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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 seen advertisements for some fast growing trees call
Austrees. I would use them for screening. Will they do well in our
area?
Answer:
I do not have any personal experience with the Austree.
However, my colleagues around the state inform me that the tree (Salix
matsudana X alba) is a type if willow. Therefore it is deciduous and
will lose it leaves in winter. That is usually a drawback for
screening. Austrees are exceptional growers and will achieve the 60
foot heights in 12 years or less. Observations around the state
indicate that these trees produce brittle wood. Brittle wood is subject
to ice, wind, and storm damage. These trees do not appear to make
excellent shade trees, nor windbreaks, or good screens. I have always
found that willows and other trees with this type of fast growing habit
of growth are short lived. Many not making it past 10 years of age. I
would not put much faith in the advertisements nor spend much money on
them. They are still willows and have all the same problems are native
ones have. Use our native trees such as red cedar, magnolia, loblolly
pine, and shortleaf pine for evergreen screens in full sun. They are
far more dependable and adapted to our climate and weather. Evergreen
shrubs can also produce nice hedges such as the Nellie Stevens and Emily
Bruner holly, waxmyrtle, ligustrum, Chindo viburnum, and elaeagnus.
Question:
I am about to order some onion sets for my garden this year.
However in my catalog it lists onions as short day, intermediate day,
and long day varieties. What does this mean and what should I plant?
Answer:
Onions varieties are classified into groups according to when
they bulb. Regardless of when they are planted, varieties won't form
bulbs until the days are long enough for them to do so. Varieties that
will bulb in a 10-12 hour day (short day) are desired for eastern North
Carolina for May-June harvest. It is also desirable to have an onion
with a short neck when mature. Some new varieties, classified as
intermediate or long day tupes (14-16 hours), have potential for harvest
in June and July. I would recommend using either short day or
intermediate day onions for our area. Long day onions will just end up
all top and no bulb. Some short day and intermediate day varieties for
spring planting include Granex 33, Texas Grano 1015, Juno, MidStar, and
Primovera.
Question:
When is the time to put down crabgrass preventer on my lawn?
Answer:
Crabgrass will begin to germinate the last week of March on
bare soil. It will continue to germinate all spring and summer when the
opportunity avails itself. Therefore crabgrass preventers should be
applied to lawns before germination by mid-March. Crabgrass preventers
can be applied as a separate product or mixed with fertilizer. The
choice of preventer should be based on whether you reseeded your lawn
last fall. Several brands on the market specifically mention on the
label 'do not apply to fall seeded lawns'. These products are Balan
(benefin) and Team (benefin & trifluralin). You can safely apply Halts
(pendimethalin), Barricade (prodiamine), and Dimension (dithiopyr) to
lawns seeded last fall that are well established. If you are going to
overseed or establish a new lawn this spring do not use any of the above
mentioned products. There is only one crabgrass preventer that can be
used at time of seeding and that is Tupersan. Tupersan is sold only at
a few lawn and garden stores in the county. All products must receive
rainfall to be activated.
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 Monday, April 7th 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.
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If you have any horticultural questions, please direct them to Rett Davis