Blast from the Past

We’re going to start a new section, “Blast from the Past.” We’ll feature articles from past issues as we delve into the archives. Enjoy!

Below is an article by Bill Buckellew, “Good Advice Gone Bad.”

At the Office desks, we meet all kinds of clients. Recently, a couple brought in a sample of their “Zoysia” which they said had some sparse places. When I told them it was St. Augustine, they didn’t believe me, and it went downhill from there. Some folks have their minds made up, and all we can do is be nice. A recent incident at the Annex illustrates another situation that bears some thought. A very nice lady brought in a soil sample from her lawn where she had bare spots. It tested to a pH of 5.3. She was given detailed instructions on lime application, including how much per 1000 square feet and when and how to apply it. She was asked to return in a few months for another soil test. She returned in one month with her soil; it tested 8.0. After some questioning, she admitted that she wasn’t sure about how much lime she actually put down over how large an area. All we could do was to tell her not to use any more lime, water the area heavily, and hope she didn’t kill her grass for good.

On the good side, a home visit showed me how resourceful some folks can be. A Hawaiian couple near Mooney Road had an apple tree problem. The answer was pretty easy (their tree was dead), but, while looking over the rest of their yard, I noticed a strange plant. They said it was a Banyan tree they had imported. How they got it into Florida, I don’t want to know, but how they keep it alive is another story: They planted it next to their dryer vent. No telling what their light bill is in winter, but these folks impressed me.

Which brings me to my point: We are Master Gardeners, not psychologists or mind-readers. We cannot ever be sure we got our point across, even when the client is taking notes (as is the case with the lady who used to come to the Annex at least once a month with the same questions over and over about her pecan tree.) Perhaps we should consider the clients in the advice we give. Are they physically capable of doing what we suggest? Do we think the customers really understand what we said? Are the clients’ minds already made up, and they won ’t take our advice, anyway, or do they have innovative ideas of their own, where they can kill an apple tree, but grow a Banyan? When do we just tell them not to do anything, let nature take its course, or maybe even hire a professional service?

These are things we need to think about when giving advice to the public. When in doubt, tell them what IFAS says to do, but just remember that they won’t always do it, and they’ll be back.