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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:
How soon can I fertilize my fescue lawn?
Answer:
February is the best month for the first
fertilization of the new year. Fertilizing now will aid in root
growth but not overstimulate leaf growth. In essence, you won't
be mowing twice a week as you would if you waited until March and
April. The best fertilizer to use now is a slow release
fertilizer. Try to find one with a ratio of nutrients close to
4-1-2. Measure your lawn before going to purchase fertilizer.
Almost all slow release fertilizers will have a given coverage
rate on the bag. Slow release forms of nitrogen provide for an
even green-up of the grass over a 6 to 8 week period. As a
result you do not have an immediate flush of growth that leads to
increased mowing and bagging.
Question:
I have several pecan trees that will not shed
all their nuts and there are still husks on the tree. What could
be wrong with this tree?
Answer:
This maybe a combination of several problems.
One is that we had a very dry fall that put these trees and the
ripening pecan under water stress. In addition the trees may be
growing in a soil where the pH has fallen below the ideal range
for pecan production. Finally, there could be a zinc deficiency.
The availabilty of water is hard to regulate for homeowners.
However, low pH can be corrected with the addition of lime now.
I would apply a minimum of 50 pounds of dolomitic limestone per
1000 square feet. Zinc can be added in the form of zinc sulfate.
One 4 pound bag of zinc sulfate can be spread over 1000 square
feet. That is enough for one large bearing pecan tree. Zinc
moves slowly through the soil and one application will last 4 to
5 years. Zinc can be applied now or with a feritlizer
application in early March. If I had a large number of pecans, I
would advise taking a foliar analysis of the leaves in the spring
to determine if it is really a zinc deficiency. We have those
forms and instructions in my office. Fertilization of pecans is
done in March. For young trees, 1 pound of 10-10-10 per year of
age is sufficient. For bearing trees, 4 pounds per inch in trunk
diameter works great. Measure the diameter just below the
scaffold limbs.
Question:
Last week I noticed black and red insects all
over the siding of my house. A lot of them were getting behind
the window screens. What are they and should I be concerned?
Answer:
The insect is the boxelder bug. On warm winter
days they will emerge from their winter hibernation. I have seen
hundreds on porches, windows, and even cars. Boxelder bugs are
harmless but somewhat of a nuisance. Their primary food source
are the seeds of boxelder trees somewhere nearby. They will
return to their overwintering site when cooler weather returns.
That place is often in your attic or under siding. I would do
nothing unless you cannot sleep at night for fear of insects and
the ensuing nightmares. If that is the case, I would recommend
Bayer's Advanced Garden Multi-Insect Killer that contains
cyfluthrin. Most other insecticides do not work well on this
bug. The organic approach is a fly swatter. Plus the fly
swatter is safe for inside use while the insecticide is not.
IS SELLING TIMBER IN YOUR FUTURE?
Hundreds of local landowners have been inundated with letters from timber buyers in recent months. Many promise top dollar for your timber. If you want to learn how to maximize your income from a timber sale then you need to attend a workshop the Cooperative Extension Serivce is offering on February 12. There will be one at 2 pm in the afternoon and this same workshop will be repeated at 7 pm. It will be held in the Agricultural Building, 209 North Graham Hopedale Road in Burlington. Foresters from N.C. State University will be conducting the program.
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If you have any horticultural questions, please direct them to Rett Davis