 |
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:
In the past few weeks a very unusual looking bug with pincers on its rear end finds its way into our house. I have also noticed more of them outdoors. Should I be treating my home with some type of insecticide?
Answer:
This is insect is called an earwig. Their name is derived from the European superstition that these insects will enter you ear and bore into your brain. I keep this superstition alive whenever I give talks to children and even adults. It keeps them awake. Earwigs really prefer moist, cool places and are often found in crawlspaces under houses and not your ears. Since they rarely fly they move around by hitchhiking. You will find them on laundry baskets, cut flowers, luggage, in newspapers, on fruits and vegetable, and even in the charcoal grill. Earwigs are like us. They like sweet, oily, and greasy food. In addition they eat other insects dead or alive. They will also get into flowers for their pollen and nectar. Earwigs are attracted to light and will often congregate around outdoor lighting. When dry weather is the rule, they will often migrate indoors. They are easy controlled by using household 'Ant and Roach' killers sprayed in crack, crevices, along baseboards, beneath cabinets, and along door and window sills. As for those impressive set of pincers on their abdomen, they are pretty much harmless. I have handled a many earwig without losing a finger. If you want to control them outdoors, spray out from your foundation 6 feet or more with Sevin or Cyfluthrin.
Question:
Many of the garden centers are getting in crapemyrtle trees and some are in bloom. Is it safe to plant them now?
Answer:
This is a great time to select that perfect shade of color you like in crapemyrtles. This is also a great time to plant containerized trees. After all, they are just sitting there at the nursery being watered. They could be in your landscape being watered too. So pick the color you like and take it home and plant it. Crapemyrtles require at least 10 hours of full sun in order to produce the maximum number of flowers. Select cultivars that are powdery mildew resistant. If it is not on the tag, ask the salesperson. If they don't know call me or look it up on the Internet. Water your new trees thoroughly once a week during the summer.
Question:
My neighbor told me to fertilize my pond to get rid of algae. Is this the correct method to control algae?
Answer:
Algae is a plant. Some of the algaes in ponds are weeds such as our common filamentous. The addition of fertilizer stimulates plant growth. Adding fertilizer pushes the algae to grow even faster and can deplete the oxygen in the pond which endangers the fish. There are very few instances where we recommend the fertilization of ponds. Fertilization can cause more problems. Once you start fertilization you must continue every 2-3 weeks depending on water clarity. Fertilization is not recommended for ponds with high flow rates or muddy conditions. In essence, do not go out and throw fertilizer into your pond because your neighbor said too.
Question:
When do I plant pumpkins in this area?
Answer:
Pumpkins should be planted in about 2 weeks. Most varieties will take 100 days to mature. Most folks like to see pumpkins toward the end of summer, not the middle. I can't tell you how many times I have talked to gardeners with ripe pumpkins on August 1st. The problem is how to store them and keep them from rotting until Thanksgiving. It is not easy. So be getting the garden site ready now, purchase your seeds, and read up on how to grow the prize winning pumpkin for the state fair.
PLANT PROBLEMS
Are your plants sick, tired, and rundown. Is your lawn an embarrassment to neighbors and family members. Is your landscape filled with native plants, flowers, and vines that you did not purchase but arrived through birds and wind? If so, come by see me and our Extension Master Gardeners at Lowes of Burlington from 9 until noon on Saturday June 17th. We will try to salvage your lawn, garden, and marriage by diagnosing your problems and get you started on the path to recovery.
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.