THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 1, 1995 TAG: 9509290075
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G4 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: GARDENING REMINDERS
SOURCE: Robert Stiffler
LENGTH: Long : 121 lines
THE COMING weekend is a big one for gardeners. In addition to the Colonial District Rose Show in Virginia Beach, the Norfolk Botanical Garden holds its annual fall plant sale on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
In addition to many plants for sale, there will be free lectures each day, including: Brent Heath on ``Bulbs'' at 2 p.m. Friday; Lynne Henley on ``Topiary'' at 10 a.m. Saturday; Sybil Kane on ``Fall Planting'' at 2 p.m. Saturday; and Jeanne Petterson on ``Herb Gardening'' at 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
On Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m., the Tidewater Daylily Society will sell special varieties for $5 per plant or five of the Stella D'Oro variety for $20. The Herb Society of America will sell annual, biennial and perennial herbs on Saturday and Sunday. Garden admission applies. Call 441-5838. PLANT RYE GRASS NOW
If you plant rye grass, now is the time to do it, using 20 pounds of seed per 10,000 square feet of lawn. Drag or rake the seed into the sod. A month after planting seed, apply 10 pounds of 10-10-10 fertilizer per 1,000 square feet of area. HISTORIC HOME TOURS
On Wednesday, the Norfolk Botanical Garden and the Hunter House Victorian Museum will offer tours of Norfolk Historic Homes and Gardens. Willoughby-Baylor, The Hermitage and Hunter House will be visited with tours of each home and a lunch at Freemason Abbey. Cost is $48 for Botanical Garden Society members; $55 to others. Call 441-5838. KEEP MOSQUITOES AWAY
There are plenty of mosquitoes still around to heckle you. But Avon representative Paulette Aikens says she can provide a way to keep them from biting, and it's free. Aikens writes: ``If you would like information on Skin-So-Soft, plus a free sample, send a self-addressed, stamped No. 10 envelope to Paulette Aikens, 4291 Holland Road, Suite 554, Virginia Beach, Va. 23452.''
I have heard that this product is better than any other for keeping away pests. Noted garden writer Allen Lacy wrote in the New York Times: ``I anointed myself lightly with Skin-So-Soft, and a thick cloud of gnats left me alone. So did the strawberry flies. One reader even adds it to his dog shampoo. It seems to drive away fleas.'' SHOCK WISTERIA INTO BLOOMING
October is a good time to root-prune wisteria that has failed to bloom to encourage flowering next spring. It appears that fall rains have begun, so you can do the root pruning anytime. Cut through roots with a spade in a circle 40 inches from the main trunk or stem. WATER FLOWS WITHOUT STOP
Colorite Waterworks, which the manufacturer claims is America's best-selling garden hose, says its hoses are drinking-water-safe, because they use only FDA-approved ``medical-grade'' materials like those used in hospitals for hose liner. I was interested, because its patented construction guarantees that water keeps flowing without ever a slight interruption. They say you can even park a car on the hose and water will continue to flow out in a steady stream.
The average retail price for a 50-foot hose is $19.95, according to the manufacturer. The hose is available at many independent hardware and garden centers and at most major chain stores including Wal-Mart and Builders Square.
It will soon be time to put away hoses before the first freeze. COMPOST CUTS FERTILIZER NEEDS
Speaking of fertilizer, the U. S. Department of Agriculture says compost can reduce fertilizer needs by one-third. Scientists replaced a third of the nitrogen fertilizer with a blend of compost made from sewage sludge and municipal trash. They found that tall fescue grass didn't miss the fertilizer. That's because nitrogen in compost is a slow-release form that grass uses more efficiently with less waste. Compost continues to supply nitrogen in subsequent years. BRING IN STRAWBERRY BEGONIAS
If you have strawberry begonias, you may want to pot some for indoor use in a hanging basket. They sometimes make it through the cold months but just as often freeze. A strawberry begonia is no more a begonia than it is a strawberry. It belongs to the plant family that includes roses, herbs, shrubs and trees. Inside it grows best where there is high humidity. PUT THE POP BACK IN CORN
If you grew popcorn this year and it doesn't pop well, here are some solutions. If it pops slowly with loud explosions and lots of steam, the kernels are too moist. Dry it on trays in a warm, dry area until a test popping shows it's ready for storage. If it burns rather than pops, it's too dry. Add one tablespoon of water per quart of popcorn and shake well twice a day for two days. Repeat until a test popping shows the corn is popping better. Then store in a glass jar in the refrigerator. Growing your own popcorn is a fun project for children. DOTS MAY COME FROM FUNGUS
Virginia Beach extension agent Randy Jackson sent a report from Eric Day, manager of the insect lab at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, which says: ``We have received inquiries about tiny, round `dots' appearing suddenly on cars, houses and other surfaces. If there are flower beds with wood chip mulch nearby, the most likely culprit is a member of the `birds nest fungus' group, growing on decaying wood chip mulch. The spores are formed in little spore balls that either can be forcibly discharged or rain splashed from cuplike structures on the mulch. These spore balls are sticky, and in many species, are shot toward the strongest source of light. Thus, they are often found clinging to highly reflective surfaces such as glass or light colored walls. There are no fungicides that can be used for control. The mulch can be removed or if mulch is replaced on a regular basis, it may be possible to avoid the stage of decay that favors this fungi. Several clients have told us they were able to remove the `round dots' from painted surfaces with soap and water.''
Jackson says he has seen this phenomena occur in Virginia Beach. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Colorite Waterworks
Colorite Waterworks claims kinks won't stop flow of water through
its hose. by CNB