I recently read somewhere that the box stores are full of leftover minis after Valentine's Day, and often sell them for a dollar or two each. Did anyone happen to go there and see? I meant to go today, but it was so rainy that I just cocooned instead.
Happy Valentine's Day Everybody!!!
Raining here too Patti--I was going Monday to see what they have, if any, left over. =)
Dmj - vinegar will kill nutgrass? Oh I'm hoping it really does - I'm not up to pulling it anymore, besides it just multiplies more. I hadn't heard of vinegar. I've been reading everyone's organic solutions above with great interest.
I tried vinegar and it only killed the leaves, not the nut. I wonder though, if you spray that a lot in the beds, what does that do to the soil? Would it affect the ph?
Persistence kills nut grass with vinegar silver; I tend to like my soil on the acidic side--but in Texas, at least in my part (far west Houston, not east side) it quickly reverts back. Even soil sulphur for the LA Iris has to be applied every year.
Maybe if we poured vinegar directly on the nut? These things could survive chernobyl - so I'm hoping for an organic solution!
Eventually, if you can keep them from growing--the nut loses energy and dies. I've successfully removed it from several areas. I tend to target one garden area per year and really concentrate on removing it there. Try not to let them get over 2 leaves--after that they are producing new energy for the "nut". They also prefer full sun.
I went to an organic seminar once held by Howard Garrett, the Dirt Dr. Somebody asked how to get rid of nut grass. Ok, here's what you do. You pull it up, and pile it all in the middle of your driveway. Set it on fire, check for a fire ban first. Gather the ashes and take them down to the ocean and dump them in the water. Of course he was being sarcastic, but it brought a good laugh.
Does the vinegar make the ph higher or lower? Seems like it would lower the ph.
It lowers ph but not much if sprayed.
Would it be safe to use to lower ph, or is it better to use sulphur?
sulphur lowers pH too
Which would be safer to use though?
We never had much luck with the vinegar on nutgrass. It would come back later. But DH bought a chemical that did. We were careful not to use it anywhere but on the heavy patches of nutgrass and the walkways. They didn't come back like they had been. Anyone interested I will find out what it was.
You know girls, I have no trouble with nutgrass, lucky I guess, but what I have lots of trouble with is garlic chives, the wild kind, and they are all mixed in with the wildflowers on the slope. So all I can do is pull them out when they are tall enough, I pull them every year, and they never give up.
They drive me nuts!!
Oh, and I planted garlic chives in my flower beds...
Sheila - what's the name of the chemical? I won't use it unless vinegar doesn't work. Is cheap white vinegar the right kind?
there's a stronger horticultural vinegar usually in the organic section at lowe's or home depot--that's what you use to kill a weed or nutgrass--but it will kill anything so be careful how/where you spray, make sure the winds are calm
Thanks dmj - on my next trip I'll get some. The nut grass is at least semi-dormant right now. Maybe a hope?
let's hope this is the year it never wakes up--a perfect example of why its necessary to avoid invasive species
=)
I agree. Was nut grass introduced here? Probably as a ground cover...
yes, its an invasive species
you mean somebody intentionally planted that stuff? I thought it was a native weed.
I never knew that, either. I can't imagine nut grass being desirable on anybody's list even many years ago. I'm going to look for the Lowe's version of vinegar asap. As soon as it gets warm, it'll be out of control.
Who was it! Le' me at 'em.
I'm with ya!