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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 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:
Normally there is no problem with reseeding and applying
fertilizer at the same time. However your Weed and Feed fertilizer
contains one or more herbicides that can injury newly emerging grass
seedlings. The general rule is to reseed 30 days after application of a
Weed and Feed fertilizer. You cannot afford to wait 30 days. Your
reseeding should be complete by the middle of October. I would advise
against using your Weed and Feed fertilizer this fall. Save it for use
in late winter. To get rid of these broadleaf weeds, wait until your
new grass has been mowed several times this fall. Then apply a liquid
broadleaf spray directed to the offending weeds. There will be less
injury to the new grass.
Question:
I saw the article in the paper this week about the caterpillar
called the hickory horn devil. Although you said it would not sting, ,
my son got stung by one that looked just like it and had to go to the
hospital. How can you tell which caterpillars can sting?
Answer:
Proper identification is critical in my line of work. It is so
important whether you are dealing with weeds, berries, trees, snakes,
and insects. This is what determines if something can be eaten,
touched, or exposed too. Sometimes a mere picture will do. Other times
I must use complex identification keys to lead me to proper
identification. In some cases, samples have to be mailed off to
specialists in various fields. In this case, everyone must realize that
this time of year our world is full of caterpillars. The vast majority
are harmless to humans no matter how ferocious they look such as the
hickory horn devil. However there are several stinging caterpillars
mixed among the harmless ones. Those that I see the most of are; the
saddleback, puss, buck moth, and Io caterpillars. This is their season
too. Reactions vary from one individual to another just like bee
stings. I suspect that your son had an encounter with the Io moth
caterpillar. It does look similar to the hickory horn devil. You may
wish to visit the library or book store and look at either a Golden
Guide Insect book or one of the Audobon Field Guides on Insects and
Spiders. Even better would be to go the Internet and see if you can
find a color photo.
Question:
Our roses must be six feet tall. Can I prune them back now?
Answer:
You can certainly do some light pruning to reduce their overall
size. I would not prune more than 50% of the plant back at this time.
This will make the plant sturdier to withstand snow and ice in the
winter. In late winter finish your pruning and reduce the height of the
hybrid tea roses to within 24 inches of the ground.
Question:
I have been putting off replanting some trees and shrubs in my
yard because of the drought. Is it safe to start planting now?
Answer:
Fall is the preferred planting time for a wide range of plants
such as trees, shrubs, spring flowering bulbs, and most perennials.
There is ample moisture in the soil now to begin planting. However
October and November are historically our driest months of the year.
Even though temperatures are falling, plants will still dry out. If you
have the capability to water then I would not hesitate to begin
replanting. If you are on water restrictions or a well, then I would
postpone planting until November. By then rainfall increases and most
woody plants are dormant. Life for them is a lot less stressful during
the late fall and winter months. Bulbs can be planted in October and
November since they are already dormant and will not begin to grow until
moisture returns.
4-H Antique Apple Trees For Sale
The Alamance County 4-H office is selling 8 different varieties of
antique apple trees. These trees are one year old and grafted to a semi
dwarf root stock. The varieties available were once popular throughout
the south for juice, sauce, fresh eating, and cooking. Some varieties
date back several hundred years and are historically significant. Price
for these trees are $16 each. Contact the 4-H office for details at
570-6740.
Want to learn more about the growing interest in grape and wine
production? Then you are invited to attend a free seminar on Thursday,
September 26th at Meadows Green Country Club in Eden. The program
begins at 7 pm. Representatives from the Cooperative Extension Service
and the N.C. Grape Council will present the program. Contact Rett
Davis, Alamance County Cooperative Extension Service, at 570-6740 for
more details.
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If you have any horticultural questions, please direct them to Rett Davis