FOR RELEASE THE WEEK OF AUGUST 19, 2001:
We planted strawberries in a border next to our lawn. Even though we installed railroad ties between the border and the lawn, the strawberries have escaped into the grass and are popping up as far as 20 feet away. What should we do? Ideally, we'd like to keep the strawberries--we just don't want them in the lawn.
Strawberry runners--or stolons--"climb across railroad ties, rocks and slow-moving people," says Dan Barney, University of Idaho Extension horticulturist. Functioning like umbilical cords, they leave "daughter" plants in their wake before decomposing.
"The good news is that these runners allow strawberries to quickly fill in a planting bed," Barney says. "The bad news is that they can also allow strawberries to become annoying weeds."
Fortunately, strawberry stolons are easy to manage because they run across the surface of the soil--not underground. Start your control program by cutting all of the runners that are growing into the lawn from the border. Scissors, a sharp shovel or an edging tool will do the job. Once that's done, apply a broadleaf herbicide to your berry-infested turf. Your local garden center can help you choose a product that is registered for use on lawns. Follow label directions very carefully and don't let the herbicide drift onto your desirable strawberry plantings. Every one to two weeks, monitor the situation, cutting off any new runners before they can produce more daughter plants in your lawn.
Should you decide to plant any more strawberries in your borders, Barney recommends the dayneutral Tribute or Tristar varieties. "Dayneutrals produce fewer runners than other types of strawberries and are easier to keep confined," he says.
For more information on growing strawberries, pick up a copy of "Growing Strawberries in the Inland Northwest and Intermountain West" from your county Cooperative Extension office. Or, call Connie King of UI Ag Publications at (208) 885-7982, fax her at (208) 885-4648, send e-mail to cking@uidaho.edu , click on catalog web site http://info.ag.uidaho.edu, or post a letter to Ag Publications Building, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844-2240. Cost to Idaho residents is $3.63, including tax and shipping.
How can we make sure the meats we barbecue on the grill are safe to eat?
Meat and poultry cooked on a grill often brown very quickly on the outside, but cooler internal temperatures can still host harmful bacteria, says Sandy McCurdy, University of Idaho Extension food safety specialist. Because appearances can be deceiving, bring a food thermometer to your picnic. Internal temperatures should reach:
Completely defrost all meats and poultry before grilling. Never partially grill first and then finish later--although you can precook to shorten grilling time, as long as you put the precooked food immediately on a preheated grill.
Once it's been safely grilled, you can keep meat and poultry safe for up to an hour on hot days by setting it to the side of the grill rack. Make sure its internal temperature doesn't drop below 140 degrees.
For more information on barbecue safety, click on the USDA Website http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/pubs/facts_barbecue.htm
I am a 65-year-old woman. Last week, I went to visit my daughter and 3-year-old granddaughter. Even though I stay in shape by walking regularly, I had difficulty lifting my granddaughter. I was able to lift my daughter when she was 3. What should I do?
Martha Raidl, University of Idaho Extension nutrition specialist, notes that you didn't mention any type of strength training as part of your physical activity regimen. "Your loss in strength is probably due to shrinkage in muscle size," she says. "You need to specifically do some strength or weight training."
An article in IDEA Health and Fitness Source, a professional fitness journal, reported that two months of weight training can reverse as much as two decades of muscle shrinkage and strength loss. "Make sure you see your doctor before starting any fitness regimen," Raidl advises.
[READERS: Do you have a question about your home, yard or garden? Send it to HomeWise, University of Idaho Ag Communications, Moscow, ID 83844-2332 or e-mail it to homewise@uidaho.edu. Mention of proprietary products or firms does not constitute endorsement by University of Idaho Extension or imply approval to the exclusion of other suitable products or firms.]