How To Buy Quality Seed

During the cooler months of fall and winter, we can be carried away by the pretty seed packets we see in the store - but don't!

You're usually better off using the stores to get ideas, and then use seed catalogs to compare prices and see what's new for the year.

Seed catalogs also give you more information about what you're buying and have a quality guarantee that most stores don't have.

Overall, here are four tips on how to buy quality seed:

1. Check The Date: If you do decide to buy seeds in the store, and not a catalog, make sure the current year is stamped on the envelope. If the date is not current, then don't buy it, because fresh seed germinates better and more reliably than old seed.

2. Know The Difference Between Pelleted and Untreated Seed: Pelleted seed has been coated so the seeds are easier to handle and plant. Seeds that have been pelleted can look bigger than they actually are, so the packets may not really have that many seeds, they just look big. Read seed packets and catalogs carefully so you're not disappointed if you end up with fewer seeds than you expected.

3. Look For Disease Resistance: If you have plants that regularly get certain diseases like powdery mildew or rust, look for disease-resistant cultivars. Compare several seed catalogs to see what they carry and find the best choices for your situation.

4. Know What Labels Mean: Some labels will have special names on them like: All-America Selections Winner, or Gold Ribbon Selection.

All American Selections Winner means that it has received an award for excellence after being tested in trial grounds throughout the United States and Canada. To receive the award, the cultivar must perform well around the entire country, so you have a good chance it is going to do well for you in your area. This doesn't mean it will be the best cultivar for your garden, you mind find other cultivars that do better, but it is a sign of excellence.

Gold Ribbon Winner means it is a professional-grade product, and usually a high-priced hybrid that has some exceptional qualities to make it better than other seed.

Overall, read the information about seed carefully, and if you do buy from a catalog, the good news is that you can always contact them for more information and help in choosing what is going to perform really well for you.

Next week, we're going to talk about how many seeds per packet you can expect.

For more Gardening Tips and Gardening Advice visit our main gardening website at Weekend Gardener Monthly Web Magazine - www.weekendgardener.net

Have good week!

Grass Types Growing And Picture Guide

In order to get a jump on next year's lawn care needs, we just finished a comprehensive guide, that includes great pictures, detailing all the different grass types so you can grow that perfect lawn.

For some of you, now is a great time to start seeding and establishing a lawn, others will have to wait a few more months, but whenever the weather is perfect for you, the information is here.

When you want that perfect lawn, keep two very impportant things in mind:

1. Know your climate variations. When you know what the climate is like in your area, you can better choose a grass that will do well for you.

2. Honestly assess what you are going to use your lawn for.

Will it be used for the kids and a play area?
Will it be used as a sports field?
Will it be used simply for looks around your garden area?
Will it have pets on it?
Will you be parking on it?

Once you have thought about it, then you can combine your two most important requirements: your climate and your needs, and choose the grass that matches best.

The following chart lists some of the major grasses:

To see all Grass Types

Cool-Season Grasses

Creeping Bentgrass

Canada Bluegrass

Kentucky Bluegrass

Rough Bluegrass

Perennial Ryegrass

Fine Fescues

Tall Fescue

Wheatgrass

Warm-Season Grasses

Bahiagrass

Blue Gramagrass

Buffalograss

Centipedegrass

Bermudagrass

St. Augustinegrass

Zoysiagrass

For more Gardening Tips and Gardening Advice visit our main gardening website at Weekend Gardener Monthly Web Magazine - www.weekendgardener.net

Have good week!

How To Remove Tree Sap

Trying too remove tree sap, depending upon what it is stuck to can be hard!

At this time of year, working with trees and greens for holiday arrangements, hauling wood, or setting up the yearly Christmas tree, you can end up with sap stuck just about anywhere.

The good new is that even though each type of tree has a different type of sap, they all have similar properties, and there are multiple safe ways to get rid of it.

Here are some quick tips to get rid of the sticky stuff from your hands, hair, clothes, and car:

How To Remove Tree Sap From Your Hands:

1. Mayonnaise
Simply rub mayonnaise on your hands and then wash it off with warm soap and water.

2. Mineral Spirits or Paint Thinner
Grab an old rag or a paper towel and pour some of the mineral sprits or paint thinner onto the rag. Hold it against the sap for a moment, then dab and rub gently, turning the rag as you go to wipe the sap off. Then wash your hands well with soap and warm water

Remove Tree Sap From Your Hair:

The key to getting rid of tree sap from your hair is to get it while it's fresh. As the sap hardens, it become increasingly difficult to get it out.

Also, it's important to let anything that is applied to the hair "sit" for an extended period of time. The longer that a product is applied to the sap, the better the chances will be of removing it.

1. All-natural peanut butter
Oilier peanut butters tend to work better. Cover the area fully. Using a hair dryer or other heating device, apply warm heat to the peanut butter until it begins to soften. Then, using a straight-toothed comb, pull the softened peanut butter through the hair. Rinse out with hot water.

2. Mayonnaise, Crisco, or other shortenings
The oils in the mayonnaise help to break down the sap's hard consistency, making it easier to remove. Allow the mayonnaise to sit on the area for several minutes, then rinse.

3. Pure soaps, such as Ivory
Work the area into a rich lather, rinse with warm water, and repeat until the sap has been removed.

4. Baking soda
Apply the baking soda to a warm, damp rag and rub the affected area vigorously until the sap dissolves.

5. Pine oil can dramatically cut tree sap
This product can usually be found at natural food stores, homeopathy stores, or herbal retailers.

6. Any grease-cutting dish detergents will also do the trick

Remove Tree Sap From Your Clothing:

1. Hand sanitizer
This works really well and in just a matter of minutes! All you need to do is simply squeeze it onto the area, and start to rub. If it is really stubborn, you can scratch at it with your fingernail, but in most cases this won't be necessary. Be sure to apply enough, so don't be stingy, your clothes are at risk here. Works well on on fleece, polyester, cotton, just about everything except silk, or leather, so be careful.

2. For leather (Jackets, skirts, motorcycle seats) its still fairly easy, just use a little peanut butter (do NOT use chunky). Rub it into the leather. Don't be afraid of rubbing this in, the oil will also act a bit like a conditioner for the leather. You will notice within minutes, the tree sap will be gone! Now take some warm soapy water and wash the peanut butter off.

3. Plumbers hand cleaner
Removes dried tree sap from clothing in snap.

Remove Tree Sap From Your Car:

If there is a large amount of sap on the car, or if the sap has been left on the finish for an extended period of time, it can be a lot of work to remove.

The goal is to use the least pressure possible to reduce the risk of scratching the paint. After removing heavy sap, always buff the treated areas with a good polish to clean up any marks created during hand-rubbing with solvent. The treated area must also be re-waxed.

1. Finger nail polish remover on a cotton ball
After the sap is removed, make a paste of water and baking soda to wash the affected area, then apply wax.

2. Mineral sprits (it will also remove tar)
Use a soft, terry towel, or wash cloth dampened with mineral sprits. After removal, wash the car and apply wax to the affected area.

3. Rainx

4. Bacon grease or lard
Just rub it on, and off comes the sap.

5. Automotive clay
As you rub it across any type of surface (paint, glass, plastic, metal, rubber, vinyl) it instantly sticks-to and pulls-off all contamination that is stuck to the surface.

When you're finished claying your car, you should go over it with a pre-wax cleaner to finish cleaning the paint and restore essential oils. Then, protect your newly cleaned finish with one or more coats of rich wax.

Note: If you try any one of the above tricks on how to remove tree sap, please feel free to leave your comments on what you found most helpful and effective, including what type of tree sap you used it on, so we can keep making the list better for those of us who have sat, stepped, handled, or run into the darned stuff!

For more Gardening Tips and Gardening Advice visit our main gardening website at Weekend Gardener Monthly Web Magazine - www.weekendgardener.net

Have good week!

Remove Leaves From Lawn

Autumn leaves have been falling for a while, and if you haven't raked them up yet, now's the time to do so.

Lawns need to breathe, so don't let fallen leaves stay on your grass all winter, because they will mat down and can smother the grass underneath.

The best thing to do is rake them up and shred them, and if you have one, add them to your compost pile.

If you don't have a shredder, then chop up the dried leaves with your lawn mower. Just rake your leaves into a pile, and run your mower over them until they are shredded into small pieces.

For more Gardening Tips and Gardening Advice visit our main gardening website at Weekend Gardener Monthly Web Magazine - www.weekendgardener.net

Have good week!