PLANT CLINIC
Reducing disease in the vegetable garden
Q: Each year I have a lot of disease problems in my vegetable garden. What am I doing wrong? Is there anything I can do other than use sprays?
PLANT CLINIC
Adrian Hunsberger is the Urban Horticulture Agent and Master Gardener Coordinator at the University of Florida/Miami-Dade County Extension office in Homestead. She has a bachelor's in horticulture from Virginia Tech and a master's in entomology from UF. As the Extension office's resident entomologist, she draws on her more than 13 years of research experience at UF to teach pest management to homeowners with a special emphasis on biological and organic controls.
Write to her at aghu@ifas.ufl.edu.
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PLANT CLINIC
Here's one way to recycle a newspaper
Q: I've heard that shredded newspaper can be used to combat nematodes. Is this true? A: I'm not familiar with any evidence showing the benefits of using newspapers against nematodes. However, you can safely add newspapers to your compost pile as a good way to recycle them, although they add almost no plant nutrients. Avoid composting color inserts printed on shiny paper.
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To determine ripeness of a mamey, scrape the skin
Q: How can you tell when mamey fruit are ripe and how many months does it take? What should I do for the leaves that yellow? A: Depending on the variety and time of year, it takes from 13 to 24 months from flowering to fruit maturity. To tell if the fruit are ready to be harvested, scrape the skin of the fruit. If the flesh underneath looks like the correct color for that variety (pink, red or orange), the fruit are ready to harvest. You can leave the fruit on the counter for a few days to soften...
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PLANT CLINIC
Lots of herbs will thrive in sunny yards
Q: I would like to grow some herbs in my garden. What are some that I can use in cooking? A: There are several herbs that are easy to grow in South Florida. Try the following as winter annuals: basil, dill, coriander, parsley, oregano, thyme and sage. Rosemary can be grown as a perennial. You may find it easier to grow seedlings bought locally. Herbs should be planted in a sunny location either in containers or in the garden. They have many of the same cultural requirements as vegetables.
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PLANT CLINIC
October is the best time to start your vegetable garden
Q: When should I start planting my vegetable garden? I want to grow tomatoes, peppers and beans. A: You can start planting in October. Remember to buy varieties that are disease and nematode resistant. When buying seedlings, make sure that they aren't too large. Older seedlings may be harder to transplant. Beans are easy to grow from seeds. You can save some money by buying dry beans from the grocery store.
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PLANT CLINIC
Rats are likely culprit in palm frond damage
Q: The fronds of my palms are being eaten. They break at the trunk and just hang there. What's causing this? A: Rats occasionally gnaw on the base of palm fronds but do not completely sever the frond from the palm. Look for further evidence of rats by searching for their droppings below the palms, on walkways, the patio, etc. Roof rat droppings are about ½ inch long and Norway rat droppings average ¾ inch.
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PLANT CLINIC
New scale invading gumbo limbos and crotons has no name
Q: I'm seeing mealybugs on the trunk of my gumbo limbos. My car that I park underneath it is getting sticky and black. What should I do?
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Choices abound in quest to replace ficus hedge
Q: I'm taking out my ficus hedge because the roots are causing damage to my water pipes. What should I replace it with that is low maintenance?
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Grow allamandas under full Florida sun
Q: I love purple allamanda. Could you tell me more about it? A: Purple allamanda (Allamanda violacea) is a purple flowered vine, which is originally from Brazil. The size of the plant is dependent on the size of the support or can be trained as a shrub. It is fairly fast growing, can be grown in zones 10-11 (South Florida), and flowering peaks in summer. Grow this vine in full sun in most soil types; however, it is not salt tolerant. This plant is poisonous and should not be used in areas where young...
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PLANT CLINIC
Pentas don't need regular watering
Q: My pentas get a lot of sun and I water them regularly. However, some plants wither and the stems turn brown. A: The plants are being over-watered and may have developed a disease. Pull out the dying plants, since they are unlikely to recover. If the plants were diseased, you may not be able to replant with the same plants in the same spot.
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PLANT CLINIC
Some vegetables, herbs can take the heat
Q: To save money, I'd like to grow my own vegetables and herbs during the summer. What can I grow? A: There are several crops you can grow: hot pepper, eggplant, okra, black-eyed peas, pigeon peas, rosemary, Cuban oregano, lemongrass and thyme.
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PLANT CLINIC
Hurricane pruning is not hat-racking
Q: What is hurricane pruning? A: At the beginning of hurricane season, trees with dense canopies need to be thinned out. However, don't hat-rack (over-prune). It's against county code since it weakens the tree and makes it more susceptible to wind damage.
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Take out tiny mango and plant another
Q: I have a dwarf Julie mango in full sun that is 10 years old but it's only three feet tall. The fruits drop when pea-size. A: A tree that hasn't grown much for this long a period indicates that it was planted too deeply or was root-bound when planted. Remove the tree and replant with another mango, but not in the same hole.
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Compost does best with veggie scraps
Q: Is it true that rats are attracted to compost piles? Coral Gables A: To avoid attracting rats, do not put meat scraps, fat, bones, grease or dairy products in your compost pile. These do attract animals and can create nuisance odors.
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PLANT CLINIC
Fertilizer spikes can damage roots
Q: My lawn maintenance man wants to inject fertilizer into the soil. Why can't I put out fertilizer the old-fashioned way by spreading it under the trees?
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PLANT CLINIC
Area's alkaline soil gives ixoras trouble
Q: I have problems keeping my ixoras looking nice. They always look yellow. What can I do? A: Ixoras are a commonly grown hedge shrub but aren't really suited for our alkaline soils and often suffer from iron chlorosis (yellow leaves with green veins).
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PLANT CLINIC
Prune poinsettia after it flowers
Q: What is the right way to plant and care for poinsettia plants in the yard? I want them to bloom at Christmas. A: You can grow poinsettia plants year round in South Florida. Plant them in the ground or in containers in a sunny area of your yard that is not exposed to light at night.
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PLANT CLINIC
Keep mulch away from plant stems
Q: I read that mulch shouldn't touch tree trunks. Can you tell me why? A: One of the functions of organic mulch is to hold moisture. This is very beneficial for plant roots but it promotes various trunk rots and disease if allowed to pile up around tree trunks. As a general rule, keep mulch at least two inches away from stems and trunks of plants.
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PLANT CLINIC
How can you spot lethal yellowing?
Q: The oldest leaves on my coconut tree have turned yellow. How can you tell the difference between lethal yellowing and if the tree just needs fertilizer?
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PLANT CLINIC
Live oaks will snap back from cold snap
Q: I have a live oak in South Dade that only grows half the leaves. The leaves at the end of the branches are disappearing rapidly, have small brown spots and are eaten around the edges.
