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Archive for News & Updates

Dick’s Garden Blog – Simple Ways To Control Ticks

By Wells Brothers
Monday, May 16th, 2022

Tick Do not take a tick problem lightly. Besides giving most folks the willies, ticks carry some very nasty diseases like Lyme Disease. I hate to sound like a broken DVD but we are back to controlling our environment. Ticks just don’t show up in an area. The urban wildlife (rabbits, rats, squirrels, raccoons, etc.) that visit us are bringing in the ticks. Yes, I know how cute they are, but they are bringing friends. If you feed the birds, stop for about a month or so. Do not leave pet food outside. Keep the grass short, flowerbeds maintained and any brush picked up. This includes the stacks of firewood.

There are both all-natural and synthetic insecticides that will kill ticks. Before I go any further, I try to be as all-natural as I can. But with ticks and chiggers, I will use any product short of fire to solve the problem. In the all-natural world, the Cedar Cide products take top honors. Yardsafe is a high concentrate of cedar oil that repels and kills ticks as well as other insects. As the name implies it is to be used outside. For personal protection, the Cedar Cide Original is a good choice. It’s about this time when folks ask themselves “why didn’t he mention sulfur?” Granulated sulfur works as an insect repellent when the insect is on the ground. Some ticks will be in the grass but a lot of them will be in shrubs, trees, woodpiles, etc. that puts them outside the reach of sulfur. I have had fantastic success using powder sulfur on myself against chiggers. Marginal success (at best) against ticks.

On the synthetic side is Cyonara and 38Plus. Both are killers and should be applied outside only. For better or worst the best personal use products containing Deet. Our Repel Max insect repellent contains 40% Deet. As always read and follow the label directions. The following link will help.

If you take appropriate preventive measures, you and your family can safely enjoy Texas outdoors this summer.  Click here for more tips to keep your family and pets tick-free all summer.

 

Categories : Bugs, 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

Bumps On Leaves? Could Be Gall

By Wells Brothers
Friday, May 13th, 2022

leaf gallOdd little bumps on leaves and funny protuberances on your plant’s foliage may be a sign of pest, bacterial or fungal problems. They are called gall. A gall is an abnormal growth of plant tissue that can occur on leaves, twigs, branches, flower, roots, and fruit. They can be caused by insects, mites, nematodes, fungus or viruses. Galls are considered unsightly (in the eye of the beholder) but are rarely ever a serious problem. Because gall poses no risk to the plant, no action is required.

The exception to this is the root-knot nematode that is found in vegetable gardens. If you find evidence of these tiny life suckers, the link below will help.

Mealy-oak Gall

Phylloxera Gall

Root-Knot Nematode

 

 

 

 

 

Categories : Lawns, News & Updates

NutriSource Large Breed Dog Food Savings

By Wells Brothers
Sunday, May 1st, 2022

Save on NutriSource Large Breed Dog Food in October 2020, at Wells Brothers Pet, Lawn & Garden Supply.Save on NutriSource Large Breed Dog Food this month at Wells Brothers Pet, Lawn & Garden Supply.

  • Save $4.00 off the 30# bag
  • As a member of the grain inclusive series of dog foods, NutriSource® Large Breed Chicken & Rice Recipe is formulated to meet AAFCO guidelines for all life stages.
  • NutriSource® grain inclusive formulas deliver compact nutrition and include prebiotics and probiotics to help support a healthy gut.
  • Balanced Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids along with L-Carnitine, taurine, choline chloride, and DL-Methionine supplementation to promote heart health make NutriSource® grain inclusive formulas stand out.

NutriSource® combines chicken, rice, and carefully selected ingredients in a precise blend to balance all essential nutrients necessary for optimum health, well-being, and long life. The readily available nutrients in chicken and rice result in less waste. Pick up NutriSource Large Breed Chicken and Rice dog food at Wells Brothers, Pet, Lawn & Garden Supply. We’ve been in serving the fine folks of Plano for over 60 years and look forward to serving you too.

Sale valid May 1 through May 31, 2022, at Wells Brothers Pet, Lawn, and Garden Center in Plano, Texas. 

Categories : News & Updates, Pet Food of the Month, Specials

Plant Bermuda Grass Seed In May

By Wells Brothers
Wednesday, April 27th, 2022

By the calendar, May is the time to start planting Hulled Bermuda grass. Bermuda seed germinates best when soil temperatures are above 75 degrees. After the soil is prepared, sow the seeds. The seeds should be covered with no more than .25 inches of soil. It will help if the cover soil is then lightly compacted (rolled). Keep the seedbed moist even if it requires watering several times a day. With ideal conditions, Bermuda usually germinates within a week or two. But there are many factors that can slow the germination; soil characteristics, temperature, and moisture being the top three. The above method applies whether you have bare dirt or existing grass. If you are over-seeding a lawn, you must first mow the lawn very short and remove as much thatch as possible before planting.

If this sounds like a lot of work, it isn’t. Preparing the soil means removing all unwanted plant growth and roughing up the surface. Sow the seeds with either a spreader or by hand (as evenly as you can). Cover the seed (.25 inch max) with compost or you can rake the seeds into the soil. Keeping the seedbed moist can be the hardest part of this task. If the seedbed dries out germination will be delayed.

Application rates for Bermuda grass seed range from 1/2# to 1# per 1,000 square feet. My rule of thumb is 1# for every 500 to 750 square feet. (If you are not pressed for time, you can use one seed per acre!). When you buy Bermuda seed (or any other seed) look at the seed tag for the “Pure Seed” and “Germination” ratings. Our common Bermuda seed is listed as 95/85. That means it’s 95% pure seed and 85 seeds out of 100 will germinate. Bermuda seed is expensive, so know what you are buying and the square footage of the area to be planted.

Wells Brothers handles 3 types of Bermuda grass seed. The most popular is hulled Common Bermuda. It is available in a 50# bag and by the pound. Arden 15 is a hulled and coated fairway type Bermuda that is available by the pound. Blackjack is a hulled and coated lawn Bermuda that grows dense and is dark green that also sells by the pound.

 

Bermuda Grass Seed Varieties: 

  • Common Bermudagrass (hulled): Turf Type

Good all-around warm-season grass for turf, pasture, and erosion control. Low growing, disease, and insect resistance that once established, it is drought, heat, and salt-tolerant and will withstand a lot of abuse. Hulled means removal of the hull has occurred which helps speed germination, unhulled means hull remains.

Should be planted when soil temperatures are consistently above 60 F. It requires 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day to do well and typically does best when mowed between 1.5 and 2 inches in height. Bermuda grass thrives on fertilizer. After your lawn is established you should apply fertilizer to Bermuda two to three times during the growing season.

Lawns 1-2 lbs. per 1000 sqft Pastures 10-15 lbs. per acre

  • Blackjack Bermudagrass: Turf Type

Deep green in color, carpet-like density, good cold, drought, and traffic tolerant. Blackjack may be used on all premium turf applications such as golf course fairways, roughs, sports fields, and home lawns. Blackjack has proven well with color ratings in national Turf Trials and most locations. One unique quality is fast germination, up to 7 days faster than the similar Bermudas.

Should be planted when soil temperatures are consistently above 60 F. It requires 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day to do well and typically does best when mowed between 1.5 and 2 inches in height. Bermuda grass thrives on fertilizer. After your lawn is established you should apply fertilizer to Bermuda two to three times during the growing season. A planting depth of 1/8 to ¼ inch is recommended.
Plant 2-3 lbs. per 1000 sqft

  • Arden 15 Bermudagrass: Turf Type

Turfgrass with excellent color and superior early spring green-up. A two-clone intraspecific hybrid that provides a more uniform turf compared to other seeded cultivars. Arden 15 has an improved cold tolerance which makes it an ideal solution for planting in transitional markets as far north as Tulsa, Louisville, and Richmond. This variety has a faster grow-in versus Princess 77.
Plant 1-2 lbs. per 1000 sqft

Categories : Lawns, News & Updates
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