THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 16, 1996 TAG: 9606140095
SECTION: HOME & GARDEN PAGE: G2 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Gardening reminders
SOURCE: Robert Stiffler
LENGTH: 78 lines
ALL THE RAIN and cool days in late May and early June are just what snails and slugs thrive on. Check your garden closely. You may want to use a chemical slug or snail bait.
Organic methods include putting out an upside-down grapefruit rind, which slugs collect under. Then you destroy them. Or put a beer-filled coffee-can lid in your garden; sink it to ground level and the slugs and snails will crawl in and drown.
Sheila O'Connor of San Francisco, writing in the July/August issue of Fine Gardening magazine, says: ``I am reluctant to use chemicals, and I hate the smell of beer. So I dissolved 6 teaspoons of honey in warm water and added cold water to make a pint. I put it in yogurt containers and distributed them around the garden. That night slugs, large and small, brown, black and gray, drowned in the honey water. I threw the dead slugs on the lawn where they were quickly gobbled up by birds.''
Prevent brown patch
Brown patch, that favorite disease of grasses in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina, will soon be back to haunt you. Clemson University turf authority Bruce Martin writes in the May issue of Landscape Management magazine that to prevent brown patch, you need:
Good soil drainage.
Deep but infrequent irrigation.
Minimal nitrogen fertilization, because nitrogen increases susceptibility, particularly if not balanced with other nutrients.
Fungicides labeled for preventing brown patch are Daconil 2787, Eagle WSP, Bayleton, Banner, Rubigan and Fore. Some of them are available in garden centers. Diseases like brown patch are easier to prevent than they are to control after they start.
Growing good health
``Your Good Health Garden'' by Pauline James (Woodbridge Press, $9.95 paperback) is a new entry on how to organically grow vegetables rich in nutrients that enhance the immune system. It includes recipes on how to use the produce. Any bookstore can order it for you.
Cut at right height
Cutting heights are important for healthy grass in hot weather. Choose a higher cut for grass in shade. Cut grass down to these heights: fescue, 3 inches; common bermuda, 1 to 1 1/2 inches; hybrid bermuda, 3/4 to 2 inches; zoysia, 1 to 1 1/2 inches; centipede/carpet grass, 1 1/4 to 2 inches; St. Augustine, 2 1/2 to 3 inches.
Flowers and more flowers
If you want to see the largest flower and vegetable trial gardens in the South, attend Park Seed's annual Flower Day from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday in Greenwood, S.C. There will be free seminars and tours. The Greenwood South Carolina Festival of Flowers takes place in Greenwood at the same time. Call (864) 223-7333.
Tomato worth trying
Big Beef tomato was introduced in 1994 and was named an All-America winner. This hybrid incorporates some of the best genetic traits found in tomatoes. Old-time beefsteak flavor, excellent disease and disorder resistance and early ripening characteristics are a few of its good qualities. Perfectly shaped red fruits average a hefty 10 to 12 ounces each.
If you can't find plants or seeds locally, Tomato Growers Supply Co., P.O. Box 2237, Fort Meyers, Fla. 33902 carries the seed and its catalog is free. Call (941) 768-1119 or fax (941) 768-3476.
Abundance of herbs
Linda's Garden in Pungo will close for the season at the end of this month, but it still has a good selection of organically grown basil, rosemary, lavender, mint, monarda, nasturtium, lemon verbena, thyme, parsley and scented geraniums.
For the rest of June, all plant prices are reduced by 15 percent. Call 426-5303 to see if Linda's Garden has what you want and to get directions. by CNB