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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 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.
Question:
I have been reading on the Internet about growing apples. In
several articles there is mention of 'chilling requirements'. However I
can find no definition of what this means. Can you explain this concept
better?
Answer:
Many fruits require exposure to chilling temperatures to
overcome their rest period. Rest is different from dormancy. During
the rest state of growth trees will not grow even if environmental
conditions are favorable. Exposure is measured in chilling hours. It
will vary from one type of fruit to another and will vary by variety.
The optimum chilling temperature is 45 degrees. In North Carolina we
typically average around 1000 chilling hours of 45 degrees or below.
The lower the chilling hours required, the earlier the tree will begin
growing once temperatures are warm enough. This can present a dilemma
for us here in North Carolina. We are often faced with fluctuating
winter and spring temperatures. For low chilling requirement varieties,
the chilling requirement can be met very early in the winter. Once the
chilling requirement is met, any warm period during the remainder of the
winter will cause premature blooming and subsequent freeze damage.
Plant varieties with a range of 750 to 1200 hours of chilling
requirements. The chilling requirements of various fruits can be
difficult to come by. It is not stated on the plant tag nor in most
catalogs. However, in our publications, we list recommended varieties
for our area. Chilling requirements and other factors are all taken
into consideration to form these recommendations.
Question:
My lawn is full of weeds including wild onion. I also need to
fertilize. Is there any product that will allow me to fertilize and
kill weeds at the same time?
Answer:
There are products on the market called 'Weed and Feed'. It is
a dry mixture of fertilizer and usually dicamba or 2,4-D. Both of these
herbicides are also used in many popular liquid formulations. In order
for 'Weed and Feed' products to work, the weeds must be wet. Therefore
it is best to apply it to lawns while there is still dew on the grass
and weeds. You could water the lawn before applying. If 'Weed and
Feeds' are put out on a dry lawn the chemicals cannot stick to the
surface of the weed and therefore there is no control. These herbicides
are not root absorbed. 'Weed and Feeds' give very poor control to
vertical weeds such as wild onion. They will give better control to
broadleaf weeds such as chickweed, henbit, deadnettle, and the
speedwells. Liquid applications of a broadleaf weed killer are
preferred for onion control. Add a couple of ounces of liquid soap to
your mixture to increase the adherence of the liquid sprays to the waxy
leaf of the onion. If you use a fertilizer that contains weed control
products, do not apply it if rainfall is predicted in the next 24
hours. Also do not mow for at least 3 days. 'Weed and Feed' products
are available at most garden centers.
Question:
I want to plant crapemyrtles to line my driveway. The
nurseryman tells me that they must be grown in full sun. There are
woods along my driveway but the woodline is back at least 20 feet on
both sides. Will there be enough sunshine for these trees?
Answer:
It all depends on the orientation of the drive. If the drive
runs east and west it will work. The definition of full sun is a
minimum of 6 hours of direct sunlight. There can be no shading at all
during this period. If the drive runs in another orientation, the trees
will more than likely not receive enough sun to fully bloom. Shade from
the woodline will be cast on the trees except for the period when the
sun is directly overhead. Although the crapemyrtles will grow, they
will only partially flower and never reach their full potential. Keep
in mind that the forest trees are growing too and over time they will
cast more shade as they get larger.
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS
The pasture renovation program has been rescheduled for Monday night, March 10th at 7 pm. This is a great opportunity to learn how to improve your pastures after a season of record drought and insect damage. This free program will be held in the Agricultural Building, 209 North Graham Hopedale Rd. in Burlington. Call the Cooperative Extension Service at 570-6740 for directions or other information.
'How to Sell Timber to Increase Your Profit' will be taught on Thursday night, February 27th at 7 pm. This program will help you decide how to maximize your timber income, if you need to sell, and how to lower your tax liability. This free program will be taught at the Agriculture Building, 209 North Graham Hopedale Rd. in Burlington. Call 570-6740 for further information.
Interested in growing organic food. Then you are invited to attend the Triad Organic School on March 1st at the Guilford County Agricultural Building at 3309 Burlington Rd. in Greensboro. The program is from 8:30 until 3:30 pm. Cost is $35 per person. Call the Cooperative Extension Service at 570-6740 for further information.
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If you have any horticultural questions, please direct them to Rett Davis