What is your opinion/experience with alfalfa and AA tea? & Qs
katyajini
4 years ago
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Vaporvac Z6-OhioRiverValley
3 years agoRelated Discussions
alfalfa meal question and my lawn
Comments (24)If I were to guess why your neighbors have greener lawns, it would be: 1) They have more drought tolerant grasses....OR 2) They water with greater frequency. Like the other poster, I am still not sold on the once-a-week watering in the heat of the summer. That might work for someone who has worked to grow deep roots over the long haul - and who has a good quality soil that retains the moisture - but not if the lawn is new or the soil is poor. \ My one neighbor has a kick-butt lawn, and I call her the "grass whisperer" since she observes the lawn daily and only waters when it needs it. It might be once a week, or it might be every other day. That seems to do the trick for her during the dry months. My advice to you is to listen to your lawn, not necessarily the well-intentioned people who dispense advice here. They may be right for THEIR lawn, but perhaps not for yours. On top of that, you have no idea how long it took them to get to the point where infrequent watering works. It might have been a process that took place over several years....See MorePlease share your experiences with active aereated compost teas
Comments (21)Hi Kousa: You mean beneficial bacteria? Beneficial bacteria are plenty in yogurt like L. Acidophillus (also added to horse feed). Beneficial bacteria are in healthy soil and in horse manure. One example is Bacillus thuringiensis, an organism fatal to caterpillars but perfectly safe for plants and other animals. Some horse manure contain beneficial nematodes (added by the stable) to control flies population. Midge is between a gnat and a small fly. Horse manure, IF it has beneficial nematodes, is effective for midge-control. Most stables have a "free heap" of manure, so the public can help themselves, without permission. The stable in my small village has a horse-manure pile the size of a 2-story house. FUNGAL DISEASES are: Blackspots, mildew, rust, canker, gray mold, and powdery mildew. Any type of mushroom is also a fungi. Fungi does not like extreme alkalinity, like pH above 8. Baking soda pH is 8.3, and is used against black spots. Fungi grows best at neutral to acidic soil above pH 4. I researched on agricultural midge, or swede midge. Experiments at Cornell University stated, " Laboratory results indicated that extremely dry and extremely wet soil hinders swede midge emergence. Optimal moisture content for swede midge emergence was from 25 ��" 75 %, and varied in different soils." Cornell University recommends crop rotation, but that's not possible with roses. That explains why I don't have rose midge in my rock-hard clay. My heavy clay is sticky-wet when it's rained, and rock-hard when dry. 15 minutes from me is Cantigny rose park, with 1,200 roses. They use zero mulch, just bare dirt. But when people mulch with bark, that retains optimal moisture level longer for midge germination. More from Cornell University: "These results suggest that cultural practices, such as flooding fields during non-cropping periods to achieve 100% soil moisture level or even DRYING THE SOIL, may be viable methods to reduce swede midge emergence. Similarly, swede midge populations and damage are expected to be REDUCED when saturated soil or drought conditions occur." eHow recommended that for rose midge, removing the top soil, and putting new soil in late season will stop midge from germinating next year. That's what I do in zone 5a for winter-protection: I dump new soil in late fall, to protect my roses. The bagged soils here are alkaline clay, pH near 8, makes it impossible for any insects to thrive. Two of my 55+ roses had rose midge early spring, since I did not dump alkaline soil this past winter. It's just fluffy potting soil, which holds the ideal moisture for midge germination. I flooded the soil repeatedly, plus our week-long heavy rain killed all the midge larvae by early summer. Conclusion: Midge doesn't like soil too wet, nor too dry .. and sticky alkaline clay does just that. From a University Extension, I learned the midge hatch from the top 1 to 2" of soil, so removing the top surface of soil helps. One lazy way is dust a thin layer of wood-ash, its extreme alkalinity would kill any midge larvae, and disease-causing fungi. From Missouri Botanical Garden "Rose midges are microscopic insects that can blacken and kill rosebuds and leaves. The destructive, whitish maggots usually hatch after the first bloom cycle and rasp tender plant tissue as they feed, causing leaves and blossoms to blacken and shrivel. An unchecked, heavy infestation can eliminate bloom from late spring to early fall. After feeding, the larvae drop to the soil, pupate, and emerge as reddish or yellowish brown flies within a week. To control this pest, remove and destroy affected flower buds and leaves as soon as you spot midge damage." Here is a link that might be useful: Cornell University on midge...See Morewhat is your opinion on packaged organic garden soils?
Comments (19)I recall, back in the day, burlap bags were the standard packaging for bulk farm chemicals. They'd shed water somewhat better than corrugated boxes, and could be thrown around, and stacked deep. Still used for that, I think. This history would seem to confirm that. https://www.standuppouches.net/blog/what-are-fertilizer-bags-made-of...See Morein your opinion...
Comments (19)Lesli, where do they do this? Not doubting it's done somewhere,but there are several farmers in my family and it my area at least, I've never heard of this. No, wait, I'm mad about this too - this is the stupidest use of an herbicide I've heard of. This is how weeds become resistant, and farmers have to pay out the wazoo for the newest (and under patent) stuff to keep their fields clean and their yields up. Are they even applying the stuff under the right conditions so it doesn't drift - if it's windy enough, or hot enough (I think even if the humidity is high enough) you aren't supposed to spray! Speaking of yields, spray rigs will crush the plants in their tracks (there's no way around that - if they're young enough the crop plants will usually recover) and that cuts into returns. Paying for 'chemicals' and their application is a big-time expense for farmers - why on earth would someone want to pay that twice? Seriously, who is dumb enough to do this?! They belong in the public stocks for us to throw rotten produce at. Sorry to rant; this is my family's livelihood (not mine personally though) so I kinda see red when people stupidly make things a lot more difficult for us. These new herbicides really do help farmers - the boost in yields (and thus profits) and help small-to-midsize owner/operator producers stay in business. Idiots like this make everyone's life harder, and I really, really wish we still forcibly subjected people to public scorn when they %$#-up like this....See Morekatyajini
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