Weekly Lawn &Garden Tips

5/3/08

Question: I have got a problem. I have a row of dwarf spruce trees that I planted over ten years ago. They have grown to a good height and up to last year were very healthy. Last year the needles started to turn brown and I lost a lot of the needles. Now it appears that they have lost even more needles over the winter. They are really sparse. Is there anything I can do now or is it too late? I would appreciate your recommendations as to what it will take to make them healthy again. I hope it isn't too late. Ken

Mort's Answer: You will need to check for red spider. Shake a branch on some white paper. If little red specks appear, you willl need a miticde. You may have to rub the folded paper to spot the tiny mites. Defoliation can be exasperated by winter winds, especially north winds. These plants may be planted too close. Consider moving every other plant , if they are touching.

Question: My lawn has a lot of moss as time goes by. I put some lime on the moss and it had turned yellow. How do I get rid of it? Rose, Griswold, CT

Mort's Answer: New England soils require an application of lime each year. If you lawn is in the shade, an application in the spring and fall will lower the PH. Direct applications of sour milk or lime will only knock it down for a while. Apply 200 lbs. of hydrated lime in the early spring and 200 lbs. per 10,00 sq.ft in late fall of limestone or pellets. This will change your acidic soil to a soil more favorable to growing grass so that you will not suffer remorse. Clearing some of trees around your lawn will help.

Question: Each year my tomatoes have less and less fruit. I only have a small garden and use a liquid fertilizer. Any recommendations? Pat, Taylorville, IL

It is important to rotate your vegetables. Leafy plants, like lettuce, draw a lot of nitrogen from the soil. Root crops, like beets, draw potash or potassium from the soil. Tomatoes, peppers and the like draw phosphorus from the soil. If you do not have the space, you could try some containers to help with this rotation. If you cannot employ this method, I would try some other varieties and add a granular 5-10-10 fertilizer or bonemeal.

Question: My large leaf rhododendrons, which are usually quite hardy, have leaves that are all burned. They are planted on the north side of the house. They are about five feet high because the deer cut them down a couple of years ago. Can I cut them back? Marilyn, Montville, CT

Mort's Answer: When rhododendron get the north wind and their feet are dry, it can kill the plant. Alternating thaws allow for the dissipation of the plants water by the wind. Plant a large evergreen north of plants to give them some protection or move them to an east or west location.

Question:My grass is turning yellow at the bottom. I planted rye this fall. Can I fertilize? Dan, Valdosta, GA

Mort's Answer: You can fertilize now with 10-6-4 to brighten up your lawn. If the rye was an annual rye, it will die off. You could be getting excess water. It is a good time to aerate your lawn to provide drainage. If it is perennial rye, it will get greener after you fertilize and aerate. You should top dress now with St. Augustine or Bermuda grass to keep out the weeds.

Question: We have a five year old Dogwood that has yet to bloom. We have fertilized it regularly and slit the branches to get the hormones to flow. Any suggestions? Sharon, Seekonk, MA

Mort's Answer: You can not teach a young Dogwood new tricks, especially by slitting its branches. White Dogwood seedlings take 5 or 6 years to mature before they will bloom. A lot of the its energy is going into healing its wounds. Stop treating your Dogwood so badly before one of your neighbors calls the tree warden. Just be patient and check those cuts for insect eggs.

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