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November

Many annual weeds in our area grow only during the cooler months; they usually germinate from seed when night temperatures drop below 70 degrees. To prevent annual weed growth, a pre-emergent herbicide (a weed killer that prevents weed seeds from growing) must be applied before the weeds emerge. Early November is a good time to apply a pre-emergent. You can obtain a herbicide that is separate or combined with a fertilizer. If you fertilized your lawn a month ago, it is best to apply only the herbicide. Be sure the herbicide you purchase is safe to apply on your lawn, and keep it away from trees and shrubs.

Holiday cheer in the garden

Nothing seems to brighten a fall day like a splash of color in the landscape. Bedding plants help add a holiday ambience to your garden. Good selections are sweet alyssum, baby's breath, Gloriosa daisy, calendula, dahlia, dianthus, gazania, geranium, godetia, kalanchoe, ornamental cabbage, nasturtium, pansy, petunia, shasta daisy, snapdragon, statice, sweet pea and verbena. Check local garden centers for availability.

If you want more information about what grows best in Florida, order Your Florida Guide to Bedding Plants (SP 185), published by the University of Florida. There are 72 pages of color photographs and instructions for selecting, planting and caring for bedding plants. The guide costs $14.95 plus tax and $4 for shipping. To receive a copy, send a check or money order to IFAS Publications, University of Florida, P.O. Box 110011, Gainesville, FL 32611. Make check payable to the University of Florida; for credit card orders, call toll-free 1-800-226-1764.

Liriope is a good groundcover or border plant. It also is known as lily turf or dwarf lily turf, depending on the height of the plants. Ophiopogon is similar to liriope but has thinner blades and is commonly called mondo grass or dwarf lily turf. Both are clumping plants and spread by rhizomes. They stay green year-round and during spring and summer produce small lavender or white flowers. Lily turf or mondo grass can replacement grass in areas with little foot traffic; they also make attractive borders along pathways, driveways or buildings.

Dropping flower buds is often a problem with hibiscus and gardenia. Bud drop can be caused by insects or cultural and environmental problems. Insects such as thrips and midges often go undetected until considerable damage has occurred.

Nematodes can attack the plant's root system, causing water and nutritional stress; too much or too little fertilizer or water can also stress the plant and result in bud drop.

Some varieties of hibiscus, especially doubles, are characterized by bud drop. Other varieties bloom well during one period of the year and consistently drop their buds at other times.

Have you ever wondered why your poinsettia doesn't bloom for the holidays? Late pruning is one cause of delayed flowering. In fact, poinsettias should not be pruned after early September because flower buds set shortly after that time, and pruning removes those early buds.

Another factor that leads to slow flowering is length of day. Poinsettias are stimulated by long nights; any light interruptions during that necessary dark period can reverse or delay flowering. Light from a car, porch, street or the interior of your home can be enough to upset the flowering process.

Raised cream-colored lesions on the stems are caused by a disease known as poinsettia scab. The diseased tissue must be pruned. New growth can be treated with Dithane M-45 or copper-based fungicides. Repeat applications on the next two rounds of new growth.

Sweetbay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana) is an excellent tree for wet areas. It can grow from 20 to 75 feet tall and 10 to 20 feet wide. It does well in swampy soils, prefers acid conditions and tolerates shade.

The creamy-white flowers that appear in early summer are very fragrant, nearly stalkless, solitary and erect at the ends of the branches.

The seeds are about the size of a bean, hard, black and flat, covered with a thin, aromatic scarlet skin and produced in a woody, conelike fruit.

Trees are a vital part of any landscape and should be selected carefully because they give a home its individuality. Shade trees should have moderate to dense foliage and should not have large or objectionable fruits, flowers or seeds. They should be able to withstand high winds and resist insects and disease.

There are two kinds of shade trees: those with a heavy, dense foliage that shades the ground and those with small or widely spaced leaves and open branching that allow sunlight to reach the soil. Grasses, flowers and shrubs usually grow best under open-branched trees.

You may want to use deciduous and evergreen trees in your landscape. Evergreens, such as live oaks, pines and magnolias, are useful when year-round shade is desired. Deciduous trees are best in areas where shade is needed during warm months and sun during the cool weather. Excellent deciduous shade trees for our area are red maple, pecan, sweet gum, sycamore, water oak and elm.

There is still time to spray your citrus trees this fall. Use parrafin-based horticultural oil or malathion for aphids, whitefly and spider mites. Citrus leaves that are distorted and yellowing around the edge may lack a trace element.

Apply the minor elements to your citrus trees, either to the soil or as a foliage spray. To avoid burning your plants, use only the amount recommended on the product's label. Minor elements will correct yellowing caused by deficiencies of iron, magnesium and manganese and will also supply copper, zinc, boron and other vital nutrients.

* Fruits ripe this month are: Hamlin, navel and Parson Brown oranges; Duncan, Foster, Marsh and redblush ruby grapefruits; Nova and Orlando tangelos; Osceola, page, Lee and Sunburst hybrids; Robinson tangerine; Satsuma mandarin; Bearss and Meyer lemons.

Fruit splitting and drop can be a problem during late fall. It may be more pronounced just after a period of dryness followed by heavy rains. Splitting and drop usually are not serious problems if the trees are well cared for and furnished with adequate nutrition and irrigation. But in years when a prolonged drought is followed by several heavy rains, fruit loss will occur.

Pruning should begin soon after planting. Pruning improves the health of plants, controls their size and shape, increases flower display and removes overcrowded stems or branches.

Dead, diseased or damaged wood interferes with new growth. Vines need pruning to limit growth and remove old wood. When pruning, avoid damaging other shoots and branches. Remember to make pruning part of your regular maintenance program.

An insect called a twig girdler is seldom seen but is very damaging to young trees. The female lays her eggs in the twigs of maple, oak, pine and pecan trees. She then chews around the twig so it will drop to the ground, where the life cycle will be completed. The damage occurs when leaders of small trees are girdled. This changes the apical dominance and may result in a weakened tree. Larger trees are generally not damaged to any extent from the twig girdlers' pruning. The only control measure is to pick up fallen twigs and destroy them, eliminating the next generation.

* Overgrown vines such as wisteria, ivy, flame, coral, honeysuckle and Confederate jasmine can be pruned back by a third to a half; remove tangled growth and rooted suckers.

* Fire-blight may appear on loquats, pyracantha and many plants in the rose family. Fire-blight spreads from tree to tree, so when infection occurs, prune the affected areas. Always remove suckers, water sprouts and dead wood, which harbor fire-blight bacteria. Spraying at spring bloom time will help control fire-blight. Streptomycin or a mixture of copper and streptomycin are used at early bloom, full bloom and late bloom. Follow label directions.

* A foliar disease caused by the rust fungus commonly strikes frangipani. Small, yellow pustules on the underside of leaves will rupture and release spores that infect other leaves. Heavy infections may cause premature leaf drop. Fungicides are NOT approved for use on this specific disease. Rake and destroy infected leaves.

In October the golden rain tree was recommended as a tree to provide fall color. According to the "University of Florida/IFAS Assessment of nonnative plants in natural areas," this tree may be recommended but should be planted with caution. The sale of this tree is not prohibited by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services or the U.S. Department of Agriculture. For more information about the UF/IFAS assessment process go to: http://agronomy.ifas.ufl.edu/IFASassessmt.html

- Compiled by Pamela Brown and Nancy R. Volmar of the Pinellas County Extension Service/Florida Botanical Gardens. If you have questions, call them at (727) 582-2100.