Q: Can you help me identify the tree in the photo and would it be a good choice for planting in my yard? – David M.
A: The tree in the photo is a linden, identifiable by the clusters of round seeds and heart-shaped leaves. There are many types of lindens sold in locally-owned garden centers and all are well-adapted to Northern growing conditions.
Included in the linden group is the American linden, also known as basswood. Cultivars sold by garden centers include Boulevard, Harvest Gold, Redmond, Greenspire and more.
Cultivars differ in shape, with some having a large, round, broad-spreading form, while others have a tighter, pyramidal shape.
Lindens are free of most disease and insect pests and are an important tree species for including in our yards and boulevards. They’re an important tree to include in diverse tree populations to avoid overplanting single species, as happened with elm and ash.
Q: I’m planning to seed some grass in my lawn this fall. In a typical year, what would be the best dates to accomplish it? I understand that one can seed too early and also seed too late to prevent grass from becoming mature enough to avoid winter kill. – Dale R.
A: Late summer through early fall is the most successful time of year to seed grass. The soil mass is warm from summer heat, which encourages faster germination than in spring, when soil is still chilly from winter.
Weather is typically less extreme in early fall, making it easier to keep the newly seeded soil evenly moist for successful germination.
The window of opportunity for fall grass seeding is approximately Aug. 25 to Sept. 15. If seeded during these weeks, and moisture is adequate, grass will establish sufficiently to survive winter.
If seeded later than Sept. 15, there’s an increased risk that grass plants might not develop enough to withstand winter.
The single most important factor in successful grass seeding is keeping the surface dark-moist from the time of seeding until grass plants are visible and thriving.
If seeding can’t be accomplished by Sept. 15, grass can be “dormant seeded” by delaying until November, just before snow flies. The seed will lie dormant until growth begins in spring.
Q: What do you recommend for fertilizing lawns this fall with the drought? – Richard B.
A: Many area lawns, ours included, are dormant from this summer’s extended drought. Dormancy is a self-preservation mechanism, allowing our adapted grasses to stop growing, turn brown, and then resume green growth when moisture returns.
During this summer dormancy period, grass plants aren’t using nutrients, so any fertilizer applied risks being wasted. For grass to fully utilize the nutrients, it must be green and actively growing.
We are approaching the most important time of year for fertilizing lawns: around Labor Day. It’s during that time that grass establishes deep roots, fills in laterally and energizes itself for next spring’s lush lawn. Fertilizer provides grass the nutrition needed to accomplish all this.
Here’s the dilemma: If drought persists and lawns don’t green up by Labor Day, the grass won’t be actively growing enough to utilize the fertilizer.
Lawns that have at least some semblance of green should be fertilized, even if they don’t look quite as lush as in previous years.
If lawns are still drought-parched, brown and crunchy with no signs of green, it might be best to withhold fertilizing until next spring.
If irrigating the lawn is an option, hopefully accompanied by increased area rainfall, it might be wise to bring the lawn out of dormancy for late August through September, provide fertilizer, and allow the lawn to re-energize itself before winter.
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.
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