OVER THE GARDEN FENCE

MAY 17, 2003

Some of the best gardeners I know not only have green thumbs, but are also weather-wise. This doesn't mean they can predict tomorrow's weather any better than the weather man, buy they are quick to react to changes in the weather patterns. The cool temperatures this week have slowed the growth of most plants except our lawn grass. Every cloud seems to be generous with its moisture this May, creating some challenging conditions for gardeners.

The weather-wise gardener will be working on the following projects this week to keep one step ahead of the weather man.

Leaf diseases make their presence known during the summer months on many trees and shrubs with infected yellow foliage that drops prematurely. The moist conditions of late are when infection takes place, which makes this the best time for control. Prevent anthracnose, cedar apple rust, leaf spot, and scab fungus diseases now. Some of the plants that are often infected with these diseases are red and white oak, sycamore, silver and sugar maple, dogwood, mountain ash, crabapple, poplar, and pyracantha.

Anthracnose can be controlled with Halt fungicide. Cedar apple rust should be controlled with Daconil, and leaf spot and scab diseases can be stopped with sprays of Halt fungicide, Banner, or Funginex.

For complete, detailed instructions on how to control leaf diseases on trees and shrubs, come visit the nursery pros at the pest diagnostic center at Wedel's. Roses are showing good new growth and should be sprayed to control blackspot, mildew, and insects. Spray roses now with Orthenex for healthy, disease and insect free rose plants.

Rose plants are also ready for their second spring application of Rose Tone. To assure good roses in June and July, fertilize now with Rose Tone.

By now, rose gardeners should know if they need to replace any winter-damaged plants. Now is a fine time to set out rose bushes. The selection is super and the soil is cool for good rooting. When shopping for new additions to your rose bed, look for plants that are actively growing in pots. It's too late to plant bare root or packaged plants. Purchase potted rose plants that are leafed out well and have two or three sturdy canes.

Before planting roses, be sure to condition soil with cow manure, sphagnum peat moss, and bone meal. Proper soil preparation will assure a vigorous, good blooming rose bush. Down at the garden center, we have 140 varieties of America's finest roses just waiting to move to your garden for all-summer enjoyment.

Pine sawfly larvae are now active on Scotch, Austrian and Mugho pine. Insecticidal soap, Sevin, or Pyrethrin will control pine sawfly larvae. Pine needle scale crawlers will also be active soon. Control pine needle scale with Insecticidal soap or Malathion.

Spruce needle miner is active now on short needle spruce. Look for hollow, brown needles silked together with a fine web. Spray spruce with Orthene to control spruce needle miner.

Be sure to dust gladiolus corms with Bonide Bulb Dust before planting to control fungi and thrips.

Vegetable gardeners should control cabbage maggot on cole crops at planting time. Apply Ortho Bug-B-Gon Granules on soil around the base of cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts at the time of planting.

Eastern tent caterpillar is now actively eating the leaves off wild cherry, and also off some of our landscape plants, such as purple leaf plum and flowering crabapple. Eradicate pesky tent caterpillars with one spray of Ultra-Safe Spinosad.

Spring canker worms are very active on many maple trees, crabapples, birch, beech, and linden. These little green worms are often called inchworms, but they consume great quantities of foliage. Inchworms also can be controlled with Spinosad.

The damp, cool weather of late has encouraged lawns to grow very rapidly. It is important not to be tempted to cut the grass too low. Cutting grass lower than 2 1/2 inches will cause turf to thin and allows sunlight to penetrate and encourage weeds to germinate and thrive. It is equally important that turf be mowed at the proper time. Often, we set a schedule of mowing the lawn once a week or when it is convenient. In the spring, that is usually not often enough, especially in cool, moist weather.

It is important never to cut off more than 1/3 the height of the grass blade. If due to rain or a schedule that does not allow mowing when the lawn requires it, be sure to raise the mower height so that you don't scalp the turf. If, for example, a mower height of 3 inches would normally take off 1/3 of the growth, but the grass has grown to 4 or 4 1/2 inches, you should raise the mower or too much of the grass blade will be removed. This will put the lawn under a great deal of stress and make it more susceptible to disease. The ideal is to mow the correct height when the lawn requires it.

Also, the damp weather has lawn weeds growing very rapidly. Lawn weed controls can be applied successfully now. Broadleaf weeds, such as dandelion, buckhorn, and chickweed are all best controlled now with a spray of Weed-Out Trimec Lawn Weed Control. For large turf areas or spot treating individual weeds, Weed-Out is the least expensive and most effective way of controlling broadleaf weeds in our lawns. Have you noticed how much moss has grown in shady lawn and garden areas this past week? Damp, cool weather has moss growing in places we have never seen it in before. In the proper place, moss is attractive, but growing in lawns and gardens or on walks, paths, and decks can be unsightly and a safety hazard. To kill moss and algae growing on decks, concrete and stone surfaces and walks, use Safer Moss and Algae Spray. To kill moss in the lawn, use Scotts Moss Control. One application usually gives a complete kill.

It seems that nearly every gardener gets bit with the urge to plant a few tomato plants about this time of May every year. It's no wonder the tomato is the most popular garden vegetable grown in the United States. Tomatoes come in all sizes from cherry to grapefruit in various colors. Which is the perfect tomato? Everyone's choice is different. Your favorite may be a plum tomato to make your special paste or salsa recipe. Roma seem to be the most popular. Canning choices include Rutgers and Celebrity. There are numerous fresh eating or table varieties - the most popular being Early Girl, Big Boy, and Better Boy. Large sandwich or slicing selections are Beefsteak and Beef Master. Salad tomato favorites would be Sweet 100 cherry or Juliet grape varieties.

Here are a few tips to help you grow a bountiful crop.

1.) Plant tomatoes in full sun, in a different location each year. Try growing your plants in containers if you need more sun than your garden offers. Mix composted cow manure into soil before planting. Fertilize when you plant as well as every two to three weeks during the growing season with Espoma Tomato Tone.

2.) As your plants grow, stake them or use tomato cages to keep the fruit off the ground and to save some space in your garden. If you have enough room, mulch under each plant and forget the stakes. The mulch will prevent weed growth, help retain moisture, reduce the frequency of anthracnose infection, and keep fruit from decaying. The best mulches are cedar bark or cocoa hull mulch.

3.) If anthracnose disease has been a problem with your tomato plants in the past, try twice-a-month sprays of Daconil.

George Wedel