"Born on the Fourth of July"
–Bruce Springsteen
"Summer has set in with its usual severity."
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
I am a fifties child, born and raised in Laguna. I love our country and hold a lot of affection for Uncle Sam... you know, the kindly older gentleman who is symbolic of our government. I recall that I once rated him just slightly below Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, but above the Tooth Fairy. In retrospect, I am sure this occurred only because two of them brought me Christmas gifts or foil wrapped, chocolate eggs.
Speaking of gifts, summer has set in, with sunnier, warmer weather (at least in the afternoon). Your garden requires deep and thorough watering for trees, perennials, annuals and the lawn... try applying mulch over all of your planting beds, you’ll be glad you did. Cultivate the beds to keep weeds from competing for water and fertilizers and raise those lawn mowers to cut the grass. Finally, don’t forget to shear your hedges of boxwood, privet and others. Read on, and let’s get back to the garden with the Plant Man.
Q. Mr. Plant Man, I have lots of dirt showing in my flower garden. What should I plant to fill things in?
A. A list of hardy summer annuals begins with petunia, vinca, and marigold. Warmer weather would allow you to plant zinnia, verbena, and gloriosa daisy. Coreopsis, ageratum, nicotiana, and dahlia also deserve consideration.
Q. Dear Plant Man, I have set my cannas out into the soil. They're sending their shoots and as fast as they appear the ends or centers of the shoot get chewed off. Is this a sign of slugs and if it is, what can I do to prevent this?
A. Cannas are susceptible to a number of pests, including slugs. Their damage is recognizable by jagged holes on the edge of the leaves. They feed during the evening, so take a look with a flashlight for their characteristic "slime trails." Just about any snail bait will work for control, but if you happen to see That's It by Metro, buy it. It is the most effective!
Other leaf-feeding insects include grasshoppers, beetles, and caterpillars. The symptoms you described would lead me to believe that one or more of these pests may be involved, rather than slugs (particularly if you don't see slime trails). Look for tell tale signs of insect frass (excrement) on the top of leaves, and look on the undersides for insects. Systemic control like Orthene, or contact sprays like Malathion, applied on a regular basis will stop the problem.
Q. Help, please...I am a beginning flower gardener. I have white spots on my newly planted roses. Have I caused this problem?
A. Just because you are a beginner, doesn't mean your roses have developed white spots! Even serious rosarians have to battle this disease, which is known as powdery mildew. It is a widespread and potentially serious malady of roses.
The powdery covering consists of fungal strands and spores. The spores are spread by the wind to healthy plants. The fungus saps the plant nutrients, causing distortion, discoloring, and often death of the leaves and canes. Powdery mildew may occur on roses any time during the growing season when rainfall is low or absent, temperatures are between 70 and 80 F, nighttime relative humidity is high, and daytime relative humidity is low.
I recommend that you apply Ortho Funginex Rose Disease Control or 1.5 tablespoons of baking soda and 1/2 tablespoons of Ultra Fine horticultural oil to a gallon of water. Repeat the spray at intervals of 7 to 10 days if mildew reappears.
Q. We have a weeping birch tree in the middle of our lawn. For years it was
fine and started to look beautiful. Then in moved a yellow bellied sap
sucker (woodpecker). That bird is constantly pecking on the trunk of that tree. It has holes all over, the holes are seeping sap and the wasps are flying around the sap. It is literally killing our tree.
A. Yellow breasted sapsuckers peck into many trees before finding a suitable one. Unfortunately, the birch is a favorite tree... the birds may visit it many times a day and feed on it year after year. Sap often oozes from the holes the birds create, and portions of the tree bark may fall off after the sapsuckers have drilled many holes. The tree trunk may eventually be girdled by the drilling, causing the tree above the damaged area to die. Sometimes the birds' beaks are contaminated with fungus spores. Once inside the tree, the disease organisms may damage or kill the tree.
It is difficult to prevent sapsucker damage to your birch. Wrapping the damaged trunk with burlap or smearing Tanglefoot bird repellent above or below the holes may inhibit new pecking damage. You might also try placing Dalen's Bird-x netting over the birch to keep birds away.
Q. My neighbor tells me I have rust on my lawn. What can I do?
A. Rust is a common problem on both bluegrass and ryegrass. It may be spread if you don't clean your mower with water after mowing! The most common control is to apply a high nitrogen fertilizer to maintain rapid growth, water regularly, mow frequently and remove the clippings. If the disease is severe, treat with Daconil every 7 days until the lawn improves.
Q. The overcast weather killed all of my tomatoes. Can I still plant them?
A. You still have plenty of time to plant tomatoes, although the selection has probably diminished at your local nursery. Look for Better Boy as a good summer selection, and keep hoping for clear, warm weather!
Q. Hi honey. Why are new rose leaves red?
A. Hi Catharine. It is one of the beautiful acts of nature that new rose leaves are a beautiful burgundy color. It is a signal that the plant is healthy and a promise that new flowers will soon appear. Technically, new rose leaves are red until sunlight activates the chlorophyll process to turn the foliage green. I love you.
Catharine and I always look forward to the Fourth of July... we can see the fireworks display at Main Beach and other surrounding communities from the comfort of our deck. We'll toast America on her birthday and I'll congratulate Catharine on her continuing exhibition at the Festival of Arts. Then we'll kick back and enjoy the show. It's going to be a great summer in Laguna! See you next time.
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