Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 11, 1990 TAG: 9108150048
SECTION: HOMES PAGE: B/2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: John Arbogast
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
A: Detailed directions on carrying any bedding plant from seed to setting out would be fairly lengthy, so I will just give a brief summary. First, if you want the flowers to be the same color, don't use the seeds you saved from last year if they came from hybrid impatiens. Offspring from the seed of hybrids will usually be different from the parents.
In order to have bedding plant size impatiens by mid-May, you must begin now. Fill a wide flower pot or a flat (growers' term for a pan that has drainage holes) with dampened seed-starting mix of half course sand (or perlite) and half-milled sphagnum peat moss. Gently flatten and firm this by pressing down. Use the edge of a ruler or stick to press a shallow furrow. Fold a piece of paper to make a trough to scatter the small seed along the furrow. It is not necessary to cover this with more starting mix since impatiens are in the group of plants in which seed germination seems to be enhanced over a wide temperature range when the seeds are exposed to light. So, cover the seeded pot or flat with clear plastic wrap to hold humidity and place in a bright (but not scorching) window with a temperature between 65 and 80 degrees F.
Water beads on the plastic cover should indicate that there is enough moisture in the mix. Remove the plastic to gently water if necessary and of course keep the cover off after the seeds germinate. Be patient since impatiens are slow to germinate. When the young seedling are an inch or so tall and appear sturdy enough to be transplanted, move them to peat pots or small pots with dampened potting soil. Use your finger or a stick to disturb the seed starting mix beside the row of young impatiens so that they can be easily removed. Fertilize the young seedlings about every two weeks with a diluted house plant food. Keep them in bright light and water only when the soil feels just barely damp. Good luck.
Q Help! We have these ugly tiny mushrooms growing in large clusters in our front lawn. They only grow to a height of two inches, but they are so tightly bunched they are hard to dig up. Any suggestions would be appreciated. J.M.R., Roanoke.
A: As you have found out, the part of a mushroom that grows above ground is but a small part of the total growth, making removal a big job. There are many kinds of mushrooms, but in general terms, mushrooms all grow off some decaying organic matter. The mushrooms described in your yard are likely growing from some decaying tree roots or wood parts buried anywhere from a couple to several inches underground. There is no chemical for mushroom control. The solution is to dig up the soil that they are growing in and remove the decaying matter that is their source.
Q: Is there a slug control that is non-toxic to dogs, cats, hapless birds and other wildlife? Last year our new intensive vegetable garden (topsoil, sand, peat moss, manure, well-mixed and placed in a built-up frame of garden timbers) began well with Boston lettuce, redleaf lettuce, peas, marigolds, beets and spinach. When the plants were a few inches high, they began to disappear. A night search by flashlight revealed a scene out of a science fiction horror movie. Scores of tiny white slugs were greedily devouring our vegetables. Friends said to put out shallow pans of beer. OUR slugs (as we came to regard them) were teetotalers, with only about four per night dead drunk in the pan. As an experiment, I put out pans of Pepsi. Score: beer - four, and Pepsi - three drowned slugs. The only effective method was a board topped with selected slugs and covered with a second board and stamped thoroughly. This method was too slow to be effective. When the tomatoes came along, the slugs waited for them to mature and then drilled them. I have read that shrews eat slugs, but our cat kills shrews. Should we just give up and plant azaleas? C.P.C., Blacksburg.
A: Don't give up your gardening efforts. It sounds like you've already put a lot of work into this. Before any slug control steps are taken, remove all loose boards, excessive leaf litter, and other materials that provide slug hiding places or breeding sites.
In addition to the beer trick, other non-chemical snail and slug control measures include: placing several cabbage leaves upside down on the ground. The snails and slugs will gather underneath where they can be physically removed. Also, placing crushed egg shells around the edge of the garden will draw the slugs. You can then pick the egg shells up.
The main chemical slug control form that would be a threat to animals is the pelletized bait form. If you want to try another chemical slug control this year, look for a spray formulation that is safe to use around food crops.
GARDENER'S CHECKLIST
Shrubs: Early spring is the time to fertilize shrubs and trees that have shown signs of poor growth. Such signs based on last year's appearance, would be light green leaf clover, short thin twig growth, and/or dead branches. Ten-ten-ten, 5-10-5, nitrogen-only fertilizers, or special products designed to be dissolved in water can be used as necessary. Shrubs and trees that have been making good growth should not be overstimulated by fertilizing.
Peas: Mid-March is an excellent time to plant spring peas, also called garden or English peas, in gardens in Roanoke. Gardeners living and growing at higher elevations may want to wait a few more days. Garden peas need to go in early so that they can grow, flower, and produce pods before the weather turns hot.
\ John Arbogast is the extension agent for Roanoke.
by CNB