ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, June 23, 1996 TAG: 9606240127
SECTION: HOMES PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: dear john
SOURCE: JOHN ARBOGAST
Because they legally must be either part of the package or attached to all products sold for controlling any kind of pest, labels are a major source of protection in the use of pesticides.
Every part of the label is important, but two of the most crucial considerations in following directions are the location where the product will be applied and the problems that the product has been tested to control. For example, it is illegal and unsafe to use some products inside a house unless the label says "indoors." The labels also tell us how much to use and include any appropriate statements about use during hot weather because some pesticides can have adverse side effects in the heat.
For pesticides that will be applied to plants that we will harvest and eat, the "application to harvest numbers" on the label must be followed, because pesticide residues cannot be washed off after an application dries.
Q: Outside my living room window is a lovely magnolia that looks healthy but had flowers that usually lasted about two to three days last summer. Last fall an upper limb turned a vivid orange color and stayed that way until cold weather set in. Could that discoloration be a clue of a problem with the magnolia? M.B.J., Roanoke
A: The only cause I can think of that would explain your problem would be the late stages of "algal spot," which starts during moist weather, is more likely to happen to magnolias that are weakened by drought or poor growing conditions and occurs mainly on plants in the Southern part of the country but not around here.
It is my understanding that control measures are usually not necessary, if indeed you saw a rare case of the disease. However, the discoloration could have been a sign of a weakened magnolia. Improve the tree's growing conditions by watering once a week during dry times and take a soil test to see if fertilization in late fall might be helpful. Request an on-site visit from a certified arborist if this is a valuable tree.
Q: When is a good time to move yucca plants? M.D., Floyd
A: Mid-fall when deciduous plants in the area have just gone dormant but the soil is still somewhat warm or in the early spring when plants are still dormant but the soil is beginning to warm. Be prepared for a lot of work.
Send short questions about your lawn, garden, plants, or insects to Dear John, c/o The Roanoke Times, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, Va. 24010-2491. We need your mail, but this column can't reply to all letters. Those of wide appeal will be answered during the weeks that the subject is timely. Personal replies cannot be given.
Please don't send stamps, stamped envelopes, samples or pictures.
Gardener's checklist
Jobs for late June:
Promote continued production by picking vegetables as they mature.
Remove weeds regularly from the garden because they can serve as a home for certain insects or diseases.
Be patient if your snap beans fail to flower because of daytime temperatures above 90 degrees.
Continue to cut faded flowers from ever-blooming roses to encourage more blooming.
LENGTH: Medium: 66 linesby CNB