Miscellaneous

• Use organic mulches around trees and shrubs and in flower beds. Mulch conserves water, keeps down weeds, moderates soil temperatures, and reduces runoff and erosion.

• Before deciding to use a pesticide, diagnose the problem. Be sure to consider factors such as severe cold or heat, waterlogging or drought, lawn mower damage, carelessly applied herbicides, etc. Pesticides will be useless for these kinds of plant damage.

• Beware of non-traditional fertilizer products on the market, such as soil activators or conditioners, nutrient release agents, soil innoculants, foliar sprays, and others. Most have little-to-no nutritional benefit for plants. Buy only those fertilizers with a guaranteed analysis and those proved by university research to be effective.

• Low-growing plants and ground covers can be cut with a rotary lawn mover. If you have been careful to control insects and diseases in your garden, the shredded plant material should not cause any problems in your garden and is a practical way to maintain the soil organic matter.

• If water puddles during irrigation, the sprinkler is putting out water faster than it is being absorbed by the soil. Calibrate your sprinkler to water more slowly.

• Do not bury or spread used motor oil on the ground as it will prevent anything from growing in that location for many years and may contaminate nearby water sources. To dispose of it, take it to your community recycling center. By law, communities must have such a center, which may be located at an auto service or repair station, or at any station that sells or changes oil. Diesel fuel, brake and transmission lubricants, lamp oil, and kerosene can also be brought to the recycling center.

• Many bird species, including chickadees and woodpeckers, nest in tree cavities. You can help them find homes in locations you enjoy birdwatching from by drilling an occasional 2-inch diameter hole in a few trees. Locate each hole under a large limb. Drill at a slight upward angle to keep out water.

• Plants more often wilt from a lack of oxygen than a lack of water. When the soil is compacted, the plant's tender feeder roots and root hairs suffocate. The problem is compounded when the well-meaning gardener assumes this is a sign of water stress and immediately irrigates. Well-aerated soil, enriched with organic matter, allows air and water to circulate freely about the root system creating a vigorous plant.

• Spider mites leave webs on the underside of leaves, and eggs are laid in these webs. The grayish, stippled appearance of leaves infested with spider mites is a result of their feeding on plant juices. Spider mites thrive in hot, dry weather. For mild infestations, hose the foliage to wash off the mites. For severe problems, spray with an approved chemical according to label directions. Check with your local Extension agent for current recommendations.

• Pulling out plants that have gone past their prime is an important method of preventing a build-up of disease and insect problems. Plants suspected of virus and fungal diseases should be removed and burned, if possible. The longer they are left lying around in the garden, the greater the chance for carrying over problems to next year.

• Weeds can tell you at a glance what kind of soil you have in your yard. Sheep sorrel indicates an acid soil, goldenrod indicates an alkaline soil, and sedge or bindweed indicates poor drainage.

• To conserve water, don't move debris from the driveway and walkways with a spray of water; use a rake or broom.

• Lack of water, especially when coupled with intense heat, slows down many biological processes in plants. This is called heat dormancy, although lack of moisture is as responsible for it as the heat. Plants compensate for the stress by relative inactivity. Ordinary cultural practices, instead of being beneficial, can induce further stress. Fertilizers will burn dry root hairs; pruning can force the plant to use reserves to make new growth; and pesticides may be toxic to dry foliage.

• Many plants look wilted on hot afternoons even when there is moisture in the soil. Their roots can't take up water fast enough to compensate for the water being lost through the leaves. If there is enough soil moisture, plants will recover by late afternoon. If they don't perk up, water deeply.

• At home or on vacation, relax in the shade and read The Virginia Gardener.

• In a National Gardening Association study, it was discovered that school children who participate in a garden-based curriculum out-performed other students in science comprehension and attitudes. If your child's school doesn't have a garden program, consider getting one going or at least involving your children in gardening at home. For more information on gardening and schools, contact the National Gardening Association, 180 Flynn Avenue, Burlington, VT 05401.

• Slow-release fertilizers are a boon to gardeners who do not want to keep tabs on fertilization schedules throughout the growing season. However, fertilizers that release nutrients slowly through a plastic resin coating can sometimes break down too fast when exposed to high soil temperatures, releasing too much fertilizer too fast, and resulting in plant damage. Three-month formulas have a lighter coating than nine-month formulas and are more likely to suffer high temperature degradation. One maker of slow-release fertilizers says that the problem is solved by either burying the pellets or covering them with mulch.

• An experiment at the University of Massachusetts demonstrated that a Hubbard squash can lift a John Deere tractor. As it grew within a set-up of springs and beams, the squash raised the tractor off the ground. Now if only that power could be harnessed for garden work!

• Perhaps you've seen ads for various time-release watering crystals for mixing with potting soil. They absorb many times their weight in water and supposedly release that water gradually, allowing you to neglect your routine watering. Well, 'taint so, at least for one brand tested in recent university research. While spider plants did grow better in soil including the crystals, Boston ferns showed no improvement, and both species required watering just as often, whether the crystals were included in their potting mix or not.

• Researchers have been doing field tests of genetically engineered tomatoes that carry a gene for production of a protein from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), the bacteria used to kill many caterpillar pests. The resulting plants resist attack from tomato hornworm and fruitworm. As the worms eat the plant, they eat the protein and poison themselves. This development is still several years from commercial applications.

• Bt Bacillus thuringiensis is used by many gardeners to protect cole crops from chewing caterpillars. A new strain of this bioinsecticide will be available soon to control Colorado potato beetles.

• White flies are attracted to yellow, so use yellow sticky boards to reduce their populations.

• Every weed that ripens seed means more trouble next year. Control weeds before they go to seed.

• Do not add weeds with ripened seed heads to the compost pile. Many weed seeds can remain viable and germinate next year when the compost is used.

• Launder clothing worn during pesticide handling as soon as the job is finished. If you can't wash the clothing immediately, store it in a plastic bag away from other clothing, children, and pets.

• When washing clothing with pesticide residues, use a heavy-duty detergent and hot water. Use the amount of detergent recommended on the package. Clothing that has come in contact with full- strength chemicals needs to be laundered twice. You can remove pesticide residues from your washer by running the machine through a complete cycle using detergent, but no clothing.

• Many Virginia counties have local fairs. Be sure to enter your vegetables, flowers, crafts, and other items in the competitive exhibits for ribbons and prizes.

• By the time the seed catalogs arrive in January, you may have only a vague idea of what this year's garden was like. Make notes now so you can have a better garden next year.

• There are many resources for gardeners contemplating the creation of an historical garden. Local historical societies often have valuable records, photographs, and engravings. Libraries at many universities, botanical gardens, and horticultural societies have numerous books - and some maintain extensive collections of old seed catalogs. Horticulturists at public historical gardens often will be immensely helpful. Dozens of specialty seed companies and nurseries are springing up to meet the demand for "antique" plants.

• To keep your gardens attractive, continue to dead-head (trim off) spent flowers and weed as necessary.

• Whenever you apply pesticides, adhere strictly to the directions on the package. Do not spray when temperatures are over 85 degrees F or when it is windy.