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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:
Have you checked the persimmon seed for this winter's weather prediction?
Answer:
Yes, and I almost slit my finger wide open again. Persimmons seeds do not want to reveal their secrets readily. But once opened, the seed revealed cotyledons that resembled a tablespoon. Legend has it that a tablespoon indicates that we will have a snowy winter. If an image of a knife appears, we will have a warm winter. This predication has a success rate of 50%. I will take that anyday when it comes to long range weather forecasting by meteorologists. Of course there are other ways to forecast what winter holds for us. It is said "there will be a snow for each fog in August", "if there is a heavy mast crop (acorns) the winter will be severe", and "when onion skins are thick and rough this is a sign of a cold winter". Since I did not grow onions in my garden this summer I cannot attest to the thickness of the skin. However, we did have fogs in August and my yard is covered in acorns. My hopes are up for snow!
Question:
When and how do I divide peonies?
Answer:
Peonies are divided now in late fall. Cut back this years stems to the ground. Beneath the stems you should see the 'eyes' of the peony. Do not damage or injure them. Lift the entire clump with a shovel and divide the clump leaving at least 3 eyes per division. This will insure flowering next spring. Replant your divisions so the 'eyes' are no deeper than one inch below the soil surface. Planting too deep will inhibit flowering. Plant in area of full sun and lightly mulch around the eyes. Do not fertilize at this time.
Question:
I have a lot of weeds and vines in a natural area under some trees. Can I spray Roundup to control them?
Answer:
Roundup or it's generic equivalent will not work on all winter annual broadleaf weeds. In addition, this is not the best time of the year for using Roundup on vines. As colder temperatures arrive the metabolism of most plants slows down. So does the effectiveness of Roundup. It cannot translocate throughout all the plants organs as well as it did when warmer. Many vines have also lost their leaves. You may get selective control on some winter annual broadleaf weeds but it will be slow. Roundup products are not to be used in lawns for winter weed control at all.
Question:
I am confused about liming my lawn. It is something I never did with past lawns where I lived before. How much and how often do I lime my lawn here?
Answer:
Liming is an agricultural term that means the addition of any calcium or calcium and magnesium containing compound that reduces soil acidity. Our southern soils are acidic by nature and are a deterrent to plant growth. The greatest single direct benefit of liming is the reduction of aluminum and manganese in the soil. Both of these elements are toxic to plant roots in low concentration. How often and how much lime your soil needs should be based on a soil test. But rest assured, if you are gardening or landscaping in our native soils and using fertilizers, your soil will need lime at some point in time. As a general rule you can apply 25-35 pounds of lime per 1000 square feet of lawn every 3-4 years. Lime moves slowly through the soil profile and results will not be seen quickly as when you use fertilizers. You can apply lime year round but fall and winter is the best time in my opinion. Pelletized lime and ground lime are equal in their effectiveness. Dolomitic lime is the lime of choice for farmers, gardeners, and landscapers alike.
ARBORCULTURE SCHOOL ,br> Would you like to be a Certified Arborist? Certified Arborists are individuals that have shown a fundamental knowledge in tree care. On December 6th, 7th, and 8th an Arborist School will be taught at our Guilford Center on Burlington Rd. in Greensboro. For registration information and a copy of the program, contact my office at 336-570-6740.
SWEET CORN AND WATERMELONS
It is time now to be planning for next years vegetable production. Therefore, on Monday, December 4th we have a group of specialists from N.C. State University speaking on the latest varieties of sweet corn, watermelons, and other melons. The program begins at 9 am at the Rockingham County Extension office at 525 Highway 65 in Reidsville. The speakers are some of our most experienced vegetable specialists. Call the Rockingham Extension office to register at 336-342-8230.
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.