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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:
This problem is called blossom end rot. It is
probably the most common of all tomato disorders. It is caused
by any soil or growing condition that affects the uptake of
calcium into the plant. Inadequate calcium within the fruit
itself causes the blossom end of the fruit to rot. Blossom end
rot is more widespread when we have low soil moisture such as we
have been experiencing. The fluctuation of soil moisture from
wet to dry with a fast growing tomato plant makes the problem
even worse. Tomatoes require an even supply of moisture. This
usually means a thorough watering more than once a week. The use
of a soil mulch such as straw, compost, or even plastic mulch
helps to conserve water and keep the soil from drying out. The
calcium, that comes from lime, is not absorbed in a dry soil.
Another reason blossom end rot can appear is when tomatoes are
over fertilized with ammonium fertilizers. These are very common
in 10-10-10 and many of the soluble fertlizers that are mixed
with water. Ammonium or excess nitrogen increases the demand for
calcium and interferes with its absorption by the roots. So to
figure out why you have blossom end rot you have to look at what
practice you have been doing and those you have not. Be sure
your garden soil is limed at least every three years. I would
use a minimum of 50 pounds of lime per 1000 square feet or five
pounds per 100 square feet. Apply in the fall and till into the
soil. Always mulch your tomatoes and keep the soil moist.
Fertilize at planting and then again after the first tomatoes
have appeared. Repeat every three weeks. Avoid fertilizing
every time you water or once a week. You are not supposed to be
raising a big leafed salad plant. Besides the leaves are
poisonous.
Question:
Where did all these June beetles come from?
They all of a sudden appeared overnight and are swarming all over
my yard. Some have actually hit me while I was out in the yard.
Answer:
June beetles, Japanese beetles, and cicadas
have been present as grubs or insect larvae in the soil for the
last nine months. They normally appear much earlier in the
summer provided the soil is moist enough for them to get out.
However the soil has been so dry and hard, they have had to wait
until a good rain. Recent showers have set them free from their
former home. Because they have never had wings, they are just
now learning how to fly. Therefore their flying abilites are not
so good. But after a few days of practice they will take off in
search of something to eat. The June beetles are fairly harmless
both in the soil and in the outside world. The smaller Japanese
beetles however will search out your favorite rose, fruit tree,
or crapemyrtle for nourishment. Weekly applications of Sevin
will control them.
Question:
My euonymous shrubs have a white almost gray
like substance on the leaves. What is this?
Answer:
Powdery mildew is very common on these plants.
Their leaves will become severly infected in the spring. Severe
infections will cause the leaves to fall off. You have to be
ready in early spring to control this disease. Spraying a
fungicide such as Immunox or Banner every 2 weeks will help to
prevent this disease. Spraying this late in the season will not
cure this disease. The plant will not die from this but rest
assured it will return next spring. My best advice is rid your
landscape of this plant.
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If you have any horticultural questions, please direct them to Rett Davis