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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 had so many problems last year with my tomato plants that I
want to try some new varieties. Can you suggest some that are more
disease resistant?
Answer:
Tomatoes suffer from a wide variety of diseases during the
summer. There are no varieties that have resistance to every single
one. Variety selection is often based on other factors that include
taste, method of trellising, fruit size, intended use, and disease
avoidance. If your tomatoes wilt down during the summer then select
varieties that have the letters, 'V' and 'F' behind the variety name.
If nematodes have ever been diagnosed in your soil, then select
varieties with the letter 'N' behind the variety name. In the past few
years we have been plagued with a disease called 'Tomato Spotted Wilt'.
Recently 3 varieties have been put on the market with resistance to this
disease. Availability will be very limited for these varieties.
However I know of two greenhouses that will have the Amelia variety for
sale. Contact Gerringers Greenhouse in Ossipee or Velma Cates
(578-3420) for plants. Amelia is resistant to Tomato Spotted Wilt. I
cannot vouch for how it tastes.
Question:
One of my crapemyrtles split all the way down the trunk. The
split must be 5 feet in length. Can I tape this up or should I cut the
tree down and replace it?
Answer:
Taping cracks seldom works. The two pieces will rarely graft
back together. Cabling and bracing would be preferred if the tree is
very valuable. Properly installed bolts can hold the two pieces
together far better than tape. Thinning and pruning will also be need
on the cracked limb to remove excess weight. However the crack will not
mend to the point you can remove all of this in years to come. I would
think long and hard about keeping a tree that has long cracks all the
way to the ground. With crapemyrtles you can cut the tree flush with
the ground and develop a new tree from the sprouts that emerge this
spring. Select 3 shoots that are evenly placed around the stump and
remove all others that appear. Continue to train and develop the 3 new
sprouts into a new tree. The other option is to just replace the tree
all together. A cracked tree near parking lots, sidewalks, and other
structures is considered a hazard.
Question:
I fertilized my lawn and put out crabgrass preventer last
Saturday. With all this rain I am thinking about doing it over again if
it ever dries out again. What is your opinion?
Answer:
I would not. You will be surprised how much is still there.
Your crabgrass preventer may not last as long as the 10-12 weeks stated
on the label however. Before it gets all sold out, search out a
granular crabgrass preventer that does not have fertilizer in it. Save
it to apply on your lawn in mid-May. This will give you crabgrass
control throughout the rest of the summer. Many garden centers will
have such a product.
Question:
I have several bare spots in my lawn. Do I really need to
cover them with straw if I try to reseed them?
Answer:
Bare spots should be covered with straw to hasten germination
of the seed and to keep it from washing away. All bare spots must be
tilled or heavily plugged to loosen the soil 3-4 inches deep. After
loosening the soil, sow your seed and lightly rake it into the soil.
Next cover the soil and seed with a light application of straw. Your
should be able to see some soil through the straw. If it is too thick
the seed will smother after germination.
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS
'How to Sell Timber', April 7th at both 2 pm and 7 pm in the Agricultural Building, 209 North Graham Hopedale Rd. in Burlington. Learn how to get 'fair market' price, reduce your taxable income, and ways to manage your timber for future income. Call the Cooperative Extension Service to register for this free program.
Piedmont Land Conservancy Photo Exhibit is coming to Elon University from the end of March through April 21st. It will be in the McMichael Building. On exhibit will be the works of two photographers that have highlighted the efforts of landowners to protect their land.
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If you have any horticultural questions, please direct them to Rett Davis