GARDENING Q&A by Rett Davis

Gardening Q&A by Rett Davis appears in Alamance County's daily newspaper, The Times-News, every Sunday in the Accent section. Each week's installment is posted to this website, beginning with January of this year. 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:
Oak leaf holly is one of several hollies that are referred to as the Red Hybrid hollies. They were introduced in the mid-1990's. They grow in an upright pyramidal form and have glossy dark green foilage. The oak leaf holly has prominent spines on the leaf. The oak leaf holly is reported to grow the fastest of the red hollies. It can reach 14 feet in height and 8 feet in width. Hollies with this type of habit of growth are used for screening or hedges. All the red hollies are noted for the red coloration of their new growth in the spring. The oak leaf holly can be substituted for the popular Nellie Stevens.

Question:
Our home is literally covered with black and red bugs. They accumulate on the porch, the siding, and even on our car. I have sprayed them with Sevin and malathion and they are still everywhere. I can't take this much longer. Should I call an exterminator?

Answer:
This fall we have seen a bumper crop of boxelder bugs. These insects will congregate in the fall as they prepare to find a winter home. That winter home will be in your attic crawl space and under siding on the south side of your home. Boxelder bugs are attracted to maple and boxelder trees. They feed on the seeds of these trees. In almost every case a female boxelder tree is within a short distance from the problem. Boxelder trees seem to be an unknown tree to many people. We have millions here, at least by my count. Boxelder (Acer negundo) are in the maple family. Therefore they closely resemble our native maples. The female of this species is to be blamed for this problem of boxelder bugs. These insects feed on the winged seeds of this tree. At this time of the year the seeds are very apparent both in the tree and on the ground. As you have discovered most garden insecticides do not control this little pest. You may wish to try Bayer's Multi-Insect Killer. It contains cyfluthrin which is labeled for control of this insect. If you can't do this yourself then call a local pest control operator. Boxelder bugs will not harm or damage your home. Although they are cannabilistic, they will not turn to you for food either.

Question:
The recent period of wet weather has delayed the sowing of my new lawn to fescue. Since it is too late to seed fescue I was wondering if sodding at this time of the year is a viable alternative. I cannot go through the winter with this bare soil. Can you sod your lawn to fescue at this time of the year?

Answer:
This is an ideal time to sod fescue. However the soil still must be conditioned properly before sodding. You should not lay sod on ground that has not been prepared properly and leveled. I have seen too many turf areas that have been sodded improperly. The sod was laid hastily and short cuts in soil prepartion were made. This results in a uneven surface that is hard to walk on and bumpy to mow. It will never settle out. Sodding does prolong the time frame to get a fescue lawn this fall. However we still need some dry weather so the soil can be tilled and leveled. Sod should be rolled after it has been layed to insure a smooth surface. Sod is often layed throughout the fall and winter months.

Question:
I have collected some small insects for you to identify. I found them under my dishwasher and on the floors in some of our rooms. What are they?

Answer:
I identified those insects as the varied carpet beetle. You are the third person this week to bring in carpet beetles. This insect will feed on a wide variety of animal and plant products. They will feed on woolens, carpets, furs, hides, feathers, horns, bones, hair, silk, and dead insects. Gee, what home isn't full of these items. This particular carpet beetle will graze the surface of what they eat but are certainly capable of making holes too. Carpet beetles are found outside during warm weather feeding on flowers where they eat pollen. Their breeding areas are diverse and obscure. They can be found under siding, behind light fixtures, old insect nests, crawl spaces, and basements. Even nests of rodents and birds. A thorough inspection of the home is necessary followed by good sanitation and a pesticide treatment if required.

MASTER GARDENER PROGRAM
The Cooperative Extension Service is now taking applications for the 2003 Master Gardener class. The classes begin January 22nd and will run through mid April. Classes will be taught at the Agricultural Building, 209 North Graham Hopedale Road in Burlington every Wednesday morning from 9 am until 12 noon. Cost for the program is $75. Upon successful completion of the program we will require 40 hours of volunteer time donated to our office. Class size is limited to 20 participants. Deadline for application is December 6th, 2002. Applications can be mailed to you by calling 570-6740. To learn more about the program or obtain an application on line, visit our web site at www.ces.ncsu.edu/alamance.

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If you have any horticultural questions, please direct them to Rett Davis