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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:
The pecans from our tree are not as big as those on others I have seen. They are just over one inch long. What can I do to make them larger?
Answer:
Your tree is referred to as a seedling pecan. This means it grew from a nut and was not budded or grafted. Some seedling pecan trees will produce large crops of high quality nuts. However, a majority will produce small nuts. Seedling trees can also form from a grafted or budded tree if that part of the tree dies back from drought or freeze soon after planting. Sprouts will come up from below the graft and form a new tree. This new seedling tree will produce small nuts. The nuts from most seedling trees are hard shelled. No amount of fertilizer, zinc, or other concoctions will make these pecans any larger. This is why we discourage the planting of volunteer pecan trees that are found growing along fence lines or ones that pop up in shrub beds. Seedling pecan trees do make good shade though.
Question:
I spotted some shrubs along the interstate highway in another county that appeared to be hollies but there were no leaves on them. The red berry display was quite stunning. What could they be?
Answer:
They are a deciduous holly called 'Sparkleberry'. It is a hybrid cross of two other hollies. The brilliant red fruits will last well into March. Planted in a group or mass, these plants do stand out in the landscape. Sparkleberry is a female holly. Therefore a male selection called 'Apollo' will need to be planted in the group. One male is all that is needed to insure berry production on the females. Sparkleberries will eventually grow to about 12 feet in height and will do well in both sunny and light shady sites. Fortunately for us, they will also grow in clay soils. Sparkleberries have been in the landscape trade for years and are not hard to find. I would plant them at least 8 feet apart.
Question:
Since our winter has been so mild, can I go ahead and sow fescue now and fertilize my lawn?
Answer:
It is too early for both of these projects. Don't expect your fescue seed to germinate until sometime in March. Fescue fertilization should start in mid-February. Do not purchase a fertilizer with crabgrass preventers for use in lawns that are overseeded in late winter or early spring. These chemicals that control crabgrass will damage and destroy newly germinated fescue.
LANDSCAPING SEMINARS Are you new to Alamance County? Does our clay soil pose a problem for you? Are you having problems with getting things to grow here? New residents from all over the United States are moving here with questions on how to grow everything from azaleas to zucchini. Many are frustrated by conflicting advice from neighbors and even the Internet. Some have spent a lot of money with minimal results. Therefore I am offering a 4 part series of classes on 'Gardening in the South'. It will feature the easiest and best plants to grow for our landscapes, how to prepare our soils, lawn care, and pest control. The first class starts on Monday night January 23rd and continues each Monday night thereafter. They will be in the Agricultural Building, 209 North Graham Hopedale Road in Burlington. Cost is $5 for the entire series. Call 570-6740 to register. Native Alamance County residents can come too!
North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University commitment themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability. In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation, North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&;T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating.