Q: Our squash plants are small and we have covered them with cheesecloth. How long should we keep the plants covered to protect them from the squash vine borer? Patsy Daniel, email
A: Squash vine borer causes much gnashing of teeth for metro gardeners. Plants look healthy until just before squash is produced, then the whole thing rots at the base of the stem. A moth lays her eggs on the stem when the plant is young and the larvae bore into the squash stem. A low-cost way to prevent borers is to cover plants with cheesecloth or floating row cover until the squash begins blooming. By that time the stem is tough enough to withstand attack, and the flowers are ready for bees to perform pollination.
Q: I planted four Red Robin hollies behind our pool. I am trying to determine the right male to go with these female shrubs. Greg Crum, Northern Va.
A: Red Robin is a selection of 'Mary Nell' holly that has a distinct red tinge to new foliage. Usually it will get enough pollen from other hollies in the neighborhood to give good berry production. However, if you really want to go all-out, Festive holly has flowers that produce pollen that is most compatible with Red Robin. A similar holly, Little Red produces no pollen.
Q: Can we grow turmeric in Georgia? Mary Ann Witcher, email
A: Turmeric is a tropical herb that's kin to ginger root. You can buy fresh roots at health food stores and plant them in a large container outdoors. Just before the first frost, dig out the roots and store some for planting next spring. Boil the roots you'll use for cooking 30-45 minutes and peel off the outer skin. Dry the interior for several days until it is hard enough to grind into powder in your food processor.
Q: I'm getting ticks on me and my dogs almost every day. What can I do to control them? Liam Brumley, email
A: This looks to be a big year for ticks. I've seen three on my body already! Ticks climb to the tip of grasses and small shrubs to wait for a passing animal or human. Consider spraying an outdoor insecticide on typical roosting places; avoid spraying the entire lawn and landscape. A surveyor advises that he mixes powdered sulfur 1:1 with baby powder and dusts his socks and pants legs before walking through woods or grassy clearings. I have other tick tips, including how to make a tick drag at bit.ly/GAticks.
Q: Is there a guide about the depth of planting vegetable seeds? I need to know how deep to plant different vegetables. Ken Turner, Smyrna
A: A general rule of thumb is to plant seeds an inch deep. The soil is warm at that depth, and the seedlings have enough soil in which to form anchor roots. I have a collection of UGA vegetable gardening publications plus a full chart of seed planting depths at bit.ly/UGAgardening.
Q: Most of our backyard is dry red clay with very little grass. It's in heavy shade in spring and summer and then covered in leaves in the fall and winter. We would really like to have grass. Can you point us toward some resources? Alexis Harvey, email
A: Start by understanding that no grass will thrive in the conditions you describe. Even fescue, which is our most shade-tolerant grass, needs thorough soil tilling and six hours of sunshine to look okay and keep weeds at bay. You could consider planting lots of shade-tolerant mondo grass. But your best resource is a local garden center expert, on a non-busy day. Ask their help in choosing shade-tolerant plants you can enjoy.
