THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 19, 1995 TAG: 9503170065
SECTION: HOME & GARDEN PAGE: G2 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: GARDENING REMINDERS
SOURCE: Robert Stiffler
LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines
THE TIDEWATER District, Virginia Federation of Garden Clubs Inc., will present a spring flower show titled ``Spring Scenes in Tidewater'' on Friday and Saturday at the Portsmouth First Pentecostal Holiness Church, 3915 Turnpike Road. Exhibits will include butterflies, recycling, trees and nature.
Clubs from Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore will participate. Hours are 1 to 5 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Admission is $1. Call 588-6626.
Cleyera replaces photinia
Professional horticulturists tell me that Cleyera japonica is the shrub of choice to replace photinia. As you're aware, photinia has been plagued with leaf spot the last few years and must be sprayed regularly to survive.
The pros say that growing nurseries throughout the South have quit raising photinia because of these problems and that it and Cleyera are nearly the same price. Cleyera looks somewhat like photinia in that new foliage has a red tint. It is less tight - more of a rambling shape and could not be sheared into quite so formal a hedge as photinia. But it's very dependable and attractive.
If your photinia looks bad, my suggestion is you tear it out and replace with Cleyera, which you can find in most nurseries.
Grow bromeliads inside
Bromeliads are colorful tropical plants that make excellent houseplants, says Joe Freeman, chief horticulturist for Florida's Cypress Gardens. They adapt to low light and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. In addition to colorful foliage, some sprout an attractive flower spike. They require high humidity and moist, porous soil.
Their light requirement varies, says Freeman, but as a rule, bromeliads with thick, gray or gray-green leaves require bright light while those with thin, green leaves prefer low light. Place the plants in an east or west window but not in full sun.
Fertilize every one or two months with a water-soluble fertilizer. To avoid salt burn, apply the fertilizer to the soil. Freeman recommends Aechmea, Neoregelia, Tillansia or Vriesea as his favorite bromeliads. They can be purchased from florists or greenhouses.
Time to feed camellias
It's time to fertilize camellias with one cup of 8-8-8 fertilizer per square yard of surface area about the plant. If the plant has scale, spray with an oil spray before new growth begins. Cygon can also be used to control scale. Spray plants when new spring leaves are ju;st fully expanded, then apply again one month later.
Organic crabgrass control
Now there is an organic crabgrass control - made from corn, believe it or not. Called A-maizing Lawn, it is a pre-emergence control that stops weeds from sprouting in your lawn. It's supposed to prevent not only crabgrass but dandelions, creeping bentgrass, foxtail, purslane, lambs-quarter and other weeds. Kids, pets and even birds can play during and after A-maizing Lawn is applied. It's an exclusive from Gardens Alive!, the nation's leading mail-order firm specializing in organic gardening products. Call (812) 537-1031. by CNB