Chemical Weed Control

USING WEED CONTROL CHEMICALS WISELY

Take a ride around your neighborhood on a hot summers day and it won't take long to see someone spraying weed control on their lawn wearing short pants and sandals.  I have seen this happen while the children were playing  just a few feet away.

Chemicals are so available is easy to forget they are all toxic.
Read and follow the directions on the label.


 Chemicals are so readily available and abundant in America we take them for granted. This is as true for the sellers as it is for us, the consumers. We are encouraged by the manufacturers to use their chemicals as often as possible.  

Caution is the least dangerous, escalating to Warning and then Danger.
No weed killers are labeled 'safe'.
  

Sadly many people use these chemicals without taking the time to read the label.  If they did read the label they would know that these weed control chemicals become less effective as the temperatures get higher.  The grass and weeds undergo stress and stop absorbing the chemicals.  The toxins slowly evaporate creating a mist over your lawn where your children are playing.  By the time the temperature reaches 90 you might as well throw your money away.

These chemicals work by attaching themselves to the weeds and then become absorbed into the  cell tissues, working their way into the plant and finally the root system. When you apply them in short pants you are exposing  your leg's cell tissue to the same chemicals.

Deep rooted weeds may take more than one treatment.
To use less chemicals remove all but 2 leaves and spray only them. You will get the same result.
If they grow back repeat the same process. 

Removing weeds from your garden beds has multiple benefits. Weeds compete  with garden plants and vegetables for space, nutrients, sunlight and water.  

Worst of all for many gardeners, weeds make your beds look messy and untended.  Basically weeds are plants growing where you don't want them. This can apply to wildflowers, shrubs and even trees, such as the Norway Maple.

The beautiful Norway Maple is so successful it is now labeled a weed tree.
Manual removal with a pick ax is quick and dependable.

Whenever possible use safer weed control practices such as hand weeding and mulching in the spring.

USE AND STORAGE OF GARDEN CHEMICALS

Never buy chemicals that are stored wrong, such as these kept out in the sun.
The price remains the same but the effectiveness is greatly diminished.  

Read and follow the directions on the label.  

Store all chemicals properly as directed on the label.  

Don’t let liquids freeze or get too hot and don’t allow dried chemicals get moist.

If you go to a store and their chemicals are sitting in the sun or are not properly stored,  go to another store.

Keep gardening safe,

Happy summer,

James

Butterfly gardening

BUTTERFLY GARDENING

Everyone is delighted to see colorful and graceful butterflies flutter though the garden during a summer day. 

 Flowers that love a lot of sunlight are very attractive to butterflies.

 

Sadly these lovely creatures now need our help to survive.  Deforestation in their native habitat in Mexico has greatly affected the Monarch butterfly population.  At the same time harsh late winters have hit our Black and Yellow Swallowtails, killing the young caterpillars in early spring.  Thankfully there is something we can do to help, 'Butterfly Gardening'.

When trees in their natural habitat in Mexico are cut down
millions of Monarch butterflies have no place to gather.

Butterfly gardening can be as easy as planting flowers and herbs that butterflies require to feed or lay their eggs.  One step you can take to make your garden a 'butterfly habitat' is to plant parsley, dill and milkweed.  Butterflies lay their eggs on these plants.  The caterpillars hatch, grow, turn into chrysalis, commonly called a cocoon and soon emerge as a new young butterfly.  If you notice your dill slowly disappearing, look for caterpillars of Black or Yellow Swallowtails on it.  Monarch butterflies lay their eggs on 'Milkweed' which is a perennial.

 

 

 

The last stages of both the Monarch (top) and Swallowtail (lower)

caterpillars are colorful and easy to spot.

 

Many annuals are still available that will attract butterflies for your garden.

 

 

The  chrysalis of  Monarchs look like jewels hanging on the bottom of this milkweed leaf.

Butterflies like sunlight but it doesn't matter to them if a flower is planted in the ground or a pot.

Butterflies can't resist lantana which I like to plant in pots. 

My favorite is lantana. Lantana is used as an annual in our area because it cannot survive our cold winters.  Planted in the ground or in a pot, butterflies will always stop at this flower for a snack.  Lantana is deer resistance and hardy.  If you forget to water this plant it will bounce back when you do.  If you are going to a July 4th party, a pot of lantana is a great gift for the host.

 

Look at plant labels to see if they are marked "attract butterflies".

 Most garden centers label plants that attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

Butterflies are going to need assistance for many years to come so please keep this in mind when planning your garden for future. 

 

Overuse of pesticides create another hazard  to butterfly populations.

 

Enjoy the summer and happy gardening,

James