Caller:

• Michael – He’s got 3 small fruit trees and he thinks he might have been over-watering them. Fruit and leaves are dropping. On a new tree, should he pull off the small fruit during the 1st season?

Recommendation – Jay asks about his drip system and he is NOT using enough water. It needs to go deeper and longer. (Run for hours, not minutes) He also gives advice on fertilizer too.

*Drip systems should make it easier to water your yard, but we get a ton of questions from homeowner’s.  We discuss it and encourage you to use Water Use It Wisely’s “Watering By the Number’s Guide”

• Rosie reminds you to take advantage of a great sale happening at Oldcastle Superlite!
• We chat about a new “Ketchup & Fries Plant”
• Territorial Seed Company also has an Albino Pineberry Strawberry.

Caller:

• Jim – He moved into a new home and the property has 3 live oak trees. They seem to drop litter all the time. Is something wrong or does he need to just get used to it?

Recommendation – Live Oaks usually lose a lot of leaves in March/April, so it should get better the rest of the year.  Jay talks about using the leaf litter as mulch and why he likes just letting it lay on top of the ground.

Email From a Listener:

• How do I get rid of goathead weeds in my yard?

Recommendation – We describe what a goathead is and why they are such a nuisance. Pre-emergent will stop them before they start. Use a broadleaf weed spray to kill them to if you have grass, but use a weed & grass killer if you have a gravel lot.  Rosie would use a flame thrower! (We’re shocked!)

Callers:

• Maureen – Her gardenia is about 10 years old and is turning brown. What should she do to help it?

Recommendation – They are just a plant that struggles to do well in this area and are do well in containers, rather than right in the ground.  They like acidic conditions and she’ll need to use gypsym or sulfur to help improve the drainage. Avoid overwatering! They don’t like to stay wet. Once they start to bud, quickly fertilize until they are done flowering.

• Jim – His vegetable garden has bermuda grass growing in it. He’s used roundup and several other steps to eliminate it and is having no luck.

Recommendation – Jay would let the garden sit right now to let it die. He could “solarize” the space with clear plastic to kill all the plants. There’s a lot that can be done, so listen  for all the details. His best idea might be to start an above ground garden.

*Jennifer reminds you to watch out for the Arcadia Edible Garden Tours!

Thanks to Jay and remember you can reach him during the week at Harper’s Nursery & Landscaping Company!