PETERSON PLANT POINTERS
PETERSON NURSERY & GARDEN CENTER, INC.
2184 E. COUNTY ROAD 540 A, LAKELAND, FLA. 33813
PHONE 863-644-6491 E-MAIL: petersonnursery1@juno.com
VOL. 13:5 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2009
WRITTEN BY: KAREN PETERSON NORRIS
PRINTED BY: HOWIE PETERSON
IF YOU FEEL STRESSED OUT DUE TO THE HEAT. . . . . .
YOUR PLANTS DO TOO!!! The extreme heat and dryness
we have had during our summer has put a lot of stress on
our plants and lawns. Sporadic rains, intense heat and
winds cause water to evaporate very quickly from the leaves.
If the roots can't absorb and convey water fast enough to
replenish this loss, the leaves will appear wilted, brown or
spotted. Flowering shrubs will drop their blooms and buds
will dry out and drop off and not develop. During excessive
hot days SUNBURN can occur on shade or sun plants. The
symptoms are large spots, dark blotches or whitish/yellowish
bleached appearance - between the veins are all from
damaged tissue that were allowed to dry out.
UNDERWATERING plants will survive but do not function
normally and leaves frequently burn and wilt over the entire
plant. Mulching is good for plants but don't allow the mulch to
touch the base of the plant. On certain trees or shrubs
mulch may cause foot rot and this disease can and will
cause death in the plants. Do not let the soil dry out to the
point where spotting or leaf scorch occurs. In planting,
incorporate TERRASORB PLANTING GEL to help keep the
moisture around the newly planted plants with ORGANIC
PEAT or PLANTING SOIL with GARDENTONE OR
MILORGANITE FERTILIZER. (MAKE A $50.00 HOLE FOR
A $10.00 PLANT.) Your plants will survive a hot summer as
we have had this year. In ground, plants can also use
TERRASORB PLANTING GEL by making 10-15 deep holes
in the ground placing 1 OR 2 teaspoons and distributing
evenly in the holes.
ANNUALS (Bedding Plants) and Fall Vegetables . . .
prepare now. It can be very rewarding if it is properly done.
Here are some important things to keep in mind when
choosing the proper place for your vegetables and flowers.
1) Find a full sun location, if trees or shrubs are too close,
your garden will be shaded out and not bloom or bear fruit.
2) Soil must be level and well drained, vegetables and
flowers will not grow in standing water. Root rot will set in.
3) Must be able to have water or irrigation.
4) Pick a spot that is easy to get to, near your house.
5) Keep the garden free of trash, roots and such materials
that will make it difficult to work.
6) Plant the vegetables that you and your family like, do not
plant too much of any one vegetable at one time as this
makes for a feast and a famine.
ANNUALS CONT.
Plant flowers you can enjoy, by watching butterflies or useful
for cut flowers in the home for color. Be sure you can grow
the vegetable or flowers for this time of year or you will be
disappointed. See section PLANT NOW.
7) For vegetables or flowers prepare soil prior to planting by
incorporating organic soil such as Peat Humus, Organic
fertilizer such as cow manure, Organic 6-6-6 or Milorganite.
8) For Nematodes use Hi-Yield Nem-a-cide Nematode
control that is an organic product call "Chitin". 9) Add
Dolomitic Limestone if pH is too low. 10) For cutworms, mole
crickets and other insects scatter bait over the area such as
Permethrin or Carbaryl (Sevin) in Granular form.
AZALEAS: Continue to check for the RED-HEADED
CATERPILLARS they can eat your plant in a day. Use
THURICIDE, SEVIN or DIPEL DUST. Don't cut them back
they will grow back quickly. If any trimming is done you may
risk losing some blooms for next spring. A serious problem
this time of year is LACE BUGS causing a silvery effect on
the leaf appearance. Use ORTHENE or BAYER INSECT,
DISEASE & MITES CONTROL 3 IN 1 . As a preventer use
DI-SYSTON SYSTEMIC INSECTICIDE GRANULES every
2-3 months.
CITRUS: Now is an excellent time to plant new trees and
apply fertilizer 3-4 weeks after planting. As fall approaches,
summer rains begin to dwindle. Gumming near ground level
on the trunk and small yellow leaves with general tree
decline may indicate foot rot fungus. To avoid foot rot,
improve air circulation by trimming low branches and
removing weeds and grass at the base of the tree. DO NOT
mulch any citrus tree. DO NOT injure the trunk of the tree
with mowers or other equipment as this will give the disease
and entry point. Plant the tree slightly higher than it was in
the container. Never plant a citrus tree too deep. Foot rot is
difficult to cure and usually the tree will die. Check all citrus
trees for CITRUS LEAF MINOR, RED SPIDER MITES,
COTTONY CUSHION SCALE and CITRUS ROOT
WEEVIL-BEETLE (in top of tree) for control use
MALATHION & OIL or CONSERVE NATURALYTE.
Several applications may be necessary for this control.
Spray every 10 -14 days to protect your citrus from these
bugs.
LAWN MAINTENANCE: With all the summer rainfall, you
may be seeing yellow areas or streaks in your Bahia grass
and St. Augustine grass. There are several reason's why
1) Lack of fertilizer that includes Nitrogen and Magnesium
apply Howard’s Fertilizer 16-2-8 with trace elements.
2) Soil pH is off -might need a soil acifider such as Hi Iron
Plus with Minors or a sweetener such as Dolomite
Limestone.
3) Wet areas where water drains or where water stands after
it rains - use Gypsum to breakup damp, wet or compact
areas in the lawn.
4) Lawn pests are enjoying our summer heat such as
CHINCH BUGS, GRUBS, SOD WEB WORMS, MOLE
CRICKETS AND FALL ARMYWORMS. For insect control:
BIFENTHRIN (TALSTAR), CYFLUTHRIN, ORTHENE,
DELTAMETHRIN, PERMETHRIN or SEVIN (Carbaryl) to
help your lawn to recover.
5) Fungus is also a problem in the grasses this time of year
because of the humidity. This should be identified and
treated. Bring samples in for identification. The fungus
could be ANTHRACNOSE, BROWN PATCH, DOLLAR
SPOT, GRAY LEAF SPOT, HELMINTHOSPORIUM LEAF
SPOT, PYTHIUM OR RUST. For fungus control: F-STOP,
PROPHESY GRANULES, DITHANE M-45, or THIOMYL.
POINSETTIAS: Deadline . . . . September 15th . . . . to cut
poinsettias back so they will come into color for Christmas
season. After all the rain from the summer, check your
plants for Poinsettia Scab which is a fungus that is very
contagious to the poinsettia. This is a hard disease to
control. The best control for this disease is to prune all
infected parts of the plant and destroy these parts. Between
each cut disinfect your clippers with pure alcohol or bleach
diluted (1 tbsp. per gallon). The plant then should be sprayed
with Liquid Copper Fungicide (2 Tbsp. per gallon). It is
necessary to repeat spraying to protect the new growth.
Fertilize with 100% Organic 6-6-6 or Plant-tone to
encourage the plant to grow back.
ROSES: It is now time to groom your rose bushes to
enhance fall bloom. Dip clippers in bleach water, 1 tsp.
bleach per gallon of water. Remove dead and dying twigs
and reduce the length of excessively long canes. This is a
clipping NOT a major pruning as is done in January.
Continue to spray your roses weekly for spider mites,
aphids, powdery mildew, and black spot. For control use
Bayer Insect, Disease & Mite Control 3 in 1. Re-establish
your roses use 1 cup Bone Meal, 1 cup Agricultural
Limestone and 1 cup Rose-tone.
TREES: Dogwoods, Redbuds, Pines, Oaks, Sycamores and
Maples are all showing signs of summer leaf scorch during
the hot dry weather we have during September. Summer
leaf scorch is caused by excessive evaporation of moisture
from the leaves during hot and windy weather. Water
evaporates rapidly from the leaves and the roots can't
absorb and convey water fast enough to replenish this loss.
The leaves turn brown around the edges and between the
veins. Sometimes the whole leaf withers and dies. Many
leaves may drop during late summer. This problem is most
severe on the youngest branches but trees do not generally
die. Trees that are under stress will show signs of limb
breakage, debarking and dying. Preventing stress on trees
deep-water during periods of hot weather to wet down the
entire root space and wet the foliage also to replenish the
moisture that was lost from the heat. Avoid injury to trunk
such as lawnmowers, or weed eaters and fertilize to keep
healthy trees. Due to excessive stress on Pine Trees -
Division of Forestry has seen an out break of a Beetle use
ORTHENE, CONSERVE NATURALYTE, PERMETHRIN or
SEVIN as preventative spray will help prevent this Beetle.
Tall trees must be applied by a professional spray service.
VEGETABLES: Once you have planted your vegetable
plants, watch for insects especially for caterpillars,
cutworms, aphids, and fungus. For control use CONSERVE
NATURALYTE or HI-YEILD GARDEN & PET DUST.
Continue to feed your vegetables monthly to keep them
healthy use SUNNILAND BLOOM SPECIAL 2-10-10,
ESPOMA GARDEN-TONE or ESPOMA TOMATO-TONE
FERTILIZER for blooming vegetables to produce fruit. On
leafy vegetables or root crops use 100% ORGANIC 6-6-6
OR PLANT-TONE FERTILIZER. If you have planted
vegetables before in that location, stagger and rotate your
crop to throw off the normal insect cycle. Use aluminum foil
or newspaper collars around each plant to discourage
cutworms from cutting the plants off at ground level.
PLANT NOW
BULBS: Amaryllis, Anemones, Callas, Narcissus
ANNUALS (H=HARDY; T=TENDER): Ageratum-T; Alyssum
(Sweet)-H; Begonias-T; Calendula (Pot-Marigold)-H; Cleome
(Spider Flower)-H; Coleus-T; Delphinium-H; Dianthus
(Sweet Williams)-H; Gaillardia (Blanket Flower)-H; Gazania
Daisy-H; Geraniums-H; Gypsophila Baby Breath)-H; Holly
Hock (Annual)-H; Impatiens-T; Larkspur-H; Lobelia-T;
Lupine-H; Melampodium-H; Nasturtium-T; Nicotiana
(Flowering Tobacco)-H; Pansy-H; Petunias-H; Phlox-H;
Periwinkles-T; Statice-H; Stock-H; Sweet Peas-H; Verbena-
H; Viola (Johnny Jump-Up)-H.
HERBS (T=TENDER): Basils-T; Catnip-T; Chives; Dill;
Fennel-T; Garlic; Lavender; Mints-T; Oregano; Parsley;
Rosemary; Sage; Sweet Marjoram; Tarragon; Thyme.
VEGETABLES (H=HARDY; T=TENDER): Beans (Snap,
Bush or Pole)-T; Beets-H; Broccoli-H; Brussels Sprouts-H;
Cabbage-H; Carrots-H; Cauliflower-H; Celery-H; Chinese
Cabbage-H; Collards-H; Corn-T; Endive-H; Escarole-H;
Kale-H; Kohlrabi-H; Lettuce-H; Okra-T; Onions (Sweet &
Green Scallions)-H; Peas (Black-eyed)-T; Peas (English)-H;
Peppers-T; Potatoes (Irish)-H; Pumpkin-T; Radish-H;
Spinach-H; Squash (Winter)-H; Strawberries-H; Swiss
Chard-H; Tomatoes-T; Turnips-H.
FARMERS ALMANAC INFO CORNER-SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2009
PLANTING BELOW GROUND CROPS -9/5,13,14 10/10,11
PLANTING ABOVE GROUND CROPS -9/21,22 10/1,2,28,29,30
HARVEST ABOVE GROUND CROPS -9/26,27 – 10/ 23,24,25
HARVEST ROOT CROPS - 9/ 8,9,17 – 10/ 6,7,14,15
GRAFT OR POLLINATE- 9/ 13,14 – 10/ 10,11
DESTROY PEST & WEEDS -9/6,17 – 10/ 3,4,31
PRUNE TO ENCOURAGE GROWTH – 9/ 23,24,25 – 10/ 3,21,22
PRUNE TO DISCOURAGE GROWTH - 9/ 6,7,15,16 – 10/ 12,13
AVERAGE
RAINFALL
SEPT. 6.5”
OCT. 2.7”