Thank you for accessing Dial-a-Garden. This message was recorded on Monday, February 11, 2008.

As the snow recedes, check for soil moisture. Snow does not provide as much as we might think. Whether supplemental water is needed will depend on location, slope, and microclimate. Some areas are adequately moist, but others are remarkably dry just an inch or two below the surface. Trees and shrubs that have been planted in the last year or two and don’t have good root systems established yet are especially in need of winter water. Water on days when the air temperature is above freezing, early enough for the water to soak in before it freezes at nightfall. It may be necessary to apply water in short cycles to prevent runoff. Lawns, perennial beds, and established trees and shrubs will also benefit from this practice; please see our fact sheet at www.coopext.colostate.edu/TRA/PLANTS/wntrwtr.html for more detailed information.

If you missed them at Landscapes West, two books by Dr. Jeff Gillman are available for purchase at the Mesa County Extension office. Dr. Gillman, an associate professor of horticultural science at the University of Minnesota, has done considerable research on the myths and home remedies of garden care. The Truth about Garden Remedies and The Truth about Organic Gardening explain what does and does not actually work; either title is available for $12.95.

The Nebraska Weed Management guide is a very useful publication for anyone interested in current weed recommendations for field and vegetable crops and non-crop areas, information related to principles of weed management, and herbicide safety and use. It has a very thorough coverage of herbicides for weed management, and it also provides non-herbicide weed
management recommendations. Chapters include Principles of Weed Management, Human Safety and Environmental Stewardship, Application Equipment and Practices, Weed Control by Crop or System, Weed Control in Noncrop Areas, and Noxious and Troublesome Weeds. See http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/live/ec130/build/ec130.pdf for the 2008 issue of this annual publication.

Seedling trees may still be ordered this month, although a few varieties are sold out. The low-cost seedlings are provided by the Colorado State Forest Service for property owners with two or more acres of land, to be used for non-landscape purposes such as windbreaks, reforestation, or wildlife habitat. They come in bare-root lots of 50, or potted lots of 30. See the Forest Service’s website at http://csfs.colostate.edu for descriptions of the available choices. The seedlings will be available for pickup on April 30 in Grand Junction and May 1 in Delta and Montrose.

The home-use pesticide database at http://homeusepesticide.org is intended to help homeowners choose the best product for their particular pest management problem. Insect, mite, weed, plant disease, vertebrate, and slug/snail control options are included in the database. It was designed to be an easy to use interface to the most common pest control issues. Product labels are linked to when they are available. Product specific links are used when labels are not available. As pesticides are constantly changing, this database is updated each year.

Dial-a-Garden is available on the web at http://westernslopegardening.org or by e-mail as well as by phone at 244-1706. If you would like to receive the weekly message by e-mail, contact me at susan.rose@mesacounty.us or at 244-1841. Several times a year, you may not receive the e-mail due to my absence; on those occasions you may still access it on the web.

Thank you for accessing Dial-a-Garden. This message will be updated next week; have a great week!

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Curt Swift CSU Extension Tri River Area Horticultural Agent