Getting a head start on yard work

With growing interest in organic materials for gardening and the never-ending battle against bugs and weeds, the Greenhouse Garden Center begins a series of free seminars Saturday with "Let's Get a Jump on Spring."

Beginning at 10 a.m., Greenhouse Garden Center owner David Ruf offers information on how and when to fertilize, benefits of using organics and how to prevent weeds and bugs in the yard.

"A lot more people are going organic, trying to be green," Ruf said. "With the green movement starting in the nursery industry years ago, there are a lot more and better materials. Insecticides work better and more people are using them."

Ruf said the No. 1 bothersome insect in this area is aphids. However, there are numerous insecticides that take care of them.

Ruf noted aphids are more of a nuisance than a damage-causing insect.

"They leave sticky sap on cars from the trees," he said. "That is caused by the aphids " not the tree exuding the ooze, it's the bugs eating the tree. After they process the food it drops on the cars.

"Next is probably spider mites," Ruf said. "Unfortunately, there's not a lot of organics that control spider mites well. But they're working on it.

"Then there's ants, which some contact systemics work on, but it doesn't kill the whole ant hill. You have to respray numerous times to wear them down. Or they wear you down. A lot of insecticides cause the insect to stop feeding and they die of starvation. With the old insecticides they danced around for a couple of minutes then dropped dead."

The last of the most common insects is the grasshopper and the Mormon cricket, which Ruf said can be extremely destructive if you have large groups of them.

Ruf, who has been in business in the area for 35 years, said many of the free seminars are aimed at the novice, but there's always more to be learned.

"So even when you think you know it all, there's always something new. Even for me."

For information, call 882-8600.

WHAT: Free "Get a Jump on Spring" seminar

WHEN: 10 a.m. Saturday

WHERE: Greenhouse Garden Center, 2450 S. Curry St.

CALL: 882-8600