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by Rett Davis | |
Gardening Q&A by Rett Davis appears in
Alamance County's daily newspaper, The Burlington Times-News,
every Sunday in the Accent section. Each week's installment is
posted to this
website, beginning with January 1998. Scroll to the bottom of
this page to navigate to other Gardening Q&As. Please contact
Rett via e-mail with questions
or
comments in regard to this column.
Question:
There is small tree or bush that is in our woods that is blooming
with the most attractive purple blooms. It is not something that
I have planted and my mother always referred to it as a locust
bush. Do you know what this is?
Answer:
Mothers are usually right. It is called
bristly locust or Robinia hispida. It differs from our black
locust which is a tree and has fragrant white blooms. The
flowers of the bristly locust are reddish purple and have no
fragrance. The bristly locust is considered a shrub and is
valued more for its ability to form dense thickets and to help
stabilize dry sandy soils. As a leguminous plant it can utilize
nitrogen from the air and survive in almost nutrionally sterile
soil. The pea-like flowers are very attractive although the
blooming period is very short. This is a plant not commonly seen
in our county.
Question:
Last year you told me what to do to keep my
squash plants from getting the borer and causing the plant to
wilt. I have misplaced what I wrote down. Could you tell me
what to do again and when?
Answer:
The wilting of squash plants is caused by the
squash vine borer. The borer or worm develops very quickly after
the eggs are laid by the female moth on the stem of the plants.
The young larvae bores inward and upward into the stem of the
squash causing the plant to wilt suddenly around mid-June. To
prevent this from happening this year you can try several
methods. If you have just a few plants then wrap the stem from
the ground up for several inches with either aluminum foil or
panty hose. You can also pull dirt up around the stem and cover
it as the plant grows. Growers with a lot plants will need to
use insecticides.
Homeowners can use Thiodan or pyrelin. Treat plants just before
the first bloom which is occurring now. Repeat at weekly
intervals. You are limited to three applications when using
Thiodan. Commercial growers can call me for other insecticidal
choices and their precautions.
For the insect note on the squash vine borer from the Department of Entomology, click here.
Question:
We have killed two copperheads this week in
our yard. I have been told to put sulfur around my property to
ward them off. Would that or mothballs work better?
Answer:
Neither work. Despite claims to the contrary
and the tonnage that is put out around homes and under houses.
At present there is no known repellent to snakes. Yes, there are
products on the shelves sold as snake repellents but their
ingredients are usually the same, sulfur and naphthalene
(mothballs). Lime and ashes also fall into the category as a
waste of time to put out. However these two do help the shrubs
and the lawn far more than sulfur and mothballs. What is the
answer to keeping snakes away? Clean up brush, pick up material
laying on the ground, move the woodpile, close gaps around pipes,
and make sure doors close snugly. Finally, keep a hoe nearby.
For more info on snakes, check out this link.
Question:
Our magnolias look terrible. They appear to
be wilted and losing all their leaves. Should we have them
sprayed for something and fertilized?
Answer:
Magnolias are evergreen trees. That does not
mean the leaves will be green forever. The ravages of sun, leaf
diseases, and winter drying all take their toll on the leaves.
In the spring magnolias will shed their older leaves as new
growth emerges from the buds. The leaves will turn yellow and
fall to the ground. Many will be infected with leaf spots and
mildew. The tree is also shedding some excess weight like most
us will this spring when summer activities pick up. This leaf
shedding is normal and good for the tree. The wilting is from
the prolonged dry spell we have been through. The recent rains
should restore the tree to a more attractive appearance. For
details on the Southern Magnolia, go to
this site.
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If you have any horticultural questions, please direct them to Rett Davis