Wells Brothers Pet, Lawn & Garden Supply
Home On-line Store Sitemap
Visit Us On FacebookVisit Us On YoutubeVisit Us On TwitterVisit Us On PinterestVisit Us On Instagram
  • About
  • Feeds
    • Pet Food & Supplies
      • Pet Food Loyalty Program
      • Pet Photo!
    • Small Animal Feeds
    • Horse
    • Livestock
    • Wildlife
  • Lawn/Gardening
    • Organic Gardening
    • Fertilizer & Chemicals
    • Soils & Mulch
    • Grass Seed
  • Farm Supply
    • Hay & Shavings
    • Fencing Supplies
    • Traps & Cages
  • Coupons
  • Specials
  • Contact
  • Resources
    • Blog
    • Newsletters
    • Videos

Archive for Blog

A Little July History

By Wells Brothers
Monday, June 20th, 2022

July History at Wells Brothers, Pet, Lawn & Garden Center.

July is a month rich in American History!  Brush up on your history knowledge and finish first at Trivia Pursuit when you read our July history blog!

July 1, 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg started during the American Civil War.

July 2, 1881, President James A. Garfield was shot and wounded as he entered a railway station in Washington, D.C. He died of his wounds on September 19th.

July 4, 1776, 56 men from different backgrounds gathered to sign the Declaration of Independence and ushered in the greatest nation on earth.

July 4, 1863, the stronghold of Vicksburg, Mississippi surrendered to General Grant.

July 7, 1898, a resolution annexing Hawaii was signed by President William McKinley.

July 8, 1776, Colonel John Nixon read the Declaration of Independence to an assembled crowd in Philadelphia. This was the first public reading.

July 16, 1945, the first Atomic Bomb was set off at 5:30 a.m. in the New Mexico desert creating a 41,000 ft. mushroom cloud.

July 18, 1863, Charleston, South Carolina saw the first use of Black Union Troops during the American Civil War.

July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 Astronaut Neil Armstrong took his first step onto the moon. He stepped onto the moon and proclaimed, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”.

July 27, 1953, The Korean war ended.

Categories : Blog, News & Updates

Chinch Bug Control Tips

By Wells Brothers
Wednesday, May 25th, 2022

Chinch Bug Control Tips from Wells Brothers, Pet, Lawn, and Garden Center.

Do you think it’s early to talk about the chinch bug? Chinch bugs like it hot and dry. That’s why the damage occurs in full sun, next to streets, driveways, and sidewalks. They prefer St. Augustine grass, but will also feast on Bermuda, Zoysia, and Centipede grass. Chinch bugs like it hot and dry. That’s why the damage occurs in full sun, next to streets, driveways, and sidewalks. Grass damaged by chinch bugs remains attached to its roots, unlike grub damage. Before you start spraying or spreading your insect killer of choice, you need to identify the cause of your problem.

The chinch bug is a surface-dwelling creature and it is easily detected. Remove the top and bottom of a steel coffee can (3 pounds if you can find one). Push it into the soil at the edge of the healthy and damaged grass and then fill it with water. Since they don’t like water they will swim to the top. If you see them, treat them.

Ok, you found chinch bugs. Now we start to control them. All-natural products include DE (Diatomaceous Earth), Beneficial Nematodes, or my favorite, orange oil. On the synthetic side, I like Kill-a-Bug (permethrin) and Cyonara spray (lambda-cyhalothrin). As always read and follow the label directions.

Come see us at Wells Brothers Pet, Lawn, and Garden Center for all your lawn and garden needs. We’re conveniently located at 5001 K. Ave in Plano, Texas.

 

Categories : Blog, Gardens, News & Updates

Nutsedge Control Options

By Wells Brothers
Wednesday, May 25th, 2022

Nutsedge control options at Wells Brother Pet, Lawn and GardenOne of the aggressive weeds in lawns, flower beds and gardens is nutsedge, aka nutgrass. Nutsedge has a distinctive three-angled stem that is tough and fibrous. It can persist in an environment for years until the conditions are right for growth. Nutsedge spreads by seed, tubers, cultivation and can be introduced in topsoil, compost and nursery stock. One of the drawbacks to overwatering or poor drainage is the sudden appearance of nutsedge. Why? Because this stuff likes it moist. So, if you have nutsedge show up take a look at the irrigation system, including possible leaks in that area.

Controlling nutsedge is a process, not an event. Post-emergent herbicides are the most common and for me have been the most effective. One of the best is Sedgehammer. One package will cover 1,000 square feet and may require two to three applications. The other is called Sedge Ender. This Bonide product come in a hose end bottle and will cover up to 5,800 square feet. Neither of these products is safe for a veggie garden so read and follow the directions.

Now we go to the garden. I have tried some of the natural controls for nutsedge but all I did was hurt its feelings and not kill it. The most noninvasive way is to dig it out. The bad news is the nut maybe 18” deep and you have to remove the nut to be successful. The other way takes a little time. Plan on not planting a fall crop. In August or September remove all the plants from the garden. Spread about ten pounds of molasses for every 100 square feet of dirt and work it in just a little. Next, cover the entire garden with two sheets of newspaper (the black & white sheets). Then spread the mulch of your choice (we’ve got cedar and hardwood) over the newspaper an inch or so thick. In late February start working your garden as normal. What we have just done is to compost the entire garden. We (my dad and I) killed about 90% of the nutsedge on the first garden we tried with this process.

 

 

Categories : Blog, Gardens, Lawns, News & Updates

Tomato Holes, What’s Causing Them?

By Wells Brothers
Friday, May 13th, 2022

tomato holes

Tomato Holes, what’s causing them? We water, fertilize, trim, weed, and protect our crops from insects. They are our silent dependents that bring us food. We put labor, sweat, and love into our gardens. Then you spot it, “the” tomato of your gardening life. Everything is perfect and it will be ready to pick tomorrow morning. But the alarm clock malfunctions and you forget about the mother of all tomatoes as you rush to work. The journey home is slow and you have time to think about the tomato that will get you inducted into the tomato hall of fame. You park the car and run to the garden to find the king of tomatoes has been assassinated. Two, maybe three holes about an inch long have pierced the king to the heart. You look around to see a mockingbird sitting on the fence and squawking in utter contempt at your effort. Thoughts of vengeance rush into your mind. But then you think, good thing the shotgun is in the safe! Dejected, you pluck what’s left of the mighty tomato from the plant. You think about starting a compost pile as you open the lid of the trash can and send the regal fruit to Valhalla. Ok, that might be a little bit dramatic (Orson Wells would be so proud) but if you are growing tomatoes this will happen to you.

Birds won’t bother tomatoes until they start turning red. Then they feast. Most birds will go after tomatoes with mocking birds being the main culprit. When I see the mocking birds sitting on my fence and watching my tomatoes I know they are close to turning. So how do you stop this activity without the use of firearms?

Start with an old fashion scarecrow. There are kits for sale but it’s much more satisfying to create them yourself. Keeping with the scare tactic, there are owls and inflatable snakes. Both will give the birds, rabbits, and squirrels a fright. I have found all of these to be very effective but they need to be moved every week. This brings us to the next deterrent, scare tape. Scare tape is a jeweled pattern on a reflective mylar-type ribbon. When I first saw this product it was explained to me that it reflects sunlight making birds think the place is on fire and they will stay away. This brings us to the fun stuff, pinwheels. Attach them to the tomato cage and the wind does the rest. They work like the scare tape. The number one way to keep the birds out is with bird netting. You will need a structure large enough to keep the nylon net off of the plants. Drape the netting over the structure and you are done. This physical barrier is as close to perfect as a gardener can get. There is one drawback to this product, it’s also good at keeping you out. It can be frustrating to deal with the net(s) during peak harvest season. Wells Brothers has nets that are 14’x14’ and 28’x28’.

 

Categories : Blog, Gardens, News & Updates

A Little May History

By Wells Brothers
Wednesday, April 27th, 2022

April showers brought May flowers and lots of history too!  Brush up on your history trivia with these interesting dates in May history.April showers brought May flowers and lots of history too!  Brush up on your history trivia with these interesting dates in May history.

May 4, 1886, a confrontation between police and labor protesters would be called The Haymarket Square Riot. Seven policemen were killed and over 50 wounded.

May 4, 1970, National Guardsmen opened fire on a crowd of 1,000 students at Kent State University killing four. The students were protesting President Richard Nixon’s decision to invade Cambodia.

May 5, 1865, was declared Decoration Day by General John Logan. May 30th started the tradition of decorating soldiers’ graves from the Civil War with flowers. Congress moved Memorial Day to the last Monday in May 1971.

May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard became the first American in space.

May 17, 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled on Brown v. Board of Education. It concluded that segregation of public schools “solely on the basis of race” denies black children “equal educational opportunity” even though “physical facilities and other ‘tangible’ factors may have been equal. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.”

May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens volcano erupted.

Memorial Day. 

May 31, 1889, the South Fork Dam failed and over 2,200 people were killed in Johnstown Pennsylvania.

Categories : Blog, News & Updates
Next Page »

Coupons

Click to access our monthly coupons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upcoming Events

  • There are no upcoming events.

Upcoming Events

July 2022
08 - 09 Jul

Garden Tonic Compost Tea

Friday, Wells Brothers
EVENT DETAIL
09 - 10 Jul

Garden Tonic Compost Tea

Saturday, Wells Brothers
EVENT DETAIL
No event found!
Load More
Wells Brothers Pet, Lawn & Garden Supply
Copyright © 2022 All Rights Reserved
Site by Red Mango Marketing
Privacy Policy