 |
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:
Our roses have already begun to leaf out. How soon should I
start to spray them for diseases and insects?
Answer:
If you are growing the hybrid teas roses then
spraying should begin now. These roses are plaqued every year by
several diseases such as powdery mildew and black spot.
Infection begins when the new leaves emerge. Protectant
fungicidial sprays should begin immediately. These diseases must
be controlled if you expect th grow good roses. A complete
uniform spray deposited on both sides of the leaf is necessary.
Spraying must continue at 7 to 10 intervals throughout the
growing season. Do not let the diseases build up before starting
your spray program. Act now to keep them as disease free as
possible. Use either Immunox or Daconil for these diseases.
Insecticides such as Orhtene or diazion can be added if needed
for insect control.
Question:
I have what looks like bees or hornets
invading my lawn. There are literally hundreds making dirt
mounds and swarming around the yard. What can I do to get rid of
them?
Answer:
I checked my 'Gardeners Log' diary where I keep
my notes on plant and animal activity. It is there I found that
I made an entry years ago that the digger or mining bees appear
on March 15th. It is truly amazing how ordered our natural world
is. These bees typically infest lawns where the grass is thin or
sparse. The ground will appear covered in small ant-like mounds
of excavated dirt. Each bee digs an underground nest where she
will deposit her eggs. There is only one bee per hole. After
laying her eggs she provisions it with food and then abandons
the nest. These bees do not build underground nests like the
yellow jackets. Usually this activity lasts for about 3 weeks.
Fortunately these bees are not aggressive. I have never known
then to sting anyone. However they can, if you decide to go grap
one. The best thing to do is to leave them alone. Insecticidial
sprays have little effect. I have stood and sat among them
without any problem. I have mowed through them without being
bothered at all. If you are allergic to bees, then keep your
distance until they have left. By the way, I have also found an
entry in my log book that another round of mining bees return the
first of May.
Click here for more on the digger bee.
Question:
When can we expect to be free from frosts and
freezes in this area? I want to plant a vegetable garden this
year but need to know when the best time it is to plant.
Answer:
The week of April 15 is our average last frost
date. However any seasoned gardener will tell you that there is
still a lot of risk if you plant then. If you set out any summer
vegetable plants at that time you better have hot caps or cloches
(new word I learned this week) nearby. Put them over the plants
to protect them from overnight freezes and frosts. Most of our
summer vegetables do not grow well until the soil warms up to at
least 60 degrees. Many of our seeded summer vegetables need 70
degree soils such as bean, sweet potatoes, and okra. Soil
temperatures are always cooler than air temperatures in the
spring. My advice is to wait until the last week of April for
setting plants and sow the seeded vegetables the first week of
May. I don't like to buy my plants or seeds twice.
Question:
My husband insists that he can resow the
yard even though he put down crabgrass preventer several weeks
ago? Will crabgrass preventer keep fescue from germinating.
Answer:
All crabgrass preventers except Tubersan will
prohibit the germination of fescue. If Tubersan was not used,
then he will have to postpone his reseeding of fescue until
fall.
PESTICIDE PICKUP DAY
Once again we are offering free disposal of pesticides. The date
is Wednesday, April 24 from 10 am until 2 pm. The N.C.
Department of Agriculture will collect all herbicides,
insecticides, fungicides, and other pesticides. This is only
offered once a year. All farmers, gardeners, and homeowners
should take advantage of this opportunity to clean out their
sheds and garages. No paint or other chemicals will be accepted.
The pickup will be at the Agricultural Building, 209 North Graham
Hopedale Road in Burlington.
Gardening Q&A Navigation Options
If you have any horticultural questions, please direct them to Rett Davis