Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, May 30, 1993 TAG: 9305310155
SECTION: HOMES PAGE: E-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A: There are different types of clover. The kind that seems to be most common in lawns is white clover, so-called because of the whitish flowers produced during the growing season. Identification is important since white clover is a perennial plant that should be more readily controlled in October and November; timing is different for the other clovers. Control clover in a bluegrass, tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, or common bermuda grass turf with a lawn weed killer that contains the ingredient Mecoprop, also known by the initials MCPP, or one that contains the ingredient Dicamba. Follow the label directions. In the meantime, take comfort in the fact that clover is beneficial to the soil.
Q: My irises have bloomed quite well this year, but some have weak, limp stems that fall over. I fertilized them and have sprayed them weekly for five weeks with lindane because borers were very bad last year. Can you tell me what might be wrong and how to prevent it next year? Also, voles are wreaking havoc with my plants. Is there anything new to try? Clifton Forge
A: If the iris leaves have looked OK, the probable cause of weak flower stems has been the weather, particularly the rains and winds our region has endured lately. Your irises have not been alone in showing this problem.
I have not heard of anything new for control of voles. The main suggestion is still to use standard house mousetraps baited with small slices of apple that include part of the skin.
Q: The past three years, my amaryllis bloomed wonderfully. However, this year it hasn't had a bloom on it. I have a five-gallon bucket full of stalks and beautiful leaves but no blooms. Where did I go wrong and what should I do? Mrs. T.T., Rocky Mount
A: The prospects for an amaryllis to bloom again a second year depend on the care the plant is given after the flowers fade. Look over the following list of post-bloom amaryllis needs/suggestions and see what may have been lacking for your plant:
Bright light when indoors and a gradual move to almost full sun when placed outdoors for the summer.
Night temperature above 65 degrees F.
Fertilizer with diluted liquid balanced preparation every two weeks until about 6 weeks before the amaryllis goes into its two- to three-month dormancy.
Regular watering based on feeling the soil.
The more good leaves that an amaryllis bulb can grow and mature over several months following original blooming, the better the next flower production should be. Then, gradually withhold water to force the amaryllis into dormancy in early fall. Leave the bulb in its pot but place it in an out-of-the-way spot where you can water it only enough to prevent soil shrinking for the resting period, which ends when new leaf tips or the beginnings of the flower stalk show on the dormant bulb. An amaryllis bulb should not be in a very large pot. At the most, there should be about 2 inches between the bulb itself and the side of the pot so that roots can fill the container as the bulb prepares to bloom.
Q: I am sending you a sample of one of the limbs on our Damson tree. All our Damson trees have the same problem. What do you suggest that I get to put on them? W.W.W., Moneta
A: First, let me say to all Dear John readers: I have asked that samples not be sent to me through this column since by the time that I get my mail from the newspaper the sample will likely be deteriorated. Also, this column was intended to talk about situations for all readers to see and learn from. Obviously, I can't show samples in the print for all readers to see what's going on.
Now, with that in mind, I can describe the problem, which is a mass of black, warty growth on the twig of the plum tree. The disease is called "black knot," since that describes the typical second-year appearance of the infection. Most folks don't notice the first stage, which is a swelling (not black yet) of an infected twig or branch. Black knot causes plums or cherry trees to become weaker and finally worthless, if nothing is done.
Control should include both 1.) use of a fruit-tree fungicide spray program for brown-rot disease (there is no spray just for black knot) and 2.) sanitation, which means removal of all the knots during the dormant season or when they appear.
Readers! Please keep this column interesting by sending in questions about your lawn, garden, plants, or insects to Dear John, c/o the Roanoke Times & World-News, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, Va. 24010-2491.
John Arbogast is the agriculture extension agent for Roanoke
by CNB