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HORTICULTURE NUTRITION
& CONSUMER SCIENCES 4-H
YOUTH AND FAMILY DEVELOPMENT |
Native
Turfgrass Question (5/5/08) Gerald
G. Giordano
A.
Yes. A dry wall bucket in a five gallon size would make a good
container for growing one tomato plant per bucket. Wash the
bucket well to remove any compound residue and be sure to drill
one large hole about 11/2 to 2 inches in diameter in the bottom
(you may use a hole saw set on a drill for this purpose). Cover
the hole with a square of window screen and fill the bucket
with a soil mix made for containers. It's best not to use garden
soil for container plants as it may contain undesirable plant
(soil) pathogens and weed seeds. It may also drain poorly and
become compacted. Some container mixes have fertilizer mixed
in, eliminating the need for fertilization within the first
several weeks. Thereafter, you may need to fertilize with a
complete fertilizer labelled for vegetables if maximum production
is to be achieved. A note about plant size: Some tomatoes
may be better suited to growing in containers than others. Since
they are essentially vines, a wall trellis or a strong stake
that goes all the way down to the bottom center of the bucket
would be necessary to support average sized tomatoes. The containers
could also be placed near a deck or porch railing over which
the vines can drape. If you don't want to be swamped in greenery,
choose patio type tomatoes that grow smaller or choose determinate
types that develop stems that end in a blossom cluster. Determinate
tomatoes grow more like a bush than a vine and tend to set and
mature lots of fruit at once before initiating significant growth
again. Gerald
G. Giordano vvvvvvvOLDIES BUT GOODIESvvvvvvv Gardenia
Question: A.
Lack of bloom concerning gardenias can have a great deal to
do with giving the plant proper night temperatures during the
winter. Place your gardenia in a spot where it will receive
ample bright light such as sunlight filtered through a sheer
curtain or blind (an East window can also be suitable) but where
night time temperatures fall to about 62 degrees. This night
time temperature drop should assure flower bud formation. Always
avoid placing the plant near radiators. When the weather warms
in mid to late May, place your plant out of doors in partial
shade. The sunlight that filters through a tree without dense
foliage seems ideal. Bringing the plant back into the house
in late summer before the heating system is turned on usually
prevents a great amount of leaf loss from "relocation shock".
Of course, cultural practices consistent with the healthy growth
of gardenias still apply. Water the plant when the soil surface
is just getting dry to the touch and remove any water that remains
in the drainage saucer longer than 1/2 hour by using a turkey
baster bought specifically for this purpose. Always remove the
drainage saucer when the plant is summering out of doors. When
transplanting, use a soil that is rich in organic matter, yet
drains freely and does not become soggy. A standard flowering
house plant fertilizer that is not too strong is best applied
from spring to fall. If the plant shows signs of chlorosis,
a house plant mix containing increased amounts of peat moss
may be advisable the next time you transplant. Apply a standard
acid-type fertilizer at the reduced house plant rate per label
directions until the soil can be amended. A note about sunlight
requirements: Despite many repeated and well intentioned attempts,
the establishment of standardized yet understandable definitions
of different light levels for house plants still seems elusive
and sometimes both unintelligible and unattainable. Regarding
gardenias, I have seen them grown successfully in a full sun,
south facing bow window from late October to late February with
no sign of foliage injury. Yet, many sources warn us to keep
them (always) out of direct sunlight in winter often using the
proverbial curtain or blind. Clearly, there are indoor "light
microclimates" to match every window, window treatment
and windowsill, so start by filtering bright light as best you
can or by keeping the plant to the side of a sunny window in
a bright room. If it's clear that your plant needs more light
in winter, try slightly more exposure. Foliage injury from too
much sunlight will occur fairly rapidly so be observant and
adjust light levels accordingly. Remember also, that as spring
approaches, the sun becomes increasingly more intense so be
prepared to move your gardenia "back, aside or behind"
until it's time for its summer vacation out-of doors. Skunks
and Raccoons: A. Your question assumes that skunks and raccoons are only digging up your lawn to eat grubs. This assumption would seem premature since raccoons also eat other types of insects, as do skunks. In fact, as well as insects, raccoons also eat fish, frogs and crayfish as well as garden crops. Skunks will feast on mice, moles, chipmunks, frogs and bird nestlings as well as fruits. Clearly, it is unwise to apply lawn pesticides simply at the sight of upturned sod, so investigate further before taking action. Go to the area near the observed damage and slice out a square foot of turf that's about six inches deep. Turn it over and look for grubs. If none were present, then applying an insecticide for their control would constitute an unwarranted use of pesticide. Also, below the "5-7 grub per square foot" threshold, it is accepted that grub presence on turf would not cause enough damage to justify pesticide application. So, give your turf environment a break! If digging done by raccoons and skunks in the absence of significant grub presence is extensive and intolerable, reach for the phone instead of the pesticide. Trappers licensed through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (Nuisance Wildlife Agents) are locally available for hire to take the offending animal from your property. On the other hand, if you live in a suburban location where the high populations of skunks and raccoons makes trapping prohibitive from both an economic and a practical standpoint, then welcome to the flipside of idealized American suburban living in the 21st century. You may wish to consider the installation of a less manicured landscape as well as a sturdy garden bench from which to view the local wildlife in exchange for visions of an unbroken carpet of flawless green. Gerald
G. Giordano Grubs: A. If the use of pesticides is unacceptable to you, boost turf health in order that it may better withstand grub presence. You can do this by raising the mowing height to 3 1/2 to 4 inches to promote a deeper, more extensive root system. To alleviate compaction and increase your soil's organic matter content, core aerate and top dress with composted cow manure in the period from around Labor Day to early fall. Also, check the pH to be sure that levels do not fall below 6.0. or rise above 7.0. At low and high pH ranges, nutrient levels become less conducive to turf health. Microorganism activity also slows resulting in a myriad of deleterious effects such as a reduction in the breakdown of organic matter. A pH level of 6.8 seems to be ideal for turfgrass. Use appropriate amounts of lime to increase pH or apply acidifying agents such as ground sulfur to lower pH, when necessary. In Westchester, higher pH levels (above 7.0) are not the norm in the absence of the over-application of liming agents or the introduction of exotic materials to the soil environment. Instead, soils tend to become acidic over time requiring periodic liming. Optimum turf health also requires irrigation. Be sure that your lawn receives one inch of moisture per week including rainfall. While proper cultural practices can help your lawn better withstand grub damage, it will likely not prevent all occurrences of such damage. If the injury caused by the presence of damaging populations of grubs on your lawn is intolerable to you, judicious pesticide application still appears to be the most successful means of control. Contrary to popular belief in some circles, alternative pesticide controls such as the application of Milky spore, Paenibacillus popilliae, have not achieved an acceptable degree of practical effectiveness in our area. In addition to the mixed populations of grub species encountered in Southeast New York which have not proven to have been controlled by Milky Spore, relatively cooler soil temperatures and the high populations of grubs which must be tolerated for adequate proliferation of Paenibacillus popilliae seem to make the use of Milky Spore products impractical here. Cornell guidelines suggest that a select number of chemical pesticides may be more useful in bringing damaging populations of grubs under control. Contact your local Cooperative Extension office for further information. Note: The use of parasitic nematodes (Heterorhabditis bacteriophora), a biological control, may be worth trying if applied in the evening in August or Early September. Be sure the soil is moist as from recent rains or irrigation and water the lawn immediately after application. Gerald
G. Giordano Canada
Geese: A. Resident Canada geese (the variety of Canada goose that does NOT migrate great distances in the fall and spring) have dramatically increased in numbers over the past few years. Try the following suggestions to minimize population numbers on any given property: 1. Modify the landscape to create as few “open” and maintained spots as is practical. Replace an area of the lawn with shrubbery or wildflowers, or simply reduce the amount of mowing, thus allowing it to grow and become a natural field. Canada geese are much less likely to remain in an area where they cannot clearly see for a distance of at least 25 - 30 feet. 2. Modify the shoreline around a pond. Place large stones, or tall grasses and trees around the pond to make exit and entrance more difficult and limit the field of vision. 3. If possible, modify water levels to flood nesting areas, or eliminate islands where geese commonly nest. 4. Plant less desirable vegetation including pachysandra, vinca, ivy, myrtle, and hosta to help to discourage Canada goose grazing. 5. Fencing that is strategically placed to limit the movement of geese from one area to another can be an important management tool - especially if it is done when geese have molted and cannot fly from one area to another (usually around June). 6. Varied, infrequent scaring techniques featuring sudden, loud noises (e.g. the sound of sirens, firecrackers, gun shots*), or movements (lights, specialized tape / streamers on poles) may help to scare geese away from a site for a period of time. 7. The regular use of trained dogs such as border collies, offers another means to scare Canada geese off of properties. The Westchester County Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation has effectively used this technique for several years on some of their golf courses and parks. 8. A repellent made from a naturally occurring compound found in grapes and orange blossoms is currently available for use in New York State and may act as a short-term deterrent of Canada geese (Consult with your local Cornell Cooperative Extension office for more product information). The use of this product can prove costly. When developing a suitable management plan for Canada geese it is important to rely on a multi-faceted approach. Sound long-term management of many pests - including Canada geese - often takes a period of time. Be patient, persistent, and please DON’T FEED THE GEESE!! For
more information about goose management, visit: http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dfwmr/wildlife/geese.pdf
Richard
W. Harper A. Although plum trees as well as most cherries are know to be relatively short lived insofar as trees are concerned...the term "dying of old age" would seem too simplistic when discussing tree health and longevity, for a variety of reasons. Barring other obvious symptoms in addition to the leaf loss, what could be more likely is that your plums may be suffering from Cherry leaf spot (Blumeriella jaapii, formerly coccomyces). This is a fungal disease that causes spotting and leaf loss on cherries, plums, almonds and other related plants. Mild, wet summer weather such as that experienced during the past two summers can promote this disease. Guidelines for control are available when warranted. As with other plant diseases, severity and the need for control can vary from year to year. Thanks, Formosan
Termites: A. The email message of which you spoke has been deemed a hoax in the following recent communication from Lori Bushway, Leader of Adult Outreach, Department of Horticulture at Cornell University in a communication she sent to Cornell Cooperative Extension Educators and related personnel. See the communication below. It includes the original haox email and the opinions of various experts on this subject. "An apparent hoax has been circulating about Formosan termite-infested mulch from New Orleans. Subject: Mulch Warning If you use mulch around your house be very careful about buying mulch this year. After the Hurricane in New Orleans many trees were blown over. These trees were then turned into mulch and the state is trying to get rid of tons and tons of this mulch to any state or company who will come and haul it away. So it will be showing up in Home Depot and Lowes at dirt cheap prices with one huge problem; Formosan Termites will be the bonus in many of those bags. New Orleans is one of the few areas in the country were the Formosan Termites has gotten a strong hold and most of the trees blown down were already badly infested with those termites. Now
we may have the worst case of transporting a problem to all
parts of the country that we have ever had. These termites can
eat a house in no time at all and we have no good control against
them, so tell your friends that own homes to avoid cheap mulch
and know were it came from. I
would not worry too much until some clear examples of this emerge.
Only mulch that has sat still for a while will become termite
infested. In the case of New Orleans, from what I understand,
wood has been chipped and then moved out fairly quickly to make
room for more. The higher risk is movement of construction debris
and tree stumps, but I just talked to a termite expert from
New Orleans last week, and he said they are moving such stuff
(mostly) to massive dump sites relatively locally. Comments from Michael Merchant, Urban Entomologist Texas Cooperative Extension: I
have just conducted a little research today on the subject of
this email in response to some media requests. I spoke with
Louisiana termite researcher Dr. Gregg Henderson, Louisiana
State University, and he informed me that there is indeed a
quarantine on all wood waste from hurricane devastated areas
of southern Louisiana. The quarantine specifically addresses
the concern about Formosan termite-infested wood products being
shipped to new areas. The state is currently debating how or
whether large quantities of wood material can be treated prior
to shipping to overflow landfills in Mississippi that do not
currently have Formosans. However, the bottom line is that Louisiana
neither encourages nor condones the sale of wood waste in mulch
from the hurricane damaged areas. Gerald
G. Giordano Find out more about beautiful Westchester County on the County Home Page. For
more information please e-mail
westchester@cornell.edu
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©2000 Cornell Cooperative Extension. Updated:
May 8, 2008
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