Q: What is chewing holes in my azalea leaves? This happens every year around July on otherwise healthy bushes. — Laura Lankford, Gwinnett County
A: It's cranberry rootworm. The larvae feed on roots and adults feed on leaves from the underside at night, making characteristic curved holes. Control with imidacloprid (Bayer Tree and Shrub) soil drench or spinosad (Captain Jack's Dead Bug Brew) sprayed under leaves at night.
Q: A dead patch has been progressing quickly on creeping Jenny in my yard. Full sun, started two weeks ago. — Mary Kay Woodworth, Atlanta
A: My bet is it's Southern blight. University of Georgia plant disease expert Jean Williams-Woodward said you can often see mustard seed-looking structures that allow the fungus to survive for years in a bed. The disease needs warm, humid, moist conditions. As air temperature cools, it will slow its growth and eventually stop. Then, next year, it will come back in July. Dig up the dead plants and place them and the top couple of inches of soil in the garbage. Then, dig and flip the soil so that the soil surface is buried 6 inches deep. The pathogen needs oxygen and only infects at the soil line. If the fungus is buried, then it won't infect. You can add new soil to the area and replant.
Q: Do you think a monthly mosquito spraying by an exterminator will hurt the bee population? — Pa Griffin, Walton County
A: I'm not sure a monthly spraying would even harm the mosquito population. These biting insects can go from egg to adult in 14 days. A light breeze can easily blow them in from an unsprayed neighbor. I dislike area mosquito sprays in general because they kill beneficial insects like honeybees and butterflies. I am particularly troubled by mosquito systems that spray periodically during the day without regard to wind direction. I recommend repellents, patio fans and mosquito larvicides to control these flying nuisances.
Q: I have a Granny Smith apple tree and a Stayman Winesap. When do I pick them? — Gordon Hunter, Milton
A: One method is to count the number of days since full bloom, if you remember when that occurred. Granny Smith is usually ripe at 165-180 days after full bloom. Ripe apples fall easily from the tree; not much twisting is needed. When you slice into a ripe apple, the seeds will be brown.
Q: We have a tomato plant that produces tomatoes that have a very hard core. It feels like wood; what causes that? — Evelyn Williams, email
A: It's usually caused by hot weather, but older varieties that are big and juicy may have hard cores, too.
About the Author
