THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 16, 1995 TAG: 9507140094
SECTION: HOME & GARDEN PAGE: G2 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Gardening
SOURCE: Robert Stiffler
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
A neighbor referred to an article from June 11, when you gave information about a group of butterfly enthusiasts in this area. My search failed to locate how to get in touch with these people. Would you be so kind as to pass this information on to me?
Alouise Ritter, Norfolk
The group you're referring to is the Virginia Butterfly Society. By now you should have received a membership application from them. Others wanting to join or get information should call 499-0333. Gardeners and butterfly enthusiasts should mark their calendar now for a Butterfly Garden Tour on Aug. 6 in Norfolk. Gardens and times will be announced.
Enclosed are leaves from a camellia that is very old. I do not want to lose it. Please advise what steps I should take to save this plant.
Lydia A. Edwards, Suffolk
Your camellia has scale and sooty mold. Spray twice in June with Orthene to eliminate the scale. Honey dew is an excretion of aphids that live on the bottoms of the leaves. Then the black sooty mold moves in and lives on the sugar in the honey dew. Orthene should eliminate the aphids as well as the scale. It takes a while for rain to wash sooty mold off the leaves. You can hurry it up by spraying with soapy water, which also helps control the aphids.
Several months ago you stated in your column a method to kill creeping Charlie and/or ground ivy and/or kennelworth ivy. You can see that I don't know the name. We have a terrific problem in our yard and in many flower beds. I misplaced the article and would appreciate your sending a copy of the treatment I need to use.
Baxter Williams, Currituck, N.C.
Your problem is tough to solve. This pest is a perennial weed called ground ivy. Roundup is the best solution, but it will kill all weeds and grass it touches. This weed is resistant to 2-4D such as Weed-B-Gon. Banvel D, which is used in 33 Plus, will do a better job but it is dangerous around tree and shrub roots, often killing them. Either use Roundup once or a 2-4D product, sprayed several times, 10 days apart. Early spring is the best time to spray.
We moved to Tidewater three years ago and started trying to grow roses with some minimal amount of success. Trouble is I am also very good at growing black spot on the roses. I've been told to keep them dry, but it's pretty hard to do in this damp climate. The roses are mulched and sprayed, but I can't seem to get the black spot under control. The disease pretty well decimated the foliage last year, as well as the plants. I cleaned up and picked off the infected leaves, but that had little effect. I am new to rose and flower gardening so need some real help. I enjoy roses and hate to see them suffer with disease. I will appreciate any help you can supply.
Terry D. Mottley, Suffolk
Roses must be sprayed weekly with a fungicide such as Funginex, which is what I use, to prevent black spot. Even then, you're probably going to get some. At the end of the season, all fallen leaves and mulch should be removed and destroyed, because black spot winters over under the bushes. An organic control is one tablespoon soda in one gallon water plus one teaspoon of insecticidal soap. Growing roses without disease and insect problems is almost impossible. Breeders are bringing out much tougher but usually less attractive plants for 1996 to cut down on the amount of spraying required. MEMO: No gardening questions will be taken over the phone. Write to Robert
Stiffler, The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star, 150 W. Brambleton
Ave., Norfolk, Va. 23510. Answers will be published on a space-available
basis at the proper time for their use in the garden. For an earlier
reply, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope. by CNB