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Questions and Answers:Q. When should I apply manure to my garden and what is the best type of manure? A. The best time to apply manure is in the fall. Manure should be composted to the point that it smells like earth and has a crumbly texture. It should no longer look like manure. The reason for this is that fresh manure contains too much ammonia that can stunt and burn plants as well as pathogens that spread disease, including the dreaded E. coli 0157:H7. The composting process, which is simply piling the manure in a pile of organic matter at least 5 feet tall until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees, will kill most pathogens and start the breakdown process. The pile will need to be turned occasionally until it no longer heats up. That usually is the sign that the composting process is complete. It heats up because of the bacterial action that occurs during the breakdown process. You turn the pile to provide oxygen to the bacteria so it can compost the material more quickly. Chicken or turkey manure is the best, but is more likely to burn plants when fresh. Rabbit manure is second, followed by cattle, then horse. Horse manure usually contains lots of weed seeds. If you use manure regularly on your garden, have your soil tested every year for phosphorous and salt levels. Q. How far should I plant a tree from my house to save some energy and help lower my cooling costs? A. Trees that lose their leaves in the winter or best for planting close to a house and help lower air conditioning and heating costs. Some trees such as the live oak, which remains evergreen, will promote mold and fungus growth on your house. Beware of trees with spreading roots that wander off in search of water, such as a cottonwood or willow. They can damage your foundation. I prefer smaller trees such as crepe myrtles, redbuds or dogwoods that don't create a hazard during a bad windstorm. Trees planted for energy conservation should be placed 15 to 20 feet from the eaves of the house. Q. Can I grow my own tobacco? A. Tobacco is a fairly easy plant to grow and at one time Texas had several tobacco growers and processors. Seed and growing instructions are available through several different websites. The problem comes during the drying process, which can take six months or more. Growing and smoking your homegrown tobacco does not take away the health risks associated with smoking. Q. This warm weather seems to be stunting some of my fall garden vegetables and the bugs are finishing the rest of them off. What can I do? A. I don't believe the warm weather is stunting your plants as much as the lack of water. All landscape plants need extra water when it's dry, even though the nights are a little cooler. Be sure to use an organic fertilizer when preparing beds for the fall. Bt or Spinosad will knock out any of the worms or beetles that are working the fall garden right now. Q. I thinned out a bunch of cedars on my property and now the ones I left standing or all dead. What happened? A. Annosus root rot, or Fomes annosus, infects the freshly cut stump of a conifer and can spread to healthy trees. The fungus produces a conk, or hard mushroom like growth below the soil line on the fresh stumps and it eventually spreads to healthy trees through the overlapping root systems. It is prevalent in sandy soils. The spread of the disease stabilizes after about ten years. Hardwoods, such as oaks, are not as susceptible to the disease. Prevention methods include sprinkling borax on the fresh stumps and cutting the trees during the heat of the summer. Click Here to Ask Me a Gardening Question
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