Q: I want to plant wildflowers over my septic field next spring. Is it OK to use Roundup now over the area? Richard Simms, email
A: There's no problem spraying weed killer now, but I wouldn't wait until next spring to plant wildflower seed. Wildflowers do best when planted in fall so winter conditions prime the seed properly for spring/summer bloom. Get information on how to prepare and maintain wildflower beds at xrl.us/gawildflower.
Q: I recently transplanted 400 zoysia plugs from one area of my lawn to an area where the zoysia had not yet spread. The plugs appear fine, but there have been a lot of weeds filling in between the plugs. What can I do? Mark Ossman, northern Virginia
A: I like your idea of using plugs from your existing lawn to propagate more grass. But one of the problems with using zoysia plugs is that you have to control weeds by hand while the grassy plugs grow together. If they were planted on a relatively precise grid, you can use glyphosate (Killzall, Roundup, etc) on a foam paintbrush to paint herbicide on the weeds between the plugs without hurting the grass.
Q: Our lawn has gotten scraggly and we are planning to aerate this fall. When my Dad aerated, he spread construction sand so it would wash into the holes and keep them from closing. Is this a good thing to do? Pattie Sullivan, email
A: This is a reasonable approach but you need a lot of sand to make it worthwhile. I think you need to spread a quarter-inch of sand over the whole area. That would equal approximately 1.5 tons of dry sand per 1,000 square feet. Aerate first, then apply sand evenly and sweep it into the holes with a wide broom. Anything less than a quarter-inch of sand won't do anything to keep the soil holes open. It's also important to use a plug aerator that makes good wide holes for the sand to fall into. Repeat the process next year but use screened topsoil instead of sand.
Q: My dogwood is blooming again. How can this be? Several puzzled readers
A: Dogwoods are known to bloom in fall when they get rain after a stressful summer. That said, I don't think this past summer was very stressful. But who am I to question the motivations of a tree? There won't be much effect on the number of blooms you get in April, so just enjoy what you see now.
Q: Earlier this year, I collected berries from our Savannah holly. I let them dry and placed them in potting soil three weeks ago, but none has germinated thus far. What should I expect? Alvin Russell, Fayetteville
A: My bet is that the seeds are sterile. Savannah holly, Ilex x attenuata 'Savannah', is a hybrid of American holly, Ilex opaca, and dahoon holly, Ilex cassine. As you know, most hybrids, whether plant or animal, are sterile and cannot reproduce.
Listen to Walter Reeves Saturday mornings on AM 750 and 95.5 FM News-Talk WSB. Visit his website, www.walterreeves.com, or join his Facebook Fan Page at xrl.us/wrfacebook for more garden tips.
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