Conifers suffer in yo-yo weather

By Bev Johnson | The Daily Journal

Published Saturday, May 17, 2008

You say your evergreens are now green and brown and you are wondering what the heck happened. Blame our winter.

On days when it was warm, the conifers thought spring was here and attempted to grow.

They began to transpire. If they were people, we would say they started to sweat.

Because the ground was frozen, they were not able to replace that fluid so the needles froze when the temps dropped at night. Basically, the needles freeze-dried.

So what should you do? Wait before you do anything. Some of the needles may come back.

Also, the buds weren't frozen so the branches may have green tips when the candles sprout.

If the branch still looks bad by the end of the month, cut them off.

Here is a heads up from the Star Tribune whistle blower: The EPA has ordered Scotts to stop selling "Garden Weed Preventer + Plant Food" and "SLS Fertilizer with .28 Halts."

"These products have not been registered with the EPA and are labeled with invalid EPA registration numbers.

The EPA has not reviewed any information about the safety of these products. Pesticide products must be registered with the EPA to protect public health and the environment."

So what should you do if you think you have one of these unregistered products? First, check the EPA number on the label.

The numbers 62355-4 on the weed prevention products or 538=304 on the SLS fertilizer, are invalid numbers.

Don't use it, take it back to the store you bought it from. If you have any questions, call 888-838-1304 to talk to an EPA pesticide specialist. Unfortunately, all the EPA can do is issue a stop order and fine Scotts $6,500 each time an improperly registered pesticide is distributed, a slap on the wrist at most.

This is another good reason to use corn gluten meal for your weed and feed. It is totally natural and adds nutrients to your soil with each use.

Most chemical weed and feed products do eventually damage your soil and they certainly add nothing good to it.

Now is the time to do weed control.

For crabgrass, do another application when the lilacs begin to bloom. That is when the crabgrass seeds start to sprout.

Sprouting is controlled by soil temperature. Wait to plant corn until the soil temp is 55.

Beans need a soil temp of 60 degrees. Planting too early will result in rotted seeds. Invest in a soil thermometer.

It will save you money in the long run and you won't have to sit, bare behind, on your garden to test for temperature.

Bev Johnson is a master gardener for West Otter Tail County.