Garden Treatments Buying Guide

Lawns and gardens can present a variety of challenges to the homeowner who wants that picture perfect yard, or even to those who just want to keep the weeds to a managable level. Fortunately, there are a variety of treatments that can be applied to lawns and gardens to help the plants that are supposed to be there thrive and keep both weeds and pests under control. When used appropriately, fertilizers, repellants, pesticides and herbicides can be very effective tools. Be careful not to over-apply, however, and to follow all safety and usage guidlines on the treatment container.

Weeds can be a problem in both gardens and lawns. A weed is simply any plant growing where you don't want it to, so dandelions growing in a lawn where the homeowner wants uniform green grass is a weed. Likewise, grass growing in a garden where the homeowner has planted flowers is also a weed. Gardens typically have bare soil in between the plants, which presents somewhat different challenges from a grass lawn where the goal is full ground-cover.

Lawns typically develop weed problems when the grass that is supposed to be growing there is weakened in some way. This may be due to poor soil, difficult weather, or even mowing at too high or too low a grass length. Most guides recommend mowing at around 3", although recommendations can vary depending on the predominant species of grass in your lawn. Mowing grass too short can weaken the grass plant and keep the root systems from developing to their full extent. This leaves room for highly efficient weed plants to sneak in and start growing. A healthy lawn will actually do much of the work of weed control, as the root system of the grass expands to take up the entire lawn and crowd out invading weeds. Mowing rarely or at too long a length, on the other hand, can allow shorter weeds to keep growing and give them time to spread seeds throughout the lawn. While there will always be weed seeds blown in from outside the lawn, minimizing the number of weed plants that seed in the lawn can help the grass in keeping invaders out.

Gardens, on the other hand, generally have areas of bare soil between the garden plants in order to provide each plant with enough space to draw in enough nutrients, water and sunlight to grow and thrive. These open areas are ideal spots for weed plants to sprout, since there is very little competition from other plants. Unfortunately, they can easily overgrow the garden plants if left unchecked, so it's important to pay regular attention to weed control in the garden. In most cases, chemical treatments are not recommended because they are likely to affect the garden plants as well as the weeds! Manual weeding is effective, but often time consuming.

To help discourage weed growth in the bare areas between garden plants, many gardeners make use of synthetic or natural ground coverings such as mulch, plastic sheeting, or special weed control fabric. Modern weed control fabrics are made of polyester fabric that is more durable and flexible than plain plastic sheeting. It can be laid in gardens surrounding the garden plants to block weeds from sunlight and space to grow. Weed control fabric is also useful for controlling the weeds that always seem to pop up between paving stones, in gravel walkways, and under decks. With a light layer of sand, gravel can be laid directly over the fabric to form a walkway.

For lawns and gardens that need a little extra help, there are a wide variety of fertilizers available to increase the nutrients available. Fertilizers are applied to the soil, generally by simply spreading the granulated or liquid fertilizer over the top of the ground. The three main nutrients that fertilizer adds are nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K). The ratio of these three nutrients is one of the main differences between fertilizers. All-purpose or general use fertilizers are formulated to provide a good balance of nutrients for general plant growth. Other fertilizers may provide a higher proportion of nitrogen to encourage foliage growth, or a higher proportion of phosphorous to encourage strong root systems.

In addition to general or all-purpose fertilizers, there are many special purpose fertilizers on the market. Some of these options include lawn fertilizers, rose fertilizer, tomato fertilizer, and potted plant fertilizer.

Fertilizers may be artificially synthesized or from natural sources such as mulch. Synthetic fertilizers are typically much faster acting than natural fertilizers, since the natural versions often depend on microbial action to release the nutrients from the fertilizer into the soil. Both types of fertilizer have their adherents, and which you choose may depend on a variety of factors such as price, availability, and whether plants are being grown intensively or at a moderate pace.

If other methods aren't effective, there are a variety of weed control treatments for both lawns and gardens. One of the key factors to be aware of is what danger the treatment may pose to the lawn or garden plants you are protecting.

Broadleaf Weed Control

For lawns, there are a variety of weed control products that kill off broadleafed weeds such as dandelions and chickweed. These products can be used in the spring to prevent broadleaf weed plants from sprouting, or during the year to fight adult plants. Caution should be used in applying this sort of treatment to gardens, however, as many broadleafed flowers or vegetables may be adversely affected.

Spot Treatments

Spot treatment herbicides are a popular way to deal with stubborn weed spots. These herbicides will generally kill any plants in the area where they are applied, so they should be used with care and moderation. The package will generally include a recommendation for how long to wait for the weed killing spot treatment to dissapate before replanting in the area. Some spot treatments are designed to be as environmentally friendly as possible, but others may have lasting effects on the surrounding area if used too often or in too high a dosage. Be sure to read the guidelines on the package, and to combine spot treatment with other methods such as manual weed removal for the best results.

There are a variety of animals and insects that love to snack away at lawns and garden plants, and this annoyance has spawned a wide range of treatments and gadgets to repel or kill such invaders. Because there are so many different types of pests that can attack lawns and gardens, many treatments are specialized to one type of pest or sometimes one particular species. Generalized solutions such as fences can be helpful against large browsers such as deer and rabbits. Repellants are used to deter many animal pests such as rabbits, moles and rodents. For insect pests, there are a variety of poisons and traps available.

Repellants and Repellers

Chemical garden pest repellants such as Liquid Fence usually use a natural ingredient such as garlic oil that is unpleasant for animals but not harmful to the environment. The repellant is spread over the entire area to be protected in either liquid or granule form, and is effective until it is washed away by successive rainfalls. At rainy times of year, this can mean frequent re-application, but it has the advantage of having very little impact on the environment, and it is not harmful to the plants or to humans who may eat the fruits and vegetables that are grown.

Electronic repellers are devices which produce an ultrasonic sound or vibrations that are imperceptible to humans but are very uncomfortable to animal pests such as moles and rabbits. These devices may be driven into the ground, set on top of stakes, or plugged into electrical outlets in the house. A similar type of repeller has also been designed to target mosquitos, but they have not been developed for insect garden pests yet. Repellers are particularly useful against moles, which can wreck havoc in a lawn with their burrowing. Because they are underground most of the time, fences and most chemical repellants are ineffective, but there are battery powered mole repeller stakes which can be driven into the ground to drive them away from the lawn or garden.

While electronic repellers have the advantage of being unobtrusive, it has also been found that new takes on the traditional idea of the scarecrow can be very effective, especially against bird pests. Some of the options available in this type of repeller include inflatable snakes and owls, as well as stylized images of large eyes to scare pests away.

Poisons and Traps

Poisons and traps both kill insect pests, but the methods are slightly different. Poisons are primarily sold as insecticide and pest control sprays, although there are also powders that can be spread over the area to be protected. These substances are applied to the ground and the actual plants so that insects touch and consume the poison when they approach and eat the plants. These poisons are not harmful to the plants themselves, but food plants should be washed carefully before use if they have been treated with such pesticides.

Traps are designed to be easy for the target insect species to get into but impossible to get out of. They use an attractant such as synthesized hormones to lure as many insects as possible into the trap, where they eventually die. Traps generally need to be placed at some distance from the plants that need to be protected. They should be close enough to attract insects from the garden, but not so close that insects that don't make it into the trap are attracted to the garden instead. The ideal distance varies depending on what kind of insect is being targeted, so be sure to read the packaging carefully for instructions.

Beneficial Organisms

Beneficial organisms include nematodes and insects such as ladybug and praying mantis. These organisms eat the types of insects that eat and infest garden plants, providing an entirely natural and environmentally friendly way to destroy the pests before they destroy your garden. Beneficial insects are typically shipped while in their eggs, and the egg cases can be placed around the lawn and garden so that the insects will be close to their prey when they hatch.

Beneficial nematodes are microscopic organisms that destroy a wide range of soil-dwelling and wood-boring insects. They are shipped in a solution that can be mixed with water for spraying, mixed with mulch for direct application, or injected into burrows. Fortunately, they do not harm beneficial organisms such as earthworms.

Pricing for garden treatments is generally fairly affordable. Prices for jumbo sized containers will be higher of course, and these sizes are generally impractical for home users. There may also be a price premium for organic or all natural labels, but there are also many affordable natural and environmentally friendly products.

Fertilizers

Most fertilizers, whether general or specialized, will cost between $5 and $20. Larger size packages may cost up to $50.

Weed Control Treatments

Depending on the size of the package and the type of weed control product, both broadleaf weed killers and spot weed treatments cost between about $5 and $25. Weed control fabric costs between $10 and $15 for several yards of the fabric.

Repellants

Most repellant products will cost between $10 and $40, although larger refill sizes may be more expensive.

Electronic Repellers

Most electronic pest repellers for home use cost between about $20 and $100. For more comprehensive or professional systems, prices may range up to several hundred dollars.

Scarecrow Type Repellers

Scarecrow type pest repellers are most useful against larger animal pests and birds, which can be fooled into thinking the repeller is a predator ready to eat them. Depending on the size and how realistic the repeller is, there are options available from around $10 to over $100.

Poisons and Traps

Poisons and traps for insect pests are also fairly inexpensive, although poisons especially should be used with care. Prices generally range between about $10 and $30.

Beneficial Organisms

Beneficial organisms are sold in quantities large enough to treat a whole yard in most cases, and generally cost between $25 and $40.

Scotts Company
Easy Gardener
Bird-X
Woodstream
Liquid Fence