Radio Show: Rain gardens

This week, we talked about creating rain gardens to reduce stormwater runoff from your property. The plants in a rain garden hold the water back a little longer, giving it time to soak into your soil. Rain gardens reduce erosion, prevent pollution and beautify our yards. Use the following link to listen to the rain-garden show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Ms_Grow-It-All/2009/07/30/Ms-Grow-It-All

Fir trees don't fare well in Florida

By Audrey Post
MS. GROW-IT-ALL

Q: We planted some fir trees back in the winter. We had a drip system to water them. I noticed last week that the trees are turning brown and the drip system was not working. Since then, I have been putting water every night on them. Can they be saved?

A: Probably not, for a couple of reasons: Fir trees don’t do well in our hot, humid climate, and people who plant their live Christmas trees in January and baby them through spring are usually disappointed to see them turning brown and dying by mid-summer. The fact your irrigation system stopped working probably just hastened the inevitable.

I would suggest planting something more tolerant of our climate. If you like the look of a fir tree, bald cypress might be a good substitute. You also could see what local Christmas tree farms grow and take inspiration there: Arizona cypress, sand pine, red cedar, arborvitae.

Whatever you plant, make sure you mix varieties of trees. Having a stand of the same kind of tree may look nice, but if disease attacks one of the trees, the others are vulnerable, too. Having different kinds of trees reduces the chance the disease will spread.

Q: I bought a variegated ginger but don’t know where to plant it or care for it. Can you help?

A: True culinary ginger, Zingiber officinale, prefers partial to complete shade. Zingiber zerumbet, known as pine cone ginger or pine cone lily, can take part shade-part sun.

However, most of the plants grown here that are called “ginger” are really perennial Alpinias and Hedychiums, which do best in semi-shade to full sun. These are the plants commonly known as butterfly gingers and shell gingers. Costus are tropical “gingers” that need protection from freezing.

So check the tag for the botanical name of your “ginger” and plant accordingly. The more sun it gets, the thirstier it will be.

Internet Radio Show: Ms. Grow-It-All’s Internet radio show broadcasts live at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 30, with a discussion on rain gardens: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Ms_Grow-It-All. Just cut and paste the link into your browser window. If you can’t join us live, you can download a podcast from my Web site.

Fertilizer spikes not best way to feed trees

By Audrey Post
MS. GROW-IT-ALL

Q: Our sandy soil does not retain nutrients so we must fertilize. I found the use of loose, bagged fertilizer that must be spread by hand burns the grass and other nearby plants. We are now using Palm Fertilizer Spikes (6-0-6), which is slow release. After reading several articles that suggest that calcium is a necessary nutrient I discovered these spikes are lacking calcium. Does anyone make a slow-release fertilizer spike that is 15-5-15?

A: My first reaction was that if your lawn is being burned, you’re using too much fertilizer or you’re not applying it according to manufacturer’s instructions. I consulted David Marshall, the University of Florida/IFAS horticultural agent for Leon County, and he agreed.

“If the granular fertilizer is burning the grass, it is either being put out at too high a rate, or is not being watered in properly with a quarter-inch of water after application. Tree roots are widely spread beneath a tree and can run out into the lawn and other areas as far as three to four times the branch spread of the tree. For example, a small tree with branches that extend out 10 feet from the trunk may easily have roots running out 30 feet from the trunk,” he said.

“Therefore, spreading the proper rate of granular fertilizer over 900 square feet, or a 30- by 30-foot area, would do a much better job of distributing the fertilizer to the tree roots than merely putting in a few fertilizer spikes,” he recommended.

As far as adding calcium, you might not need to. Test your soil first. Contact your county Extension Office for a soil-test kit, which comes with instructions on collecting the sample and mailing it to the lab for testing. The cost is minimal, and it can save you a lot of money by telling you what nutrients your soil needs, and what it doesn’t need.

Gardeners in Leon County, Fla., can visit the Extension Office at 615 Paul Russell Road, about a mile east of the fairgrounds. If you garden in another Florida county, go to http://solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu/map/index.html for a list of county Extension Offices around the state.

Gardeners outside Florida should contact their county's Cooperative Extension Service.

Internet Radio Show: Ms. Grow-It-All’s Internet radio show on the Free World Radio Network will not be broadcast this week. Join us next Thursday, July 30, 2009, at 6:30 p.m. for a discussion on rain gardens: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Ms_Grow-It-All.

Radio Show: Mid-summer garden chores

This week, we reviewed routine maintenance that needs to be done this time of year -- yes, it's hot, but there are few things you need to do, such as pruning and pinching perennials to keep the flowers blooming up to frost. We also reached into the mailbag to answer a few queries from readers/listeners.

Compost bin doesn't need ants

By Audrey Post
MS. GROW-IT-ALL

Q: I have a pile of ants in my compost bins and fear that they might kill the earthworms in the bins. How do I get rid of them, and not harm the worms?

A: It sounds like the compost pile isn’t getting very hot if you have ants and earthworms in it, so check the ratio of carbon to nitrogen (brown leaves to green grass, for instance) to ensure it’s about half and half. Also, make sure the pile is moist. When the pile starts cooking at a higher temperature, both the ants and the earthworms probably will depart, but that won’t hurt the composting process because fungi and microorganisms are the main agents of decomposition.

I also consulted Walter Tschinkel, the Florida State University biology professor who is a renowned ant expert, who had a couple of additional suggestions:

“Getting the ants to move out probably depends on why they are there. If they are nesting (do you see a lot of larvae and pupae?), then running a garden hose into the nest might make them move. It might take a couple of episodes. If the bin is movable, it could be moved into the shade, and this might make the ants move out. Drastic turning and churning of the compost might also get the ants to move. Any kind of disturbance that makes the pile unsuitable for a nest could work.

“If the ants are in the compost to feed, it might be more difficult to get them to leave, but the same method could still work.”

Daylilies for a good cause: J.B. “Barry” Mittan, whose October hurricane lily sales have benefited Red Cross disaster relief for the past few years, is selling daylily “bulbs” to benefit the Leon County Human Society.

His “Bags O’ Bulbs” – OK, technically they’re not bulbs but “Bag O’ Trimmed Clumps” just doesn’t have the same punch -- contain a dozen randomly mixed daylilies that are ready to plant and cost $10 each. Mittan is donating the bulbs and bags, so 100 percent of the proceeds will go to the LCHS Animal Medical Expense Fund.

Sonya White, LCHS executive director, expects the bulbs will be ready for pickup around July 25. E-mail her at swhite@LCHS.info to place your order.

Internet Radio Show: Ms. Grow-It-All’s Internet radio show on the Free World Radio Network broadcasts live at 6:30 p.m. Thursdays. Go to http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Ms_Grow-It-All.

Radio Show: Lightning and the garden

Stan Rosenthal, Leon County/University of Florida IFAS (Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences) forester joined us to talk about gardening and lightning. Lightning has its benefits in the gardens, but it also can severely damage and kill trees. We talked about trees that seem to get struck most and least, what you can do if one is struck, and how to keep yourself safe.

Homemade remedies treat black spot on roses

By Audrey Post
MS. GROW-IT-ALL

Q: What can I do about black spot on my roses? I would prefer to avoid chemicals and go with something more organic, even if it means I have to treat the rose bushes more often?

A: Black spot is a fungus, Marssonina rosae, that causes dark-colored spots to appear on the leaves, hence its name, and then the leaves turn yellow and die. It’s a common problem in areas of high humidity and frequent summer rainfall.

Some cultivars are more resistant to black spot than others, and you can keep the fungus in check by removing fallen leaves and pruning the canes in late winter (mid-February in North Florida). Avoid overhead irrigation, if possible, and water early in the day.

There are a number of fungicide products on the market, but since you want to avoid using chemicals, here are two potions that friends recommend: Mix fat-free milk and water in equal parts and spray it on the foliage; or dissolve a tablespoon of baking soda in a quart of water, add a squirt of dish soap and spray the mixture on the leaves. The soap makes it a little sticky so it adheres to the leaves. Whichever one you choose, you’ll have to apply it regularly, at least once a week, if not more often.

If readers have other suggestions, send them to the e-mail address at the bottom of the column and I’ll share them.

Plant giveaway: Jerry Patton, the Tallahassee gardener who gave away numerous plants last year, including daylilies, crape myrtles, hollies and night-blooming cereus, has another “crop” ready to share.

“I just can’t throw any plant away,” he said. “I trim them and plant the cuttings.”

This year, he has lots of night-blooming cereus, which he ran out of last year, as well as century plants (Agave), passion vine (Passiflora) and butterfly milkweed (Asclepias). He also has what he calls a “mystery plant” or two, nice potted plants but he doesn’t know their names.

Call him at 850-878-1321 for directions to his home.

Internet Radio Show: Ms. Grow-It-All’s Internet radio show on the Free World Radio Network will broadcast live at 6:30 tonight. Leon County Forester Stan Rosenthal and I will discuss lightning and gardening. Go to http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Ms_Grow-It-All and click on the link to listen live; you can call the number on the site to join the conversation. If you can’t join us, all shows are archived and available for download from my Web site.

Radio Show: Transplanting potted plants

Following up on this week's newspaper column about transplanting a peace lily, we talked about transplanting potted plants in general. Different plants may have different requirements, but the basics hold true for most.

Let peace lily tell you when it's thirsty

By Audrey Post
MS. GROW-IT-ALL

Q: I re-potted a large-leaf peace lily a couple of weeks ago. Now, many of the leaves are droopy and appear to be dying, even though I've kept it watered. I used Miracle Grow potting soil. When I pulled it out of the old pot, I knocked off some but not all of the old dirt, then put that remaining mass back in the pot and filled it up and around the sides with the new potting soil. Did I do something wrong, or is the plant just undergoing some sort of shock?

A: Re-potting is always a bit of a shock to a plant, but it should be looking better two weeks later. Although it’s hard to say for sure without seeing your peace lily, it sounds like you might be over-watering it.

Most people tend to over-water house plants, especially large ones such as peace lilies. This particular plant will let you know when it needs a drink by starting to droop a little.

To try to salvage your plant, pull it out of the pot and dump all the soil. If there's a wet mass of soil around the root-ball, knock off as much as you can. Check the condition of the roots; if they’ve been in soggy soil, they might have started to rot. Rotting roots are slimy and stinky, so you can tell quickly if there’s a problem. Trim away any damaged roots.

Repot your plant using fresh, dry potting mix in the bottom and around the sides. Tamp the soil down lightly to remove air pockets. Don’t plant your peace lily too deeply; the crown should sit right at the soil level.

Water the pot thoroughly and let it dry out completely before watering it again. Use the “second knuckle” test: Stick your finger in the soil up to the second knuckle. If the soil touching the tip of your finger is moist, don’t water. Wait until it’s dry.

Also, if the pot sits in a saucer or drainage tray, make sure you empty it once the pot has drained after watering. The pot could be drawing the water back up into the soil, and peace lilies don't like “wet feet.”