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Local Columns

Bermuda grass performs best when it’s taller

Q: I can’t get my Bermuda grass lawn to look good. I would like it more like a golf course grass. I think one of my problems has been mowing too low, believing it would green up if I did this. During the past two weeks I’ve raised the height of my mower and fertilized. It is looking much better, but it probably needs another week of growing. I’m getting small patches of darker green grass with a wider leaf. I think this is what they call Poa. There’s probably little I can do to stop this Poa weed.

Wife’s charity involvement sparks knitting hobby for hubby

What does Dan Hays, a rugged-looking Sun City Summerlin resident who has been an active athlete all his life, do to avoid noshing on cookies, potato chips and pretzels while watching television in the evening? He knits hats for babies.

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Coir matting normal in some palms

Question: I have “burlap” growing between the fronds at the trunk of my 4-year-old male date palm. They look awful and are difficult to manage. Please advise.

BOB MORRIS: All-in-one almonds a quick pick

Question: We have an all-in-one almond tree with the shells just now starting to break through the skins. I was told that September is when the nuts are harvested. I’m wondering if you have a rule of thumb on harvesting these trees.

HERB JAFFE: 95-year-old found plenty to dance about

This isn’t your everyday love story. It’s about a lady who loved to dance, loved to perform on the stage, loved her husband for almost six decades and just plain loved life. On July 7, Miriam Shientag celebrated her 95th birthday on stage at the Suncoast’s “Hit Parade,” dancing in front of 504 people.

DEBORAH WALL: Bryce Canyon’s humanoid hoodoos make for visually stunning hikes

Along the eastern rim of Utah’s Paunsaugunt Plateau lies Bryce Canyon National Park, a visual feast for the eyes. Standing along the park’s rim, visitors are treated to a multicolored landscape of natural spires, pinnacles and pillars called hoodoos. They got their name because their upright shape, with a little imagination, suggests humanoid or even supernatural beings.

Joshua Tree National Park a haven of oases

Joshua Tree National Park, just outside of Twentynine Palms, Calif., is a great springtime destination to visit for a day or two or even an extended trip to hike, go birding or just drive around looking at wildflowers. The park was established as a national monument in 1936 and gained national park status in 1994, and this year, it is celebrating its 75th anniversary.

Some palms slow to mold into mulch

Question: I was told by a landscaping company that the fronds from Mexican fan palms cannot be chipped and recycled into mulch because they are too alkaline. This was news to me! Your opinion regarding that palms-too-alkaline-for-mulch theory would be appreciated.