July 28, 1993
Crabgrass Control
Crabgrass is showing up frequently in lawns at this time. Crabgrass is a warm season annual weed that germinates when soil temperatures reach 55 to 60 F. and thrives throughout the summer if not controlled. Two species of crabgrass are commonly found in Iowa lawns, smooth crabgrass (Digitaria ischaemum) and large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis). Both plants have light green foliage color and prostrate growth habit. Seedheads, which look like finger-like projections, begin appearing in late summer and continue until frost.
Harvesting and Drying Everlasting Flowers
Everlasting flowers are not the perennial flowers or weeds in your garden that you just can't seem to get rid of. They are flowers that retain their color and form when dried. Many everlasting flowers are composed of colorful, papery petals called bracts that are stiff and dry while still attached to the living plant. The French call them "immortelles." Flowers of this type are popular to grow and save for winter arrangements.
Garden Sanitation
Gardeners have realized the limitations of fungicides and insecticides this growing season. Continuous rainfall has made it almost impossible to apply protective products for preventive control. In many cases, the products aren't on the plant for even 24 hours. As plants and produce succumb to what mother nature is dishing out, cleanup of infected and infested plant materials is very important. All diseases and insects have some survival structure which enables them to live until the next growing season or until a susceptible host is grown.
Let's Talk About Hybrids and Standards
Numerous plant seed choices are available to choose from each year at garden centers and from mail order sources. Of these selections, many are hybrids others are standard (open pollinated) varieties. What benefits are there to growing hybrid vs standard varieties? How are hybrids created? An article written by the National Garden Bureau answers these and other seed questions very well.