Gardening Q&A

Q:I would like to have a nice lawn next year and I need to know what to do and when. I had my soil tested last year and added lime over fall and winter I believe my soil is good now. I have a wide variety of weeds mixed with grass. Should I apply a fertilizer with weed control now, then aerate closer to Labor Day following up with reseeding? How long after I aerate should I apply the seed and what type would you recommend for our area?

Answer: In mid-August, hit those weeds with something like glyphosate. Since most lawn weed killers prohibit you from planting grass seed for four to six weeks, glyphosate will allow you to plant seven days after application. Once the weeds start turning brown, you can aerate and plant grass seed. You can also apply a starter fertilizer the same day. The idea is to get the seed and fertilizer to drop into those aeration holes. Not only will you get better germination, but you'll also reduce the chances of the fertilizer running off.

If you can water just enough to get the top ¼ inch of soil wet every day for a week, your seed will germinate in seven to 10 days. Once the seed is up, you can switch to deep watering every three of four days for a couple of weeks to get the roots established.

Four weeks after the seedlings have sprouted, apply a second application of fertilizer. In this case, use a lawn maintenance fertilizer like 16-4-8 or 24-6-12 or 20-5-10. You can make your final application of fertilizer around Thanksgiving, using a winterizer fertilizer. This will normally have a higher third number, as potassium helps with plant health and winter hardiness of grass.

As for the type of seed, I suggest a mixture of two or three turf type fescues. Most garden centers have a mix that they recommend. In fact, several local garden centers have mixes specially packaged to meet their specifications.

The last thing to watch for is the emergence of winter annual weeds like chickweed and henbit. If you have lots of weeds now, you probably had some of these last winter. The seeds they dropped will germinate in September and grow along with your new grass. After you have mowed your new seedlings three times, you can apply a broadleaf herbicide to kill these young tender weeds. You should be doing this by late October or early November. I prefer a liquid weed killer rather that one included as granules in fertilizers. Liquids give you better surface coverage of these tiny weed seedlings.

Q:I have an oak tree that recently started seeping sap on one section near its base. Bees are swarming around it and the area appears to have lost some of its bark. I wonder if this was a sign of a pending problem. After Isabelle, it's the only large tree I have left in my yard and so, I don't want to lose it.

Answer: The oozing you're seeing looks like it is from a bacterial infection called Slime Flux, commonly known as "wet wood." The bacterium clogs up the conductive tissue in that area of the tree and causes the sap to build up pressure. While it's clogged, the sap ferments. When it finally finds a weak place, it starts oozing out of the tree. The fermented sap has a strong odor that attracts bees and hornets. One spot like this is not a serious problem. You should leave it alone and allow it to ooze on its own. Once the oozing has stopped completely, some arborists recommend removing the wet area that will be left. Trees can live for years with one or two spots like this. However, as the number of oozing spots increases, so does the likelihood that this tree is in serious danger. Since this tree is so important in your landscape, you might want to have a certified arborist examine it for you.

Q:I have two large butterfly bushes that need to be trimmed. When is the right time to do this and how much can I safely cut?

Answer: You can trim back butterfly bush anytime now. You can prune them all through the summer as the old blooms begin to fade. By removing the old blooms you'll stimulate more new growth and more new blooms. Butterfly bush should continue to flower right up to the first frost.

Richard Nunnally is a freelance writer and host of WCVE's monthly gardening show, "Virginia Home Grown." He can be contacted at .