backyard chicken coop lecture Sun| organic weed control

tel: 512-280-1192 Friday, Oct 19, 2012

Nursery notes: Lots on sale this week! 1 gallon aloe vera - $4.99

(reg. 9.99); 5 - 7 gal. macho ferns $24.99 (reg. $50); Boston fern

and charm begonia hanging baskets $4.99 (reg $14.99) 25% off all

bougainvillea & hibiscus. Lots of Fall Annuals too: bluebonnets

& calendula ($3.29 6/pk.); dianthus ($1.50 4" pot); Pansies &

Snapdragons ($3.99 jumbo 6/pk, $3.29 reg. 6/pk, $1.50 4" pot).

Free Lecture Sunday at 2 p.m. Backyard rolling chicken coops.

Learn all about the principles and practices of coop design and

construction from master carpenter Tom Colwell. (Oct 21)

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Ultimate Egg Salad: This chunky, herby egg salad makes believers

out of even those who think they hate egg salad, writes Elizabeth

Winslow (Edible Austin). Serve with crackers, whole grain or rye

bread. ultimate egg salad

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2012 Inside Austin Gardens Tour tomorrow (Sat): the spotlight

shines on seven gardens where vegetables and ornamentals 'elevate

each other to new heights of design.' (Renee Studebaker's garden

is part of the tour.) 9 am until 4 pm. Tickets: $20 to see all gardens,

or $5 per garden. (Purchase at the gardens.) edible gardens

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Our greenhouses are full of fall veggies right now. We have bok

choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage (early, napa & red), caul-

iflower, celery, collards, kale, lettuces, mustard greens, pak choi,

sorrel, spinach, Swiss chard... and lots more!

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Central Texas Gardener (KLRU-TV): a preview of the upcoming

Garden Conservancy tour, and a feature on the innovative designs of

Curt Arnette. Sat. noon, 4 p.m. or Sun. at 9 a.m. www.klru.

Corn gluten: natural 'weed and feed'

Earth-Friendly Weed Control

by Chris Winslow

For many gardeners, the easiest and most effective way to control

weeds is to grab a bag of ‘Weed and Feed’ and spread it over the

lawn.

The ‘weed’ part is an herbicide that kills unwanted lawn weeds

before they emerge. These products have names like Turflan and

Surflan, and when applied at the right time they control most turf

weeds for an entire season.

There are, however, problems with this approach… big problems.

These chemical controls are toxic. They will poison kids and pets

and songbirds… and anyone or anything that comes into contact

with them. They also contaminate surface water and groundwater.

Since most of us have kids and dogs and drink water from the

ighland lakes or wells, it is safe to say that these chemical herb-

icides are not a good idea.

However I do have some good news. There is a product called corn

gluten that’s organic and safe. It looks a lot like cornmeal, and is a

by-product of the cornmeal milling process.

Corn gluten contains natural chemical elements that stop seeds

from forming roots. For this product to work, the most important

thing is timing. You must spread it on before the winter/spring and

summer weeds germinate. For this fall it would be best to spread

it before mid-November.

There is another huge benefit. Corn gluten contains 9 % nitrogen

– so it also works as a ‘weed and feed.’ It helps to green up those

plants that are growing while stopping the weed roots from forming.

Use it also for weed control in flowerbeds and vegetable gardens. Just

let the marigolds and beans sprout first.

Happy Gardening everyone!

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The nursery sells 40 pound bags of corn gluten for $42.99

Visit the website: www.itsaboutthyme.com