Ask Mike:
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Chris Ising,
Denver Colorado
We are getting
lots of snow tomorrow. Can I still put down winterizer?
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Yes, Chris, you
can. The biggest benefit you will realize from winterizer will
come next spring. The roots will store nutrients and utilize
them very early. You may expect early season green up and
great root development. |
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George asks:
My
crabapple looks terrible this year! What is the problem?
George, Prairie Village , KS |
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Crabs in our area
have been losing there leaves because of Cedar Apple Rust and
Apple scab. These diseases really take off in cool, wet
weather, which is exactly what we have had this year. You are
not alone. Take a drive down Ward Parkway and you will not see
any crabapples that have more than 50% of there canopy
remaining. |
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Mike Pitts asks:
Kansas
City has had a great year for plants- plenty of rain and low
summer temperatures. Why does the grass in my yard look so
bad? |
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The great spring
and summer weather was good for a lot of plants, especially
trees. Whenever conditions are as good as they were this
spring, trees put on additional leaves. This is great for the
trees, but greatly reduces the amount of sunlight that gets to
the grass. When this happens grass does not photosynthesize
and the result is a weak stand of grass in shady to semi shady
areas. You will really realize how many leaves are on the
trees when leaf raking season comes! |
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Scott Lunceford asks:
I have a really shady area underneath a maple tree. Is
there anything I can plant there that will do well? Now it’s
only a dirt patch. |
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There are a few choices in this area,
Scott. If you want grass I would recommend a shade fescue
blend. Even if you get a decent stand of grass you will still
need to verticut and overseed once a year as it will still
gradually thin out. If you are willing to try a different
groundcover I suggest hostas or ajuga. Hostas will grow
nicely, however they need lots of water in the summer and
slugs can really do a number on them. Ajuga is an aggressive
spreader that puts off a nice flower in the late spring. |
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Amy Glynn asks:
I planted petunias in pots on my deck this spring. Now the
foliage looks good but there are no blooms. What do you think is
wrong? |
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Amy you may have
tobacco bud worms. These are caterpillars that feast on the buds
of your flowers. They are most active around dusk. I suggest
checking for the small caterpillars at this time and simply hand
picking them. If that does not work try applying Bayer Rose and
Flower spray at dusk, reapplying every two weeks. Soon you
should be enjoying nice flowers again. |
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Have a question for
Mike? |
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209 West 74th Terrace,
Suite 2
Kansas City, MO 64114
816-444-5774
inquiries@completelandscapekc.com |
