{"id":20277,"date":"2025-12-14T01:24:54","date_gmt":"2025-12-14T01:24:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sandonspaldingstaging.com\/DirtDr\/dirt_doctor_radio\/weekly-radio-broadcast-april-6-2017\/"},"modified":"2025-12-14T01:24:54","modified_gmt":"2025-12-14T01:24:54","slug":"weekly-radio-broadcast-april-6-2017","status":"publish","type":"dirt_doctor_radio","link":"https:\/\/sandonspaldingstaging.com\/DirtDr\/dirt_doctor_radio\/weekly-radio-broadcast-april-6-2017\/","title":{"rendered":"Weekly Radio Broadcast April 6 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Weekly Radio Broadcast – April 6, 2017<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

\nQ: The problem was shepherds crook and you mentioned that apart from spraying them with hydrogen peroxide, I should expose the flares. Here are the photos showing you how I exposed them. E. B. Montgomery, IL<\/p>\n

A: Your trees are still far too deep in the ground. Don’t worry that the soil removal will hurt the trees. It will do just the opposite. The trees will have a big sigh of relief and grow better than ever this season.<\/p>\n

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Q: I am the coordinator for our school garden. We have ten planting beds measuring 4 feet by 16 feet that are outlined with landscape bricks. The pathways between the ten beds are decomposed granite. The granite was used to make a clean mud free area for the children to stand while working the beds. We have the unending task of constantly pulling weeds and grasses especially Bermuda from the walkways, even though the granite is 2 inches thick. Would we be better off putting thick layers of mulch in the walkways or using paving tiles to completely cover the areas in the walkways. The entire outside perimeter of the garden is surrounded by a concrete sidewalk. Our soil is black land and dries out quickly and becomes very difficult to work. Which method would help us retain better moisture and manage the weed problem? T. J. Denton, TX<\/p>\n

\nA: You didn’t mention bed prep so let\u2019s cover that first. The black soil can be made friable and productive by mixing into it the organic amendments – compost, lava sand, green sand or Magic Sand, cornmeal, dry molasses and organic fertilizer. My favorite fertilizers are those that contain alfalfa meal. Weeds can get started in the decomposed granite because it contains some clay and has pretty good plant nutrition. They can be controlled by spraying the vinegar herbicides regularly and\/or using the push\/pull hoes. That’s what I do in our walkways. The other option is to dig the granite out and use it in the bed mix. It works well. Then you could use the shredded tree trimmings for the walkways and that may be a better choice. I wouldn’t just cover the granite and weeds because they will survive and grow up through the mulch.\n<\/p>\n

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Q: Will beneficial nematodes keep chiggers from getting in the yard. I used sulfur pellets last year to no avail. Should one use sulfur yearly. Which nematodes are best to order? K. B. Dallas, TX<\/p>\n

\nA: The nematodes will help with the chiggers and the suppliers can advise you on the best species to use. They will all work to a degree but some may be better than others. The good news is that they will also help with several other pests. Sulfur powder will work better than the pellets but using sulfur of any kind on regular basis can be damaging to the soil. The other approach to consider is the spraying of essential oil products. They are non-toxic and very effective on chiggers and mites that are sometimes the real culprits.\n<\/p>\n

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Q: What is a good all around pest control solution for a couple of acres. I live on 5 acres and would like to treat the area around the house and spot treat the rest for ants and other bugs. I have a 26 gallon spay rig to mix any liquid if that is what is recommended. J. S. Dallas, TX<\/p>\n

\nA: Sounds like you’ve been listening to the TV ads too much. Using any kind of product – toxic or otherwise to “kill all the bugs” is the last thing that I recommend. I start all my pest control lectures will the strong comment that trying to kill all the insects on a property is the wrong approach. Stimulating the life on the property is the much better approach. When rich biodiversity exists, the good guys control the bad guys. The beneficial microbes, insects, lizards, toads, birds, etc., do a great job of controlling the pests. Then as certain pests pop up, they can be controlled with specific treatments. For example – applying dry molasses will get rid of the fire ants, Bt and spinosad will get the caterpillars, seaweed will handle the spider mites, and kaolin clay will run off the grasshoppers. The two general treatments I do recommend are biological. They are beneficial nematodes and trichogramma wasps. They control many pests and do not hurt the beneficials on the site. Working with nature is a much better way to go. For your sprayer in general I recommend using Garrett Juice. The mixture you can blend yourself is as follows: <\/p>\n

\nGarrett Juice Concentrate:\n<\/p>\n