THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 6, 1996 TAG: 9610040080
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G3 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: GARDENING REMINDERS
SOURCE: Robert Stiffler
LENGTH: 75 lines
IT'S TIME TO clean up your flower bed. Cut down and destroy mildew-laden zinnias, snapdragons that have finished blooming, cosmos that have fallen down, cleome that's almost finished.
Check your vegetable garden and you may find dead or dying tomato plants. Pull them all out and throw away. If they're disease free, you can put them on a compost pile. FLOWER ARRANGING SESSIONS
The 1996 Flower Festival at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Norfolk is still nearly a month away, but it's not too soon to sign up, because flower arranging classes taught by experts always fill up in a hurry.
The Flower Guild of St. Andrew's is bringing Sandra Hynson, former head of the Altar Guild of the Washington National Cathedral, to Norfolk for two speaking engagements. She will conduct a hands-on workshop, limited to 20 people, from 1 to 3 p.m. Nov. 2. Advanced tickets, which cost $7.50 for materials, are required. Call 489-8603. On Nov. 5, Hynson will give a lecture and demonstration from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., followed by a luncheon. Tickets are $25. Call 399-1142.
Hynson will autograph her second book, ``Flowers to the Glory of God,'' at both events. The five-day festival starts Nov. 1. NEW WEAPON AGAINST WEEDS
There is a new product called Ornamec that is labeled for the control of Bermuda grass, crabgrass, goosegrass, sandspur and several other grassy weeds often found in fescue turf. It can be used spring or fall but not in mid-summer. It is available in local garden centers, but some universities recommend you have a certified pest control operator apply it. Two applications are required, one in spring and one in fall.
If you cannot find it, call distributor Turf & Garden (543-2071) to learn what retail outlets carry it. Distributor representative John Parrish says that if you overuse Ornamec, it will turn fescue orange for three to four weeks but then the grass regains its natural color. He also said you should have more fescue than Bermuda for the product to work. If you have more Bermuda than fescue, you should use Roundup Pro and kill everything. Then reseed. You can do that in this area through Oct. 15. PREPARE PLANTS TO COME INSIDE
Mike Andruczyk, greenhouse supervisor at the Norfolk Botanical Garden, suggests you clean and prune your houseplants, now that it's almost time to get them indoors. Ornamental figs are one of the worst to shed. He says if you take them in before you turn on the heat, they can adjust to living in the house before having to deal with dry heat.
He also suggests dipping houseplant pots for five minutes in a bucket of soapy water. That will usually rid the plants of unwanted insects in the pots. Check carefully for slugs and snails, which often hide on the soil. Also check foliage and stems for insects and spray if needed. LEARN TO LIVE WITH SPIDERS
It's difficult to walk outdoors these days without walking into or through a spider web. They're annoying but harmless. Spiders do many good things, such as eating insects you don't like. Spraying spiders with an insecticide does little or no good, because spiders lay dozens of eggs that the spray does not harm, so new spiders are born within a few days. ATTACK OF THE ANTS
Many people are still complaining about invasions of ants, particularly the tiny black ones. Diatomaceous earth is an effective organic control that usually works as well as any chemical. It's available in garden centers. DISPOSE OF PESTICIDES SAFELY
The season when most pesticides are used is almost over. Make sure that you never pour leftover pesticides down the sink, in the toilet or down a sewer or street drain. Dispose of small amounts of pesticides by using them, applying them according to label directions. If you cannot use them, contact your city's solid waste department for instructions on disposal. by CNB