What is the difference?

Rye and Ryegrass?  Rye (Elbon) is in the grain family like wheat.  Ryegrass (Gulf) is in the grass family.  People come in the store asking for rye to plant in your yard.  Wrong, ryegrass would be the correct. Also there is a difference between ryegrass for your pasture and yard or athletic field.  The ryegrass for athletic fields is called perineal ryegrass.  This is a low growing ryegrass that is planted thicker and really looks great on the field.  The purpose of the athletic field ryegrass planting is because the baseball coaches want to brag about having the best looking field in the spring.  This ryegrass is also great for your yard.  You  will have the best looking yard in the neighborhood.  There is a huge setback though. It is at least twice or more the cost of the pasture grass.

What is the difference?

Whole oats and Seed Oats?  Whole oats are manufactured to feed your animals and not tested for germination.  Seed Oats have been germination tested.  This is not to say that whole oats will not come up if planted, but you have a much better chance if you use the seed oats.

What is the difference?

Spraying a plant with chemical or using a systemic?  If you spray a plant with chemicals you are definitely getting the chemical on the plant.  If it rains too soon afterward you may lose the good of the chemical.  Using a systemic may take a longer time to get to the problem but it will not get rained off.  Sometimes it is best to use both.  A spray won’t last as long as you need it, just a quick fix.  You can use a systemic for the long run.

Hope that you got some of the rain last weekend, we were lucky and thankful for our 1 1/2 inches on the Lewisville Road.  It sure makes a difference in our part of the world.  Have a good week.

(Mitzi Thomas owns Minden Farm & Garden LLC. Watch for her column on Fridays in Webster Parish Journal. Email Mitzi questions at  mitzithomas40@yahoo.com.)

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