Q. Our lawn–For the most past, it is way too thick. Even the front, which was resodded not too long ago, is a jumble of roots. We thatch every year–had it professionally done last year–and of course fertilize and water. Will using an aerator help? Any suggestions will be appreciated as we are disappointed that…
Category: Northwest U.S. Gardeners
Gardening questions from WA, OR, ID, MT & WY
Weed control in Gravel Areas
Q. I have a few gravel areas around my house and part of my driveway is gravel as well. Every year I need to apply some sort of vegetation killer to prevent the grass, dandelions, etc. from going crazy. I seem to remember reading in your column about some sort of organic herbicide that was…
Lichen On Stonework
Q. I believe I have crustose growing on my rock pillar columns (white crytal like hairs) how do I kill it? Terry Johnson – Lacey, WA A. I believe you are describing crustose lichen. Lichens are a symbiotic organism that pairs up a species of algae (or cyanobacteria) and a species of fungus. The various…
Hard Pruning of Conifers
Q. My friend Dave has three yew shrubs alongside his porch. They are over 4 feet tall and almost as wide. I have offered to help him get them under control but I want to be sure that if I prune them back hard they will come back. I understand that conifers may not get…
Pruning Lacecap Hydrangeas
Q. When is it time to prune our lacecap hydrandeas? It’s hard to find information on the proper pruning techniques. Thank You Jan Cook – Lakewood, WA A. I just had the same question about hydrangeas this past week from my friend Rosel at the Lakewood YMCA so it looks like the sun this past…