Thursday, July 30, 2009

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Citrus plants will suffer from root rot if you place mulch around the roots These are the only plants that do not like their roots (feet) covered. Q. I have two orange trees and a friend has informed me that I should put mulch around the roots of the trees. Can you tell me what type of mulch should I use around these trees. T.C., Highland Park A. Putting mulch around the roots of your citrus trees is not a good idea as these plants are susceptible to root rot and need good aeration around the roots. Grass should not be grown under these trees. Citrus plants do not compete well with other plats for nutrients in the soil. Q. I bought a flat of periwinkles and put them out in the garden. Shortly after a heavy rainfall they started to wilt and it was not long before several of the plants were dead. However, I have noticed that these plants are growing wild over some parts of Nassau. Can you tell me why these plants I bought and planted died so quickly? I.M., Winton Heights A. Your plants may have died from any one of several fungi attacks which caused the death of your plants. These plants are best grown during our cooler months (Sept. - March). They seem to be short-lived in the summer due to extremes in moisture and heat. Many newly cultivated species are bred for flowers which are not disease resistant and are not as hardy a plant as the ones that spring up over our landscape. Q. My star apple tree had fruit on it for the first time last year. I have a difficult time telling when to harvest the fruit. Can you tell me what to look for and when to pick them? A.M., Westward Villas A. The star apple fruit is generally harvested between January - June. The fruit does not fall from the tree when ripe, so it must be hand-picked. If picked before maturity the fruit will be gummy and most inedible. When ripe the skin of the fruit is slightly wrinkled and soft to the touch. The tree has beautiful leaves, dark green glossy tops and bronze undersides. Q. I was on a cruise and bought a variety of gourd seeds which I would like to plant in my garden. Do you think that they will grow well here? M.M., Winton Meadows A. Gourds can be grown in The Bahamas, but this will not be the best time of the year to plant. In The Bahamas, all plants in the 'cucurbit group' (melons, squash, cucumbers and gourds) are prone to fungal diseases, and our rainy, humid summer will be here soon. Try planting them in September - November so they will have the long growing season they need during our dry months. Bahamas Met. Office (1971 - 2000) Average Rainfall for June: 8.69 inches Planting guide for June Vegetables: Collard, Egg plant, Garlic, Lettuce, Okra, Peppers, Spinach, Turnips, Tomato. Flowers: Aster, Cosmos, Gaillardia, Marigold, Portuluca, Periwinkle, Salvia, Zinnia. Grasses: Bahia, Bermuda, Centipede grasses, St. Augustine grasses. For help with your garden problems write to Garden Korner, P. O. Box N - 3011, Nassau, Bahamas. Tuesday, June 30, 2009