2 weeks Ago By NEIL SPERRY
Dear Neil: This plant did fine through the hot, dry summer. Then in late September its leaves started turning black. The leaves that still look green look wilted.
Seven other plants of the same kind are doing well. What gives? A: This is dwarf green aucuba, sister to the popular Gold Dust plant. They all are great in full shade.
I’ve never seen insects or diseases bother them. I’ve grown them for 40 years and the only problems I’ve ever encountered were when branches grew out into the sun or when the angle of the sun changed late in the season and a part of a plant that had been shaded suddenly was cast into more sunlight than it could tolerate. That’s when the leaves turn as black as coal.
The extreme cold of February 2021 killed some of them, but that wouldn’t have happened in September. The only other variable was that it turned unusually dry during that month. That would certainly account for the wilting, and it’s quite common for one plant out of a group to reach what is called the “permanent wilting point” without the others being so adversely affected.
Dear Neil: I purchased Azoxystrobin as you recommended for control of lawn diseases, but I can’t figure out how to use it. The instructions seem to be more for golf course use than for my 1,500 square feet of what used to be lawngrass. I also have cats, as do neighbors.
I saw no instructions as to safe use to avoid harm to them. Please help. A: Azoxystrobin is one of the few fungicides labeled for consumer use on turf diseases such as take all root rot in the spring, gray leaf spot in summer, and brown patch (also called “large patch”) in fall.
However, it’s also commonly used by professional agronomists in large turf areas such as golf courses. It sounds like you got more of a commercial product. At the consumer level it is sold as Scott’s Disease-EX.
For several years that was the only brand available for use by home gardeners. I would suggest you return your product (hopefully still unopened) and buy the consumer type instead. It will have better directions for those of us with smaller areas and limited equipment for application.
If you have already opened it, contact the manufacturer and ask them to walk you through the application instructions. Without knowing the brand or strength, that’s the best I can do. You can also ask about the cats, although fungicides seldom are a concern with our pets.
Dear Neil: My neighbor’s oak tree is 15 feet from our water meter and the line going into my house. Do I need to worry about its roots being a problem? A: Water lines are sealed tightly and are under pressure. Roots do not invade them like they used to get into the very old clay sewer “slip” tiles that fit together loosely.
If a crack were to develop into which a root could grow, it would quickly develop into a very conspicuous leak. You would have far bigger concerns that would demand instant attention. Your only concern would be if a surface root were to grow directly beneath the water line or within the meter.
As the root grew larger and larger, it could swell to crack the pipe or valve. Avoid that by severing the root and installing a rigid barrier to divert the root’s growth. Dear Neil: I have a jalapeno pepper in a pot.
It was productive on our patio all summer, and I protected it from the first cold spells. Is it practical to keep it indoors this winter so I can take it back outside next spring? A: Probably not. You’d be better off starting seedlings in January so you could have transplants ready with the first warm days of late March or April.
They would be much more vigorous than a plant that was forced to limp through four months in dark conditions indoors. Or buy transplants at a nursery come spring if all you need is one or a few. You’re always better off starting with new plants when it comes to annual flowers and vegetables.
The exception would be with plants such as coleus that are generally started from cuttings. Dear Neil: I’d like to grow live oaks as an investment. We have several acres, and I do have access to water for irrigation.
Acorns are falling right now. How would I go about it? A: Start by collecting acorns only beneath superior trees. You will notice a lot of variation in the genetics of live oaks.
Some have upright branching. Others have weeping habits. Some send up root sprouts in abundance (undesirable).
It’s been my observation that that’s more common with the trees with more weeping branching. Most live oaks have the tendency of developing large surface roots, so I wouldn’t score that so much against them. Collect your acorns.
Shake each one and discard those that rattle. They’ve dried out. Discard any with holes in their outer shells.
Their embryos have been devoured by a larval insect. And discard any that float. Plant the acorns two or three times as deep as they are tall, pointed end down.
Plant in deep pots to allow ample root room, and use a loose, highly organic potting soil containing 30 to 40 percent compost. Keep them moist all winter, and nestle them together, then cover them with shredded tree leaves to protect them from freezing weather. If squirrels are likely to be a problem, cover them with chicken wire.
As the seedlings grow to 12 to 18 inches tall plant them into your open space. Place a stake alongside each tree to protect it and keep them well watered and fed with an all-nitrogen lawn food. Train them to be straight and thick-trunked before you start digging them after several years.
Your other option would be to leave them in containers, repotting regularly into progressively larger pots..
