THE LAND — JUNE 12/JUNE 19, 2020
www.thelandonline.com — “Where Farm and Family Meet”
PAGE 7
Keeping plant pests out of lawns requires care, patience When our lawns green up, weeds also ily that behave better, such as appear. Canterbury Bells. Dandelions feed pollinators, meaning Individual crabgrass plants were bees and butterflies, because these plants apparently named because of their are rich in pollen and nectar, so some resemblance to crabs. While it technically gardeners allow them to grow. However, has a flowering stalk, it is the wide one website stated that dandelions are spreading green leaves that are most GREEN AND the second choice for pollinators to visit. noticeable and objectionable in a lawn. GROWING In other words, pollinators will land on Like other weeds, it may be removed by dandelions only if better sources of food hand and as an annual will not return in By Linda G. Tenneson are not available. The dandelion’s bright the same year, but it is less labor-intenyellow color and serrated leaves stick out on our sive to apply a pre-emergent chemical in the spring lawns and most of us prefer to grow other flowers to to prevent it from getting started in the first place. feed pollinators. Digging dandelions up with a garQuack grass is another pest that spreads by den knife will remove their tops and slow these underground rhizomes that can grow six to eight plants down, but unless their long tap roots are feet long. Neither crabgrass nor quack grass have removed, they will return. noticeable blooms in the lawn; but because the White clover width of their leaves are so different from the usual spreads by above ground runners and is sometimes grown to feed livestock. It does provide some food for pollinators, blooming all Crabgrass summer long. White clover While white clover can be removed by hand pulling the plants, the IDEAg Group LLC, owned by American Farm seeds will surBureau Federation, has canceled the Farmfest farm vive, so new show for 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. plants must be “We announce this decision with great disappointremoved each ment but the well-being of our exhibitors, attendees, year. staff, volunteers and their families is paramount,” said Maintaining a AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “We understand the healthy, wellimpact this has on the ag community, but simply put, it fertilized lawn is the right decision to make in these uncertain times.” will help the Farmfest, scheduled for Aug. 4-6 in Redwood desired grass County, Minne., has served farmers and the agriculto crowd out ture community for 38 years. white clover. Creeping bellflower IDEAg management confirms that aspects of each Creeping show will be made available to attendees virtually Charlie is a low growing plant with little round this year, including the Farmfest political forums. leaves and tiny purple flowers in the spring and likes moist shaded areas. Some gardeners tolerate it “The Farmfest Political Forums are a highly anticiand others intensely dislike it. It does not contain pated part of our annual event, especially for the much nectar or pollen to feed pollinators. state’s ag industry and in this important election Creeping bellflower is a plant that will grow a foot year,” said Melissa Sanders Carroll, executive director, IDEAg. “Providing people a virtual opportunity or more tall with lilac colored blooms that hang to learn about and participate in the issues that downward. At first glance it appears to be nice to directly impact their farms, lives and families is look at. However, I made the mistake of letting it grow and now regret it. Creeping bellflower spreads essential to us.” by underground rhizomes. Even if it is mowed reguNext year’s show dates have been set. Farmfest will larly and not allowed to bloom, it still spreads. Its be Aug. 3-5, 2021. wide leaves are very noticeable in a lawn. There are IDEAg also presents Dakotafest which takes place other kinds of bellflowers from the Campanula fam-
lawn grasses, they are considered unsightly. All these plants are difficult to remove by hand means and any tiny bit of root left in the ground may grow to produce a new plant. Repeated hand digging, covering the Quack grass ground with a tarp for several weeks to kill all vegetation or a chemical application are required to eradicate these irritants. If herbicides are used to eradicate them, gardeners must by law read the chemical container labels for both the correct application method and the safety directions. Gloves, long sleeves and pants; plus closed heel and toe shoes will help keep these chemicals from becoming skin irritants. Sprayed chemicals should be applied on days with no wind to prevent damage to desired plants. Linda G. Tenneson is a University of Minnesota master gardener and tree care advisor. v
Farmfest canceled for 2020
in Mitchell, S.D. Dakotafest, which was scheduled for Aug. 18-20, has also been cancelled. It is scheduled to return in 2021 from Aug. 17-19. Visit Farmfest.com and Dakotafest.com for more information about 2020 virtual event activities as well as information about the 2021 shows. This article was submitted by IDEAg. v
The Land office will be closed on July 3rd
EARLY DEADLINES for The Land on July 10 DISPLAY ADS - Ad copy due Wednesday, July 1st CLASSIFIED LINE ADS - Ad copy due Thursday, July 2nd at Noon
