Picture this: a beautiful spring afternoon stroll through a lucious, green lawn. Ironically, although this is characteristic of spring, the season also brings the pesky lawn burweed, sure to antagonize your leisure. According to Clemson University’s Extension Office, “lawn burweed (Soliva sessilis) is a winter annual that germinates throughout thin turf in the fall months…
What is Earth Day and what does it mean today? Earth Day 2021 is Thursday, April 22. The theme this year is “Restore the Earth.” If this year’s theme is “Restore the Earth,” it must mean that somewhere along the way – our actions have harmed the Earth. To me, this is the day we…
If your soil is in the alkaline range, you might need to seek help. Alkaline, or basic, is defined as any value on the pH scale (0-14) above a neutral of 7.0. Most alkaline soils are found in the western United States, where the pH of these soils can get as high as 10.0. A…
Is your soil acidic? Although this might sound bad, in some cases, it is actually what is best for your plant. Whether you are just a beginner, a seasoned professional, or farming for fun, understanding your soil’s pH is crucial to growing a healthy lawn or garden. If you find that your soil’s pH is…
As the air warms up and we transition to springtime, you may notice some weeds beginning to “spring” up in your lawn. A pre-emergent herbicide is the most efficient way to rid your lawn of pesky weeds. Pre-emergent herbicides allow the weed to germinate but attach to it before it emerges. Once the cap root…
If you are shopping for fertilizer, you will see three numbers on the bag, N-P-K, which stands for Nitrogen (N) – Phosphorus (P) – Potassium (K). What is the secret recipe for the right fertilizer combination for your lawn or garden this year? There is no way to know unless you take a soil sample…
I get a lot of questions about organic matter. What is it? Why do I need to monitor my organic matter levels? What is a good result and what is bad result? What do I do if my results are bad? Let’s begin by defining organic matter. According to the USDA, “Soil organic matter (SOM)…
Confession: I don’t overseed my lawn in the winter, but I absolutely love to see a green, lush yard in the middle of winter. It gives me the warm fuzzy feeling that warm season grasses can still be green in the dormant season. Nevertheless, when I dropped my kids off at school the other day,…
Enjoy your Palisades Zoysia lawn in the fall and prepare it for winter. This year I got to meet and speak to a lot of my neighbors. Our neighborhood was filled with families walking their children up and down the streets during the spring months. If you were like the millions of people that worked…
Our four-legged friends steal our hearts, but they sure can wreak havoc on a yard and outdoor living space. Yellow patches, holes and damaged flower gardens are common problems dog owners deal with every day. Fortunately, there are solutions that don’t involve keeping your rambunctious pup indoors. Your Dog’s Restroom When it comes to fecal…
Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Over the last week I have received numerous pictures of the same story….yellow spots in the lawns. My first question is, “How often and when do you water your lawn?” When the response is “everyday” during a period of long hot and wet days,…
I get pictures of people’s lawns all the time. Now that we are in June, I knew I would start getting pictures of those lawns struggling to green up. Dormancy was clearly no longer the explanation. How did I know? The grass on the right was existing grass and the grass on the left was…
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has spent nearly $28 million on landscaping along the new I-4 Ultimate roadway system. “FDOT is aware of the dead trees and blames the dirt,” according to I-4 Ultimate spokesman Dave Parks. I wonder what the baseline soil samples were? Did the project even include a baseline soil sample?…
Every homeowner who has a lawn or garden, is a farmer. Farmers should know that every lawn needs food and nutrients, or fertilizer, water, sun and…..SLEEP. Take a look at the grass plot below. This Palisades Zoysia is planted in a common area in Orange Beach, Alabama. A passerby would not notice something that is…
Quite often when we pitch SoilKit to garden centers, farm co-ops and landscapers, we encounter the question, “why should we sell SoilKit when the county extension office does soil testing at a cheaper price?” This objection is easily overcome by comparing the benefits of SoilKit to the traditional testing done by state university extension offices,…
Nitrogen Element in Soil Testing At AgriTech, we are often asked why we don’t test for nitrogen in our SoilKit™ testing program. It is obvious to even the lay agronomist that nitrogen is the first and heaviest element in a fertilizer analysis, and it’s probably the most important. Its value should be a major concern when…
70 percent of homeowners reported dissatisfaction in a recent national survey. Start the solution where the problem begins: in the soil. The USDA recommends that you conduct an annual soil sample to allow for detection of soil quality and changes. SoilKit™ has simplified this complicated process in a way that customers can easily and quickly conduct a soil sample and understand the results.
