Jerry’s Q & A

Hello Everyone,

Lately, I’ve noticed that some of you have been asking some pretty darn good questions. And since the unusually cold weather has been keeping me indoors, I thought I might answer a few of ‘em.

If you find your compost full of large, fat, white grubs, fear not. It’s a common problem with an easy solution. A few days before you’re planning to use your compost, shovel it into a black plastic garbage bag, tie it shut, and lay it out in the sun. The temperature inside will rise and cook the grubs, leaving your compost problem free. You can further guard yourself against grub problems by applying Milky Spore Powder to your yard. This all-natural, biological control will protect your yard from grubs for up to 10 years!

And here’s where I find some of my harder-to-locate products:

Ammonia can be purchased in any store that sells household cleaning supplies.
Fish fertilizer (a.k.a. fish emulsion) and pelletized gypsum are available at garden supply stores.
Chewing tobacco can be found in stores that carry a variety of tobacco products. If you have trouble locating it, check specialty tobacco stores.

Now, different stores stock different items, and what’s available in my neck of the woods might not necessarily be available in yours. So with that in mind, before you head out on a wild goose chase, call around. It’s a whole lot easier (and environmentally friendlier) to let your fingers do the walking.

I’m sure you’ve got more great gardening questions. For specific answers, contact your local USDA Service Office or the County Agriculture Extension Office in your area. They should be able to provide you with answers specific to your geographic location. To find offices in your area, follow the links below.

USDA Service Office Locator: http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app

Agriculture Extension Office Index: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/index.html