Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, December 12, 1993 TAG: 9312130374
SECTION: HOMES PAGE: E-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: John Arbogast
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Residents who have a question about horticulture, home economics or 4-H youth activities can call 857-7915, the same number as at the former location. However, folks who want to bring a plant or insect sample for examination will now come downtown. Readers should keep in mind that this is a local Extension Office, with funding and staffing designed to service the Roanoke area. Residents of surrounding counties should call or bring samples to the Extension Office in that county.
Q: I have several African violets which refuse to bloom. They grow beautifully; I water and feed them, but no bloom. They bloomed for a very short period this year. Please advise what I should or should not do. C.R.F., Covington
A: These two possible faults come to mind: insufficient light or too warm temperatures.
African violets are suited to medium light levels, such as from an east window that gets good morning sunshine. Often the length of the light duration in each 24-hour cycle is critical for flowering. That is why many folks who have African violets on a window sill won't have many blooms at this time of year because of the short days.
Violet growers have discovered that low light levels will allow African violet blooming if the light hours are extended to 16-18 hours. My wife and I had prolific blooming from some violets we had under plant lights that were on from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m. Of course, violets in light that is too strong will have yellow leaves and foliage that is so compact it looks unnatural.
Temperature is not as critical for African violet blooms as is light, but it seems that abundant blooms occur in night temperatures in the upper 60s or lower 70s, and day temperatures the same or just a little warmer. Temperatures in the upper 70 or warmer will produce rapid violet growth, which may appear leggy if the temperature is too warm.
Q: I have a flowering crab apple tree that had lots of crab apples on it this year. Several people asked me if the crab apples could be used for making jelly. My reply was that I didn't know because I have never done that and this tree is used as a flowering ornamental tree. Would crab apples be safe to use for making jelly? V.G., Willis
A: I asked Charlotte Kidd, extension agent for home economics in the Roanoke office, and she said crab apples can be used for jelly. If JOHN ARBOGAST you want a recipe for next year, check with a good cookbook. If you have other crab-apple jelly questions, contact your Floyd County Extension Office, 100 East Main St., room 106, in Floyd; or call 745-9307. Crab apples sprayed just before harvesting, with spray residue still apparent, would not be safe to use.
Q: I have several amaryllis bulbs which I grow out from year to year. After the dormancy period, new flower bud stems began to appear in January or February and even March for some of the bulbs. On several of the bulbs the leaves grew out healthy as usual and then the flower bud stem grew out 2-3 inches, appearing completely normal, then only to stop growing and dry up. The plants had been watered as usual. The leaves remained healthy and green with only the flower bud stem, which dried up prematurely before developing. The bulbs are resting now in dry soil. What can be done to prevent a reoccurrence when the new growth appears again this season? All of my bulbs did not do this. Most bloomed beautifully as usual. Please help. A.L.P., Roanoke
A: There is a fungal disease that, under severe infection, will cause failure of amaryllis flower-stalk blooming. However, that disease also causes red spots and lesions to appear on the leaves, which you wrote have been healthy and green. So, without seeing a sample, I would rule out that fungus disease.
I consulted Barbara Leach, the new horticulture technician in the Roanoke County Extension Office, for some advice. Leach explained that the appearance of the amaryllis leaves before the bloom stalk probably is due to insufficient fertilization in the last amaryllis growth cycle when the amaryllis foliage was growing.
According to Leach, the premature drying and death of those flower bud stems probably was caused by irregular watering or a drastic change in temperature around the amaryllis as a result of a move in its location. The amaryllis doesn't like cold temperatures nor does it like to dry out.
So, it sounds to me that this problem was caused by the bulbs' care or location. If you have given all your amaryllis bulbs the same care and location, those bulbs that didn't show this problem may have been stronger bulbs.
Inspect your amaryllis bulbs before repotting them for this next growth cycle. Don't use any bulbs that show signs of disease, such as big lesions. Also, keep regular watch over watering and fertilizing your amaryllis plants during the growth cycle.
Send short questions about your lawn, garden, plants or insects to Dear John, c/o the Roanoke Times & World-News, P. O. Box 2491, Roanoke 24010-2491. We need your mail, but this column can't reply to all letters. Those of wide appeal will be answered each week. Personal replies cannot be given.
John Arbogast is the agricultural extension agent for Roanoke.
by CNB