The dwelling place:
For Sukkot, Jews celebrate harvest and hearth by creating temporary backyard
homes
Quote of the Week:
Fancy with prophetic glance
Sees the teeming months advance;
The field,
the forest, green and gay;
The dappled slope, the tedded hay; Sees
the reddening orchard blow,
The Harvest wave, the vintage flow.
Thomas Wharton
Q: I have two large areas of English ivy. They are getting too
deep. What is a good way to thin them and when is the best time?"
A: English ivy can be cut back to four to six inches in height
every few years, as necessary, with a rotary lawn mower. Rake out the
trimmings with a bamboo or other type rake that will not damage the
plants. The ideal time to cut the vines back would be in early spring,
after the danger of frost has passed, but before new growth begins. In
the Dallas/Fort Worth area, this would be in late March, but check the
long-range weather forecast first.
Q: I have two cedar elm trees in my gront yard with a bricked
circle of flowers around both of them. I have Mexican petunias and
verbena planted inside this circle. Also, in my front yard next to the
house, I have two crape myrtles and three more in the back yard. On the
side of my house , I have six new Rose of Sharon bushes. I cannot get
rid of aphids on these plants. I will spray these plants using Ortho Max
lawn and garden insect killer. The bugs seem to be gone, and then about
a week later, I'll find them on one of the above plants again...I have
had this problem since the middle of July. What can I do now to prevent
them from starting next summer, and how do I get rid of them completely
now?"
A: If these are indeed aphids, or other soft-bodied insects, such
as spider mites, it sounds as if you are killing the adults, but not
their eggs, so the infestation continually repeats itself. I would
suggest that you try SunSpray Ultra-Fine horticultural oil. It is the
most effective product I have found for these types of insects, because
it smothers the adults, larvae and eggs. Because it is not a poison,
insects cannot build up any resistance to it. And, it can be used year
round. In hot weather, be sure to apply it early in the morning to avoid
leaf burn. There is no way to prevent infection next year, though
cleaning up all plant residue at the end of the season can help, but
applying the Ultra-Fine oil at the earliest sign of infection next
spring, you can quickly control it. Be sure to follow label directions
and to thoroughly cover the tender, new stems and the bottom and top
sides of the leaves.
Do you have a question?
E-mail us, and watch for your answer. For advice about how to get
the best answers,
see Lone Star Gardener of Aug. 30, 2002.
GARDEN CHECKLIST
Do it now
Give new veggies the best chance for
survival by paying attention to basic needs: water, food and space.
Where seeds are germinating and when it’s not raining, you may need to
sprinkle water on the beds every day to keep the area moist. Also, be
careful not to let the soil around seedlings dry out. If weeds are
becoming a problem around young plants, get rid of invaders so that they
aren’t competing with vegetables for food and light — but do the job
carefully. Yanking up or hoeing weeds and grass can pull up garden
plants, too. While vegetable plants are small and delicate, you may want
to snip off weeds at soil level rather than pulling them, just until the
plant roots are a little better established. If germination has gone a
little too well, pull out some seedlings to give the vegetables enough
space to grow properly.
Do it later
As you are working in the yard and garden this fall, look
for hiding and breeding places for pests. Help keep unwanted critters
and diseases from overwintering by composting old leaves, stalks and
stems and getting rid of unwanted wood and debris.
Rebecca Perry
Sometimes it seems that the more we try to get organized with all the
cool new books out there, the less time we have to do so because we're
spending so much time staring at pretty pictures and resolving that this
(pick one) weekend/month/year we'll get organized. Sorry to add to the
pain, but I just couldn't resist mentioning the latest tome on the
subject. Real Simple magazine has just come out with the appealing
Real Simple: The Organized Home book (Melcher Media, $27.95).
There's lots of great ideas for every room in the house, with
stylishly-presented photos and great products to buy to help you achieve
that sense of pristine order. Be sure to leave a spot on that
reorganized bookshelf or coffee table for this book.
Connie Dufner
A Tip from the Discount Dame
Be on the lookout for value
packages of cleaning supplies. Often the companies will package three or
more supplies and put them on sale at stores like Target. You may not
think you need that much product, but often the bulk packaging is a
better deal, and it's always nice to have an extra if you run out.
Karen Watts
