Q: I often see big elephant ear plants being used in commercial landscapes. What happens to the plants in winter? Do they give them away? Radio caller
A: Local landscaper Ed Castro says most companies simply compost the plants. It would be too much trouble for them to keep them during winter. Due to scheduling problems, it would also be very difficult to arrange a way to get the plants before they hit the compost bin. Fast crew schedules, multiple stops during the day, and labor costs conspire to make it impossible to give the plants to gardeners. If you happen to see a crew at work, don’t hesitate to ask for discarded plants. Just don’t expect them to call you when they arrive at a site scheduled for a fall makeover.
Q: A local nursery suggested spinosad to control caterpillars on collards. When I read the label, it said “In the state of Georgia, do not apply this product to Collards, Kale, Mustard Greens, Spinach, etc…” Can you shed some light on this? Sara Moore, Morrow
A: It turns out that the situation goes back several years to when diamondback moth caterpillars were wreaking havoc on collard fields all over Georgia. Dr. Stormy Sparks says that growers had been using a product that contains spinosad to control diamondback moth for several years previously but noticed that they were getting less and less control as the years wore on. Spinosad was discovered in the soil of a rum distillery and is used in organic production.
Growers loved spinosad because it has very low toxicity to mammals and is very effective against hard-to-control insects. When growers and researchers noticed spinosad wasn’t working as well as before, they suspected that insecticide resistance was developing. Indeed, that was proven to be the case.
To combat resistance, growers were limited to a few applications per year. Homeowner use of spinosad on selected leafy greens (collards, kale, mustard, etc) was limited as well. That explains why you saw the “GA exemption” on the label.
Going back to your original problem, look for a caterpillar killing product that contains Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.). This organic pesticide will control caterpillars that eat holes on leafy crop foliage.
Q: I’ve heard that nitrate fertilizer is good for pansies in winter. I used Miracle Gro at planting but am hunting nitrate fertilizer. Mary Davidson, email
A: The only product I’m aware of is Osmocote 19-6-12 slow release fertilizer. It contains 9% nitrate nitrogen. As you point out, roots growing in cold soil absorb nitrate nitrogen much better than urea or ammonium nitrogen.
Q: I have a fescue lawn. I want to use composted chicken litter as a supplement to fertilizer to drive root growth. What is the best time to apply the litter? How often? Randy Payne, email
A: This is a situation where you’ll have to experiment to see what combination of chicken litter and regular fertilizer makes your turf look best. It’s hard to know how much litter would supply the nutrients your lawn needs. Depending on how old it is and where it came from, chicken litter has a typical fertilizer analysis of 3-3-2. You’d have to apply 33 pounds per 1000 square feet three times between September and March if you depended exclusively on litter for fertilizing your lawn. A disadvantage of litter is that it releases its nutrients slowly in cold weather. An advantage is that it supplies organic matter to the soil besides the chemical nutrients nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
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