Question: Ready to repot Nastortium for autumn and winter. Is it time to sow seeds now?
Answer: Wait a few weeks longer for more medium weather to start nastrutium seeds once the weather returns. White, yellow or orange plants grow best when temperatures are consistent in the ’70s and below the ’70s. If there is nastrutium in one area of the landscape, they may quickly germinate from seeds that have fallen to the ground. Plants can be grown in containers or in garden beds. In addition to offering a large autumn from spring colors, every part of the plant is edible and gives a spicy flavour to the pieces in the kitchen.
Q. Sweet Alyssum only lasts for two years and then dies. Is this expected?
A. Perhaps you have a very green thumb, as you will get two or three more growing periods from the sweet alyssum, which is often called alyssum. It’s time to resume this fragrant annual flower with white to lavender flowers from September to May last year in planters and on-ground flower gardens. Grows in the perfect sun, stays moist, and lightly fertilizes once a month. To reduce plant maintenance, slow release fertilizer can be applied every few months.
Q. Nutgrass is growing in our juniper and I’m tired of pulling it out by hand. What can I do to control this weed?
A. It looks like you’re pulling more of these weeds. There are no products on traditional lawn and garden center shelves labeled Juniper’s over the top nut glass controls. However, if you don’t mind spending a dollar on a product sold to a professional known as a certainty turf herbicide, the listed junipers have an over-the-top weed control label. For this product, expect to spend over $100 in stores selling specialist products to residents who want to do their own pest control. If you want to try it, follow the label carefully for this particular use.
Plant Doctor: Here’s how hummingbirds come to your garden
Q. My peach tree has produced good crops this year and is now beginning to drop its leaves. Is there a way to keep it a little more green?
A. Peaches, nectarines and plums have lost their leaves at this time of the year. How quickly and how many leaves are lost depends on the growth conditions. If the tree is fed at the end of summer, the leaves loss can be delayed or slow until October. Also, consistently wet weather promotes leaf diseases, which promote leaf loss. Early leaf loss will not damage your tree, but it may promote early flowering among low-cold species. Still, peach trees have many flower buds on their stems, and these fall flowers should not affect crops next year. At this time, it is best to simply keep the soil moist during dry weather and take care of the trees in a normal autumnal condition.
Q. I would like to grow watermelons. Is there still time to start planting?
A. You missed the weather with a good planting, but just stick some seeds or transplants on the ground for fun. Watermelons require a warm climate of about 100 days to produce edible melons. If the warm late autumn and winter weather of recent years continues, you can get watermelons for Christmas. The best time to sow seeds for watermelon is from early March to early August.
Q. I couldn’t resist buying five small bright yellow mothers. Where do you plant it for the best growth and flowering?
A. Mothers, which stand for chrysanthemums, are often available in pint-sized containers. They are cute, but they don’t intend to make many displays, not only with the flowers on the outside touching them. They are best used in clustered containers together if you want color. Resisting to space them in a garden that offers limited eye attraction. A good garden display is made with a gallon size or a large mother with plants almost touching
Unfortunately, the mother flowers for a short period of time due to the early morning heat. Reducing the first flower after fading can produce more flowers during late autumn and winter. A good time to buy a mother is when the weather is cool in late October and November and the flowers are long.
Q. Very bright little bright blue flower weeds are producing what appears to be a species while taking over our St. Augustine lawn. Are there any controls available?
A. doveweed drawn in your email is a very common summer lawn invader. It creeps like it is in the grass of St. Augustine, and eventually makes a blanket of shiny leaves, like a sword. At this point, the plant has flowered for more than a month and has set seeds. The seeds fall to the ground, where they remain dormant until late spring or early summer. Try gaining control of your pigeons now through cutting or using hardwood weed control products. Next spring, late March or April, apply a pre-tension herbicide to the grass that controls weeds in the pre-germinated leaves.
Q. I had a hard time growing herbs this summer. When is the best time to plant herbs?
A. Most herbs glow in the heat, rain and humidity of summer, but the growing weather is just ahead. October to May is the time for herbs to grow in most of Florida. It’s time for my favorites of basil, chives, coriander, dill, parsley, sage, sweet marjoram and thyme. Grow them in sunny ground or containers. Fertilize with Quick-Release products every month or use slow release fertilizer as directed.
Tom Maccubbin is an honorary urban gardener at the University of Florida Cooperative Expansion Services. Write him: Orlando Sentinel, PO Box 2833, Orlando, Florida. 32802. email: tomac1996@aol.com.
September in the gardens in Central Florida
