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Dear Neil: Just before my peaches ripen, they develop soft spots with fuzzy growth around them. What causes that, and what can we do to stop it?
A: That's stink bug damage, and there really isn't a specific spray to eliminate just that pest. Hopefully, you have been following the recommended spray schedule from Texas A&M for home orchards. The other sprays you'll need to make for plum curculios (worms) and other pests will keep the stink bugs in check.
Dear Neil: A lawn-care company has been taking care of our St. Augustine turf by feeding it three times per year and applying three pre-emergent applications per year. The lawn has looked perfect, but I need to cut expenses. How can I do so?
A: That's the proper number of feedings for St. Augustine if they're using a high-quality granular fertilizer that is either all- or high-nitrogen. St. Augustine usually crowds out invading weeds, so the pre-emergent weedkillers might be expendable. Ask for their suggestions. These aren't impossible tasks for you if you opt to do them yourself.
Dear Neil: What is the best way to get rid of corn earworms?
A: Use an eye dropper to put one or two drops of mineral oil onto the silks of each corn plant as the silks grow and reach full length. That's an old-fashioned and still-effective way of preventing them.
Dear Neil: Why aren't my snapdragons blooming? I see others around town in flower. Mine have been planted for two months.
A: That's a tough question to answer without seeing the plants. I'll hit the most common causes. They could be undernourished, therefore lacking in vigor. They may be in too much shade. They could be a taller variety that requires longer to grow before it can come into flower. Those gardeners may have planted their plants back in the fall. Snaps make it through our winters (except for extreme cold spells), so you'll get earlier blooming if you plant them then.
Dear Neil: What is eating my hollies' leaves, and what is causing the spots on my Indian hawthorns?
A: The hollies probably had some type of caterpillar or grasshopper visit last year. New growth this spring will be fine. The spots on your Indian hawthorn are Entomosporium fungal leaf spot. It's usually fatal to a sister plant, redtip photinias, and it can also do a lot of harm to hawthorns. Blow the fallen leaves out into the yard, where you can bag and remove them. Apply a labeled landscape fungicide to stop spread to the new growth this spring.
Dear Neil: Two similar questions: Can I use pencil shavings on my garden? I'm a teacher, and I have ample supplies. And can I put shavings from my wood shop out in my garden? I use primarily cedar, but some oak as well.
A: The answers are the same. Any source of organic matter will be fine, so long as it's added in moderation. Sprinkle the shavings across the top of the soil as a thin-layer mulch, or mix them in with your compost pile. Wait until they're no longer recognizable as to their origins before you use the compost. Using too much fresh organic matter can tie up nitrogen and leave plants looking pale and lethargic.
Dear Neil: What is the better way to irrigate a garden, sprinkler overhead or drip?
A: Drip irrigation conserves water and ensures deep soaking where the roots are developing. However, you must be sure that every plant is getting a uniform amount of water as it runs. Many of us still plant along furrows in our gardens. Then we slowly flood-irrigate the furrows as the soil dries. Overhead irrigation is not as good an idea. It spreads diseases, and it's not efficient.
Dear Neil: I have two mountain laurel trees (a little more than 4 feet tall) growing 8 feet west of a 30-foot oak tree. I've had tomato cages growing over them until now, but they're to the tops of the cages and leaning westward. Should I place another tomato cage on top of the ones holding them, top them to encourage branching or tie and stake them with 8-foot stakes to keep them more straight?
A: Honestly, none of your ideas are appealing. You're growing a full-sun type of plant in a partially shaded environment. That wouldn't be quite so bad if the shade were uniform all through the daylight hours, but your plants get heavy shade in the mornings and strong sun in the afternoons. Just as a houseplant "leans toward the window," your plants will continue to grow away from the heavy shade of the tree. Any pruning you do to reshape them will only be temporary. They'll grow right back the way they were. Your only option will be to move them to a full-sun location when they're dormant next winter.
* If you'd like Neil Sperry's help with a plant question, drop him a note in care of The Eagle, P.O. Box 3000, Bryan, Texas 77805. Or e-mail him at mailbag@sperrygardens.com.
