Q: I missed the time to plant zinnias. Is it okay to plant it now? Also, do they like sunlight? Should I plant the seeds in soil?
A: Summer is not the best time for zinnias, but they can be planted from spring to fall. During the hot rainy season, some varieties are susceptible to fungal spot and mold on the leaves. Keep disinfectant on hand for use as needed. The plant grows best in full sun in an area with good airflow to prevent disease. Seeds can be sown directly into the ground, but gardeners have the most success starting with individual seedlings in small containers. Once the plants are 4 to 6 inches tall, they can be transplanted into flower beds or container gardens.
Q: I have a very large bamboo tree that died in the winter. It has more than 20 stems that can grow up to 40 feet tall, some of which appear to be alive while others appear to be dead. New shoots over 2 feet tall are growing from the base. What kind of care should I take?
A: Bamboo revival begins by removing all dead or declining stems. This allows room for growth to form new plants. If the planting is too crowded, you can prune some of the new shoots. General garden fertilizer can be applied as needed to encourage growth and where permitted. Bamboo is very durable and the plants should fill in the gaps and regrow by fall.
Q: A young Nuttall oak tree was planted in my yard last year. The large green leaves were beautiful. However, this year most of the leaves are very small and partially eaten. What could be the cause?
A: New, young trees may have extra-large leaves for a year or two, then grow regular-sized leaves. If the new buds are a nice green color, the tree is probably fine. Something is nibbling on the leaves, probably a caterpillar. If found, you can remove them by hand, or you can also apply a natural control salicide or spinosad-containing product according to label instructions. Small leaves can also be produced from a limited root system. The tree may not be growing fast enough to support large leaves from the root ball. Keep the soil in the drip line moist during dry times and apply landscape fertilizers if permitted. Your new tree will likely take longer to become established and grow as expected.
Q: There are vines growing near the base of my magnolia tree. Are vines climbing trees harmful?
A: Vines are never good for trees. They end up hosting insects that can compete for leaf space, promote fungal problems, and affect growth. Keep vines on a trellis, wall, or arbor where they will grow best, be attractive, and not interfere with other plantings.
Q: The last time I started planting tomato plants, they grew spindly and fell over after just a few inches. How can I grow stronger plants?
A: If your tomato seedlings are droopy, the solution is to provide them with more light. As soon as the seeds germinate and you see the first new growth, expose the seedlings to full sun. Starting tomato seedlings under lights or on a sunny windowsill is not a substitute for growing plants in the sun outdoors or in a greenhouse. Keep the seedlings moist and begin fertilizing with a half-strength liquid product a week after germination.
Q: Something is eating my pumpkin and cucumber leaves, but I can’t find them. How can I control pests?
A: You don’t need to find a pest, or perhaps a pest, that does this feeding. The most important thing is to keep them under control. Leaf-eating pests, and ultimately fruit-eating pests, are almost certainly pickle or melon bugs. These are the immature stages of small brown moths. What you have noticed is that they are eating the leaves of the plants, but some are trying to move on to the fruits. You may try to find them and pluck them from the vine, but that may be difficult. Curled leaves often contain nests of larvae, often called insects. Perhaps they will be in large numbers, so you need to protect the fruits. A simple and effective control is to apply products containing the natural insecticides Turicide or Spinosad. One or more of these can usually be found at independent garden centers. Follow label instructions.
Q: I don’t want to use pesticides on my St. Augustine lawn if I don’t have to. So how do you actually know if you have a chin bug in your yellow spots?
A: Searching for and finding chinch bugs is not an easy task, as adults are only about the size of the head of a pin. This means that the immature stage is even smaller. Find out about chinch bugs by looking for photos online before you go looking for them. Look for chin bugs at the borders of yellowing areas of your lawn. Pull apart patches of grass at ground lines and look for dark-colored adults with white criss-crossed wings. Be careful as many will hide in the dirt if you disturb them. An old trick gardeners have used in the past is to push a large coffee can or similar container into the lawn at the edge where the green and yellow grass meet. In fact, you may need to cut around the edge of the coffee can to insert it into the ground. Then, fill it with water and wait for the chinch bugs to float to the top. If you don’t find any pests, but you think they’re still causing damage, take one square foot of lawn where yellow meets good green to your local University of Florida Extension office to have it checked.
Tom McCubbin is an emeritus urban horticulturist for the University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service. Write to Orlando Sentinel, PO Box 2833, Orlando, FL. 32802. Email: TomMac1996@aol.com.
