A Greener View from Creators Syndicate

Spray Drift, Nitrite in Pond for 07/15/2009

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Q: The leaves on several of our plants are all distorted. Some are wide and flat and others are cupped over and wrinkled. It is happening on grapes, annual Black-eyed Susan vine, tomatoes and a spirea. We haven't seen any insects. The leaves are still green and not getting any yellow spots.

A: When the same thing happens to several different kinds of plants that aren't in the same family ...

Updated: Wed Jul 15, 2009

Red Twig Moss, Magnolia Plum and Nut Sedge for 07/22/2009

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Q: I have several red twig dogwoods that look beautiful each spring; come June, though, they continue to grow new sprouts and otherwise appear healthy, but many of the leaves get spotty, turn yellow and fall off. Is this a fungus? Can it be cured?

A: It probably is a fungus because these plants are affected by many fungal diseases. Most of the leaf-spot diseases are more cosmetic and not ...

Updated: Wed Jul 22, 2009

Apples for 07/29/2009

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Q: Our apple tree has many apples, but they are all small, gnarled and have black indentations on them. Can you suggest some remedies?

A: Apple, pears, oranges and other fruit-tree maladies always seem to be black shriveled spots and therefore are difficult to diagnose without seeing the actual fruit. Accurate identification is important because any treatment not suited to the problem le ...

Updated: Wed Jul 29, 2009

Shade for 08/05/2009

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Shade. With heat warnings broadcast on TV and radio during July and August, doesn't this word sound good? Virtually every property has some shade, due to trees and buildings. It gives the gardener and landscaper the opportunity to do more and different things with the yard.

You can create shade in the sunniest spot through the use of trellises, shade cloth structures, arbors with vines a ...

Updated: Wed Aug 05, 2009

Roots; Take-All Patch; Pear for 08/12/2009

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Q: We have a few trees in what we laughingly call our park. Some of the tree roots are sticking above the ground and I am afraid that someone might trip or the roots might be damaged by the maintenance of the grass with lawnmowers and Weedwackers, etc. I researched this somewhat and am now confused. Some say you can cover them with soil and mulch. Some say that would suffocate them and that put ...

Updated: Wed Aug 12, 2009

Climbing Vines Do Not Eliminate Moisture from Walls for 08/19/2009

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Q: I have a question about the problems caused by vines. If a vine is growing up a brick wall, will it damage the mortar or the brick itself in anyway? Will the vine suck too much moisture out of the mortar causing it to crack? Will a vine make a crack in a brick wall larger? Would the typical brick house allow for this expansion?

A: Vines that climb walls secrete cement that allows them ...

Updated: Wed Aug 19, 2009

Tips for Keeping Strawberry Plants Alive During the Winter for 08/26/2009

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Q: I just finished reading your article on strawberry pots, and I have a few questions I hope you can answer for me. This is my first year growing strawberries. I started with four plants in a 14-inch pot. I pinched off all blossoms as they grew — and grew more plants off the runners — and now have a total of 18 plants. I built three of my own type of container boxes and transplante ...

Updated: Wed Aug 26, 2009

Powdery Mildew in the Pumpkin Patch for 09/02/2009

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Q: We have a large pumpkin patch in our community garden and some of the leaves have turned white or yellow. Will this cause a problem, or can we let it go?

A: It sounds like some of the leaves are getting powdery mildew. It is common on many vine crops, but can also affect beans, peas, strawberries, tomatoes and other vegetable crops. There are several different species of fungi all lum ...

Updated: Wed Sep 02, 2009

Hibiscus Care for 09/09/2009

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Q: I bought several indoor hibiscus plants and they are thriving. However, they were outside all summer and are now too tall for my kitchen garden window. I don't have room for plants that large. I wonder if I cut them back, will they still live and bloom?

A: Pruning is actually quite easy. The main pruning should be done after they finish blooming. That will probably be in the fall. Aft ...

Updated: Wed Sep 09, 2009

Mites and Pantry Moths for 09/16/2009

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Q: My evergreen arborvitae is turning a grayish green. I am wondering what could be wrong with it.

A: Since most insect and disease symptoms turn a leaf yellow or some other color than gray, I have a suspicion that the problem is spider mites. They are smaller than a grain of ground pepper and very hard to see. The damage caused by mites is also very small. They feed by using a piercing ...

Updated: Wed Sep 16, 2009

Apple and Tomato Problems for 09/23/2009

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Q: The apples on my tree had been looking pretty good, but they have recently developed gray patches and tiny black spots. What is the cause, and what should I do about it?

A: Your apples have two problems. The first one is a fungal disease called sooty blotch. It is a designation for a disease pattern that is caused by several different fungi, but it all looks the same. It can be found ...

Updated: Wed Sep 23, 2009

Fall Garden Tips for Northern Gardens for 09/30/2009

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

I know that for many of you, the weekends of the fall season are taken up with kid's soccer games or football or other activities that don't allow you to even think of your landscape, but this is a great time of year to work outside. Remember to take some photos or video of the landscape in the fall. You can see how you like it and what to change when the garden catalogs arrive in the winter.
Updated: Wed Sep 30, 2009

Fall Garden Tips for Southern Gardens for 09/30/2009

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Oak Mite Outbreak for 10/07/2009

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Q: The doctor diagnosed me as having been bitten by oak mites. What can you tell me about their life cycle, so I can keep from being bitten again? The bites are horrible. They have been itching 24 hours a day for a couple of weeks, and nothing seems to help.

A: While there are several species of microscopic mites, the oak leaf gall mite has been diagnosed as being responsible for several ...

Updated: Wed Oct 07, 2009

Spring Flowering Bulbs and Orchids for 10/14/2009

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Q: My wife likes tulips and daffodils, but I don't like the display we get from them. They all bloom at once, and then there is nothing. It is a lot of work for not much flowering time. How can we get more blooms?

A: In the world of spring flowering bulbs, there are three seasons to spring: early, mid and late spring, and each one is about two weeks long. The Dutch bulb growers classify ...

Updated: Wed Oct 14, 2009

Pumpkins are Delicious for 10/21/2009

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Have you heard that there is a shortage of pumpkins this year? That might be true in the Northeast, but it isn't true for most of country. There are hundreds of pumpkins and squash varieties, but the two main groups we think of when we say pumpkin are the jack-o'-lantern and the pie pumpkin.

In 2008, there were fewer pie pumpkins, but the shortage didn't show up in stores. Recently, the ...

Updated: Wed Oct 21, 2009

Grass Seed, Grubs and Suet for 10/28/2009

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Q: The utility company gave us a large bag of grass seed to use for repairing an area they dug up after hitting our septic system. We used most of it, but want to save the rest for next spring to finish seeding the damaged area. How do we store it to keep it viable?

A: Grass seed is alive and dormant. It needs to stay dormant over the winter. The proper conditions would be to keep it coo ...

Updated: Wed Oct 28, 2009

Become a Citizen Scientist as you Feed Birds for 11/04/2009

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

It is that time of year again when the weather gets colder. Many people become concerned about the wild birds in their yard and begin bird feeding. This is also the time of year for bird feeders to join the 15,000 other people who are a part of the largest and longest running citizen-science project.

Project FeederWatch began in Ontario in the mid-1970s. After running for 10 years in Can ...

Updated: Wed Nov 04, 2009

Tree Pruning and Trunk Cracks for 11/11/2009

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Q: About seven years ago, we planted a maple tree. During the second spring, the bark began to split on one side. We asked the nursery where we purchased the tree if this would be a problem. We were told no and that with such a young tree the bark may close in on the crack.

Unfortunately, as the tree has grown so has the split, and rather than cover the exposed area, the surrounding bark ...

Updated: Wed Nov 11, 2009

Tree Damage from Mammals for 11/18/2009

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Q: We live on a lake and have never had a problem with beavers before, but one has attacked a 2.5-foot diameter ash tree on our property. It ate some of the bark down to the wood on two sides of the tree, leaving two sides untouched. What can we do to protect the tree and help it recover?

A: Beavers have been spreading across the country as rivers and streams have become cleaner. They ...

Updated: Wed Nov 18, 2009