It seems like many landowners are jumping on the turf type tall fescue bandwagon, switching from perennial ryegrass and Kentucky bluegrass. It’s understandable – the number of problems that these species have caused many homeowners to look for other options. The truth is no turf species is perfect, with resistance to all diseases, insects and…
Month: August 2020
Cucumber Bitterness
The compound that imparts the bitter taste in cucumbers is cucurbitacin. Wild cucumbers have a large amount of cucurbitacin, which discourages feeding by wild animals and insects. Today’s hybrids have been bred to have lower amounts of cucurbitacin in the fruit and what cucurbitacin is in the plant is concentrated in the roots, leaves, and…
Virtual Learning Series Sessions and Recordings
Over the past several weeks and for the next several weeks, we’ve been sharing gardening knowledge through the GROBigRed Virtual Learning Series live zoom sessions with our colleagues across the state. Each session consists of a short expert presentation and time to ask questions and discuss what’s going on in the garden. The expert presentation…
Lawn Renovation – First Steps
We’ve been dealing with the “Dog Days of Summer” for a couple of weeks now. One of the things that go with this time of year are bad looking lawns, many of which need lawn renovation. Mid-August is the time for step 1 of that process. Steps 2 to 8 should take place in late…
Yellow Nutsedge
“What is this grass growing in my flower bed?” is a question I hear quite often now. Rolling the stem between my fingers quickly determines this isn’t grass at all but the infamous yellow nutsedge. Sedges are grass-like perennials that have triangular shaped stems. If they grew at the same rate as turfgrass, many lawn…
Don’t Plant This at Home
The common phrase – “Don’t try this at home” refers to all sorts of actions from pro wrestling to theatre and even television shows such as America’s Got Talent. The common thread to all of these is an element of danger, or at least something more exciting than common sense and safety. Don’t try…