Do you need help deciding what plants to use in your landscape this spring? Post Rock Extension has resources for you! Visit our Recommended Plants Page to find lists of plants that have been trialed and tested to do well in our area. You will find everything from recommended vegetable varieties to the best shade trees.
https://hnr.k-state.edu/extension/horticulture-resource-center/recommended-plants/
By: Cassie Thiessen
The veggies we grow in the garden fit into two groups based on their temperature preferences: cool season and warm season crops.
Most cool season crops can be planted and will germinate when soil
temperatures average 45F. These include:
Most warm season crops will not germinate and should not be planted until soil temperatures are 55F – some even 60F. These veggies are:
We typically reach the 45F level about mid to late March and the 55F level about late April.
Unsure of the soil temperature in your area? K-State Mesonet Site is a great resource to find local soil temperatures. https://mesonet.k-state.edu/
By: Cassie Thiessen
The March edition of the K-State Garden Hour has been posted. If you are interested in learning more about how to care for houseplants and some fun new varieties, check out this recording.
By: Cassie Thiessen
Do you have small purple flowers popping up in your lawn? This is likely henbit, the broadleaf weed that actually germinates in fall and flowers in spring. Follow the link below to learn about the pros and cons of henbit:
Central Kansas Lawn & Garden Blog Post https://ckdgardens.com/2023/03/15/henbit-a-weed-with-benefits-2/
By: Cassie Thiessen
Container Gardening is easy and often less maintenance then having many flower beds. Container combinations should be carefully thought out to have a striking display. This video goes over how to care for flower container gardens and how to design them for all seasons.
By: Cassie Thiessen
Grassy sandbur is the “sticker” plant that looks like a grass. It will often invade thin lawns, especially in dry years. Therefore, the best control for this weed is a thick, healthy lawn. However, if your lawn is thin this spring and grassy sandbur was a problem last year, use a preemergence herbicide before the sandbur comes up. Not all preemergence herbicides are effective. The three products that can help minimize grassy sandbur are oryzalin, pendimethalin and prodiamine.
Oryzalin is sold under the trade names of Surflan and Weed Impede. It can be used on all warm-season grasses as well as tall fescue. It should not be used on cool-season grasses other than tall fescue such as Kentucky bluegrass. Oryzalin is also sold as a combination product with benefin as Green Light Amaze. As with oryzalin alone, it can be used on all warm-season grasses as well as tall fescue. It should not be used on cool-season grasses other than tall fescue such as Kentucky bluegrass. Apply Amaze or an oryzalin product about April 15 when redbud trees approach full bloom.
Pendimethalin is sold commercially as Pendulum as well as several other names. On the homeowner side, it is sold as Scotts Halts. Pendimethalin is best applied as a split application with the first half applied about April 15 and the second about June 1. Alternatively, make the first application when redbud trees approach full bloom and the second six weeks later.
Prodiamine is sold under the commercial name of Barricade. It is also sold as a homeowner product Howard Johnson Crabgrass Control Plus with 0.37 Prodiamine 00-00-07. It can be used on all of our common lawn grasses. Apply as is done for oryzalin, about April 15 or when redbud trees approach full bloom. Only one application is needed per year.
None of the “weed preventers” will give complete control but each should help. Quinclorac (Drive) can provide some postemergence control especially if the sandbur is in the seedling stage. Quinclorac is also found in a number of combination products that control both broadleaf weeds and crabgrass such as one of the following:
Ortho Weed-B-Gon Max + Crabgrass Control
BioAdvanced All-in-One Lawn Weed and Crabgrass Killer.
Monterey Crab-E-Rad Plus
Fertilome Weed Out with Crabgrass Killer
Trimec Crabgrass Plus Lawn Weed Killer
Bonide Weed Beater Plus Crabgrass & Broadleaf Weed Killer
Spectracide Weed Stop for Lawns Plus Crabgrass Killer
Again, the best control for grassy sandbur is a healthy, thick lawn.
By: Cassie Thiessen
The best time to fertilize spring-flowering bulbs is when foliage emerges in the spring rather than at flowering. Traditionally, gardeners have applied fertilizer during bloom or a bit after, but because bulb roots start to die at flowering, fertilizer applied at bloom is wasted.
Roots are active when the foliage first pokes through the ground. Nutrients applied then help the plant produce flowers the following year. If bulbs have been fertilized in the past, there is often plenty of phosphorus and potassium in the soil. It is best to take a soil test to be certain.
If the soil needs phosphorus and potassium, use a complete fertilizer (such as 10-10-10, 9-9-6, etc.) at the rate of 2.5 lbs. per 100 square feet. This would equal 1 rounded teaspoon per square foot. If phosphorus and potassium are not needed, blood meal makes an excellent fertilizer. It should be applied at the rate of 2 lbs. per 100 square feet or 1 teaspoon per square foot. Lawn fertilizers such as a 27-3-3 or 30-3-3 can be used, but cut the rate to a third of that applied for blood meal. Also make sure the lawn fertilizer does not contain a weed preventer or weed killer. Remember to leave the foliage until it dies naturally. The energy in the foliage is transferred to the bulb as the foliage dies and will help the bloom for the next year.
By: Cassie Thiessen
