THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 14, 1994 TAG: 9408120071
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G2 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: GARDENING REMINDERS
SOURCE: Robert Stiffler
LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
FALL WEBWORMS can be seen in the forks of trees now, the wild cherry tree being one of their favorites. Webworms spend the night in these unsightly webs. They venture out by day and devour leaves. In less than a week, they can strip a tree. Commonly found on fruit trees, they also lunch on ash, birch and linden.
The best control is to cut off the branch holding the web mass and destroy it. If you spray, do it in daytime when the worms are out. An old-fashioned method is to ignite an oil-soaked rag attached to a pole. That will kill many worms, if you can reach the nest. It also can harm the tree - and put you in the hospital if you're not careful. MOLE CONTROL
Two of my favorite garden writer friends are Doc and Katy Abraham of Rochester, N.Y. They operated a greenhouse for years and have always provide solid garden advice to thousands of readers. Here's what they recently wrote about moles in Nursery Retailer, a magazine for professionals.
``It's amazing how many questions we get about moles in the lawn. There are as many tips for coping with them as there are readers of this. A lot of homeowners don't want to use harpoon traps, poisons, moth balls, etc. We once suggested using insulation in runways to repel them and were blistered for mentioning such a `cruel method,' even though human beings can work with insulation all day long and no one complains.
``One tip we've received consists of using castor oil. Mix one pint of the oil with equal parts of a liquid detergent, add a little warm water and beat into a foam. Put two or three tablespoons into a watering can of warm water and stir. Then, douse the soil where the moles are, again and again, and they will disappear for three to six months.
``Here's another lulu of a tip. Take a couple of trowels full of spent kitty litter and work it into the runways. Moles are 98 percent blind, but have good noses and will beat it when they take a whiff of kitty litter. Also when you comb or brush your cat or dog, work the hair into the tunnel. The moles will head for the neighbor's yard!'' CALL SOLARIS
In case you don't keep up with the corporate world, Monsanto, the manufacturers of Roundup, recently purchased the Ortho line of homeowner pesticides. The combined company is called Solaris. They've installed an 800 number that's available seven days a week, 24 hours per day. You may want to keep this number to use when you have a question about insects, weeds, or any of the company's products. Call l (800) 225-2883. PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE
Rake up and destroy fallen leaves from diseased trees. Discard sick plants, especially in the vegetable garden and around fruit trees. Tidiness around the garden goes a long way in preventing disease problems from spreading. SLUGS, MILDEW, MOSS
Wet, rainy weather has many blessings. But with most good comes some bad. Stormy, wet and hot weather is what slugs and snails adore. You'll find hundreds hiding in cool places during the day, waiting to eat your flowers and vegetables by night. Be prepared to use snail and slug bait in abundance or any organic control, like a coffee can lid of stale beer, an overturned grapefruit rind or a border of gritty sand or lime.
Another wet weather problem is mildew. It's abundant in weather like July gave us. Spray with a fungicide to keep it under control.
More moss than usual is also a result of wet weather. There are ``moss killers'' or ``moss controls'' you can buy in a garden center. Plain old household bleach will do the job, too. Hot, wet weather is sure better than hot, dry weather, so don't complain. by CNB