Answers:
African Violet:
Place African Violets so as to allow air to circulate between them. This will help reduce the incidence of disease, also helps reduce the spread of pests as they can't just crawl from plant to plant.
Arborvitae:
All evergreens drop their leaves periodically throughout the year, just not all at once. If the leaf loss is occurring throughout the plant and is limited to the older leaves then most likely the cause is natural leaf senescence. Leaf loss can also be caused by overly dry or wet soil conditions. Also, if the Arborvitae were planted in a shadier location then they were originally grown in, the shrubs will shed the excess leaves in response to lower light levels. These leaves will generally be from within the shrub as opposed to leaves on the outside of the shrub which are exposed to more light.
Aruncus Diocius (Goat's Beard):
The long feathery parts are the roots. So you did plant them correctly.
This perennial grows up to 7 feet tall. Sprays of tiny white flowers bloom briefly but spectacularly for two weeks in early summer. Its native environment is the semi-shade of woodland clearings and it is most attractive in this setting. In the wildflower garden it makes an imposing background plant, especially when displayed in an isolated grouping. Each flower spray contains thousands of tiny blossoms which rise in loose blooms 6 to 10 inches above the foliage.
In a mixed border, place Goat's beard in the back both because of its height and because its bloom season is short and the attractive foliage will make a nice backdrop for shorter, longer blooming plants. The plants are either male or female; one plant does not contain both sexes.
Aruncus will grow in almost any soil, and in sun or partial shade. The soil should be moist. Buy quality nursery stock or start plants can be grown from seeds, which germinate readily.
You can also be propagated by dividing established root clumps in the spring or fall. The plants need little care as long as the soil remains moist; they will survive indefinitely if left undisturbed.
Type: perennial
Propagation: division, seeds
Light: sun or partial shade
Flower Color: white
Height: up to 7 feet
Width: 2-3 feet
Soil Requirements: almost any soil, moist
Zones: any
Uses: Back of the border or in groups, woodland settings
Azaleas:
- Hopefully the front of your house is getting partial shade. Too much sunlight tends to stress out the azaleas. Also as they prefer acid soils you might have to apply an ironite product to correct any iron deficiencies in the plant. The foundation of your house can cause the soil to be alkaline which can tie up the iron in the soil.
Many azaleas can grow up to 5' wide, too wide for your planting bed. When planting the shrubs take into account mature size and aim to have a few inches separating them. It is also important to keep them 1' away from the house foundation to prevent moisture problem. Shrubs that reach 3' in width should be planted about 3' to 4 feet apart. A 42' wide mulch bed could accommodate approx. 11, 3' wide shrubs. If necessary, you will need to select much smaller varieties or possibly go with other plant material that better fits the size of your mulch bed.
Here is a list of shrubs that might fit your needs:
'Gumpo' Azaleas - low growing, bloom mid to late spring, pink and white varieties available.
'Hino-Crimson' Azalea - small red flowers with reddish winter foliage.
"Girard's Hot Shot" - 2.5" reddish-orange flowers.
"Conversation piece' Azalea - 3.5" flowers, white with purplish-red splotches.
Nandina domestica - bamboo-like evergreen shrub with white flowers and reddish berries.
"Hogendorn" Japanese Holly - small evergreen, good foundation plant.
'Rotunda' Chinese Holly - small evergreen with spiny leaves. plant under windows, good intruder deterrent.
Check with your nearest includes Nursery Experts for plant material that matches your specific lighting and soil conditions.
- I believe you are describing azalea leaf gall. Remove the galls by hand picking if possible. Sprays must be applied before infection occurs.
To reduce infection next spring spray with a fungicide containing tribasic copper sulfate or zinc before buds open. Repeat at intervals of 2 weeks until new leaves are fully grown. Provide air circulation and avoid planting azaleas in areas of deep shade.
This fungus is caused by high moisture levels (rainy Aprils) After the fungus hits the thickening and distortion of the azalea leaves take place. Later the distorted leaves turn dark and hard. By midsummer the white powdery fungal spores cover the distorted leaves. So just hand pick now and spray next year.
- A lot of people are bringing in branches with yellow leaves. A lot of people think this is due to too much water, but if you turn the leaf over and see black spots, it's last year's damage from lace bug. They'll just fall off and you just get them up and discard them.Lace bug usually hits azaleas that people put in full sun.
Actually, azaleas are woodland plants. They should be morning sun only. They are more susceptible to lace bug because they're out in the sun. Spray it with Marathon in the Spring time underneath the leaf because that's where the lace bug is.
Butterfly Bush:
Cut your buddleia back 6 to 8 inches to the ground in March. Use a high Phosphate fertilizer (5-10-5) consistently throughout the growing season.
Buddleia likes afternoon sun, at least 4 hours, and well drained soil.
Caladium:
Caladiums do not tolerate temperatures below 60 degrees F. very well. Quite possibly the foliage is dying back due to the colder night temperatures. Even though the foliage dies back, the tubers are still alive. To keep them for next year, you will need to lift the bulbs out of the ground and store them indoors. Our winters are too cold and they will most likely die if left outside. When the foliage dies back, dig up the tubers and brush off any clinging soil. Store them in sand or peat moss at 70 degrees F. Plant them outside next spring when night temperatures are around 60 degrees.
Another rather unpleasant possibility is that voles are eating the tubers. Look for small holes in the ground around the Caladiums. If this is the case, spray a castor oil product, i.e. Whole Control, over the area and use Vole-Bloc soil amendment any time you plant bulbs.
Christmas Cactus:
I would probably wait and divide the Christmas Cactus in the spring. The cactus is developing flower buds at this time and I would rather have the plant concentrating on that rather than diverting nutrients to regenerate damaged roots. To encourage blooming during the Christmas holidays there are several steps that can be taken for optimum show of blooms.
Dec - Jan: - Blooming Period. Water normally and maintain temperature above 55 degrees F.
Feb - March: Resting period, keep cool around mid 50's F. Water infrequently.
Apr - May: Treat normally water when soil is dry.
June - Mid-Sept: Place outdoors in a shady spot.
Oct - Mid-Nov: Keep on the dry side and cool until flower buds form. Then gradually increase frequency of watering and temperature exposure. Maintain 12 hours of darkness through the fall each day.
Mid-Nov - Jan: Blooming Period. Water normally and maintain temps above 55 F.
Crape Myrtle:
The first year in the ground can be a very stressful time for a tree or shrub. Transplant shock, drought, too much water, late freezes in the spring, any of these conditions can contribute to the shrub having a difficult time getting established. Fortunately for us, the roots of crape myrtles are very resilient. Even if the top growth is killed back the roots can regenerate replacement braches fairly quickly. We are in the northern- most climate zone where they can be grown, thus occasional die-backs of the top growth can be expected. Especially with a colder than usual winter or spring. Flowers are produced on current seasons growth, so prune heavily in the spring to promote more flowers. Prune branches back by 1/3. Feed your crepe myrtles in the spring with Flower-tone and rock phosphate to provide needed nutrients.
Dahlias:
Dahlias are not considered winter-hardy in our area so need to be removed from the ground each fall. Dig up the tubers, brush off the soil and allow them to dry out for 1 day before storing them in trays of vermiculite. Store them at a temperature of 40 degrees F.
Day Lilies:
You can remove the spent blooms on day lilies at any time. Don't remove the leaves until they have turned yellow. When the leaves begin to turn yellow is a good time to apply Bulb-tone bulb food for better blooms next year.
English Boxwoods:
The most likely culprit is transplant shock. In the process of digging up a shrub or tree, the root system can be damaged. Most of the nutrient and water uptake occurs at the root tips which are most likely to be injured during planting. After planting, the shrub is still losing water through its leaves and is unable to take in enough water from the roots to replace it. The shrub will use up whatever nutrients and water it has stored in the roots and stems, then dies. Here are a few tips to reduce transplant shock * Dig out as large a rootball around the shrub as possible to retain most of the root system. * Apply Wilt-pruf or other anti-transpirant product to the leaves in order to reduce water loss. * Water in a "plant starter" solution around the roots to aid in stimulating new root development to help replace the damaged roots. This may need to be applied again in 2 weeks. Shultz Root Stimulator or Dragon Plant Starter are both good products to use. * Water the shrubs deeply 2-3 times a week, allowing the soil to dry out a bit between watering. Too much water will cause the roots to rot and the shrub will die.
Evergreens:
The plants that may suit you best would be considered evergreen. Meaning they retain their leaves throughout the year. Here are some suggestions, the particular ones you choose will be dependant on light and soil conditions and desired growing size. Ask your local includes Nursery experts for plants that best suit your needs.
Shrubs:
Japanese and Chinese hollies
Nandina
Azaleas and Rhododendrons
Ligustrum
Elaeagnus
Junipers
Cotoneaster
Perennials:
Ajuga
Ivy
Pachysandra
Vinca
Creeping Euonymus
Ferns, evergreen type
Fungus:
There are at least 25 common lawn diseases that have the potential of infecting lawns in our area at various times of the year. From what you describe, the most likely culprit is brown patch fungus. Its development is encouraged by high levels of Nitrogen, and irrigation, during the summer months with our warm temps and high humidity. There is a cool season brown patch, but it occurs less frequently. As with any pest, once you understand what it needs to thrive you can take steps to reduce its ability to cause excessive damage in the landscape. Notice I said reduce, not eliminate, The fungal spores are ever-present in the soil, air or the grass plants themselves, awaiting the right conditions to infect the host.
Control Suggestions:
- Avoid feeding turf in the spring or use organic fertilizers (ex. Ironite, Milorganite) that release nutrients very slowly and thus don't promote the lush new growth that fungi especially like.
- Avoid irrigation of established turf during the summer months, or water in the morning so as to allow water to evaporate off the leaves quickly, this reduces available moisture needed by the fungi to grow. Fescue grass will naturally go dormant (turn brown) during the summer months. This is actually healthy for the grass to do this. Sort of like a tree dropping its leaves in fall.
- Select a brown patch resistant grass, or choose a blend of several varieties of grass to overseed or renovate you lawn with such as Southern States Premium Fescue Blend. It is more difficult for the fungi to spread through a blend of grasses with varying resistance to fungal attack.
- Removing excessive thatch, over 1/2" thick, is helpful in removing habitat for the fungi to survive and also improves the effectiveness of fungicides.
- Use fungicides at a preventative rate ,which is usually less than the curative rate, starting in late May or early June. Concentrate your efforts in areas where the disease was prevalent in the past. Daconil or Bayleton are frequently used for this purpose. This should help prevent major outbreaks of the fungus.
- Established healthy turf can withstand brown patch fungus attacks and will generally recover in the fall. Lawns seeded or sodded in the spring face the greatest risk in being wiped out by the fungus.
General Gardening:
- With most perennial and annual flowers, wait until the foliage dies back before removing it. This is especially important with perennial flowers as the leave are making food to be stored in the roots for next years growth. Leave the leaves on as long as they are somewhat green.
- The plants that may suit you best would be considered evergreen. Meaning they retain their leaves throughout the year.Here are some suggestions, the particular ones you choose will be dependant on light and soil conditions and desired growing size. Ask your local includes Nursery experts for plants that best suit your needs:
Shrubs:
- Japanese and Chinese hollies
- Nandina
- Azaleas and Rhododendrons
- Ligustrum
- Elaeagnus
- Junipers
- Cotoneaster
Perennials:
- Ajuga
- Ivy
- Pachysandra
- Vinca
- Creeping Euonymus
- Ferns, evergreen types
- Despite popular belief, short clippings dropped on the lawn after mowing are not the cause of thatch buildup. Clippings are very high in water content and breakdown rapidly when returned to lawns after mowing, assuming lawns are mowed on a regular basis (not removing more than one-third of the leaf blade).
So, if you cut your grass regularly the clipping are good-if not cut regularly you can build up thatch. Thatch buildup does not allow the air and sunlight to get through to your grass. You would then have to de-thatch your lawn. Excessive thatch (over 1/2 inch thick) creates a favorable environment for pests and disease, an unfavorable growing environment for grass roots, and can interfere with some lawn care practices.
- Only spray the weeds, not any plants. Choose a day without wind. It does not go into the soil. It only kills the plant you spray. So be careful. Follow all directions on the bottle. Early in the season you need to get a jump on weeds. Preen works if you put it down before the seed germinates. It will not kill after that. Continue to add mulch yearly. As weed seeds blows on the mulch, they will germinate so putting down weed block mats only help with the weeds underneath, not blown weed seed. They will germinate and grow. I have mulched heavily and spot sprayed with Round Up and it has worked. But remember to only spray what you want to die and do it on a calm day.
- Bring in your soil for a soil test. Southern States will read your test results and let you know what your soil is lacking and can advise you of fertilizer needs for your soil. We carry a shade mix grass seed and creeping red is also a good choice.
Southern States can give you the advice you need for your grass and fertilizer needs - but bring in a baggy full of soil - it can take up to 14 days to get the results back. Also, can any trees be taken out? Trees can take up all the water / nutrients and take away from the grass - it makes growing grass very hard.
- There are at least 25 common lawn diseases that have the potential of infecting lawns in our area at various times of the year. From what you describe, the most likely culprit is brown patch fungus. Its development is encouraged by high levels of Nitrogen, and irrigation, during the summer months with our warm temps and high humidity.
There is a cool season brown patch, but it occurs less frequently. As with any pest, once you understand what it needs to thrive you can take steps to reduce its ability to cause excessive damage in the landscape. Notice I said reduce, not eliminate, The fungal spores are ever-present in the soil, air or the grass plants themselves, awaiting the right conditions to infect the host.
Control Suggestions:
- Avoid feeding turf in the spring or use organic fertilizers (ex. Ironite, Milorganite) that release nutrients very slowly and thus don't promote the lush new growth that fungi especially like.
- Avoid irrigation of established turf during the summer months, or water in the morning so as to allow water to evaporate off the leaves quickly, this reduces available moisture needed by the fungi to grow. Fescue grass will naturally go dormant (turn brown) during the summer months. This is actually healthy for the grass to do this. Sort of like a tree dropping its leaves in fall.
- Select a brown patch resistant grass, or choose a blend of several varieties of grass to overseed or renovate you lawn with such as Southern States Premium Fescue Blend. It is more difficult for the fungi to spread through a blend of grasses with varying resistance to fungal attack.
- Removing excessive thatch, over 1/2" thick, is helpful in removing habitat for the fungi to survive and also improves the effectiveness of fungicides.
- Use fungicides at a preventative rate , which is usually less than the curative rate, starting in late May or early June. Concentrate your efforts in areas where the disease was prevalent in the past. Daconil or Bayleton are frequently used for this purpose. This should help prevent major outbreaks of the fungus.
- Established healthy turf can withstand brown patch fungus attacks and will generally recover in the fall. Lawns seeded or sodded in the spring face the greatest risk in being wiped out by the fungus.
Gladiolus bulbs:
A plant's hardiness can be measured by the "annual average minimum temperature" (AAMT) at which it can survive. The USDA has conveniently separated North America into 11 plant hardiness zones. This gives us an idea what plants can be grown in what locales.
Richmond is located in zone 7. Zone 7 comprises an area where the AAMT is 10 - 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Most varieties of gladiolas are hardy to zone 7 and can usually be over wintered outside without concern. However, if by chance we have an unusually cold winter with temps falling below 0 degrees F., the gladiolus corms could be killed.
Personally, I leave my glads outside. But if you have some valuable specimens, they can easily be lifted in the fall after the foliage has died back. Brush off as much soil as possible and allow them to dry out for a couple of days before storing them in in a packing material such sphagnum peat. Don't allow the bulbs to touch during storage as if one begins to rot it will spread to the others. Storage temperatures should range within 35-45 degrees F.
Grape vines:
Grapes are best pruned in late winter, around late February and March. Remove "watersprouts", new growth off of 2+ year old wood, and dead blackened wood. Prune back 2 year old canes to a 1 year old fruiting cane, leaving a 2 year old stub with 2 buds on it beside the 1 year old cane. Prune the 1 year old cane back to about 10 buds or nodes. Remove canes that are shaded and don't receive much sun. Ideally about 40 - 50 nodes will remain on the grape vine when pruning is completed.
Gum Tree:
Landscaping around trees can be a challenge, but not an impossible one. Growing grass under trees where there is less than 2 hours of sunlight, I would consider to be a futile effort. Rather select plants that will tolerate dry shade:
- Aucuba japonica
- Berberis thunbergii
- Caladium x hortulanum
- Clematis reticulata
- Cornus florida
- Dryopteris erythrosora - Shield Fern
- Euonymus japonica
- Hedera helix -
- Hemerocallis spp. - Day lilies
- Kalmia latifolia - Mountain Laurel
- Ligustrum spp. - Privet
- Liriope muscari
- Liriope spp.
- Mahonia sp. - Mahonia
- Nandina domestica - Heavenly Bamboo
- Ophiopogon japonicus - Mondo Grass
- Parthenocissus quinquefolia - Virginia Creeper
- Potentilla spp. Rhododendron spp.
Hibiscus:
Depending on the size of the hibiscus, and or, if it is a tropical hibiscus you could dig it up, transplant into a pot and overwinter inside. If that is not feasible you will need to take steps to provide some protection from the winter temps. and wind. That is to say if you have a hibiscus species which is hardy in our area. If not sure, contact the nursery from which you purchased it. To help insulate the roots apply a 4" layer or mulch around the base of the shrub. Apply an anti-desiccant product, Wilt-Pruf, to the stems after the leaves fall off , this will prevent wind burn. For further protection, place stakes around the shrub and wrap with burlap. Water about once a week during dry periods.
Hydrangeas:
- You can transplant the hydrangea now as fall is a good time to transplant most anything. Select a site that provides at least partial -shade rather than full shade all day long, but I would try to avoid locating in full sun.. Water in a root stimulator, Schultz Root Stimulator, soon after planting to help reduce the chance of transplant shock. Feed with Holly-tone fertilizer in the spring. Provide supplemental watering at least once a week during dry periods.
- The proper timing to prune hydrangeas depends on what type of hydrangea you are growing. Bigleaf hydrangeas produce blooms on previous years growth. So prune back stems that have flowered to about 2 feet high, right after they finish blooming. As Pee Gee hydrangeas flower on new growth, they should be pruned in early spring to about 6 - 12" height. Oak leaf hydrangeas require very little pruning but can be pruned in early spring as well.
Impatiens:
Impatiens can be easily propagated from softwood cuttings. * Take 4"-5" cuttings, and remove all but the top couple leaves. * Fill small pots with vermiculite or peat. Moisten potting media. * Take a freshly cut piece and wet the cut end and roll it in some rooting hormone product. i.e. Dip-N-Grow, Root-tone * Insert the cuttings into the vermiculite or peat * Cover the pots with plastic and keep in a warm place out of direct sunlight. Uncover once a day * Cuttings should root in about 6 - 8 weeks.
Insects:
- Aphids are tiny insects about a 1/16 to 1/8 inches long, usually light green, red or black. They come in the spring and damage tender new growth.
A hard spray of water from the hose will help remove aphid infestations. Aphids reproduce quickly and this may need to be repeated every couple days for a couple weeks. Aphids have a mutually beneficial relationship with ants, so ants need to be controlled if aphids are to be controlled.
Ladybugs are a natural predator of aphids and can be used to control aphids. If ladybugs are purchased, water the area well and release the ladybugs around sunset to discourage them from leaving.
- It's a good idea to spray your houseplants with an ultrafine oil, pyrethrum, or insecticidal soap spray, to remove any pests before bringing them in the house. Read the label to determine if your plants are sensitive to the spray. Ferns, succulents, and certain others can be injured by some sprays. The sprays are relatively safe to use as they leave no residues and don't pose a significant health hazard to anything but insects. 2 applications 7- 10 days apart may be necessary to kill existing pests and those which will hatch from eggs later on. There are systemic insecticide granules which can be watered into the soil to provide pest control for up to 6 weeks. Consult your local includes lawn and garden expert for the best product for your needs.
- To prevent ladybug entry into your house, evaluate the condition of your windows and doors. Keeping caulking, weather-stripping and screens in good repair can help to deny access to your house. If by chance they get in, vacuum them up and throw out the bag. There is a spray available at Southern States called Eagles 7 that will kill the beetles if you get overwhelmed.
It is true that the beetles were released in an effort to control an insect pest called scale.
- The quickest way to control a gnat infestation is to use a pesticide aerosol or bug bomb approved for indoor use. At Southern States we have Dragon Flying Insect Killer and Spectracide Bug Stop, both of which control a variety of flying insect pests. Be sure to follow labeled directions for safe use. Be sure to cover any exposed fruit or food to prevent access of pests to any food source. If you must leave dirty dishes in the sink, fill the sink with some soapy water to trap any gnats or flying pests that might seek out the food. Repair or replace damaged weather-stripping, and screening to prevent pest entry.
- Once considered just a plant pest, nematode species have been found that prey on a variety of insect pests. They travel through the soil until encountering their prey. Then they enter the grub through its natural openings and release an intestinal bacterium inside the grub. The bacteria kills the grub within 48 hours and then the nematode feeds on the carcass for a while before reproducing and thus releasing more nematodes into the soil.
Nematodes are generally purchased in a dry formulation that is mixed with water and sprayed over the area. As these are living creatures you want to be sure that the nematodes you purchase are not too old. Ask the retailer how long they have been on the shelf as they are good for up to 12 months. They need to be reapplied each spring to maintain a high enough population in the soil for effective control. If you want to order them, call includes in Midlothian at 379-8111 and ask for Kelly Creger. I can order them from a company in California.
Iron Chlorosis:
Iron chlorosis - Yellowing or chlorosis of the youngest leaves can result from a lack or deficiency of iron, an important plant nutrient.
Symptoms appear on the youngest leaves first: dark green veins surrounded by yellow or light green areas. Iron chlorosis may be associated with a deficiency of iron in the soil caused by a high soil pH, which makes iron unavailable. Sometimes this problem can be traced to damaged roots that are unable to absorb iron from the soil. Roots may be injured by root rot disease organisms, high nematode populations, or poorly aerated or drained soil. Chelated iron sprays offer quick but temporary results. Determine the real cause of the iron deficiency to correct the problem.
Leyland Cyprus:
As long as you can get to the Leylands to water them regularly you can remove the tubes now. Feed your Leylands with holly tone in the spring and then again in the fall. Read the directions on the bag for correct amounts.
Lilacs:
The main reason is it's not getting enough sun. It needs 4-5 hours of afternoon sun. That also helps with the fungus. They get powdery mildew. The more sun, the better off for that when that hits. You may not have enough Phosphate.
Mostly people's lilacs are planted in their lawn. They fertilize their grass so it's getting a lot of nitrogen instead of the phosphates and they're getting pretty green development but no bud development. Phosphate is good for bud development plus roots. It will not help this year, but if you put it down this fall, it will help next year. Get a bag of Phosphate Triple Super and put that down. You can use it on anything in your yard that's not blooming well.
Magnolias:
- Elizabeth Magnolia is a cross between m. acuminata and m. denudata. The habit is neat and pyramidal but the genuine beauty is the primrose yellow buds that open to a transparent yellow.
At the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, it opens from late April to mid May. Flowers heavily in our zone. Beautiful flowers more yellow in cooler weather - fragrant - open before leaves come out. They are extremely vigorous and probably mature at 30 - 50 feet high and wide, but that will take a long, long time! It likes at least 4 hours of afternoon sun -- southern exposure for flowering.
Feed with Holly Tone or any other acid-loving fertilizer. Magnolias love acid and their leaves will turn yellow when not having enough. Water well in summer and mulch.
- Generally, you can prune broadleaf evergreens at anytime of the year. Yet, I would recommend that you prune in early Spring. Pruning in the fall can sometimes encourage new growth that won't be hardened off before cold temperatures arrive and the new wood gets killed back. It is very unlikely that the whole limb would be winter-killed in any case.
Moles and Voles:
Indeed having lots of tunnels in the yard and flowerbeds is definite indicator of being afflicted with those grub-eating moles. Voles are not always present with moles, but when they are, they do take advantage of the access to your plants that moles provide to them.
Control options:
- Apply a castor oil product over the affected lawn and mulch beds. (ie. Whole Control) This will repel moles and voles from the area for about 3 months.
- Consider using stone mulch instead of bark mulch around plants as voles dislike having to burrow through hard material. Also bark mulches provide voles the ideal habitat to live and reproduce.
- Use "Vole-bloc", a hard granular product that is added to the soil when planting, to make barriers that will reduce voles access to the plants.
- Hang predator urine dispensers, bobcat urine works best, around the area to repel voles, moles and other rodents. Predator urine is available from your local Southern States dealer.
- Mole traps are very effective. Place them over active tunnels to make instant mole compost. Active tunnels are those that the mole will fix within 24 hours after you flatten it out.
- Since moles need a lot of worms and grubs, reduce their interest in your yard by controlling grubs with "Milky Spore Disease" product. This is a bacteria that infects grubs and can persist in the soil for at least 10 years.
- There are poisons and smoke bombs available to kill moles and voles, but they must be used with care. See your Souther States dealer for more details.
And there is the somewhat ineffective method of trying to flood the tunnels with water, with the hope of drowning the moles or whacking them on the head with a shovel when they crawl to the surface. With our use of bark mulches, concentrating susceptible plants in a small area, and with few natural predators, voles and moles will continue to be an ongoing problem. Total eradication is impossible, the best you can hope for is to reduce their damage to tolerable levels.
Mulch:
Yes, mulched oak leaves can be used as mulch. Expect the leaves to break down very quickly so the mulch will need to be replenished more frequently than wood mulch. Apply the leaves no thicker than 3-4 inches so as to not block water movement into the soil.
Mums:
You will not have two bloom periods with mums.
When you see mums returning from in the spring from last fall- pinch back until the end of July and then leave them alone. Pinching makes chrysanthemums compact and bushy. Not tall and falling over. They will also produce larger flowers
Pinching is just another name for pruning with your fingers, removing about an inch of stem per pinch. For rooted cuttings-Start pinching the tips of rooted cuttings when they reach 6 inches. They'll develop additional stems from the leaf nodes below the pinch. When the new stems are 6 inches long, pinch those tips and the plants will produce more stems from the leaf nodes. By late July when pinching should stop the single stem, rooted cutting planted back in May will have developed into a bushy compact plant with hundreds of stems with buds forming on their tips.
Otto Lyuken Laurel:
Otto Lyuken Laurels with tiny holes throughout the plant is shot hole fungus. Circular spots red or yellow and then the leaf tissue drops out you have a shot hole appearance. A fungus from overhead watering-the irrigation within the nursery where it was purchased or from the grower himself. In the landscape it develops from rainy springs and lack of air circulation. Pick up a discard any fallen leaves-they harbor the fungus spores. Spray with a fungicide.
Peace Lily:
The plant is most likely a Spathiphyllum wallisii, Peace Lily.
- Temperature: Maintain temperatures above 55 degrees F
- Light: Low to bright light levels. Protect from direct sunlight
- Watering: Water thoroughly then allow to dry out between watering. Generally once a week is sufficient depending on how much light it receives. A good indicator is the leaves will begin to wilt.
- Fertilize: Fertilize monthly from spring to fall. Use general purpose houseplant fertilizer.
- Maintenance: Cut out flowers as they fade and clean the leaves regularly.
Photina (Red Tips):
- Red Tips are best treated like a hedge and can be lightly sheared as needed, from spring to mid-summer. Removing about 3 - 4 " of growth at a time. Be alert for the black spot disease as it attacks new growth. Treat with a fungicide at first sign of the disease.
- The Photinas have a fungus leaf spot and it's known for that kind of shrub. They are a high maintenance plant. If you are going to plant a Photina you need to realize that you're going to be spraying it for the fungus. We recommend using Dacanyl.
The best thing to do is to cut your Photinas back as bud break. Get all the leaves off the ground because they hold the fungus. Spray with Daconil every 10 - 14 days. They are high maintenance. People like them because they're fast growing evergreens. But if you can find an alternative shrub, find that instead because you will always be treating this fungus.
Roses:
- Your rose may have been grafted. A grafted or budded plant is one in which a small piece of the desired flowering variety (the scion) was surgically attached to a root system from another rose (the rootstock, understock, or just "stock"). These two parts heal together, to become a single plant. However, if a grafted plant freezes to the graft union, or in your case cut back to that union the rootstock may sprout out, but you will have lost the original grafted variety and have a totally different rose.
- Your roses are probably infected with the Black Spot fungus, though rust and spider mites can also cause leaf loss in severe infestations.
The Black Spot fungus generally attacks roses during periods of high humidity, and or frequent rain. Which, with regards to high humidity, can occur all season long. Hybrid Teas, Floribunda, and Grandiflora roses tend to be most susceptible to injury from this disease. Case in point, I have a climbing rose that is completely defoliated by black spot and right beside it is a "Flower Carpet" rose in full bloom with a full set of leaves. I spray neither.
Control Methods:
- Plant resistant cultivators or species. These may get the disease, but will retain their leaves and be only mildly affected.
- Begin a spray program in the spring, where a fungicide is applied at sufficient intervals to control the disease. Spraying needs to be maintained during periods of high humidity. Depending on the product, sprays may need to be applied weekly. See your includes Lawn and Garden Expert for specific product recommendations.
- Avoid overhead watering which will wet the leaves, use soaker hoses to apply water only to the soil instead.
- Apply a lime-sulfur spray when the rose is dormant, to help control overwintering spores on the stems.
- Remove fallen leaves and cut out stems with black cankers, as they occur.
- Completely replace the mulch around roses every spring.
- The Tuberose, Polianthus tuberosa, is hardy in zones 8-11. As we are in zone 7, it would not be able to survive our winters if the temperatures drop below 10 degrees. However, it can be grown outside, if you dig up the tubers in the fall and store them inside at a temperature of 70-75 degrees. Then replant them outdoors in mid to late spring.
- In most cases, a thick application of mulch will provide sufficient insulation for winter protection. For particularly prized specimens, mound 6-8 inches of compost or well-draining soil around the base of the rose, after the first hard frost. Cut back the stems just enough to prevent them from blowing around in the wind and apply Wilt-Pruf to the stems for additional protection. Then, take hardware cloth or chicken wire and surround the rose with it, then cover the rose with straw or hay. The chicken wire will help prevent the straw from blowing away. Remove covering in the Spring after danger of hard freezes has passed. You can begin to prune roses in Spring. I generally wait until mid-April to ensure that a late freeze does not kill back the freshly cut stems.
Shrubs:
You can transplant shrubs easily in the fall. With the cooler temperatures there is less of a chance of transplant shock. With deciduous shrubs, ones that lose their leaves in the fall, you can transplant those throughout the winter as long as the ground is not frozen. The same could be said concerning evergreens, except for the risk of winter-kill. This occurs when cold dry wind pulls the moisture from the leaves and if the soil is dry or the roots injured through transplanting, this could result in injury or death to the shrub. This can be avoided by applying anti-tranpirants such as Wilt-Pruf to the leaves.
Adding organic matter to the soil in the form of compost, mulched leaves, aged manures, is probably the best thing to do to help rejuvenate old soil. There are several organic-based products such as greensand, Holly-tone, rock phosphate, gypsum that also can be added to promote optimum growth.
Tent caterpillars:
They're Eastern Tent Caterpillars. They were laid last year. They're hatching out now. If you can hand remove them it's good. If you can't remove them by hand, get a long stick, puncture the webbing and spray it with malathion or orthine. They won't hurt the tree. They just come out on warm days, eat the leaves and then in a few weeks, they will go to the ground, make a cocoon, pupate, and come out as an Eastern Tent moth. Then they start the whole egg laying process all over again. It doesn't hurt the tree. It just makes it unsightly. It could weaken the tree a little, but just makes it unsightly. You can't miss the nest. The larger the larva gets, the larger the nest becomes. These caterpillars are not aggressive.
Is there anything you can do to keep them from coming back next year? No.
Thundercloud plum trees:
Fertilizing the Thundercloud Plum Trees in the spring will encourage new growth. If the trees were recently transplanted , less than 1 year old, there is little cause for concern as it generally takes 2 years for newly transplanted trees to begin putting on significant growth. The main concern is that these trees need full sun to promote a lot of growth. A tree will only make the leaves it needs to make food. If there is not enough sun then there will be fewer leaves, as compared to a tree that was planted with more sun exposure. Full sun being at least 6 hours of sun.
Tomato plants:
- It is not too late to set out tomato plants. Some farmers plant later for a second crop. When purchasing plants read the tag. It will tell you how many days it takes to bear fruit. If the tag is missing ask the sales person for the information on that type of tomato. All tomatoes bear fruit at different times. Also all tomatoes have different growing habits.
- Patio tomatoes: Medium sized red fruit. Short, compact plant, 24 inches tall. Good in small areas or in tubs. Determinate.
The container must be at least 12" deep for tomatoes. Full sun-if possible. In containers you must water and fertilize more often- unlike being in the ground the roots cannot search out for water and nutrients. Provide drainage. Space plants 24" apart. Potting soil and organic matter. Fertilize with 5-10-10 fertilizer. Set transplants deep- for a better root system to develop.
Tulips:
It is not too late to set out tomato plants. Some farmers plant later for a second crop. When purchasing plants read the tag. It will tell you how many days it takes to bear fruit. If the tag is missing ask the sales person for the information on that type of tomato. All tomatoes bear fruit at different times. Also all tomatoes have different growing habits.