Q: I am growing several kinds of tomatoes and spraying them with Daconil to prevent blossom end rot. Even so, my large tomatoes look perfect on top but the entire bottom is black. Joanne Sanders, e-mail
A: Blossom end rot isn't caused by a fungus. The Daconil spray will have no effect preventing it. The condition is caused by lack of calcium in the blossom end of the fruit when it is very small. Calcium does not move readily in a tomato plant. The best way to prevent the condition is to keep the soil uniformly moist without periods of dry/wet/dry/wet as it grows and sets fruit. There is some evidence that calcium chloride (Stop-Rot, etc) can assist in getting calcium to young fruit if the entire plant is thoroughly sprayed. However, keep in mind that water management when the fruit is small is key.
Q: I was interested in your radio comments about using straw treated with Grazon for mulch under tomato plants and the resulting curly leaves. I use manure from a local farm and have had problems. How do I get rid of the residue as quickly as possible? Julie Keller, e-mail
A: Time is about the only thing that eliminates the residue. The product's half-life in soil is more than 100 days. Tilling, to expose chemicals to sunshine and oxygen, and watering, to dilute them, help degrade the herbicide. The best way to test for herbicides in manure is to plant three bean seeds or a small tomato transplant in a pot filled with a 1:1 mix of manure and potting soil. Water, and let them grow for two to three weeks. If the plants grow normally you can assume the manure is safe to use.
Q: My bell peppers are supposed to be red and yellow. I'm getting a lot of fruit but they are all green. Are they going to turn color? Tammy Reed, e-mail
A: Bell peppers change color depending on how developed the seeds inside are. When the seeds are immature, the skin is green and full of chlorophyll. As the seeds mature, chlorophyll disappears and the "ripe" color of the fruit emerges. Different varieties change color to different hues of red, orange or yellow. You can eat bell peppers at any stage but you have to wait longer if you want the peppers to change color.
Q: I've got a seven-acre field in McIntosh County on which I've tried for years to grow crops. The soil is basically pure sand. Fertilizer just leaches down after a couple of rains and the sand holds no moisture. How can I amend it to make it more productive? Bill Fraser, e-mail
A: Tim Boyer is a turf expert and representative for Soil3 (www.soil3.com). He says sandy soil definitely needs to have organic matter added to improve water holding capacity and microscopic places to hold nutrients. You can buy wood byproduct mixes that contain sewage sludge, locally available screened topsoil, or commercial compost. Put an inch of the product on as large an area as you can manage and till it four inches deep. Immediately begin planting crops. Their root systems contribute to soil organic matter and prevent it from decomposing rapidly in your area.
Q: Can I mount a flagpole onto a six-inch tree trunk? Should I use a certain kind of nail? Karen Fegley, e-mail
A: I don't like nailing into a trunk but if you feel you have to do it, use aluminum gutter spikes. Clip to shorten them if needed. They do about the same damage to the tree as steel nails would but they aren't as dangerous to chain saw operators.
Listen to Walter Reeves Saturday mornings on AM 750 and 95.5 FM News-Talk WSB. Visit his website, www.walterreeves.com, or join his Facebook Fan Page at xrl.us/wrfacebook for more garden tips.
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