ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, May 5, 1996 TAG: 9605070080
SECTION: HOMES PAGE: D-1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: Dear John
SOURCE: JOHN ARBOGAST
Q: What could be digging small deep holes in my lawn at night? It does it in different location at a time. I've been told that it could be skunks digging for grubs. We do have some skunks around.
Is there anything that I can spray or put on my lawn to stop this? My neighbors have not gotten these holes. V.J.M., Buchanan
A: Skunks feed at night and will make small holes in looking for something to eat. However, how many inches do you mean when you say "deep" holes? I've heard skunk holes compared to what happens when one pushes a walking cane into wet ground.
Raccoons and opossums also forage at night and make holes, but the size might not be small. If the holes are still appearing and are bothersome, the best way to find out what is doing the damage would be to post someone in a dark window at night to observe the lawn and wait for the culprit to show up.
Once the critter is identified, control or prevention strategies can be developed. The recommended procedure for elimination of skunks is to catch each in a medium-sized box trap baited with canned pet food or sardines. Place a heavy cloth cover over the trap; take care not to shake it; transport it several miles away before releasing; and reset the box trap until no more skunks are captured.
There is nothing recommended as a spray to prevent the holes.
Q: How do you raise Gerbera Daisies from seed? W.H.F., Marion
A: Gerberas can be grown only as perennials in warmer parts of the South. In Western Virginia, they can be grown only as annuals that must be started from seed in late summer, grown in well-lit, warm windows for the fall, kept in a cool, well-lit location for winter and planted outside in sunny, well-drained locations in mid-spring when they should flower and live till the fall.
Scatter the seeds on a shallow pan of your favorite bagged potting soil amended with sand or perlite to make the soil lighter.
Cover the seeds lightly. Check the moisture frequently but be sure not to let it get soggy or constantly wet, which will cause the seeds to rot or seedlings to die. When the seedlings are big enough to handle, transplant them to small individual pots filled with rich, well-drained soil.
Q: I have a number of amaryllis bulbs that for two years haven't bloomed. None of the amaryllis care things I have tried have worked. What can I do? G.W., Hillsville
A: Amaryllis blooming is dependent on the length and vigor of the green phase in the preceding cycle. This requires constant attention to soil moisture and dilute fertilizing every two weeks to keep the foliage in good condition for weeks. It also means that the bulb should be kept in bright light while the foliage is present.
Q: What type of plant food should I give indoor ferns? Mrs. P.M., Roanoke
A: Indoor plants like ferns that are grown for their leaves rather than flowers usually respond well to liquid fertilization with a balanced fertilizer formula like 10-10-10. The fern's soil should be soaked with this solution during the times of year when new growth is being made. Since ferns are good for low-light locations, fertilize them about every four to six weeks, rather than more frequently as might be done for plants in bright light.
Send short questions about your lawn, garden, plants, or insects to Dear John, c/o The Roanoke Times, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, Va. 24010-2491. We need your mail, but this column can't reply to all letters. Those of wide appeal will be answered during the weeks that the subject is timely. Personal replies cannot be given.
Please don't send stamps, stamped envelopes, samples, or pictures.
Raising queen bees
Area beekeepers may be interested in the one-day course on "Honey Bee Queen Rearing" to be offered on Saturday, June 22, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. in Price Hall on the Virginia Tech campus.
Interested participants should call Keith Tignor in the Department of Entomology at (540) 231-9402.
GREEN LINE REMINDER: Consumers with horticulture questions are invited to call the Master Gardener "Green Line" in the Roanoke Extension Office at 857-6208.
Gardener's checklist
Jobs for early May:
Prune azaleas right after the flowers turn brown - heavy cutting back or light pruning.
Do not remove the foliage of spring flowering bulbs until after the green color turns yellow or brown. Plant annual flower bedding plants among the bulb foliage.
Maintain a 2 1/2-inch layer of organic mulch around landscape trees and shrubs, taking care not to pile the mulch up against trunks.
LENGTH: Medium: 90 linesby CNB