THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 18, 1995 TAG: 9506160116
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G2 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: GARDENING REMINDERS
SOURCE: Robert Stiffler
LENGTH: Medium: 90 lines
FIGS WILL DROP and fail to mature during a hot, dry summer. Be prepared to irrigate regularly and often. A generous application of organic mulch over the root system of figs is recommended to retain moisture, because figs have shallow roots. PLANT A PEANUT
Some home gardeners like to plant a row or two of peanuts, which makes an interesting project for a child. Shell the peanuts and plant four to six seeds per foot of row. Fertilize lightly with one pound of 8-24-14 or similar analysis per 100 feet of row. CARE FOR CAMELLIAS
Fertilize camellias now with half a cup of 8-8-8 fertilizer or equivalent per square yard of surface area covered by the spread of the plant. Special camellia food also can be used. Inspect your plants to see if they have scale. If so, spray with an oil emulsion or use a chemical such as Orthene. Cygon also can be used to control scale. Apply twice - now and two weeks from now. WARM SOIL FOR LIMAS
Lima beans require warmer soil than snap beans to germinate. If you've already planted and they did not germinate, the soil was probably cold. It must be at least 70 degrees. If you don't mind shelling limas, now is the time to plant. GOOD AS A COW'S TAIL
To keep away yellow flies, Clara Whitehurst of Moyock, N.C., recommends pinning a scented dryer sheet on your shirt or hanging a sheet from the back of your cap. She writes: ``We live in a wooded area with lots of yellow flies. When I heard about this, I pinned a sheet on each shoulder of my husband's shirt when he rode the lawn mower. It was a funny sight - people driving by thought they were seeing a real angel with wings - but it kept away the yellow flies.''
Thanks, Clara, for finding a new use for scented dryer sheets. FRESH CUT FLOWERS
I'm often asked about formulas to use in water with cut flowers. Here's a new one from ``The Gardener'' magazine of the Men's Garden Club of America:
``As you cut stems in the garden, place them immediately in a bucket of water, otherwise carry them upside down. You may re-cut them under water when you're in the house. Use distilled water to which a half cup of vinegar to a gallon of water has been added plus two drops of bleach, using an eye dropper. Do not use sugar, soda pop or floral preservatives as they will age your blooms. If you use Oasis, soak it well for half an hour or more in conditioned water. Do not reuse it, because it will clog the stems of flowers, especially roses. If you set the stem in Oasis and then change your mind about the placement or length, be sure to re-cut the stem and dip in water before returning it to the arrangement, because Oasis has coated the end of the stem.'' BETTER BLUEBERRIES
It's time to fertilize blueberries. Charlie Patterson of Hickory Blueberry Farm in Chesapeake, writes: ``Harmony 4-6-4 fertilizer is great - it worked wonders on our blueberries. We are looking our best since we started in 1986. Not only do we have heavy fruit set, but the health of the bushes is much improved. Better visual evidence is in the azalea photos enclosed. Plants on the left were fertilized with 10-10-10. The plants on the right had one feeding of less than one pound of Harmony 4-6-4 - pretty big difference in the flowers per bush.''
The fertilizer Hickory Farm used is Harmony 4-6-4 Acid Loving Fertilizer for Azaleas. It apparently works well on blueberries. It's available in local garden centers. A NEW DEER REPELLENT
Noted gardener, writer and photographer Derek Fell recently reported that he has finally found a deer repellent that works in his Pennsylvania garden. Shaped like a pen, ``Garlic Bullet'' is filled with garlic juice and lasts six months. It's available by mail from Spray 'N Grow, P.O. Box 2137, Rockport, Texas 78381. Call (512) 790-9033. PEACHES NEED THINNING NOW
Peaches normally set 95 percent more fruit than the tree can mature into large fruit. Immature fruit should be knocked off beginning after full bloom, up until pit hardening. Very little benefit is realized from thinning after the seed hardens. Thin fruit to a spacing of one peach every 8 inches at once. by CNB