourself a catalog. The easiest vegetable to grow is the tomatoe or pepper. Careful, not too much nitrogen on these plants (unlike the lawn). Try something like 5-10-10. The last two numbers are for the fruit and the plant and root stock. Good Luck!
hammond@petrus.UUCP (07/10/85)
J. Orost writes in response: > 3) What is the best fertilizer to use on a lawn and garden. > > Make sure the PH of your soil is around 6.5 to 7. If below, use > lime. This is the cheapest soil additive. The cheapest > fertilizer is the best. But!!!! Make sure the first number > (Nitrogen) is high. For instance, 10-6-9 means that there are 10 > lbs of nitrogen in 100 lbs of fertilizer. A higher number means > you can apply less, for instance, 20-10-10 can be applied at half > the rate. Apply in Spring, Fall and Late Fall. If you (insist > on using) the expensive (organic stuff) follow the directions on > the bag. First point) Don't cut your grass too short, it simply wastes fertilizer and time. Besides, longer grass (say 3" high) keeps out weeds better and stays green better through short dry spells where close cut grass browns out. Question: You claim the cheapest fertilizer is the best, but my Scotts spreader has trouble evenly spreading the cheap stuff. The first 7/8 of the bag works fine, but then all the small particles are out and only large clumps (1/8 to 1/4") are left and they don't fall out ever at the recommended spreader setting. I have to keep an eye on the spreader hopper and constantly readjust the opening to get an even spread. Even then, the area where I put the fertilizer last doesn't look as nice as the start (splotchy green). Does anybody else have this problem? Second point, I have a drop spreader. What are other people's experiences with drop vs broadcast spreaders. I note that with my grass moderately high, the drop spreader gums up if there is any moisture on the grass, which rules out fertilizer after a morning dew or in the evening (our area starts getting damp about 1-2 hours before sunset). On the other hand, a broadcast spreader wouldn't have that problem. Rich Hammond
jeff@rtech.UUCP (Jeff Lichtman) (07/13/85)
> > The easiest vegetable to grow is the tomatoe or pepper. Careful, > not too much nitrogen on these plants (unlike the lawn). Try > something like 5-10-10. The last two numbers are for the fruit > and the plant and root stock. > This is too broad a statement. Tomatoes and peppers can be easy to grow if you have a warm climate. However, in cool areas, they may not set or ripen fruit. In the S.F. Bay Area, the easiest vegetable to grow is Swiss chard. -- Jeff Lichtman at rtech (Relational Technology, Inc.) aka Swazoo Koolak {amdahl, sun}!rtech!jeff {ucbvax, decvax}!mtxinu!rtech!jeff
thomas@utah-gr.UUCP (Spencer W. Thomas) (07/15/85)
In article <998@homxa.UUCP> orost@homxa.UUCP (J.OROST) writes: >This is in answer to rookie gardener Julio. > > 1) Is it too late to start planting flowers/vegetables from >seeds. > >Probably. But don't get discouraged. Try some mum cuttings and >some marigold or zinnia plants from your local gardening store. >They are relative inexpensive and put on a good show. A little later in the summer, you should be able to plant lettuce for fall picking. Right now, green beans should still have time to mature before fall (get a "bush" variety), as should zucchini (sp?) squash. Don't plant too much squash, though, or you will be looking for places to give it away. > 2) What is best to kill off weeds from a lawn. > >Second choice is "Round- >up" (very expensive) and then "Kleen-up" (very very expensive). I wouldn't use Round-up (dunno about Kleen-up). It kills EVERYTHING, and is designed for driveways and sidewalks, where you want to kill the grass, as well. If you must use poisons, get a "broadleaf weed killer". >The easiest vegetable to grow is the tomatoe or pepper. Tomatoes and peppers need warm days and cool nights in order to set fruit. It's too late to start them now, unless you can find some plants that already have fruit on them. Personally, I've never had much success with peppers, except the little hot red ones (but that may have a lot to do with the climate here). -- =Spencer ({ihnp4,decvax}!utah-cs!thomas, thomas@utah-cs.ARPA) "You don't get to choose how you're going to die. Or when. You can only decide how you're going to live." Joan Baez