Ask Perino's

Tucker Bantom has been providing expert advice to Perino's customers for over 12 years.

Each month, a question that has been submitted to Tucker is selected for publishing on our website.

Q: How do I get rid of Winter weeds?

A: It's too early to "weed and feed" in February and March. Fortunately, you can get rid of ugly weeds until the end of March using the following products:

Greenlight Broadleef Weed Killer
ferti-lome Weed-Out Lawn Weed Killer
ferti-lome Weed Free Zone

These products are all available from Perino's Plant Pharmacy.

You're always welcome to bring in a sample weed to Perino's Garden Center -
One of our in-house experts will give you specific advice in person.

Q: How do I stop chinch bugs from ruining my lawn?

A: Damage from chinch bugs spreads inward from the edges of the lawn, usually from a concrete sidewalk or curb.

Although the lawn damage resembles drought, your grass cannot recover from watering. You can effectively treat a chinch bug infestation with a Bifenthrin insecticide.

Q: How do I get rid of aphids on my plants?

A: Aphids are also known as plant lice, and do significant damage to your plants.

Aphids can be eliminated by using a high-yield bug blaster containing Imidacloprid in a liquid spray form.

Q: How can I prevent weeds from appearing on my lawn?

A: Weeds are nature's way of taking back control of the things we think we should control, such as the pristine lawn in the front of our house.

That being said, there are things we can all do to keep wild nature at bay, while maintaining a professional lawn that pleases us with "cultivated nature", namely:

Use Weed 'n Feed in March.
Use a granular application.
Do not fertilize your lawn when the outside temperature is too cold.
Use Trimec^® spray.

Keep in mind that weed killer works best on immature plants.

Photograph used under Creative Commons license, courtesy of Paul Frederickson.

Q: How can I eliminate scales (insects) on my plants?

A: As adult insects, scales resemble raised, oval bumps on plants that can range from tanslucent to brownish in color.

Here are some tips to eliminate scales:

Thoroughly soak all stems and leaves every week.
Use a horticultural oil mixed with water to make plant surfaces difficult for scales to penetrate.
Avoid soap sprays.
Do not apply any treatments in direct sunlight or high temperatures.

Photograph: University of California at Davis

Click here to submit your own question to Perino's gardening experts.