Q: I planted asparagus this past spring and cut down the foliage a few weeks ago. The other day, I noticed that each plant has a few asparagus stalks coming up! Elizabeth Hagood, Fayette County
A: The little sprouts came up because we haven't had lots of cold weather yet. Warm soil stimulated new growth after your pruning. You can cut and eat the sprouts if you like. Remember to fertilize regularly during the growing season and to control weeds assiduously. You'll have a great asparagus harvest year after year. I have details on asparagus care and the best varieties at bit.ly/georgiaasparagus.
Q: Which is best for mature pecan trees, broadcasting zinc sulfate or spraying leaves with liquid zinc? Virginia Norris, Greene County
A: It's far better to spray the leaves. Pecans need sufficient levels of zinc in their leaves to produce good nuts. Zinc applied to the soil will be bound up by soil particles and will take at least two years to become available to the tree. Three to six foliar sprays per season are needed, with the first spray applied two weeks after budbreak. Make subsequent applications at two-week intervals while shoots are elongating, typically through late May.
Q: Is it possible to chemically eradicate clover in a bed of dwarf iris? Charlie Christian, Madison
A: My friend Theresa Schrum points out that irises are monocots (single-leafed plants) and therefore should be immune to 2,4-D, the primary ingredient in broadleaf (dicot) weedkillers. However, many products containing 2,4-D are only labeled for lawn application. I suppose you could do a small test plot to see how the irises respond to herbicide application. I have other chemical options for clover control in the landscape at bit.ly/cloveriris.
Q: I need suggestions on how I can recycle the grass clippings from my large bermuda lawn. Each mowing produces about ten large bags of clippings. Scott Hobbs, Henry County
A: The very best option would be to mow a bit more often with a mulching mower and let the clippings stay on the lawn. Clippings return nitrogen to the soil and help protect the base of grass plants. A good mulching mower will chop the clippings so finely as to be invisible. If you insist on bagging, a thin layer of clippings can be used to mulch under trees and shrubs. Otherwise you can layer the clippings with leaves and make excellent compost.
Q: For several years I had a bird feeder hanging over my St. Augustine grass. I used sunflower seed and I began to notice that the grass beneath the feeder had stopped growing. I now have an eight foot circle that is bare of grass. Larry Fountain, Dunwoody
A: It's true that sunflower seeds inhibit the growth of some, but not all, plants growing nearby. I don't know of any research that shows allelopathy of sunflower seed hulls towards St. Augustinegrass. A contributing factor could be the ground-feeding birds and rodents who constantly scratch under your feeder and damage grass plants by their frantic work. Consider using a seed guard that prevents bird food from falling to the ground.
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