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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:
This is a fungal disease called 'white spot'. It is
appropriately named. It occurs on turnip greens when the temperatures
cool off in early fall. Oddly enough, mustard greens don't seem to be
bothered by it. White spots on turnip greens is not very appetizing.
Unfortunately homeowners will not be able to find a suitable fungicide.
Benlate and Maneb are currently labeled for this disease. However
Benlate is not on the market anymore unless you can find some old stock
on the shelves. Maneb is still sold but I cannot find it in Alamance
stores. The sad truth is that there will be fewer and fewer pesticides
available to homeowners in the future. Some are being removed because
homeowners will not follow the label instructions. I guess the
manufacturers just do not want the product liability that comes from
misapplication. People have mixed feelings abouts pesticides and will
welcome the removal of even more pesticides. However, like them or not,
our current food supply and low food prices are heavily depended upon
them.
Question:
What is eating the leaves on my turnips?
Answer:
This has been turnip week. Not a day goes by that I don't get
calls on turnip problems. Turnip leaves can be attacked by cabbage
loopers and cabbage webworms. Both can be quite destructive on turnip
leaves. Spray these plants as soon as possible with Dipel. You can
also buy this as a dust. Dipel is a naturally occurring parasite of
worms. A favorite insecticide of organic farmers and gardeners. Dipel
or BT is available at most garden stores but not all. There is no
waiting period from application to harvest.
Question:
We have just bought a new home with crapemyrtles along the
drive. My husband wants to cut them back severely since they are so
tall. Can he safely do that now?
Answer:
It has been proven that topping or severely pruning
crapemyrtles after the first of August can be injurious to the tree if
we have a cold winter. The removal of this much growth in late summer
forces the plant to put on new growth. The tree becomes invigorated at
a time of the year it needs to be slowing down and preparing for
winter. The new growth that appears has little time to harden off
before winter arrives. If we have a cold winter than you can expect
some winter injury to the tree. If our winter continues to be mild,
then your tree might be fine. If they were my trees, I would postpone
any severe pruning until late winter when the trees are fully dormant.
I would caution anyone against topping crapemyrtles. This type of
pruning is referred to as 'crape murder'. It creates a profusion of new
sprouts that are weakly attached to the tree. Many will pop off just
from wind or birds landing on them. Topping destroys the natural
tendency for this plant to be a tree. You have now made it a bush.
Question:
I have lots of plants outside that will need to come in before
winter. Is there anything special I should to them before I bring them
in?
Answer:
I always inspect the plant for insects, slugs, and snakes. All
three will make their home in outdoor plants. This can cause interesting
encounters at 3 am in the morning when you get up for a glass of
water. If insects are present such as mites, mealybugs, white flies,
and ants then you must find a way to control them before bringing them
in. Pyrethrin sprays, insecticidal soap, and horticultural oil can
control mealybugs and mites. If the plants are heavily infested with
whiteflies, toss them in the garbage. Pull the plants out of their
containers and remove slugs and snakes from their resting place. I
doubt the snake will wait for you to remove it. If the soil is full of
ants, try mixing dish detergent with water and water the plant
thoroughly to run them out. I have also been told that imersing the pot
in water for few hours will also flush out all ants.
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.
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If you have any horticultural questions, please direct them to Rett Davis