Top Q&A Homeowner Questions

March 2008

Q. Lawns?

Lawns have it, without question, as the most asked about topic on the Hotline in Marches past.  And not just grass, but questions about all sorts of irritating intruders including moles, voles, onions, garlic, clover and violets. . Warm weekend days of early spring call us off the couch.

Do you know your soil’s pH? A soil test determines the amounts of lime, phosphorus, and potassium needed by your established lawn.  Now is an excellent time to call Forsyth Co. Cooperative Extension and ask for a soil sample kit or several - 336.703.2852. Follow this link for more information on soil testing:

While waiting for it to arrive, take the time to read, “Carolina Lawns, a Guide to Maintaining Quality Turf in the Landscape” http://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/pubs/extension/CarolinaLawnsAccessible.pdf  (It takes a few minutes to load). This very informative brochure discusses lawn making in detail, including site preparation, seed selection, fertilization requirements, and pest control.

Q. What are these tunnels in my yard?

You might have voles, you might have moles.  Read further: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/gaston/Pests/voles.html

This engaging article distinguishes among vegetarian voles which eat bulbs, gnaw roots and girdle woody stemmed plants and carnivorous moles which tunnel tirelessly after grubs, beetles and other insects.  Moles make the tunnels(left) and voles often travel in them.

Moles(left)are a protected species, no lethal tactics are permitted the gardener.  Voles(right) may be caught in mousetraps if only they will take the bait.

Q. How can I get rid of the onions! in my yard?

Rett Davis, the former Extension Director in Alamance County, replied on the NCSU website in March, 2006 to the oft-asked question as follows: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/alamance/gardening/2006/march/26.html

Question:
My lawn is full of wild onions. I have heard there is a time of the year you can mow them and they will bleed to death. When is that?

Answer:
I have been mowing wild garlic and wild onions since I was 8 years old. I am still mowing them some 47 years later. It is obvious that I have not yet discovered that magical time frame for killing them with my lawn mower. Because mowing has no effect on the health or well being of these weeds, we resort to using herbicides to rid our lawns of this tough perennial weed. There are many good broadleaf herbicides on the market that will kill onions. The ones that contain 2,4-D as one of their active ingredients will work great. The key to success is adding a surfactant such as Herbi 0il or a liquid soap to the mix.

Onions and garlic have a waxy leaf that stands horizontally in the lawn. Therefore most chemicals just roll off the leaf. Adding Herbi Oil or several ounces of a liquid soap after you have mixed up your spray will allow the herbicide to stick to the leaf. Do not mow your lawn for 3 days after spraying. Repeat next year and you will slowly win this battle.