By joenesgarden, 2 years and 5 months ago

Hitchhiking Weeds

It's nearly fall planting time in the Northeast – a time when gardeners seek out container plants to fill in holes in perennial beds or plant trees, shrubs, and new beds. But a recent study, reported by the Weed Science Society of America, suggests we need to be cautious of what could be hitching a ride with any container plants we buy.  The study, done in Alaska, examined container-grown vegetables, herbs, perennials, and woody trees and shrubs purchased from 29 nurseries supplying Alaska gardeners and landscapers.  Over a two-year period, 54 weeds or invasive plants were incubated from the soils in the purchased containers.  Of the 54 weeds, only 3 were native to Alaska.

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By joenesgarden, 2 years and 7 months ago

Weeds – pull ‘em now.

passed iris and lavender_edited The nearly constant drizzle, sprinkles, showers, and downright downpours we've had of late has put me way behind in my gardening plans. By now I've usually finished weeding, mulching, edging but currently half the beds still need weeding and mulch, and many of the iris and early bloomers still need to be deadheaded. Iris stalks should not look like those in the photo when lavender is ready to open.

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