THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 16, 1994 TAG: 9410140096
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G2 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: GARDENING
SOURCE: ROBERT STIFFLER
LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
Where can I purchase summer poinsettia seeds? These plants are a brilliant red, grow tall and look spectacular as a background plant.
Van Casler, Virginia Beach
I've never seen this plant, but it is Euphorbia heterophylla, often called Mexican fireplant or painted spurge. It is a showy annual native and grows as a wildflower in the Southwest. It will be listed as ``annual poinsettia'' in garden catalogs. Glasshouse Works, P.O. Box 97ll, Stewart, Ohio 45778 should carry it. Or you might try the Thompson and Morgan seed catalog. If anyone carries seed, they should.
I am in a quandary and hope you can help. I wrote in early March in reply to a request by one of your readers for Touch-Me-Not seeds. By the time the letter was printed, I had not one seed left to oblige, but I will have more before winter. In the meantime, I have had to go to Florida because of my husband's incurable illness. Would you print this letter as a way of explanation on why I am unfortunately unable to fulfill my obligation to those 25 people who responded? I hope that before long, I can fill their requests.
Joan W. McCall, Edenton, N.C.
Mrs. McCall is a frequent contributor to this column, and we're sorry for her grief. I know that as soon as she can, she'll try to get seeds to those readers who requested them.
Our raspberry bushes are producing berries like crazy. What do I do to keep them off the ground? They are ``limby'' and top-heavy, but I don't want slugs to get on my precious berries. Any raspberry tips will be appreciated, because we've never grown them before. Please send me a fruit tree spraying schedule. Also where can we get Finelawn Petite fescue seed?
C. Hilliard, Virginia Beach
If your raspberry bushes are falling over, you can stake them, which is a thorny job. Better is to set some posts and run wires through them, assuming you have them ``rowed'' and keep the wires up tight around the canes so they can't fall over. If a reader has a better suggestion, let's hear from you.
Raspberry canes die after they have produced fruit, so cut out those canes. The new canes that sprout up this year will bear fruit next season. Birds are their primary enemy. If you see signs of mildew or diseases, spray with a fungicide. I would distribute some slug bait in your bed or go around the edge of the bed with Ortho Deadline, a paste-like bait that keeps slugs out.
As to Finelawn Petite seed, I was assured it was available when I wrote about it, but the supplier now says it won't be available until spring.
We recently had our yard landscaped using shrubs, bushes and annuals. How can I control the growth of unwanted weeds and grasses growing in and around our plants without killing them? I use Roundup now, very carefully, but would prefer a natural or home remedy.
Having recently moved here from the North, we are not familiar with our St. Augustine lawn. Could you provide instructions for general care, using natural products if possible, with regard to watering, fertilizing and controlling weeds.
M. McNamara, Chesapeake
Using Roundup is a good way to keep weeds and grasses under control in your beds. I prefer Spectracide weed and grass killer, because you kill them in two days rather than the two weeks required by Roundup. Roundup does kill more plants than Spectracide. After spraying, mulch with 3 inches of pine bark or pine straw and that will keep out most weeds and grasses.
As to your St. Augustine, fertilize once a month from April through August with a high nitrogen fertilizer such as 25-5-10. You can use an organic fertilizer, although most of them are not high in nitrogen. If you have weeds, you'll need to use a weed killer formulated for Southern grasses. I know of no natural control except the thicker you can get your grass, the fewer weeds you'll have. Be aware that St. Augustine is at its northern limit here and can die out in a severe winter. by CNB