歪歪漫画

Q: Every spring, the little plants in the photo are in our grass, mostly just in our front yard. They seem to go away in the summer, or maybe I get blind to them. I鈥檝e done numerous searches with apps and Google, and I get a lot of different answers. Can you help me identify? 鈥� Staci F.

A: The little plant is a seedling linden tree. There are many linden types, including American Linden, also known as basswood.

Linden seedlings have a very distinctive look, and the first set of leaves that appear after the seeds germinate have a wavy, or hand-like appearance, which can be seen in your photo. The leaves that develop after the first set look like normal linden leaves.

Linden seedlings pop up in landscapes, flowerbeds, pots and planters, and in the lawn, as yours are doing. Somewhere in the vicinity is a linden tree.

Although linden trees are a wonderful species, when they pop up in unwanted places, they鈥檙e annoying. If there are only a few small seedlings, they pull easily when soil is wet. For large quantities, lawn-type herbicides will usually kill them. Simply mowing also keeps them in check, or at least from getting any taller.

In flowerbeds or landscapes, there are no herbicides that will selectively kill nuisance tree seedlings without damaging 鈥済ood鈥� plants, if the herbicide contacts your desirable plants. Pulling or careful digging is a preferred option.

If a tree seedling has become large, it can be cut off at soil level, and the cut surface immediately saturated with a lawn weed killing herbicide such as the active ingredient 2,4-D. Care must be taken to only target the cut surface of the seedling tree, without getting the product on the surroundings.

Q: I have about 200 plants of asparagus that are 15 or more years old, and grass has taken over. What can I spray to kill the grass and not the asparagus? The grass is overwhelming. 鈥� Kathy C.

A: Luckily, there are products sold at garden centers that specifically kill grass, without harming other non-grass plant types. Such products, when the label is followed carefully, can be applied right over the top of the existing 鈥済ood鈥� plants and the grass will be killed, which is useful for removing quackgrass or lawngrass that鈥檚 invaded where you don鈥檛 want it.

Examples of these grass-killing herbicides include Bonide Grass Beater, Ortho Grass-B-Gon, and HiYield Grass Killer. Bonide Grass Beater鈥檚 label indicates it can be applied to asparagus.

Follow the label instructions carefully. When used as directed, I鈥檝e had good results when applying these herbicides to remove grass from perennials, landscapes and edibles. Check the label to be sure it lists the plants you wish to apply the product to.

Grass-killing herbicides take time to produce visible results. Grass growth stops fairly soon after application, but it can take two to three weeks for the grass to appear brown and be totally killed.

Q: How often should I fertilize my Wave Petunias in our planters so they bloom really well? 鈥� Jen C.

A: Wave Petunias and other new varieties of petunias become spectacular mounds of color. Because they are so floriferous, they鈥檙e also 鈥渉eavy feeders,鈥� meaning they require generous nutrition to produce and support all those flowers.

Many potting mixes have slow-release fertilizer that provides a good base of nutrition. The label on most potting mix bags indicates that supplemental water-soluble type fertilizer can also be applied.

Most gardeners fertilize their petunias in pots and planters every one-to-two weeks, and it works beautifully. Follow the rate indicated on the label.

If you have a gardening or lawn care question, email Don Kinzler, NDSU Extension-Cass County, at donald.kinzler@ndsu.edu . Questions with broad appeal may be published, so please include your name, city and state for appropriate advice.