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Do trees need water bags?

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Howard Garrett

Question: Are Treegators [slow-release watering bags for newly planted trees] good for the tree?

C.M., Athens

Answer: I don't like them. They look bad for one thing and, you're right, covering the base of the trunk and flare and keeping it wet is not good for the trees. When trees are planted correctly and watered in correctly, these kinds of devices are unnecessary. I don't like water rings either. Watering ring dikes don't cover the flares and trunks but they do cause maintenance problems and waste money.

Question: Does NoLo Bait work on grasshoppers that are feeding on my potted plants?

J.E. Dallas

Answer: NoLo Bait, which contains the protozoa Nosema locustae, is an effective biological pest-control product. It works best on grasshopper nymphs before they become voracious adults. The adults are best controlled with the kaolin clay product Surround WP or one of the essential-oil products.

Question: I have the luxury of starting from scratch with a new vegetable garden. The question is do I position it north to south or east to west? They will be contained raised beds.

S.M., Cross Roads

Answer: A north-south position is probably ideal but isn't critical.

Question: My wife and I argue about whether to plant on top of rows or in the bottom of the furrows. Who is right?

J.R., Richardson

Answer: The tops of the rows are for plants. Wheels and footsteps go in the furrows.

Question: What do you think about taking care to keep up soil quality and biology combined with judicially applied quantities of chemical fertilizers to supplement a plant’s needs? Chemical fertilizers could be applied by fertigation only when needed. I don't think applying small quantities would affect soil biology. Having high-quality soil combined with small doses should minimize run off.

L.S., Fort Worth

Answer: That would be OK if you are not trying to be organic. I wouldn't do it, however, because quality organic fertilizers normally provide all the nutrition plants need.

If you go that route, keep the synthetic fertilizer input to a minimum. By the way, liquid organic products such as Garrett Juice also can be applied by fertigation, the application of fertilizers, soil amendments and other water-soluble products through an irrigation system.

Question: Why do some suppliers of greensand not list the NPK on the bags while others list 0-0-1?

J.D., Dallas

Answer: Greensand, or any product that doesn’t have an NPK number on the bag, is being sold as a soil amendment, not a fertilizer. Once a product’s manufacturer makes claims about feeding plants or plant nutrients, it has to provide an NPK number. A product with 0-0-1 on the packaging means that the manufacturer guarantees 0 percent nitrogen (N), 0 percent phosphorous (P) and 1 percent potassium (K). These are guaranteed minimums. There are probably small amounts of phosphorus and potassium in the product but not enough to state a guaranteed minimum of 1 percent.




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