Ms. Grow-It-All®

Rotate tomato patch to keep plants healthy

2009-09-23T16:00:00.001-04:00

By Audrey Post
MS. GROW-IT-ALL

Q: I have been growing tomatoes in my back yard for about 20 years. I have an 8 x 8 plot that is filled with mushroom compost. Each year I replenish the top 2 to 3 inches with new compost. In the last two or three years, my tomatoes have yellow spots on them and sometimes they don’t grow as big as they should. I plant in March, water as needed and fertilize them when they are just beginning. They are still meaty inside and taste good; they just don't look like they used to, big and red. Could it be the soil or maybe I'm not fertilizing them correctly? If I need to have the soil tested, where would I go to have that done?

A: Even though you’ve been topping off your plot with fresh mushroom compost each year, you’re still growing tomatoes in the same soil year after year and that’s not a good idea. It’s better to rotate your tomato patch so that you don’t grow tomatoes in the same soil for at least three years. If you don’t rotate, any disease that affects your tomato plants in a given year can over-winter in the soil and affect next year’s tomatoes, so planting vegetables from a different family will reduce the likelihood of repeat problems.

Many things could be responsible for yellow spots and smaller fruits. You didn’t say whether there were any other problems with your tomato plants, such as spots or wilting on leaves, or whether there had been any other changes in your tomato patch, such as trees growing taller and reducing the amount of sunlight. I suggest you conduct a soil test to rule out any nutritional deficiencies and plan on planting your tomatoes in a new plot next year.

You can pick up the soil-testing kit from your County Extension Service. In Tallahassee, the Extension Office is at 615 Paul Russell Road, about a mile east of the fairgrounds. The kit comes with a plastic bag for collecting the soil, a cardboard box for mailing it to the lab and an instruction sheet. There’s no charge for the kit, but there is a small charge for the lab to process the sample.

Internet Radio Show: Ms. Grow-It-All’s Internet radio show now broadcasts live at 6 p.m. Wednesdays at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Ms_Grow-It-All. If you can’t join us live, you can download a podcast from my Web site. This week, Donna Legare of Native Nurseries discussed planting a garden for wildlife. Next Wednesday, Stan Rosenthal will share tips for selecting a tree service.

Pruning now could make roses vulnerable to damage

2009-09-16T17:44:00.002-04:00

By Audrey Post
MS. GROW-IT-ALL

Q: My Knockout roses really need to be pruned, and I know you said the best time to prune roses is in February but they really look shaggy now. Will I kill my Knockouts if I prune them now?

A: Maybe not, but you’ll certainly upset their normal growth rhythms and you could be putting them in jeopardy. If you prune them now, you’ll signal to them to get ready to start growing. That won’t be a problem if we have a mild fall and winter. But if your rose bushes are in full-fledged growth when a hard freeze hits, it will likely damage them and, depending on the severity of the freeze, could possibly kill them. That’s why we prune roses in February, so they can get a jump-start on growing after the freezing season.

They might look a little ragged now, but you’ll really be better off if you wait until February to do any hard pruning. This isn’t like pruning azaleas, which are evergreen. A late season pruning likely will remove any buds for next year’s azalea flowers but it won’t jeopardize the plant itself. It’s designed to live through frosts and freezes in our area. Pruning a rose too late in the season could do nothing or it could kill it. It all depends on the weather.

Q: I planted a small wildflower meadow but it didn’t produce many flowers. Should I reseed it for next year?

A: Yes, I would sow a few more seeds in your meadow this fall. So many things affect the germination rate of wildflower seed – the availability of water, heat, the age of the seeds – and it takes several years to establish a wildflower meadow. Scatter a few more seeds to increase the odds of germination and flower production. Once established, the flowers will re-seed each year.

Make sure you’re using a mix of wildflower seeds blended specifically for the Southeast for the greatest chance of success.

Internet Radio Show: Ms. Grow-It-All’s Internet radio show now broadcasts live at 6 p.m. Wednesdays at 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. This week’s topic was preparing your lawn for winter. Next Wednesday, our topic will be planting a garden for wildlife.

Radio Show: Planting fruit trees

2009-09-09T18:24:00.004-04:00

This week's show on Blog Talk Radio was about planting fruit trees. Brandy Cowley-Gilbert of Just Fruits and Exotics in Crawfordville, Fla., joined us for a discussion about the importance of site selection when planting fruit trees, including water needs, available sunlight and fertilizer requirements. Although Brandy and I both garden in North Florida, her tips on site selection apply anywhere. Click on the following link to listen: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Ms_Grow-It-All/2009/09/09/Ms-Grow-It-All Brandy will be back in a few weeks to talk about growing specific kinds of fruit trees and shrubs, so watch this space for more information on her next appearance. Our show next week will begin at 6 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Sept. 16, and the topic will be preparing your lawn for winter. Please join us.

Build garden in raised beds to avoid tree roots

2009-09-09T16:00:00.002-04:00

By Audrey Post
MS. GROW-IT-ALL

Q: We want to add a vegetable garden this fall to our back yard, which gets morning and early afternoon sun and is in high shade from pines in the late afternoon. I have read that vegetables need full sun, so is this enough sun to sustain a vegetable garden? Also, there seem to be a lot of tree roots criss-crossing the yard. Is there a way to tell where the roots are running, and thus avoid them, without digging up the whole back yard?

A: Full sun is considered six to eight hours a day, so morning and early afternoon sun should be enough to sustain your vegetable garden. But remember that sun patterns change with the seasons, and your back yard might get more – or less – sun in fall and winter than it does in summer. Keep track of sunlight patterns so you can make adjustments next year, if needed.

As for the tree roots, the best thing way to avoid them is to plant in raised beds. You can build a frame for your beds, or you can simply mound the soil and slope the sides. Make your beds about 18 inches deep and use lots of composted organic matter, such as mulch and manure. Four feet by 8 feet is a good size for a bed, because you can reach into the center from either side. Plus, most framing products come in 8-foot lengths, so you’ll need to make fewer cuts to build the beds.

A word of caution if you decide to build a frame: Make sure you know what your framing material is made of, and treated with. Some of the chemicals used to make wood rot-resistant, including arsenic, are toxic and can leach into the soil. When it comes to vegetable gardens, I prefer to let the wood frames rot and simply replace them every few years.

Internet Radio Show: Ms. Grow-It-All’s Internet radio show now broadcasts live at 6 p.m. Wednesdays at 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. This week’s topic was planting fruit trees, and Brandy Cowley-Gilbert of Just Fruits and Exotics nursery in Crawfordville joined us and shared her expertise. Next week, our topic will be preparing your lawn for winter.

Webs on pear tree are benign

2009-09-02T23:59:00.004-04:00

By Audrey Post
MS. GROW-IT-ALL

Q: Our pear tree is just covered with webs, over the branches as well as over the leaves. A second pear tree next to it turned brown and died earlier this year, so it was cut down. This one has a few brown, dead leaves on it but mainly we’re concerned about the webs. What are these webs that seem to be killing our pear trees?

A: We appear to be dealing with two different situations here – and I say “situations” instead of “problems” because one really isn’t a problem, even though those webs might be unattractive.

It sounds as though your other pear tree fell victim to fire blight, a bacterial disease that affects mainly pear trees and apple trees, killing blossoms, shoots, limbs and then sometimes the entire tree. Once the harvest is over on the tree you have remaining, you probably want to prune any dead or dying limbs. If you’re thinking of planting a replacement pear tree, ask your nursery for a variety that is resistant to fire blight. And check to see whether it is self-pollinating.

The webs are caused by psocids (pronounced SO-cids), tiny insects less than a quarter-inch long that form silky webbing, sometimes over large areas of the tree. Underneath the webbing, psocids consume fungi, lichen, pollen and other organic material that is on bark. And our hot, humid weather encourages things to grow on bark. But psocids don’t hurt the tree.

“Once they have eaten everything, they leave the tree unharmed,” said Stan Rosenthal, University of Florida/Leon County forester. “The lesson for us is that not all things on the tree are bad for the tree.”

Plant give-away reminder: Jerry Patton, the Tallahassee gardener with plants to give away including night-blooming cereus, can be reached at 850-878-1321. Several readers requested we run his phone number again.

Internet Radio Show: Ms. Grow-It-All’s Internet radio show now broadcasts live at 6 p.m. Wednesdays at 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. This week’s topic was fall and winter herbs to plant now in North Florida. Next week, the topic will be planting fruit trees.

Radio Show: Fall and winter herbs

2009-09-02T18:30:00.001-04:00

Our show this week on Blog Talk Radio was about herbs for fall and winter. In the Deep South, many common herbs such as parsley and sage actually perform better in cooler weather. Others can survive a mild winter with a little protection. Click on the following link to listen: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Ms_Grow-It-All/2009/09/02/Ms-Grow-It-All
Our next show will begin at 6 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Sept. 9, and the topic will be planting fruit trees.

Radio Show: Salt-tolerant and native plants

2009-08-27T19:00:00.001-04:00

This week's show continued the discussion from today's newspaper column about salt-tolerant plants for both beach sites and Tallahassee gardens. Bill Kollar of Gardens, Inc., in Apalachicola, Fla., was my guest. Click on the following link to listen: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Ms_Grow-It-All/2009/08/27/Ms-Grow-It-All
Our show next week will begin at 6 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Sept. 2, and the topic will be herbs for the fall and winter garden.

Choosing plants for both beach, town houses

2009-08-26T23:59:00.001-04:00

By Audrey Post
MS. GROW-IT-ALL

Q: We have a house in town and a house at St. Teresa, and we split our time between the two. To keep things as simple as possible, I’d like to use the same kinds of plants at both places. What is good for coastal property as well as the north side of Tallahassee?

A: Trying to maintain gardens at two homes is a big chore – I have my hands full with just one -- so you’re smart to try to use the same plants in both places.

One problem you’re likely to face is choosing a plant that would grow well in your Tallahassee garden but isn’t salt-tolerant, so it wouldn’t survive at St. Teresa. Another is drainage. Coastal plants love good drainage and a lot of Tallahassee yards are red clay, so you’ll probably need to amend the soil to improve drainage. Adding peat and compost will help.

I checked with Amanda Kollar, whom many readers probably remember from her days at Tallahassee Nurseries. She and her husband, Bill Kollar, now operate Gardens, Inc., in Apalachicola, which includes a design business and The Garden Shop in the historic Bowery District, so she’s well-versed in both coastal and Red Hills plants.

There are many plants that are native to both areas, she said, including yaupon holly, American beautyberry, magnolia, pine and wax myrtle.

She also recommends pittosporum, podocarpus and any of the junipers. Other favorite plants include white African irises and Sabal palms.

“For flowering shrubs, go with dwarf Indian hawthorne and Majestic Beauty Indian hawthorne, a gorgeous flowering pink that’s just as salt-tolerant as it can possibly be yet does well in clay soil,” Amanda said. “Most of the lantanas do beautifully down here, too. Gold-mound lantana is an especially good one.”

Her basic rule for landscaping: “Try to keep ‘introduced’ plants closer to the house, fence, driveway, or mailbox. Up close is where you’re going to plant anything that’s not native. As you move farther away from the house, use native plants.”

Internet Radio Show: Ms. Grow-It-All’s Internet radio show broadcasts live at 6:30 p.m. today [Thursday, Aug. 27] and we’ll continue the discussion with Bill Kollar about salt-tolerant plants and native plants. Go to 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.

Radio Show: Threats to trees

2009-08-20T19:00:00.000-04:00

Frequent co-host Stan Rosenthal, University of Florida/Leon County forester, joined me this week for a discussion of threats to trees, including pests, diseases and lightning. Click on the following link to listen: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Ms_Grow-It-All/2009/08/19/Ms-Grow-It-All
Our show next week begins at 6 p.m. ET on Thursday, Aug. 27, and features a discussion about salt-tolerant and native plants, and plants suitable for the beach as well as the clay soil of Tallahassee, with landscape designer Bill Kollar of Gardens, Inc., in Apalachicola, Fla.

Divide daisies for better blooms

2009-08-19T23:59:00.000-04:00

By Audrey Post
MS. GROW-IT-ALL

Q: I have a problem with some daisy plants I bought two years ago. I have beautiful plants but very few blooms. The plants look like they need to be divided, as they have multiplied since being planted. When should I divide them and what to do to boost blooming? They are planted with plenty of sun in the morning and afternoon shade.

A: Dividing your plants should solve your problems. When plants get too crowded, they get a little shy and don’t show their blooming faces as much. Fall is the best time to divide your daisies.

As for other things you could do to boosts blooming, daisies need six to eight hours of sun a day. If they’re not getting that much, you might want to move them when you divide them and replant them in a location that gets more sun but still provides some relief from the blistering late-afternoon sun. Also, you probably already know to “dead-head,” or remove the spent blossoms, to keep the plant blooming for a longer period.

If you’re considering adding a fertilizer or supplement to promote bloom, get your soil tested first. Those “bloom-buster” products are heavy with phosphorous, and most soil in our area has an abundance of phosphorous.

Q: I have some three-year-old viburnum obovatum ‘Densa.’ When is the best time to transplant them here in Tallahassee?

A: The best time to transplant just about anything here in Tallahassee is fall or early winter. The temperatures are cooler so there’s less heat-stress on the plants and they have a chance to get their roots established before the next growing season.

Your plants, commonly called “small viburnum,” are wonderful evergreen additions to the landscape that get only about 5 feet tall and wide. They have white flowers in spring and summer and the foliage turns bronze/purple in fall. Plant them in a sunny to part-sun location in a well-drained location.

Internet Radio Show: Ms. Grow-It-All’s Internet radio show on the Free World Radio Network this week featured a conversation with occasional co-host Stan Rosenthal, University of Florida/Leon County forester, about tree pests. Go to my Web site at www.msgrowitall.com and click on the Blog Talk Radio link to listen.

Cutback perennials for continued blooms in fall

2009-08-12T23:59:00.001-04:00

By Audrey Post
MS. GROW-IT-ALL

Q: Some of the perennial flowers I planted in my garden, such as salvias, mums and black-eyed Susans, are starting to flop over and look pretty bedraggled. When I bought them, the tags said they would bloom summer to frost. What I have done wrong?

A: You’ve done nothing wrong, but there is one more step you need to do: Cut back your plants to rejuvenate new growth.

The tags don’t tell you that summer-blooming perennials usually grow vigorously during spring and early summer and then they get leggy and tired. To rejuvenate them, trim them back by a half to two-thirds.

If the stems are soft, you can pinch them back by hand. If the stems have become woody or the plant has become a sprawling mess, it probably would be easier to take hand-pruners or garden shears to the plant. It will look a little barren for a few days, but you’ll see new growth soon.

Q: I have a great crop of figs, but the birds are getting most of them. Someone suggested I buy netting and cover the tree, but the birds just peck through the webbing. Plus, the tree is so tall now, I can barely reach the fruit at the top. Do I have any chance of tasting a fig this year?

A: It sounds like you bought the netting sold in garden centers, which has an open weave – openings about an inch or so across -- and is great for creating net trellises for fruits and vegetables, but it’s not so great for protecting fruit. Go to a fabric store and ask for the netting used for little girls’ ballet costumes and princess outfits. It’s also used for lots of craft projects. It has a tighter weave but still lets rain and air through. It comes in lots of colors, too, if you want to amuse your neighbors.

You can also use the floating row covers that you use to protect your vegetables from frost. It’s a spun fabric-like material that lets rain and air through, but it also raises the temperature beneath it, so I don’t recommend using it in our summers.

If you live in the Tallahassee area, mark your calendar to prune your figs in December so you can reach the fruit easily next year.

Plant 'early' varieties of vegetables for fall crop

2009-08-05T23:59:00.001-04:00

By Audrey Post
MS. GROW-IT-ALL

Q: Is it too late to plant tomatoes in Tallahassee? How about lima beans?

A: No, it’s not too late to plant tomatoes for a second crop in the fall, but it’s a good idea to select “early” varieties. “Early” means they produce fruit in fewer days than most varieties, or earlier, and are generally used in early spring. But considering the gardening calendar in our area is a little different from the rest of the country, it works well for us in fall.

We usually have a freeze in late October, and then weeks go by before we have another one, so be prepared to protect your tomatoes during that period.

You can also plant cucumbers, squash and bush beans now. Unfortunately, lima beans take longer to mature than snap beans so I wouldn’t try to plant any this late.

Plant giveaway report: Jerry Patton reports his plant giveaway was a success, and he has a few plants left.

“More than 50 night-blooming cereus were taken (some took more that one plant); and, 21 century plants found a home. (Many said they'd like one of the latter, but just didn't have the space, etc.) Too, 17 crape myrtles were carted off -- all that were potted). As for the mystery plants, they too, fell into the hands of a gardener.

“I still have both night-blooming cereus and century plants. And, not unlike kittens, ‘all are available to a nice home.’ And, I must add, your readers are the nicest people. Great conversations were had by all.”

Thanks, Jerry. I agree. If you want some of his plants, be sure to call him at 850-878-1321 to make sure he’s home and to get directions to his home.

Radio Show: Rain gardens

2009-07-30T19:00:00.005-04:00

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

2009-07-29T23:59:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-22T23:59:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-16T19:00:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-15T23:59:00.001-04:00

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

2009-07-09T19:00:00.001-04:00

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

2009-07-08T23:59:00.001-04:00

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

2009-07-02T19:00:00.002-04:00

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

2009-07-01T23:59:00.000-04:00

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.”

Radio Show: Good vines and bad vines

2009-06-25T19:00:00.000-04:00

This week's radio show was a continuation of the newspaper column about a thorny, invasive vine that is one of the varieties of Smilax. We talked about good vines for your garden and ones you should avoid.

Thorny Smilax vine nothing to smile about

2009-06-24T23:59:00.000-04:00

By Audrey Post
MS. GROW-IT-ALL

Q: I have an invasive vine in my yard that is very thorny. It has long runners and breaks when I pull it up by hand. How can I get rid of this thing?

A: From your description, it sounds like smilax, a nasty customer indeed. Also known as catbrier, deer thorn and blaspheme vine (very appropriate!), it has a long tap root with small bulbs that form around it, so pulling it up really doesn’t work. Some types of smilax have heart-shaped leaves, while others have elongated narrow leaves.

If you can catch it in early spring, your best bet is to dig it out. Make sure you get the entire mass of roots. Gloves are must because once it has sprouted, those thorns are wicked. Smilax particularly likes azalea bushes, so prune them once they’ve finished blooming so you can get under the branches to dig out the smilax root.

You can spray smilax with a weed killer for brush and woody vines, but chemicals tend to run off instead of soaking in because the leaves are glossy. Plus, it’s too easy to hit nearby plants with the spray. I have used a small foam paint brush to “paint” the leaves with herbicide, which knocks it back for a couple of months but doesn’t kill it. Another one of those bulbs simply takes over. I suppose if I kept at it at regular intervals, I might eventually kill the thing.

Walter Reeves, host of the Gardening in Georgia show on Georgia Public Television, suggests the following method:

Using Roundup concentrate, make up three gallons of solution following label directions in a five-gallon plastic bucket. Lift the long vines off your shrubbery, flowers and wherever else they have deposited themselves and drape them into the bucket. Let each vine soak about 15 minutes, so it can soak up as much poison as possible. Be careful when you lift out the vines that you don’t sling poison on nearby plants. Lay the soaked vines on the ground and let them dry.

You can strain the trash out of the leftover Roundup in the bucket and reuse it. Take an old strainer, line it with a coffee filter and pour the solution into a pump sprayer.

Radio Show: Gardening in a heat wave

2009-06-18T19:00:00.000-04:00

With much of the Southeast, including the Florida Panhandle, experiencing a heat wave with high temperatures topping 100 every day, we talked on this week's show about how to get your gardening chores done without putting your life and health in jeopardy.

Plants need relief during heat wave

2009-06-17T23:59:00.000-04:00

By Audrey Post
MS. GROW-IT-ALL

Q: This heat wave is really brutal on my garden, and it's especially bad on my plants in pots and my hanging baskets. Do you have any suggestions on how I can keep my plants from drying out so quickly?

A: Summers generally are hot here in the eastern Florida Panhandle, but day after day of temperatures hovering around 100 is unusual, even for us. And extreme heat stresses plants as well as people.

When you water your garden, do it in the early morning hours, while the temperatures are still relatively low, to minimize evaporation. Make sure you water it deeply, applying at least an inch of water, so that the moisture sinks down to the root zone. Light, superficial watering might perk up the foliage, but it also encourages shallow root development, which makes the plant more vulnerable to dry spells. This time of year, when the days are at their longest here, you also can water in the evening but try to do it early enough in the evening that foliage can dry before dark. Dampness encourages fungal growth.

Use a thick layer of mulch to retain moisture and keep the soil surface cool. The sun baking on the soil heats it up so it dries out faster. You also might want to think about a shade cloth for your garden; it can lower temperatures by several degrees.

Having a watering system also can help. Not only is it exhausting for the gardener to have to drag around a hose, a system lets you target the water application to the plants' root zones. There are a variety of systems, some quite simple that gardeners can easily install themselves, ranging from soaker hoses to drip irrigation and micro-irrigation systems to fancy sprinkler heads on timers.

There are also watering bulbs available at garden centers, which are particularly good for plants in pots. You fill them with water, stick them in the dirt upside-down. As the soil dries, air pockets are formed and gravity pulls the water down from the bulb into the soil. You also can find pointed spouts that fit on the end of 2-liter soda bottles that do the same thing. I bought some a few years ago at the Home Show at the Civic Center but you also can find them on the Internet.

A gallon plastic milk jug with three holes poked in the bottom is a cheap option for a big pot or for a plant in the yard or garden that's really suffering and you want to save. Set the jug in place and fill it using a narrow-spout watering can. Your neighbors might think it looks goofy, but it's an effective temporary measure.

Move potted plants into the shade. Even full-sun plants can take a vacation for a few days in light or dappled shade. Potted plants tend to dry out faster than plants in the ground, so you might need to water pots twice a day until this heat wave breaks.

As for hanging baskets, they're even more vulnerable than potted plants because the drying heat surrounds even the bottom of the pots. Water morning and night and consider moving them, too, to the shade temporarily.

And don't forget to take care of yourself as well as your plants. Drink lots of water and avoid strenuous work during the hottest part of the day.