Plants stressed and will need extra attention and more water

May 7, 2007

Plants stressed and will need extra attention and more water

Louise Poitras The Daily Southerner Mon May 07, 2007, 12:11 PM EDT

There can be no other occupation like gardening in which, if you were to creep up behind someone at their work, you would find them smiling.

— Mirabel Osler

We have had a most unusual spring – too much rain, not enough rain, frost too late, etc. Because of this The new growth on my huge fig bush was killed by the last frost, but I am beginning to see more new growth. If some of your tender new growth was damaged also, wait to see if new growth will appear.

Your established plants should be fine but the younger ones may not survive. When a plant is under stress it is so important to make sure it gets a consistent supply of water.

It really is time to finish planting the vegetable garden. When buying tomato plants look for ones that have lots of letters on the label. Meaning V, F, N or T. V means resistant to verticillium wilt; F to fusarium wilt (FF covers two strains); N to nematodes and T to tobacco mosaic. Celebrity is a good choice.

Edgecombe has suffered from the Tomato Spotted Wilt (TSWV) for several years and there is nothing you can do if your plants are affected. This disease is carried by thripes and some think that planting tomatoes late will help avoid the disease.

Don’t buy plants that have blooms or buds on them, as the root system hasn’t developed well in the little plastic pot. If they do have blooms, pinch them off so the energy goes into the plant and the root growth.

Also pinch off some of the lower leaves and plant them deep to encourage strong root growth. Make sure tomatoes are not planted in the same spot each year to help prevent disease.

By mid month pansies and violas will be leggy and time to go. Pull them out and replace with summer blooming annuals. A little fertilizer at planting time will help them get started. I like a time-release one, such as Osmocote, so I don’t have to keep applying it.

A container of herbs by the kitchen door are a treat and a bonus is they seem to thrive even when neglected. Too much fertilizer produces poor flavor and fragrance.

Rosemary is blooming now and does well in our area. Surround it in a large pot with parsley, thyme, chives and oregano. Mint is too aggressive so plant it in its own container. I use too much basil to plant in one pot; so many plants are placed in my garden in full sun.

An herb is at its peak of flavor when it begins to bloom. If you want to preserve some for winter use, parsley, thyme, rosemary and oregano can be dried easily on paper towels in the microwave.

Basil does not dry well so it is better made into pesto and frozen in small amount in ice cube trays.

Bring your houseplants outside for a vacation, and they will respond well to the reprieve from being inside. Sink the pots a little in the outdoor soil to help conserve moisture and do not place them in full sun.

Hanging baskets will dry out faster outside, so check them often and fertilize them more.

As we head into the hot dry summer, remember that when you water your lawns and plants to water deeply. When you water just a little it encourages the roots to stay at the surface and thus dry out faster and possibly die.

When you water deeply the roots grow deeper in the dirt and can withstand our hot dry summers better. One inch a week is much better than standing in your yard with the hose for a few minutes. When you do that, most of the water just evaporates and the plants or lawn actually get very little moisture.

A good mulch will help conserve on water needed around shrubs and trees.

Louise Poitras is an Edgecombe County gardener. Look for her Garden guide on the Community page each month.

Text Only

The Garden Guide

Ask A Master Gardener
Edgecombe’s Extension Master Gardener Volunteers are holding their Spring-Planting Bulb Event tomorrow (March 23) at Marrow-Pitt Ace Home Center in the garden department from 10 a.m. until 1 pm. The volunteers will be giving demonstrations on basic bulb planting as well as container planting (bring your own or purchase one from stock). A variety of pre-packaged summer and fall-blooming bulbs will be sold including: ginger lilies, rain lilies, galtonia, agapanthus, tuberosa, liatris, tigridia, cannas, nerines and many more. Proceeds from the bulb sales will fund the Extension Master Gardener Volunteers’ spring/summer projects, including those sanctioned by this year’s America in Bloom competition committee. Ace is located at 1713 N. Main St.

March 22, 2013 2 Photos
"Ask A Master Gardener"
Buddy H. (Tarboro) asks: I discovered this unusual substance wrapping the stems on all of my compacta holly when I was pruning them last week.

March 15, 2013 1 Photo
Ask A Master Gardener
"As the promise of spring begins to beckon the attention of "dormant" gardeners this time of year, so it is with those dormant weeds that will appear soon enough, making for a lot of catch up work to get our lawns ready for show time," says local Master Gardener Trainee, Bernice Pitt who has just completed certification in an NC State University course in Turf Management. Pitt is manager of the lawn and garden center at Marrow-Pitt Ace Home Center in Tarboro and is ready to help you with solutions in
maintaining your lawn. "I have found that the best source for answers to questions regarding turf grasses is the site:
www.turffiles.ncsu.edu and another,
www.turfweedmanagement.ncsu./weedmanagement.aspx," Pitt added. "It's where we found answers to this week's questions."

March 8, 2013 1 Photo
"Ask A Master Gardener"
"Ask A Master Gardener" is a weekly column providing our readers solutions to common problems concerning horticulture, gardening, and pest management. Trained Extension Master Gardener Volunteers have access to the research that provides answers.
Submit your questions by email to askemgv@gmail.com, call the local Extension Center at 641-7815 and tell them you have a question for a master gardener; a volunteer will return your call with a solution to your problem, or write to "Ask A Master Gardener", c/o The Daily Southerner, P.O. Box 1199, Tarboro, 27886.

February 22, 2013 1 Photo
“Ask A Master Gardener”
Ronnie E. (Conetoe) asks: What is the best temperature and method to store fresh pecans?

February 8, 2013 1 Photo
Sanitation: An Important Garden Chore
So, what will tomorrow bring? At this time of year, we are riding the roller coaster up and down as winter and spring duke it out. While it is still too early to start most seeded varieties of annual flower and vegetable varieties, it is not too early to prepare for the upcoming gardening season.

February 6, 2013 1 Photo
"Ask A Master Gardener"
John W. (Tarboro) Asks: A neighbor posed this question to pass along. They did nothing to winterize their yard and, as a result, have all of the winter-type weeds that survive everything. They wanted to know if there is anything they can do now to kill off the weeds and what and when do they start to try and green up their yard and kill back weeds as we head out of winter.

February 4, 2013
Ask A Master Gardener
This week, we have two questions coming from visitors to the Blount-Bridgers House Garden. The garden committee works regularly each week to maintain this lovely garden oasis in Tarboro’s Historic District. Garden manager, Jeni Filbrun invites you to join the volunteers, “the weekly weeders,” each Wednesday morning at 10 for an hour of garden tending.

January 28, 2013 3 Photos
Ask A Master Gardener
“Ask A Master Gardener” is a weekly column providing our readers solutions to common problems concerning horticulture, gardening, and pest management. Trained Extension Master Gardener Volunteers have access to the research that provide answers.
Submit your questions by email to askemgv@gmail.com. Or call the local Extension Center at 252-641-7815 and tell them you have a question for a master gardener; a volunteer will return your call with a solution to your problem, or write to “Ask A Master Gardener”, c/o The Daily Southerner, P.O. Box 1199, Tarboro, NC 27886.

January 11, 2013 1 Photo
Ask A Master Gardener
“Ask A Master Gardener” is a weekly column providing our readers solutions to common problems concerning horticulture, gardening, and pest management. Trained Extension Master Gardener Volunteers have access to the research that provide answers.
Submit your questions by email to askemgv@gmail.com. Or call the local Extension Center at 252-641-7815 and tell them you have a question for a master gardener; a volunteer will return your call with a solution to your problem, or write to “Ask A Master Gardener”, c/o The Daily Southerner, P.O. Box 1199, Tarboro, NC 27886.

January 4, 2013 1 Photo
More The Garden Guide Headlines

The Garden Guide

Search Results

Plants stressed and will need extra attention and more water

Site Map