|
************************************************************* WILL IT BY Last week I
wrote about the use of gypsum to break up clay soil and how it is not true
for 1. GRUB
CONTROL: For regular readers of this column you know that the most
effective time to put on grub control in Southeast and South Central
Nebraska is after the 4th of July. Homeowners in the Eastern
and Southern part of the country have to contend with the “Japanese
Beetle”. Some have been trapped in In organic
gardening magazines and articles you may see the recommendation to use
“milky spore” for grubs. This product does work on the Japanese Beetle
larvae but is not effective on the Masked Chafer Beetle larvae. For good
control of grubs, use a product that is recommended for this part of the
country and apply after the Fourth of July. Be sure and water in within 24
hours with at least 1/2 inch of water. You may see
some grubs in your flower and/or vegetable garden now as you are planting.
These are the larvae of beetles and moths and are probably different than
the ones in the lawn. The grubs in your lawn in May are big, fat, and lazy
at this time and not doing any damage. They are just waiting to turn into 2. BLOSSOM END
ROT: I usually put out my tomatoes after May 15th. This year is no
exception as I didn’t even buy my tomatoes until May 15th. I do not like
blossom end rot and other diseases that get on my tomatoes and other
vegetables as most of you don’t. Blossom End Rot is the black spot on
the end of the fruit is caused by a deficiency in calcium in the fruit.
Advertisements will tell you to add calcium to the soil or to spray
calcium on your plant. The soil in Southeast and South Central Nebraska
has plenty of calcium. These recommendations may help some but I recommend
that you save your money. What happens is because of irregular watering
when the plant is young and starting to set on fruit. The calcium that is
available goes into the growing plant structure and there is not enough
for the fruit. If you want to avoid blossom end rot: A. Watch your
watering and do not let the tomato plant dry out or get over watered.
Disease and insects really like plants that are under stress. To avoid
other diseases such as leaf blight do not overhead water. Blossom end rot
is not a disease but a deficiency. Therefore the big black spot can be cut
out and the rest of the tomato is ok. B.
Put newspapers between the cages to conserve water. The newspapers
and/or mulch helps keep the soil from drying out and prevents weeds from
stealing the moisture. When I prepared my two rows for growing tomatoes, I
removed all the weeds, put down layers of newspaper between the large
cages I have, and covered them with one year old straw that I was able to
get at a very reasonable price. Compost and/or soil also works fine to
cover the papers and thus keeps them from blowing away. I use at least 6
layers of newspaper. Since I pick up the coffee grounds from our
neighborhood coffee house, when I have more than I need for my compost
piles I will put the coffee grounds on the straw. This spring the area of
the garden where my tomatoes were last year had hardly any weeds compared
to the rest of the garden. I had lots of small tomato plants coming up
where overripe fruit dropped off last year which I did not get it picked
up, but few weeds. This year I am going to try and do the same newspaper
and straw treatment with my squash and pumpkins and see if I have fewer
weeds. C. When the
plant is about 3 to 4 feet tall, remove the lower 8 to 10 inches of leaves
and stems so disease organisms in the soil can not splash onto those
leaves and infect your plant. The newspapers or any kind of mulch also
helps avoid rain from splashing disease organisms that are in the soil
onto the lower leaves. 3. IRON
CHLOROSIS: Many of our trees and shrubs, especially pin oak trees, quite
often get iron chlorosis. The symptom is dark green veins in the leaf and
lighter green tissue between the veins. This is also the symptom for
deficiency of some other micronutrients. Advertisements in the paper and
other publicity say to put iron (liquid or granular) on the soil around
the tree or plant. Other recommendations include pounding iron nails into
the tree. All of these recommendations sound as though they should work.
There are two problems with these. 1. We have
plenty of iron in the soil in most parts of Southeast and South Central
Nebraska. The problem is the pH of the soil. Research has found that as
the pH gets to 7 or higher, micro-nutrients, especially iron, manganese,
boron, and magnesium are more difficult for the plant to absorb and
utilize. Thus adding more iron to the soil is ineffective. Most treatments
by an arborist adds iron or other micronutrients directly into the tree or
plant, or sulfur to the soil to lower the pH. 2. Iron nails
do not work as the iron is not in a useable form for the plant. The iron
and the other micronutrients must be in a useable form the plant can use
to be effective. If you have
trees or plants that look chlorotic (have a yellow cast to the leaves)
consult with your local County Extension Office for help and
recommendations or consult a “tree expert” who is a certified Arborist
or is a tree specialist with the Nebraska Forest Service, the Nebraska
Statewide Arboretum, The Arbor Day Foundation, or with your full service
garden center. Copyright 2010 |