Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, November 28, 1993 TAG: 9311290286
SECTION: HOMES PAGE: E-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: John Arbogast
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Since the pictures and articles in seed catalogs and gardening magazines make plants look so delectable and failure-proof, it's nice to have unbiased suggestions to try, such as the All-America Selections program, which has evaluated new varieties and then awarded honors to the best ones for years.
Here's a little information about the 1994 All-America Selections Vegetable Award winners, "Big Beef" tomato and "Fanfare" cucumber, both of which should be available from seed or as spring bedding plants.
"Big Beef" produces red beefsteak-type tomatoes that were described by AAS judges as "meaty, not mealy, firm flesh with a sweet flavor," and "good sugar-to-acid ratio." A good point for many gardeners who don't want to lose vegetable plants early to disease, pests or stress is that "Big Beef" has shown that it can tolerate stress, remain healthy and be productive.
"Fanfare" is a slicing cucumber with notable yield, dwarf plant habit and improved disease tolerance. "Fanfare" produces high-quality 8-to 10-inch-long flavorful cucumbers.
This winner, too, has shown that it can tolerate stress, an important characteristic for cucumbers since veteran gardeners know that cucumbers grown under stress have a bitter flavor.
"Fanfare" is excellent for growing in containers on a sunny patio or balcony as long as the plant is protected from drying winds. This cucumber is also great for small, backyard gardens since it needs only 24 inches of space and can be easily trained to a trellis.
Q: I have a question about black walnut trees and the effect they have on other plants and trees growing near them. I own property in Christiansburg, which has two black walnuts growing in the yard. They are approximately 25 feet apart. I have a pear tree growing between them with no problem. However, my neighbor approached me, concerned that the walnut trees were a nuisance and were affecting the growth of their grass. The trees are within three feet of the property line.
I trimmed back all the limbs extending onto their property, hoping to correct the problem. My neighbor's wife approached me again saying that her husband didn't understand: It wasn't the trees themselves that were the problem, but the fact that the black walnut trees near the property line were affecting the growth of flowers and other trees in her yard. She named especially a pine tree and a magnolia. Also, she feels that her azalea flowers have died because of the walnut trees. Those trees she is concerned about are about 20 feet from the line. I want to be a good neighbor, but I hate to cut down my walnut trees without some factual information confirming that they are the cause of her problems. We have some flowers set out near the walnut trees (letter dated June 28), and a pear tree between the two trees, that are very healthy. F.L.A., Wytheville
A: There does not appear to be complete information on all the plants that are susceptible to that juglone toxin that is produced in the black walnut tree, especially in the roots. However, there are definitely some plants known to be affected by juglone and others listed as resisting juglone toxin damage (known as walnut damage).
That first concern you mentioned of your neighbor's, problems with his grass, could not be blamed on your black walnuts. Kentucky bluegrass as well as tall fescues are known to resist juglone damage. I have even read and seen myself that the grass may grow better under or near a walnut, even though it may be difficult to mow that grass in the fall after the walnuts have dropped.
Red pines (no mention of our popular white pine) and azaleas are on the list of plants susceptible to juglone damage given by Virginia Tech in an article in The Virginia Gardener newsletter, April '89. I can't find documentation for magnolia. The ground area for susceptible plant damage is considered to be within the root spread of a black walnut; the roots of the black walnut are known to extend out farther from the trunk than roots of most other trees.
I can't say anything about the flowers in question since some flower species are listed as susceptible, such as the perennials peony and chrysanthemum, while others are listed as known to resist juglone damage, (examples - yarrow and zinnia) and still other plants that we might have in mind when we say "flowers" are not listed at all.
Send short questions about your lawn, garden, plants, or insects to Dear John, c/o the Roanoke Times & World-News, P. O. Box 2491, Roanoke, Va. 24010-2491.
Gardener's checklist
Jobs to be done at the end of November or early December:
Tie upright cone-shaped as well as broad evergreens in the landscape in a spiral fashion with rope or twine to reduce the possibilities of snow or ice damage.
Indoor plant care: Turn plants frequently; avoid locations of heat or drafts; don't overwater; withhold fertilizers.
John Arbogast is the agricultural extension agent for Roanoke.
by CNB