Are you ever in the garden or yard trying to figure out if there is an easier way. Over the years I have come up with a few tricks. They don’t mean much if you are not trying to save time and energy. Sometimes it is just an easier way to handle a few problems.
Question #1. I’ve got to spread some grass seed in my yard. Have you looked at grass seed? Most of it, such as bermuda or centipede, are as tiny as a pencil lead. You can’t walk fast enough to spread these seeds without wasting them. Solution – Add something to carry the seed. Sand or cornmeal will do the trick. For every pound of seed add a pound of the carrier to mix with it. Sometimes it will help you to see where you have already spread, cornmeal is great for this and is not too expensive to use. A lot of the seed is coated now so that makes a difference also. Just walk fast when spreading so it does not pile up all in one spot.
Question #2. I’ve got a lot of weeds in my flower bed but I can’t spray without killing my flowers. Have you ever thought about painting the weeds or grass? Yes, Just pour a little of the weed and grass killer into a throwaway cup. Get a small paint brush or one of those sponge paint brushes and dip it into the chemical. Don’t let it drip much and just paint the leaves and grass. It is a backbreaking job but it does work. Always use gloves in this project and a good pair of knee pads would not hurt. You can even do this with nut grass. The chemical can be mixed in a gallon with the water it needs, but I like to use it straight up. There are chemicals that can be sprayed on the flower bed to do the same thing and if you can tote a sprayer they work well.
Question #3. I need to get a sprayer for my yard and garden needs. Which one do I buy? Well let’s look at the weight of a gallon of water. It weighs 8.33 pounds. So, that makes a 1 gallon sprayer weigh at least 8.33 lbs. A two gallon sprayer will weigh 16.66 lbs when it is full. What kind of weight do you want to carry around? I would suggest that a woman would want to purchase a 1 gallon sprayer. I got into that situation several years ago when my husband, Randy, went to do some work in Shongaloo. He left his backpack sprayer at the house and called for me to bring it to him. Well, it was a four gallon backpack and was full. I could not pick it up. Solution solved, I dumped it and took it empty. WRONG!.. The chemical was all at the house. Trip was for nothing. Back to buying a sprayer, the chemicals needed should be evaluated. You would probably want to keep 2 sprayers at the house. One for weedkiller and one for fertilizer, fungicides, and insecticides. Label them as such and always wash out after using. You can use a special cleaner for the chemical or just bleach and water. Something else to remember, always designate a measuring cup for the chemical. Don’t go to the kitchen to borrow one. A paint cup does great and is cheap, and keeps you out of trouble with the cook.
I hope these little helpers do you some good. We give this advice and measuring cups out everyday. Have a great week.
(Mitzi Thomas owns Minden Farm & Garden LLC. Watch for her column on Fridays in Webster Parish Journal.)