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Questions and Answers:Q. Should I stake my Celebrity Tomatoes? My friend told me they are determinate and don’t need to be staked. A. All tomatoes do better if the fruit is not allowed to touch the ground. Determinate tomato plants are supposed to be more well-behaved than the continuous-growing indeterminate ones. However, that will not keep them from laying over in a strong wind or when they are heavy with fruit. Q. When should I treat squash plants for vine borers and what should I use to treat them? A. I use a pyrethrum dust such as “Viper” around the base of the plants right before the first blooms open. Be careful not to put it on the vines in a way it will come in contact with bees fertilizing the squash plant. Simply treat the base and then mound the dirt over the bottom of the vine over the dust. Pyrethrum dust is an organic solution but degrades in sunlight, so that is why I mound the dirt over it. This keeps the moth that lays the borer worm away from the base where she lays her eggs. After hatching, the worm will makes its way into the center of the vine and kill the plant. The plant will suddenly die, especially on a warm day. If a plant is infected, pull it from the garden, split the bottom of the vine and kill the worm. Dispose of the plant. Be sure to plant around 25 percent more of the squash plants you need because some plants will die not matter what you do. Interestingly, the squash vine borer is not a big a problem on large plantings as it is on small garden plots. Q. Is it time to add lawn fertilizer? What kind do you suggest? A. Yes, it is time to add fertilizer to your lawn. I suggest a slow release organic fertilizer with a 3-1-2 ratio. Brands to look for are Medina, Texas-Tea by Maestro-Grow, and Lady Bug. Q. Is it safe to use sulfur on my vegetables to control spider mites? A. Yes, is some cases, but follow directions carefully. Buy wettable sulfur suitable for vegetable gardens as it is easier to apply. Test a small area first. Do not apply sulfur on cucumbers or squash or anything related to them. The leaves will shatter and it will dramatically decrease production. Q. I am already seeing aphids on my Red Tip Photinias. What can I do to kill them? A. Treat aphids as soon as they are spotted in the garden. There will never be enough ladybugs to kill the amount of aphids that appear on cantaloupe, watermelon, milkweed plants or shrubs such as the Red Tip Photinia. Spray with an insecticidal soap available at most large garden centers or 1 tablespoon of Ivory Dish Soap, Murphy’s Oil Soap, or Dr. Bronner’s Soap per one gallon of water. You have to use real soap and not detergent because it is the fatty acids in the soap that kills the bugs after it dissolves the waxy protective layer that keeps bugs from dehydrating. Look for the word “soap” on the label. Do not spray on a hot day and after two hours use a strong stream of water to wash away the dead bugs and the remaining soap. It has no residual power and you must spray the bugs directly so there is no need to soak the entire plant. Q. What is your opinion of the President and his wife starting their own vegetable garden? A. It’s good press, but I have to see it first. I suppose if Bush can make everyone believe he was a Texas cowboy for eight years with those lily-livered hands of his, the Obama’s should be able to convince us they have a small vegetable garden out back of the White House. I wonder if they could use a copy of my column each week? Click Here to Ask Me a Gardening Question
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