June 2002

Ornamental

Watch for Japanese beetles. Adults have a long body with copper colored wings and a shiny metallic green head. Adults feed on over 276 plants. They are most active between 9am and 3 pm. Beetles prefer plants in direct sunlight. Traps are not recommended. Traps just attract more beetles. Handpicking them is just as effective as spraying and feeding damage looks bad, but will rarely kill the plant.

Divide iris every three to four years or when the clump becomes crowded or flowering decreases. Division can be done through August after flowering.

Use soaker hoses to water roses. Water can be delivered in needed amounts while keeping the foliage dry, preventing disease.
Apply a second application, one half to one cup per plant, of a general purpose fertilizer such as 10-10-10 or 12-12-12 around roses by June 15. Spread the fertilizer in a band starting six inches from the crown of the plant, going out to about 18 inches. Work it in lightly and water.

Watch for slugs especially with our recent cool, wet weather. Slugs are gray to black and from 1 1/2 to 2 inches long. Slugs are snails without a shell. They feed at night and eat large holes in the leaves and fruits of plants. Damage is common on hostas. Eliminate their hiding places by removing garden debris. Increase spacing between plants to allow better air circulation and reduce moisture that slugs need. Handpick at night or early morning. Use barriers such as coarse sand or copper stripping placed around plants. Stale beer in a shallow dish may attract slugs.

Do not cut back foliage of bulbs until it turns yellow and dies back naturally. Tulip and daffodil foliage will take several weeks to dieback. The bulb needs the green leaves to make food that is stored in the bulb for next spring‚s growth. Removing foliage early will result in a small, weak bulb which will gradually decline and die out.

Avoid using coca bean mulches in your landscape if you own a dog. Dogs that ingest the mulch can be poisoned. Chocolate contains methylxanthines that are toxic to dogs. Only 2.25 ounces of cocoa hull mulch eaten by a 65 pound dog could cause vomiting, diarrhea and bloating. Twelve ounces could be lethal.

Keep cats away from Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum), Tiger lily (Lilium tigrinum), Rubrum lily (Lilium speciosum), Japanese show lily (Lilium lancifolium and some species of the day lily (Hemerocallis species). These lilies can cause kidney failure in cats. All parts of the lily plant are toxic to cats and ingesting a small amount can cause vomiting, lethargy and a loss of appetite. Without treatment the cat may develop kidney failure within 36-72 hours.

Edible

Plant late tomatoes, squash, beans, sweet corn and eggplant.

Water the vegetable garden with the equivalent of one inch of water per week. Watering deeply, 8 - 10 inches, will promote deep root development. This will help the vegetables tolerate drought periods.

Control cracks in tomatoes by providing uniform supplies of water to the plants and applying mulches. Cracking is caused by heavy watering or rainfall after a long, dry period. This causes rapid growth and cracking. Tomatoes exposed to high temperatures above 90 degrees F will also crack. Large fruited varieties such as 'Beefsteak'are more susceptible to cracking than crack resistant varieties like 'Jet Star.'

Watch for blossom end rot on tomatoes. It starts as a water-soaked spot on the bottom of the tomato. It will turn black. Blossom end rot often appears when first fruit are ripening. It is not a disease, but a physiological disorder which is caused by a calcium deficiency in the plant caused by wide fluctuations in soil moisture. Peppers and eggplant can also be affected. Remove the affected fruits, maintain even soil moisture (one inch per week) and use mulches to help reduce the problem.

Control bitterness in cucumbers by watering during dry spells. Cucumber varieties differ in the tendency to produce bitter fruit. 'Straight Eight' often produces bitter fruit. 'Sweet Slice' and 'Burpless Hybrid' have fewer problems. Much of the bitterness can be removed by cutting off the stem end of the cucumber and peeling the remaining portion of the fruit.

Try growing sweet potatoes. Grow under black plastic. Use the short season variety 'Georgia Jet.'