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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.
Answer:
There is not just one variety but many.
Production of Vidalia onions centers around the town of Vidalia,
Georgia and encompasses 12 counties in their entirety and parts
of 8 others. For growers to market onions as Vidalias they must
be grown in these counties. That is a Georgia state law and
strictly enforced. In order to be called a Vidalia onion they
must be a yellow Granex type. In the past the number of
acceptable varieties have been held to only 12. Recently those
seed companies that did not sell any of those 12 sued the state
of Georgia and won. As a result there are no restrictions on
varieties for this season. There are many Granex type varieties
available such as Granex 33, Sweet Success, Sweet Vidalia,
Southern Belle, Savannah Sweet and many others. However it is
that area of Georgia that provides just the right soils, mild
winters, low sulfur soils, and abundant water to produce a mild
sweet onion. Onion flavor and the underlying chemistry is
interesting and complex. It is the onions high water content and
low sulfur that makes them so enjoyable to eat. Even if we grow
the same varieties here (which we can), we cannot duplicate the
other factors that influence their taste.
Question:
Several years ago I was given a lacecap
hydrangea as a gift. It flowered very nicely the next year but
each succeeding year it has not done as well. How do I care for
it?
Answer:
Like most hydrangeas they require a shady site.
These hydrangeas bloom from flower buds produced last summer.
Therefore only light pruning can be done now which consists of
trimming of dead tips and removing weak stems. After flowering
this spring, cut the plant back by 1/3 to 1/2 and fertilize with
10-10-10. This will reinvigorate the plant producing more flower
buds for next spring. Keep these plants watered during the
summer for maximum flower bud formation.
Question:
Why have my so many of my purple irises
turned yellow this spring?
Answer:
My answer is that I don't know. Yes it is
true, I don't know everything. This has been a real puzzler and
I cannot find a creditable answer. At first, I did not believe
this was really happening. However I have been overwhelmed with
calls about this and tulips that have gone from red to white in
color. Clearly something is happening. My resource for this
answer, Dr. Gus DeHertog, has retired from N.C. State. Bulb
breeders and experts are truly hard to find. But I am on the
trail of this rabbit and will soon catch it. When I do, my
readership will be the first to know and hopefully salvage my
creditability.
PESTICIDE DISPOSAL DAY
Mark your calendar for this coming Wednesday, April 24 from 10
until 2. This will be your only opportunity to get rid of
unwanted, no longer used, or banned pesticides for free.
Farmers, golf course operators, gardeners, and homeowners can
bring in as little or as much as they want too. All that we ask
is that it be in the original container. So clean out the barn,
utility shed and garage of all unwanted insecticides, fungicides,
herbicides, and rat baits. We will NOT accept paint, acids, or
mercury containing compounds.
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If you have any horticultural questions, please direct them to Rett Davis