Sweet Peas

There is nothing quite as satisfying as the Sweet Peas. The striking colors and spectacular fragrance is impossible to resist. This is a great area to grow sweet peas and they do quite well when planted while the days are still warm. If it is too cold or the soil is kept too damp, the seed will rot.

I have found there are 3 reasons people are sometimes not successful when planting sweet peas. First, most people plant too deep. Plant the seed approximately ¼ inch deep and 3 inches apart.

The second reason for failure is keeping the seed too wet. After planting, water the soil well. DO NOT water again until the plants have sprouted (unless we happen to have a warm drying wind). The third reason some people do not enjoy a long bountiful display of flowers is they plant too late. Now is the time to plant your sweet peas. They do not sprout well when the weather is cool. If you wait until next spring to plant, the roots will not have sufficient time to develop and support a vigorous blooming plant. Come on in, we carry quite an array of sweet pea varieties. For the novice, the Royal series or the multiflora selection will give almost fool proof results. For the more adventurous, try some of the specialty varieties such as the lovely Old Fashioned Mix or the spectacular Knee Hi Mix. For those who do not have a convenient fence or trellis, the dwarf varieties such as bijou work great.

Is Bermuda Grass a Pest?

Fescue lawns are lush, green and inviting year-round. They can be stressed by the hot summers and may need a bit of attention at this time. This is a cool season grass and starts to take on more vigor as the nights cool. Pump up your lawn by applying a balanced fertilizer such as Dr. Earth Lawn Food. If brown patches have appeared in the summer, now is the time to reseed. - Simply rake out the dry, brown areas. - Sprinkle the seed and cover with 1/8” to ¼” of compost. Keep the top 1” to 2” of soil moist by watering frequently (3 to 4 times per day) but only for 3 to 5 minutes. Do not water in the evening after 5pm so the lawn will go to bed dry and not encourage fungus growth. If Bermuda grass has invaded the lawn, now is the last opportunity until next spring to spray Turflon to kill the Bermuda grass without injuring the Fescue lawn.