Q: I have some bare spots in my Zoysia grass. Should I use sod or plugs to patch the holes?
A: Dead areas caused by damage or lack of water can be patched using sod or plugs. If it is a small area, I prefer the plugs because they have a well-developed root system and will take off quickly. Plant them about 12-16 inches apart for quick grow-in. Sod would be better if you have a larger area to cover. Sod pieces have had their roots cut away, so you will need to make sure they stay moist. The summer rains should help, but if the weather dries up, you will need to water the sod pieces every day for at least two weeks.
Thrifty gardeners make their own plugs by digging up 3-inch-by-3-inch squares of grass from a healthy area of the lawn and transplanting them to areas that are bare. These homemade plugs need to be watered regularly until they take off in a couple of weeks. If you have questions about your lawn or garden, contact the Marion County Master Gardener office at 671-8400.
Q: The weeds and stinkbugs are winning, and I am ready to give up my vegetable garden for the summer. What should I do to my raised beds now?
A: This is the step that many gardeners forget to do. If you aren't growing great summer crops like okra, sweet potatoes, and Seminole pumpkin, it is a good idea to put the garden to bed for a couple of months while you start your plans for the fall garden.
The first thing to do is to remove everything from the bed. Even though it looks like you might have one or two tomatoes or peppers trying to finish, pull them out.
The longer they stay in, the more insect and disease problems they will leave behind. Especially if you have had stinkbug or leaf footed plant bug problems, you need to get rid of their hiding places. Also, take out all the weeds. If the weeds stay in, then they make seeds that will be next season's weed problem.
Once everything is out, cover the soil with a layer of cardboard or newspaper, and put a 3-inch layer of leaves or mulch on top of the paper. This will effectively block the sun from reaching any weeds or weed seeds that were missed. When you are ready to plant in September, remove the mulch and the paper, work in some compost or aged manure into the soil, and you are ready to put in seeds or transplants.
Some gardeners choose to solarize their garden soil in the summer. Solarizing uses the heat from the sun to kill weed seeds and deter fungal and pest problems. To solarize your garden soil, remove all plants and weeds and moisten the soil. Cover the area with 3 mm or thicker of clear plastic. Weigh the plastic down with boards and bricks to ensure a tight cover. In the summer, temperatures under the plastic will rise to at least 120 degrees. It needs to get this hot to kill off the pests and weeds. Leave the plastic in place for at least six weeks. Then remove the plastic and compost or manure, and you are ready to plant for the fall garden.
For more information about solarizing your soil, visit the UF/IFAS Extension website at www.solutionsforyourlife.com.
Wendy Wilber is an extension agent with UF/IFAS. Email her at wlwilber@ifas.ufl.edu.
Thrifty gardeners make their own plugs by digging up 3-inch-by-3-inch squares of grass from a healthy area of the lawn and transplanting them to areas that are bare. These homemade plugs need to be watered regularly until they take off in a couple of weeks.
The fact is, there is nothing that you can plug in that will reduce your electricity usage and lower your household power bill. The problem with these scams is that they often rely on a grain of truth, which is why they come across as believable.
Grass plugs are excellent for repairing minor lawn damage from insects, disease or pet urine. First, resolve the underlying issue by using appropriate treatments. After addressing the cause, installing plugs in the damaged areas helps your lawn quickly regain its lush appearance.
Keep the area wet for the first two weeks, then slowly reduce watering, but keep the ground moist. After the fourth week, soak the area once or twice per week until the plugs have completely covered the area. This additional watering will keep the plugs actively growing and spreading as quickly as possible.
First, test and prepare your soil to plant grass plugs, remove weeds and adjust pH. Choose a suitable grass type and measure your lawn. Moisten the soil, drill holes 6-18 inches apart, fertilize with phosphorus-rich fertilizer and plant the plugs level with the ground.
Dirty electricity, also called electrical pollution, is high-frequency voltage transients riding along the 50 or 60 Hz electricity provided by the electric utilities. It is generated by arcing, by sparking and by any device that interrupts current flow, especially switching power supplies.
When your devices are plugged in but not in use, they consume electricity, known as the phantom effect. As a result, unplugging those devices can save electricity. Do not worry about unplugging every gadget; simply plug what you can into a power strip so you can unplug less.
If you have a few damaged or bare spots in your yard due to shade, disease or maybe even insects, then plugs or overseeding may be a much more practical option. If you plan on replacing your entire front yard or need a much more significant amount of grass, sod or seed can both serve as practical options.
After creating your grid, use an auger — a spiral-shaped power tool for drilling holes in the ground — to make the slots for your grass plugs. Be careful not to dig too deep, though; each plug top should be at ground level. A hole of about 1 ¼ inches, or no deeper than the root ball, should do it.
Plugs reduce runoff, cut down on thatch overgrowth, and nourish soil so that your grass always grows green and healthy. Because spike aeration only temporarily loosens the soil, the overly compacted soil it creates over time only yields sickly grass prone to disease.
to lay out fresh sod on prepared ground, water it in for. 2-3 weeks until the sod roots in and then transplant. That way, you're cutting sod plugs that will fit.
Should You Leave Plugs on the Ground After Aerating? The answer is a resounding yes. These soil plugs are essential to the lawn's health and should be left to decompose naturally. Over time, they will break down and release valuable nutrients back into the soil, which is essential for your grass's growth.
Zoysia, Bermuda, and Centipede are common sod grasses that can be plugged because of their ability to spread. We don't recommend plugging St. Augustine, because it tends to fall apart too easily during the process.
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