Print

Email story

Comment

Letter to the editor

Winter veggies need care this time of year

By Pam Brown and Carol Suggs, Special to the Times
Published November 3, 2007

Thin root crops such as beets, carrots, turnips and radishes when they become overcrowded. Unless these vegetables have room to spread, they will become hard and pithy. Radishes and carrots should be about 3 inches apart and turnips and beets 4 to 6 inches apart. Keep an eye out for caterpillars, which can quickly devour tender leaves.

Scout your garden for insect pests. Cabbage loopers, tomato hornworms, cutworms and pickleworms can be controlled by applying Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) formulations in products such as Dipel or Thuricide.

Also watch for beneficial insects such as lady bugs, green lacewings and minute priate bugs. These will help control common pests: aphids, whiteflies and mites.

If you apply chemical pesticides in your vegetable garden, use caution. Follow the label carefully and pay attention to the number of days you can spray before harvest.

TIME TO PRUNE: Pruning should start when you plant your shrubs and vines and should be part of a regular maintenance program. Prune to improve the health of your plants, control size and shape, increase the flower display and remove overcrowded stems or branches.

Cut out dead, diseased or damaged wood, and remove old wood that interferes with new growth. Prune your shrubs so they keep their natural shape, unless you use them as formal hedges. Vines need pruning to limit growth and remove old wood. When you prune, avoid damaging other shoots and branches.

Overgrown vines such as wisteria, ivy, flame, coral, honeysuckle and Confederate jasmine can be pruned now. Cut off excess, tangled growth. Prune back a third to a half and remove rooted suckers that are growing in undesirable areas.

WATCH THE PLUMERIA: A foliar disease caused by the rust fungus, Oleosporium plumierae, is a common disease of frangipani (Plumeria spp.), especially as nights get cooler and humidity remains high. Small yellow pustules on the underside of the leaves will rupture and release spores, which then infect other leaves. Heavy infections may cause premature leaf drop. Fungicides are not approved for use on this specific disease. Keep the area under the frangipani cleared of infected leaves. Bag them in plastic and dispose of them.

STOP BEFORE THEY START: Many annual weeds grow in 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 through the soil. Early November is a good time to apply a pre-emergent. You can obtain an herbicide separately or in combination with a fertilizer. If you fertilized your lawn last month, then it is best to apply the herbicide only. Be sure the herbicide you purchase is labeled as safe to apply to your type of lawn grass.

CITRUS CARE: There is still time to spray your citrus trees for the fall. Use horticultural oil, fish oil or neem oil for aphids, whitefly and spider mites. You may use malathion for heavy infestations. Citrus leaves that are yellowing around the edge and distorted may be lacking a trace element. You can apply the minor elements to your citrus trees, either as a foliage spray or to the soil. To avoid burning plants, use only the recommended amount as stated on the product label. Minor elements will correct yellowing due to deficiencies of iron, magnesium and manganese, and will also supply copper, zinc, boron, and other needed elements.

Fruit splitting and fruit drop may be a problem during late summer and fall. This is a physiological problem of unknown origin. It may be more pronounced just after a period of moisture stress followed by heavy rains. Splitting and drop will usually not be a serious problem if the trees are well cared for and furnished with adequate nutrition and irrigation, but in years when we experience a prolonged drought followed by several heavy rains, there will be fruit loss.

Compiled by Pam Brown and Carol Suggs of the Pinellas County Extension Center/Florida Botanical Gardens. Questions? Call them at (727) 582-2100.

- - - 

Stop the drop

Gardenia and hibiscus may suffer from premature flower bud drop. This can be caused by insects or by cultural or environmental problems. Thrips and midges can damage the unopened bud. These insects may go undetected until considerable damage has occurred and the buds drop.

Thrips and midges are very small, but you can often see them if you open a bud that has dropped from the plant. Many times the best control is a systemic insecticide that contains imidacloprid or acephate.

Too much or not enough fertilizer or water can also stress the plant, resulting in bud drop. Nematodes can parasitize the root system, creating a water and nutritional stress on the plant, also resulting in bud drop.

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

- - - 

Calendar of events

All these activities are at the Pinellas County Extension and Florida Botanical Gardens, 12520 Ulmerton Road, Largo.

8 a.m. to 1 p.m. today, continuing every Saturday until April 19: Market in the Park. Local produce, gourmet foods, plants, more. Extension experts and master gardeners will hold educational seminars on gardening, nutrition and cooking during market hours.

10 a.m. to 1 p.m. today: "In the Beginning, Butterflies." Understanding the life cycle of the butterfly. Grand opening of the new butterfly garden, butterfly release and tour. In conjunction with Market in the Park.

1 to 2:30 p.m. Sunday and Nov. 18:general garden tour. Meet at Welcome Center. Free, but registration required. Call (727) 582-2581. No pets. Overview of demonstration, formal and sculpture gardens and natural areas.

6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Nov. 25 through Jan. 3: Gardens Seasonal Sensations, an Illuminated Garden. More than 425,000 lights in a walk-through holiday display.

F.

Times staff writer

[Last modified November 1, 2007, 16:48:57]