Question & Answers for April

Q. I'm suffering, or rather my lawn is suffering, from a major outbreak of dandelions. They are coming up everywhere throughout the grass. What can I do?

A. You're not alone. I've noticed the yellow dandelion heads sprouting in lawns throughout the area. The abundance of rain this spring must have had an affect on those weed seeds. The easy way to get rid of dandelions in the lawn is to spray. I've had good luck with Ortho's Weed-B-Gon. Use a hose-end sprayer and mix the formula as instructed. Then, spray your entire lawn. Don't worry about killing the grass the way Round-up might do. Just the weeds will die, not the lawn.Follow instructions precisely by not soaking the lawn and not spraying when temperatures are too high or too low.

There also are so-called "weed-and-feed" products that come in dry, granular form. I haven't had as much luck with these products on tough, already existing weeds. If you dislike chemicals, go ahead and hand pull dandelions. I have a great device called the "Hound Dog." You simply place the pronged end over a weed and step down, then pull up. Voila -- the individual dandelion comes out, roots and all. Of course, if you have dozens or hundreds of dandelions, you're in for a very long weekend even if you have this fancy gardening tool to help.

Q. I've noticed an extraordinary number of little gnats flying around my home. After a little investigating, I finally found the source: the soil around one of my large houseplants. Have I been keeping the soil too wet? What can I do to get rid of these flying gnats?

A. Those are probably fungus gnats. They lay their eggs in potitng soil and the soil-dwelling larvae of most species feed on decaying organic matter. Some also may feed on plant roots, but the majority won't cause serious damage. Of course, having them flying around the house is bothersome.

You were on the right track when you asked about keeping your soil too wet. Conmtrol fungus gnats by allowing the soil to dry thoroughly between waterings. You can also place sticky yellow cards horizontally on the pot rim to capture the adults. Such sticky traps can be found at most nurseries. For heavy infestations, take the plant outdoors and drench the soil with a special Bacillus thuringiensis (B. israelensis) called Gnatrol. The latter can be found from Gardens Alive. Send for a free catalog by writing them at: 5100 Schenley Place, lawrenceburg, IN., 47025.

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