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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:
We just removed some large trees from our property and would like to plant some new trees that are much smaller and more colorful. What would you recommend for our area?
Answer:
There are many fine trees to choose from. For full sun sites it is hard to beat crapemyrtle. In order to avoid powdery mildew disease you must choose from resistant varieties such as Catawba (purple and my favorite), Dynamite (red), Natchez (white), Tuskegee (coral), William Toovey (pink), and Seminole (pink). Other full sun candidates include the persistent fruited crabapples. They never drop their fruit. Look for Prairefire (red), Adirondack (white), and Indian Summer (red). I also recommend Kousa dogwood, Chinese pistache, Japanese apricot, and even the Bradford pear. However if you choose the Bradford pear, you must learn how to prune them or they will not last over 10 years due to their self destructing nature. Flowering cherries such as Yoshino (white) and Kwansan (pink) grow well if the soil is not heavy clay. I also like the 'Little Gem' dwarf magnolia. For shady sites choose from the many selections of Japanese maple, redbuds, and our native dogwoods.
Question:
My neighbor has cut down some old oaks that were full of carpenter ants. Thousands of ants have swarmed out of the stump holes and some of the rotted areas in the logs. I was told that I must have an exterminator retreat my home to keep them from coming in. Is this true?
Answer:
Carpenter ants are not as harmful as we are lead to believe. The reason they are in the tree to begin with is that the tree is full of decay or wood rot. They did not cause the rot. Carpenter ants seek out wet and decaying wood to live and breed in. Now that their home has been destroyed they will scatter. But it is unlikely they will take up living quarters in your home unless you have moisture problems around window frames, flooring, or in the walls How do you know you have moisture problems? Get your home inspected regularly by a licensed pest control operator.
Question:
I am new to the area and have been told that the soils here need lime. How much do you add for a flower bed?
Answer:
I would add between 5 to 10 pounds of lime per 100 square feet of flower bed. If you use pellet lime, apply it the day before you till or work the bed. Pellet lime must dissolve first to get the best results. You can also water it lightly several hours before hand to speed things up. Ground limestone can be tilled in the same day. Work the lime into the soil at least 4 inches deep for best results. This should be done on average every 3 years. While mixing the lime, mix your fertilize in at the same time.
Question:
I really like the look of palms and have seen some growing here. Is there a certain variety to plant that will survive our winters?
Answer:
The Windmill palm (Trachycarpus fortunei) is your best bet. It will grow to 10-20 feet in our area and will survive our winters. Windmill palms will do well in full sun and in partial shade. It is an evergreen tree. What you see is what you get. It has no attractive fall color, is of no value to wildlife, and provides little to no shade. What you will get is a tree no one else has in their landscape and a conversation piece.
Question:
How soon should I start spraying my roses for diseases and insects?
Answer:
The hybrid tea culitvars of roses are the most susceptible to leaf diseases. Both black spot and powdery mildew will cause the leaves to develop spots, turn yellow, and fall off. These diseases will weaken the roses and reduce flowering. If you have planted these types of roses over the winter or there are some awaiting purchase for Mother's Day, be prepared to spray them on a weekly basis. Spraying for the control of these diseases and the insects should have already begun. There are many good products homeowners can choose from on the shelves of most garden centers. Some have both insecticides and fungicides mixed together so you can do a one shot does it all approach.
If you just have one or two roses this approach works well. If you dozens then you need to buy seperate fungicides and insecticides and mix them yourself. They are compatible. It is cheaper this way too. For fungicides there is Bayers Disease Control for Roses and Flowers, Spectracides Immunox, and Orthos Orthenex. Alternate your insecticides using products that contain cyfluthrin, neem oil, malathion, Sevin, acephate and spinosad. Not all insecticides control all pests. You must select the appropriate product for the corresponding pest.
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