Controlling Summer Weeds

Late spring's warmer weather brings on summer's most troublesome weeds. Before you know it, they're competing with desirable plants, robbing them of light, water and nutrients. They also look terrible, clogging the straight rows of vegetable and flower beds, messing up new planting of ground cover, and finding every crack and crevice in walkways, paths and driveways. There are many ways to control weeds, including pulling them by hand, mulching, cultivating regularly and using landscape fabrics.

But for quick and effective weed control use Bayer Advanced™ PowerForce® Grass & Weed Killer Concentrate (product discontinued). Some weeds, like Bermuda grass, clover, Dallis grass and so many more, are just too tough for mechanical means of control. Besides, most of the methods mentioned above take time, which many of us don't have.

Bayer Advanced™ PowerForce® Grass & Weed Killer Concentrate (product discontinued) kills unwanted weeds, grasses and vines down to the roots and provides visible results within 24 hours. And it includes SmartTrack, a nonstaining marker that shows exactly which weeds have been treated. Bayer Advanced™ PowerForce® Grass & Weed Killer Concentrate (product discontinued) can be used on and around walkways, driveways and patios; in flower, vegetable and herb gardens; and around fences, buildings, trees and shrubs. It even kills tough woody weeds like poison oak, poison ivy and blackberry. As always, read the label carefully before using.

Online Personal Garden Calendar

BayerAdvanced.com has just launched a powerful new planning tool which can be used to help plan your lawn and garden care tasks throughout the year.

You can create a personalized account using your e-mail and location information. The location information is used to help deliver relevant lawn and garden advice based on your specific region. Once logged in, you will be able to schedule tasks to occur on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly or even yearly basis, and you have the option to send reminders via e-mail. Each month's calendar and a detailed task list can also be printed out so that you have the information on-hand when you're not online.

Protecting Plants from Insects and Disease

Good cultural practices and selecting well-adapted species will go a long way in preventing landscape plants from being attacked by insects and diseases. For example, watering roses at their base without wetting the foliage will help minimize black spot, the most troublesome disease of roses in many parts of the country. And over-fertilizing, whether it be of lawns, roses or trees, is known to invite both insects and disease. Good sanitation – just cleaning up prunings and other plant debris that may harbor insects or disease – will also reduce problems.

Choosing plants that are well adapted to the area in which you live as well as to the exact spot in your garden (sun or shade, wet or dry) where you will plant them, will also help minimize pests. Simply put, healthy plants have fewer problems. And many plants, including flowers, trees and roses, are available in varieties that have been selected or bred to resist known insects or diseases. For example, did you know there are varieties of roses, zinnias and crape myrtles that naturally resist powdery mildew? But despite a gardener's best intentions, pest problems inevitably occur. Bayer Advanced offers a variety of effective systemic (active ingredients are absorbed into plant tissues) pest control options for flowers worthy of summer review. Indoor plants should be sprayed or treated outside, then brought back inside once dry.

Bayer Advanced™ All-In-One Rose & Flower Care Concentrate’s exclusive formula feeds and protects against insects and diseases in one easy step. It provides six weeks of protection against major disease problems, including black spot, powdery mildew and rust, of roses, hibiscus, and other flowers and shrubs. It also controls many insect pests, including aphids, adult Japanese beetles, lace bugs, scales, thrips and whitefly. No spraying necessary; just mix in a bucket or watering can and pour around the base of the plant. Root uptake starts the systemic process that distributes the product throughout the plant.

Bayer Advanced™ Disease Control for Roses, Flowers & Shrubs Concentrate cures, stops and prevents plant diseases. The systemic formula provides rainproof protection against most common plant diseases such as anthracnose, black spot, flower blight, powdery mildew, rust, scab and southern blight. It can be used on roses and other flowers, including azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons, landscape trees and shrubs, ground covers, vines and houseplants.

Bayer Advanced™ Tree & Shrub Insect Control Concentrate is the only tree and shrub insect control that provides 12 months of protection with one application. It contains the proprietary MERIT® systemic insecticide for maximum, rainproof results. No spraying is required; just mix and pour at the base of the tree or shrub. It controls many insect pests, including adelgids, aphids, adult Japanese beetles, lace bugs, leaf-feeding beetles, psyllids, scales, thrips, whitefly and many wood-boring pests. Bayer Advanced™ 12 Month Tree & Shrub Protect & Feed also contains MERIT plus a slow-release fertilizer. It comes in ready-to-use granules and can be used on container plants.

Bayer Advanced™ 3-in-1 Insect, Disease & Mite Control Ready-To-Use’s exclusive triple-protection formula provides long-lasting control against insects, diseases and mites in one easy step. Systemic, rainproof protection lasts up to 30 days. It kills insects, cures and prevents diseases, and controls mites and spider mites. Bayer Advanced™ 3-in-1 Insect, Disease and Mite Control can be used on roses, flowers, houseplants, ground covers, vines, ornamentals, shrubs and trees. It comes in ready-to-use and concentrate.

Bayer Advanced™ Dual Action Rose & Flower Insect Killer Ready-To-UseReady-To-Use is the only systemic, ready-to-use insecticide available. It comes in a convenient, ready-to-use sprayer. It contains fast-acting cyfluthrin, which kills pests on contact, and MERIT®, for 30 days of rainproof, systemic protection. Use it on flowers, roses, shrubs and trees to control adelgids, aphids, adult Japanese beetles, bagworms, boxelder bugs, lace bugs, leaf-feeding beetles and caterpillars, psyllids, scales, thrips and whitefly.

A Barrel Full of Fresh Herbs

Fresh herbs can turn the simplest recipe into something extraordinary. Whether you simply sprinkle thyme over grilled fish or chicken, add oregano to summer salads or use basil to enliven pasta, fresh herbs add bright flavors that can only come directly from the garden. And it doesn't have to be a big garden. Many herbs are perfect for growing in pots. Here's a recipe for creating a beautiful and bountiful herb garden in a wine or whiskey half-barrel.

First, make sure the barrel has drainage holes. If not, drill 10 to 15 1/2-inch holes in the bottom. Next, fill the barrel with a quality potting soil.

Wet the soil and begin planting. Around the outside of the barrel, plant sprawling herbs like lemon or silver thyme, variegated sage or compact oregano. As the plants grow, they'll cascade over the edge of the barrel. Within the perimeter of spreading herbs, plant parsley or basil (for unique color, try purple basil). In the middle of the barrel, plant feathery dill or bronze fennel. For a little more color, throw in a few dwarf marigolds wherever there is space.

All these herbs grow best in full sun, and you'll have to water the barrel regularly, especially during warm weather. Within a month, you'll not only have a beautiful container, you'll also have wonderful fresh flavors at your fingertips.

Caring for Newly Planted Trees

Young trees require special attention if you want them to become long-lived landmarks in your landscape. First, make sure they get proper water. After planting, construct double, concentric watering basins. The first should be just outside the rootball and the second about two feet outside that. Fill the inner basin with water to wet the rootball and use the outer one to wet the surrounding soil. Until the roots of the tree extend into the native soil, the inner circle will have to be filled with water most often, possibly more than once a week in hot weather. The outer circle can be filled less often. After the first year the inner circle can be taken down. When you water, make sure the water penetrates the entire rooting area. This means filling a 6- to 8-inch-high basin two or three times.

Remove any tightly attached stakes that came with the tree from the nursery. If the tree can't stand upright on its own (an unstaked tree develops a stronger trunk) or if it needs protection, pound in two sturdy stakes on opposite sides of the trunk but outside the rootball. Secure the trunk to each post with flexible ties (cloth or plastic). The tree should not be tied so tightly that it can't sway somewhat in the wind.

To protect young trees from insects, including borers and scale, apply Bayer Advanced™ Tree & Shrub Insect Control Concentrate. One application protects for up to 12 months. To feed and protect, use Bayer Advanced™ Tree & Shrub Protect & Feed Granules.