Gardening Q and A
Tomato – Cracking Fruit
Q: I have a cherry tomatoes plant that about 80% of the fruit has cracks. Anything I can do ? A: Fruit cracking is usually caused by hot dry weather followed by heavy rain or irrigation. The skin gets hard...
Possum Grape – Identification
Q: This plant grows by our lake and has three colors of berries in September. What is it? A: It’s possum grape, Ampelopsis cordata. It’s cousin, porcelain vine, Ampelopsis brevipendiculata maximowiczii, has the same sort of fruit. Birds and other...
Skiff Moth Caterpillar – Identification
Q: This green critter was found on a Japanese maple tree leaf. It is 1/2″ long and 3/8″ wide and 3/8″ high at the tallest point. The two dark brown “balls” are some of the excrement of this bug. Underneath...
Bean Leaf Roller – Identification
Q: Attached is a picture of a pest I found on my lima beans in the garden. Can you help? A: Your distinctly red-headed creature is a bean leaf roller caterpillar. Its parent is a long-tailed skipper butterfly. I’m sure...
Italian Stone Pine – Juvenile Foliage and Mature Foliage
Q: What is happening to my little Christmas tree? It came from a big box gardening store. Over the summer the branches have sprouted long needles from the short needle branches. Can you suggest what has happened? A: I’m not...
Runoff From Neighbor – OK to Dam?
Q: My neighbor has a bunch of gutter pipes that empty water near my property line. The water erodes around my flower beds. He refuses to do anything about it. Can I just build a dam to keep his water...
Winterizer – When is Best to Apply?
Q: We were taught in my agronomy classes that it’s best to stop applying nitrogen to warm-season turf when the end of summer approaches. I have heard golf superintendents say that is not true. What is your opinion on when...
Ruellia (Mexican Petunia) – Invasive?
Q: I’m considering planting Mexican petunia by my mailbox. However, I am reading where it can be very invasive and do not want it to overrun the azalea and hostas I have in there now. What are your thoughts? A:...
Tomatoes – For High Heat
Q: Is there a tomato that tolerates high summer heat better than others? A: It’s true that some of the newer hybrids stop producing (probably due to lack of pollination) at temps above 90 degrees. Cindy Martin at The Tasteful...
Tomato – Fruitworm
Q: I have several of these on my tomato plants and have no idea what they are. They don’t look like cutworms and they only seem to be eating the leaves. Can you help? A: You have a tomato fruitworm....
New Shrubs/Trees – Watering
Q: I planted 5 Green Giant arborvitaes in my backyard along a fence to provide a hedge in the future. The space gets full sun. We mixed in soil conditioner with the red clay when planting them. The trees are...
Deodar Cedar – Growing Differently
Q: I have two deodara cedars that are growing at different rates. Both trees were planted six years ago by a landscape company. The non-growing deodar cedar was dug up and re-planted last fall hoping it would take off like...
Yellowjackets – Traps
Q: We have lots of yellowjackets on our patio. What is the best trap for them? A: I have tried the commercial trap with special baits but the most effective traps were inexpensive or home made. I had a thriving...
Japanese Beetle – Decline in Numbers
Q: We have always had a problem with Japanese beetles in summer. So far this year (2012), we have not seen any at all. None! What’s up with that? A: Just as the mild winter increased the number of ticks...
Hornet Nest – Near Bee Hives
Q: My husband is a beekeeper. A hornet colony has built a sizable nest on the back of our house. What makes it unique is that the nest is flush on a window and you can see inside the nest....
Tree Roots – Exposed
Q: Could you please tell me what is going on with my oak tree? The roots are next to a driveway. It’s very interesting looking into all the little cubby holes. Is this normal? A: This looks completely normal to...
Citrus Pollination – Seedlessness
Q: Why do some oranges and citrus have seeds and other do not? A: I’m not sure I can explain it in simple terms but this paper has the details you want. Citrus Sex, Seedlessness and New...
Majesty Palm – Scale Insects
Q: We have a majesty palm at work that was purchased six months ago and it constantly gets brown leaves. It has new growth, but they always seem to die off fairly quickly. It gets watered 1 2 times a...
