TOMATO TIPS. Irving Allen of Virginia Beach called to tell us he
successfully used the tomato-growing tips from Vera Geddes, a Virginia Beach master
gardener, featured in the 2000 May issue of Hampton Roads Gardening & Home magazine.
Last year, he combined compost, 1/4-cup lime, 2 tablespoons Epsom salts and 2 tablespoons
fertilizer for each plant. It was mixed well four to five days before planting. He grew
three different tomato varieties among 18 plants. Only one of them had any sign of
blossom-end rot and that was a very little bit, says. He rotates his tomatoes to a
different row each year to avoid disease problems. He doesn't have a raised bed; for best
growth, he waits until May to put his tomatoes in the ground. He has tried them in April,
but found that they just sit there, doing nothing because the soil is still cool. He
builds a trough to catch water around each plant, and he puts each tomato plant in a
supportive cage.
AGENT ADVICE. You may have heard the term
Integrated Pest Management. Well, what does it mean? Simply put, Integrated Pest
Management - IPM - is an approach to managing pests in a way that is sensitive to the
environment.
When using IPM practices in your yard, put the "right plant in the right place."
Learn to recognize symptoms or signs of insects and diseases. Your skills at identifying
pests and potential problems will improve each time you walk around the yard to inspect
your plants. Do this as often as possible.Use cultural, mechanical or biological
methods to control pest problem. Gardening the IPM way does not exclude the use of
chemical pesticides. You just minimize their use. - Jim Williams, Hampton extension agent,
757-727-1401 |
WEED KILLER. Mix 1 gallon white vinegar, 1 pound table salt and 1 tablespoon liquid
dish-washing soap and pour into a small pressure sprayer. It's great for killing weeds in
walkways, around trees, etc., but do not get the concoction on anything you do not want to
kill because it's potent. The mixture lasts for several months; store extra in a separate
container such as a gallon milk jug. Clean out your sprayer thoroughly because the mixture
can ruin rubber gaskets, etc. in the sprayer. - Nancy Sheppard, Virginia Beach, featured
as Yard of the Month in the May issue of Hampton Roads Gardening Home
TRANSPLANT TIP. If you want to transplant a large shrub or tree this fall, do some root
pruning on it this summer. Using a sharp shovel, dig down, cutting one third of the
plant's roots about 6- to 8- inches deep. Several weeks later, cut another third of the
roots; weeks later, cut the final third roots. This gets the plant used to the fact it
will be transplanted. Move the plant between Sept. 15 and Oct. 15, keeping it watered
weekly throughout fall. - Jim Orband, York extension agent
SUPER SODA. Baking soda is a mild abrasive so it cleanses powerfully and gently without
having to worry about scratching. It's great for cleaning and deodorizing cutting boards,
stovetops, stainless steel sinks and other kitchen spaces and supplies. Don't forget to
sprinkle some baking soda down the sink drain and garbage disposal to get rid of musty
odors. Rid outdoor chairs, chaises and tables of mildew, stains and dirt using 1/4 cup
solution of baking soda in one quart of warm water; rinse clean.
SANDSPUR SOLUTION. To rid your lawn of sandspurs, look for chemicals containing
post-emergent DSMA, MSMA, MSMA + Sencor and Asulox. Read the label because many grasses
are sensitive to these chemicals; the first two listed are often sold as Crabgrass Killer.
- Randy Jackson, Virginia Beach extension agent
JUICY JUNEBERRY. Serviceberry, shadbush and shadblow are all common names for members
of the genus Amelanchier. This early spring-blooming understory tree is lovely in the
landscape and the fruits are important food for birds and small mammals. They're good in
jams, jellies and pies, too! - Janis Miller, horticulturist, Virginia Living Museum, www.valivingmuseum.org.
TATTERED, TORN. Recycle those tattered, torn jeans. Cut the legs into four pieces, lay
them flat and roll tightly. Light one end of each roll, then wave it to extinguish to a
smolder. Lay the smoldering jean roll on the ground; it will burn for hours, keeping
mosquitoes and pests away. - Dennis Weaver, Hampton
Kathy says: This technique is probably best not used around children; also consider
placing the smoldering jean in a shallow, heat-tolerant container.