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Popular Landscape Myths
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We are all potential victims of marketing under the guise of using fear. Weeds could take over your lawn with some controls killing the grass too. Grubs will kill the remaining lawn that the weeds don’t kill. Fear can motivate, but let’s reduce that fear as much as possible by exposing the following myths. Myth - Memorial Day has come and gone. It’s too late to do any more planting. Truth -You can plant all summer and fall, as well as spring. In fact, you can install new plants anytime the ground is not frozen. |
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| Myth - My soil is very heavy with thick clay. I can dig out the existing soil and replace it with super soil, soilless potting mix, or topsoil to help my new plants grow. Truth - What kind of soil will your new plants grow in once they grow beyond the hole you have dug? The existing clay! Replacing heavy thick soil with loose soft soil will create a condition called bath tubbing. When you water or it rains, the water goes very quickly through the new soil and collects on the hard pan existing soil filling up the planting hole with water. This situation keeps plant roots too wet and soon the plant dies. |
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| Myth - I should water every so many days in the spring and summer. Truth - You should not water by a monthly calendar. You only want to water when the soil is dry. The number one reason that new plantings fail is over watering. All plants need to dry between waterings to allow the roots to breathe air. Always check your soil for moisture using a garden trowel. Dig down a few inches around each plant and if the soil appears moist, leave the plants alone. Remember, all plants can live a lot longer dry than constantly wet. |
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| Myth - All bugs are bad. Truth - Only about 2 percent of all insects can be very harmful to plants. Insects are short lived and while they’re here, need to eat. The majority of insects cause a little esthetic damage to the leaves and needles. Mother Nature also placed a lot of good bugs in the environment that take care of lots of those insects that persist in trying to eat our plants. That’s the number one reason why our industry is encouraging home owners not to spray. Doing so can kill the good bugs that will take care of the bad ones. If you do decide to spray, make sure the insect you’re after is listed on the label and follow the instructions as to use and disposal. |
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| Myth - All Japanese Maples grow the same. They just have different names. Truth - There are many varieties of Japanese maples. Some grow very slow growing only to 5-6 ft. high and wide. There are others that want to grow 20 ft. high and wide and can get there fairly fast. Some varieties have green leaves, while the majority have red ones. When shopping for a Japanese maple, be sure you know the average growing size of the one you’ve chosen to help you plant it with enough room to grow in your landscape. |
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