Q: How should I prepare my soil for blueberry plants. It is sandy, not clay. David Hammons, email
A: The key is to make the blueberry location completely hospitable. For each plant, thoroughly till a cubic foot of Canadian peat moss into an area four feet wide and twelve inches deep. Plant in the center. Space the plants six feet apart. Mulch with bark chips and pay special attention to watering during the first summer. You'll harvest gallons of fruit!
Q: Moss is overtaking my bermuda lawn. What are quick ways to get rid of it so that it doesn't choke our the bermuda? Mark Felski, Dacula
A: Moss doesn't choke out grass, it just grows where grass can't thrive. You probably have too much shade or clay for grass to grow, so moss has moved in. The best moss control is healthy grass. If you eliminate shade, hard soil and wet soil the moss will disappear. More details at bit.ly/mosscontrol.
Q: My bermuda sod was put down in late December. The grass has not started to green up but several different weeds have appeared. Is there a waiting period before herbicide can be applied? Larry Smith
A: New grass is very sensitive to lawn chemicals. You can hurt the turf by applying weedkiller too early. The rule of thumb is that it is safe to put out weed-control products when you've mowed the grass three times.
Q: After many years of battling weeds it occurred to me that we should ask why are we doing this. Spending all this money, time, and poison to kill plants because they look different than grass is crazy! Getting rid of foreign weeds makes sense, or weeds that are prickly or noxious in some way. Other than that, maybe it's time to start thinking outside the lawn-grass box. Elizabeth VanDeventer, email
A: You make a good point. Nature is always looking for something that will grow in a spot, and it's only our prejudice that names some plants weeds. I think it's just a sense of aesthetics that inclines gardeners toward grass-only lawns. Whether flowers or lawns, our eyes like to see uniform repetition, and a lawn is nothing if not repetitious (and perhaps boring). If crabgrass didn't die in winter it could be an ideal turfgrass. If it were mowed frequently, I have no doubt that a lawn consisting of "weeds" would look attractive.
Q: I am planting my first organic garden. I am having trouble finding organic or non-GMO plants and seeds. Jen Piceno, Lawrenceville
A: Farmer D Organics (farmerd.com) sells organically grown plants, as does The Wylde Center (wyldecenter.org) in Decatur. Many of the small farmers markets around metro Atlanta have vendors who sell plants grown organically. You can find local farmers markets at goodfoodguide.georgiaorganics.org. For seeds, try Johnny's Selected Seeds (johnnyseeds.com) and Seeds of Change (seedsofchange.com).
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