THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 7, 1995 TAG: 9505050104
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G2 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: GARDENING
SOURCE: ROBERT STIFFLER
LENGTH: Medium: 64 lines
Last summer one of our azaleas went to seed. There were many seed pods, and it took them a long time to ripen. We were surprised by the hundreds of tiny seeds that were produced - not at all like the camellia seeds we get every year. We have many camellia seedlings grown from seeds that the squirrels did not get. Some of them have surprisingly attractive flowers.
We would like to see what these azalea seeds will do. Can you give me any advice about how to cultivate them?
Charles J. Devine Jr., M.D., Norfolk
I've never seen an azalea go to seed, but experts at the Virginia Tech Research Center say you need to use live peat, which is expensive, but available from florists. If you can't find that, use sphagnum moss. Spread the seeds over the peat and leave them uncovered. Keep damp and in the daylight, with no cover. In a week or two, they should sprout.
I have trees that have been in place six to eight years. What is the recommended care regarding fertilization and mulching during the winter? Will that promote root growth and overall growth for spring and summer?
I also want to know how to save foliage during the two- to three-week period in the summer when there is a deluge of Japanese beetles that devastates pin oaks, willow oaks and fruit trees.
James L. Kirby, Chesapeake
It's been proven that tree and shrub roots grow during the winter. The ideal time to fertilize, for plants that drop their leaves in the fall, is after leaf-drop when the plant is dormant. The stronger the root system, the healthier the plant will be, especially during a hot dry summer. Experts disagree about how often to fertilize - once a year or once every three years. Either will ensure healthier shrubs and trees.
As to Japanese beetles, they are a horrible menace and difficult to control. Roses, apple trees and hibiscus are usually their favorite targets. Sevin is the pesticide most recommended, but it has to hit them to kill them. For trees, your best bet is to put up with the problem. The beetles burrow underground by mid-July, and your trees will throw out new leaves to take the place of the ones the beetles ate.
The other choice, if it ever comes back on the market, is milky spore, a bacteria that infects the beetles in the soil and kills them. That limits the number of these destructive pests.
Would you please send me the addresses of the people with the passion flower and poppy seeds for sale? We will be moving to Duck, where they grow in the sandy soil. Will you write more articles about seashore gardening?
Barbara Kerch, P.O. Box 8123,
Kitty Hawk, N.C. 27949
Because of the great volume of mail I receive, I destroy letters as soon as they're answered. But our readers are faithful, so I'm sure those who have passion flower or poppy seeds will write you at the address given.
As to seashore gardening, I write about it as often as I think there are seashore gardeners to justify it. I am sending you several reprints on how to garden on the beach. MEMO: No gardening questions will be taken over the phone. Write to Robert
Stiffler, The Virginian-Pilot/Ledger-Star, 150 W. Brambleton Ave.,
Norfolk, Va. 23510. Answers will be published on a space-available
basis. For an earlier reply, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope. by CNB