Top Q&A Homeowner Questions

April 2008

In April the Hotline receives many lawn related questions.  Various weeds, “little mounds in the lawn,” crabgrass, wild onions, violets and grubs pose eternal problems for piedmont gardeners.  It’s just human nature to want a perfect lawn, but nature itself conspires.

Q. What are the purple flowers blooming all over my lawn?

A.  It’s probably henbit, an aggravating late winter annual weed.

Gardening Tips: Controlling Flowering Weeds in the Lawn
Matthew Stevens, Cooperative Extension agent in Halifax County suggests some products to help control this herbaceous pest as well as others. Timing is important because once the flowers go to seed, (usually by mid March) the cycle is reset for the following year.  Note that he points out that the best control is to “grow a healthy stand of grass.” We’re all trying!  He also suggests hand pulling the weeds, which works in small yards, perhaps.

From a sustainability point of view, however, naturalizing your lawn by taking grass out of production is a “greener” solution than applying chemicals or getting worked up over weeds, especially in the current drought conditions.  Consider planting more drought tolerant shrubs, trees and bird and butterfly attracting plants and cultivating less grass. The birds and the butterflies will sooth your nerves.

Q. What are those little mounds in my lawn?

A.  This is the mole/vole question answered in March’s Q&A along with the wild onion question.  March Q&A

Q. How do you mulch lawn clippings?

A.  Wow, this is easy.  Instead of collecting grass clippings in the catch basket of your lawn mower or raking after mowing, let the cut grass lie, die and reinvigorate the lawn by breaking down on the spot.  The more organic material you can introduce to your yard, the better. Danny Lauderdale, Horticultural Agent in Pitt County, NC offers many reasons why “grasscycling” is a good idea. Not only is keeping your clippings at home a renewable gift to your grass, it keeps the clippings out of the landfill, which is prohibited by North Carolina law.

You will note he suggests alternatively that you compost the clippings. Composting kitchen scraps and leaves from the yard yields wonderful organic matter for your garden beds. Composting is an easy and earth friendly activity to cultivate with children.  Composting will be featured in this space in May.  http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/pitt/ag/hort/releases2000/newsmay7.