I want to feed the birds, and bought some bird seed, but the birds don’t like it. They seem to scratch it into the ground. What kind of seed do they like? I found the seed I’m using at a discount store, and wonder where I can find seed the birds will like.
Try looking in a store such as Backyard Bird Shop in Vancouver or any of the farm stores that carry good quality seed. A feeder for black oil sunflower seeds and one for suet will attract a wide variety of birds. Millet and mixed seeds are cheap, but seem less appealing to the birds that I want to encourage. When seed winds up on the ground, it feeds rodents or sprouts and wastes money. Thistle (Niger) seed is expensive, but is a favorite of goldfinches and pine siskin’s.
Are you interested in making your yard a good bird habitat? Experts will tell you that the best thing you can do is plant. A yard with lots of lawn and a few tidy shrubs is a wasteland for birds. Except for an occasional robin, it will rarely host our feathered friends.
Birds want a more natural planting with ground covers, annuals and perennials, short shrubs, tall shrubs and trees. Any unplanted area should be mulched with leaves or compost to encourage worms and bugs for ground feeders. This layering provides food, shelter and nesting sites.
Northwest birds evolved with our flora, so include native plants. Some that both the birds and I enjoy are red-flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum), June berry or service berry (Amelanchier alnifolia), red-osier dogwood (Cornus stolonifera), evergreen and deciduous huckleberries (Vaccinium ovatum and V. parvifolium), red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa) and low Oregon grape (Mahonia nervosa).
Last year I had so much moss in my lawn. How can I get rid of it? Why is it so bad in my yard? It’s not in our neighbor’s yard.
Moss is so common in the Pacific Northwest that many people consider it an unavoidable fact of landscapes here. Certainly the extended cool, damp months of fall and early winter present ideal conditions for the growth of many mosses.
Lawns develop moss problems when bare spots give the moss somewhere to grow. Think of moss in the lawn as an indication that the turf is stressed by one or more common problems: shade, poor drainage, low fertility or soil compaction. Any one of these will generally be present where moss is a problem.
Moss is a symptom of lawn problems, not a cause of them.
The obvious place to begin with a moss management program in turf is to make sure that the turf grasses have the best possible conditions for growth. Lawns need good light. They also need fertile, well-drained soil to support roots that can penetrate 6 to 8 inches down, or even deeper.
Start your moss control program by giving the lawn good, 3-1-2 formula in a slow-release type fertilizer. Using a low percentage of nitrogen in a slow-release form will help prevent large quantities of fertilizer.
Correct the lawn problems in addition to reaching for the moss control chemicals or the moss could return as soon as the conditions are favorable.
The moss will blacken with an iron application. Products containing iron will stain concrete and should be kept off sidewalks and patios.
Read the label to determine the best method of application. Follow directions carefully, reading that label thoroughly. In these extreme situations, there are no easy fixes. You may consider hiring a qualified turf professional to help determine what needs to be done.
E-mail the WSU Clark County Master Gardeners at MGanswerclinic@clark.wa.gov with questions.
Celeste Lindsay is a WSU Master Gardener. Send questions to lindsay8@pacifier.com.
