Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Hi I'm Daphne Richards and this is Augie
Our question this week addresses a bit of a pet peeve of mine
weeds growing in cracks in the sidewalk- how do you control them?
Well, weeds growing in hard scapes can be very difficult to deal with
once they've gotten out of control if they have you should start by pulling out
as much of the plant as you can
unfortunately in most situations you'll be left with some pretty pernicious
roots
you'll need to use an herbicide to finish off the job you may want to use vinegar
instead of a chemical product
and vinegar does work but only if used appropriately
first, kitchen vinegar does not quite do the job you need the concentrated
laboratory grade vinegar which you can find in most local nurseries
but what most people don't realize about vinegar is that
only kills the top growth not the roots so after you pulled the weed
you need to wait until it re-grows before you spray it with vinegar
if the weed has a large root system it may take several treatments but just
keep at it
eventually the plant will use up all the stored carbohydrates in its roots and
it won't go back
you'll still need to dig out as much of the dead plant as possible
from the crack since anything left behind will serve as a nice little base
for a new weed to grow
which leads me back to my pet peeve this whole situation can be avoided by simply
making sure
that dirt and organic debris normally lawn clippings
don't build up in those cracks. After mowing make sure to blow or sweep
all of the stray lawn clippings out of those cracks. Weeds don't break through
solid concrete from the ground below
they sprout from seeds that have landed on the miniscule amount of organic
matter that's blown to that crack
obviously if the hardscape is actually broken plants can creep in from below
the exposed ground
but I'm talking about naturally depressed areas where blowing dirt
lands is not easily gotten out and this seems like the perfect opportunity to
remind everyone
when blowing your lawn clippings of the driveway and sidewalk
don't blow them out into the street blow them back onto your lawn
not only will nutrients be added back to this soil as the clippings breakdown
you also keep organic matter out of our stormwater system
where it doesn't belong. Our plant this week is artichoke
a yummy vegetable and a lovely addition to your garden. Artichoke plants get quite
large
about three feet tall and wide so give them plenty of space
and they need bright sun to grow and bloom so don't plant them in shady spots
soil type is also important to help the artichokes
they need good drainage and deep fertile soils. Whether you have loose sandy soil
or heavy clay
be sure to amend it with lots of good quality compost. Artichokes need a large
healthy root system in order to support healthy top growth
and strength to hold those heavy blooms are you looking for Green Globe
is a good variety for Central Texas it performs well in our heat
and takes about a hundred and fifty days to get to harvest but you may not want
to harvest your artichokes
if those blooms are left on the plant and allowed to open
the flower is quite striking a deep vibrant purple
artichoke flowers are some of the beefiest around. Artichoke plants are perennial
so they'll return most seasons unless we have a harsh winter
most will freeze if temperatures drop into the 20s
in our increasingly hot dry Central Texas summers
the plants will struggle a bit and the blooms may suffer regular irrigation will
help to put your artichokes on a drip system
our viewer picture this week comes from Henry Schwartz
for generations his family has gone about a hundred juju trees on
their property
Thanks Henry! We'd love to hear from you so please visit klru.org/ctg
and send us your questions and plants of the week from your garden