KeepSaralandBeautiful
Meetings are held on the 2nd Thursday of each month
at 12 noon at the Saraland Chamber Offices.
KSB GARDENING NEWS FROM JAMES MILES
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entitled to the use of a custom-built garbage
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the betterment of Saraland!
Mayor Dr. Howard Rubenstein,
Council Chair Joe McDonald,
Council Members: Newton Cromer, Wayne Biggs,
Natalie Moye and Veronica Hudson
July 2022
July started with some drought ending rains, giving
our irrigation schedule a break. Even with regular
irrigation, some plants are still not getting enough
water to support a full fruit load and new growth at
the same time. Thus, you may have seen fruit drop
in that situation. It is nothing you are doing wrong or
should do about it, it’s the plants way of protecting
itself from death. A common issue that you may see
as a result of increased rain events is fruit split and
crack. It is usually seen more in ripe fruit than green.
The best way to reduce cracking and splitting is
consistent irrigation, plants need at least 1” of water
a week. A last note about the rain, we will see an
increase of diseases because of the soil splashing
up on the plants and the increased time the leaves
are wet. All of that encourages fugal and bacteria
diseases on plants.
What veggies do well in the heat of the summer?
Cucumbers, Eggplants, Lima Beans, Peas, Peppers,
and watermelons. Now is the time to plant pumpkins
for Halloween. One particularly important thing to
remember about growing vegetables in late summer
thru fall is that the insect population is increasing
every day. For this reason, I plant squash early and
try to stay ahead of the insect population. Once
squash vine borer shows up, I am usually in the last
few days of squash harvesting and let that end the
squash season for that year. With that being the
case do your homework on the plants you plant to
learn about pest and problems to expect and
develop a plan to address them. It is best to start
your control with the identification of the insect as
soon as you see them. Keep in mind that not all
insects are bad, so do not panic at the sight of just
one or the presence of them.
I recently spoke to several gardeners that intend to
ramp up their vegetable production, especially
coming this fall. Now is the time to scout out
varieties you may be interested in planting. Check
websites, catalogs, apps, etc. There are some very
tasty new varieties out there that out produce some
of the older standbys.
Harvesting tips: harvest in the morning during the
cooler temperatures, a couple of weeks before
harvesting reduce irrigation to concentrate the sugar
content in the produce, and don’t fertilize once the
fruit/produce is set on the plants.
You can plant Gladiolus, divide, and replant Iris.
They will provide great fall color. Don’t forget a place
to sit in your landscape. Enjoy the outdoors.
June 2022
This is a great time to take soft-wood cuttings. Take
them in the morning and keep them hydrated.
Cuttings are taken from 3 to 5 inches of terminal
hardened growth. The bottom leaves are removed
from the cutting, leaving two to three leaves and the
vegetative buds on the tip of the cutting. Remove
flower buds. Slice off the lower end with a sharp
knife or razor at an acute angle. Dip the cut stem
end into rooting hormone before sticking the dipped
end into a lightly moistened medium to half the
cutting’s length. Firm the medium, and water the
cutting. Some plants take longer to root than others;
this process can range from 1 to 4 months.
Some hydrangeas can be layered for a quicker and
easier process of propagation. In early to
midsummer, dig a trench near the plant and bend a
flexible branch down into it. For better rooting,
scratch the bark area that has soil contact. Cover
the wounded branch section with soil and either pin it
or weigh it down with a brick. Six inches to one foot
of branch tip should stick out of the ground
uncovered. Note: Dust the bottom of the cuttings
with a rooting hormone on the wound to increase the
rooting rate. Smooth and oakleaf hydrangeas can
also be propagated by layering, but their colonizing
habit, spreading by underground stems, makes them
easy to propagate by division during the dormant
season. Propagation by division is simply digging
and separating the new sprout away from the colony.
Lace bugs are the main nuisance insect pest found
on azaleas and lantanas. These small insects have
black bodies and colored or variegated, lace-like
wings. They feed on the underside of leaves. The
upper leaf surface opposite the feeding areas
becomes speckled, and the leaf looks light or
bleached and eventually turns brown. Lace bugs
give off large amounts of a dark, sticky substance on
the underside of leaves. The substance may drop
from the plants. Black globules on the lower surface
of the leaves are obvious symptoms of this insect.
Apply foliar insecticides containing bifenthrin,
cyfluthrin, permethrin, or acephate when the damage
first appears to prevent unsightly damage. You may
repeat treatment in 30 days to keep the plant
damage to a minimum.
The month of May had gotten awfully dry, but that
rain during the last week really helped our plants. It
is important not to apply fertilizers or herbicides
during droughts or right before a rain event. With
fertilizers, damage can occur if plants get fertilizer
when they are not properly hydrated. Drought-
stressed plants can be damaged by herbicides that
they are normally tolerant of. Also, the targeted
weeds need to be actively growing for the herbicide
to be effective, not drought-stressed or drought
dormant.
On Saturday, June 11th, folks may fish for free
(without a license) in most public waters, including
freshwater and saltwater. This initiative is part of
National Fishing and Boating Week, which runs June
4-12. Click here to read more:
https://www.outdooralabama.com/.../free-fishing-day-
june-11
Enjoy the outdoors. Take some time to watch the
pine trees grow.
May 2022
Last spring, I noticed a high number of carpenter
bees flying around an area of my carport that had
several unpainted 2 X 4’s exposed. Days later, I saw
an accumulation of sawdust on items on the shelf
below that board.
A few weeks later, I was in a hardware store and saw
carpenter bee traps. The trap was a small wooden
house structure with a single ½” hole on each side
and a mason jar attached to the bottom with a larger
hole at the jar opening.
I hung that trap in the area of interest, within a few
days, I caught one. Later that year, late summer
early fall, I caught several more. Mid-April of this
year I caught several more. This is my testimony
that the traps work if you place them in the area of
activity and at the right time.
Let’s talk more about carpenter bees. They are large
bees that resemble bumble bees. They are also
pollinators and solitary nesters. The males do not
have stingers. The females have stingers, but they
are difficult to provoke to sting. They nest in
unpainted exposed boards.
Their nesting activity can cause and lead to
extensive structural damage. The entrance to the
nest is a ½” hole leading to many nest chambers.
The nesting boards can attract woodpeckers leading
to more damage as they peck into those boards to
feed on the larva.
What can be done to reduce the damage? Make
sure boards are painted. Wood stains are not as
effective. Treat with insecticides when possible.
Place traps in the area where there are unpainted
boards, especially in the spring and late summer thru
fall.
Here is a link more information on carpenter bees:
https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/CREATURES/misc/bees/x
ylocopa.htm
While walking my dog on the last day of April, I saw
adult mole crickets crawling around my and my
neighbor’s lawns. Seeing them, I realized that
mating is still going on and that egg hatching will be
delayed. This year’s activity was delayed because of
the frequent rains and cool soil temperatures. If you
notice adult activity and presence in the spring, map
the area and put a note on the calendar for late June
early July for treatment. Don’t waste your time and
money treating now. The adults are too large to kill
and not feeding enough to ingest any product you
apply.
Follow this link for more information on mole crickets:
https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/lawn-
garden/biology-and-control-of-mole-crickets/
Enjoy the outdoors.
April 2022
I recently had a friend call me and ask why some of
his azaleas bloomed and some didn’t. After a little
investigating, we discovered that his father pruned
some of them back in January. By pruning in
January, which is too early, he removed all the buds
that would have developed into flowers. Let his
misfortune serve as a reminder to prune azaleas
right after they finish blooming and finish no later
than mid-summer.
Have you seen fire ants on your vegetable and/or
ornamental plants? If you have, look closely at the
plants for insects such as aphids, scales, and mites.
Ants like to feed on the honeydew that those insects
produce. Honeydew is the sugar-rich excrement of
aphids, scales, and mites. It is also a free and easy
source of high-energy food. Honeydew is the same
substance that sooty mold (blackening) grows on.
Fire ants will even “farm” aphids by taking aphis to
their mound for safety during harsh weather events
like storms and freezes. This is a great time to apply
the baits. Remember to apply when the ground is
dry, no rain is forecast for a couple of hours, and the
ants must be actively foraging.
Here is a link for more information about managing
fire ants with baits:
https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/crop-
production/managing-fire-ants-with-baits/
If you have not had your mower and other power
landscape equipment serviced, make sure you check
the oil level before you start them. Local repair
shops are getting busy with last-minute drop-offs, so
be patient.
With the rising cost of fertilizers and other
gardening/landscape products, some gardeners are
reducing inputs. Reductions can be made wisely
and still maintain a productive garden and attractive
landscape. Here are a few examples:
•
If you have fertilized your lawn regularly for
years and left your clippings, you can reduce or even
not fertilize the lawn this year.
•
If you must choose between lime or fertilization,
always choose lime.
•
If you have mainly annual weeds, apply pre-
emergent products as discussed in previous articles
and reduce the post-emergent products.
•
Any application of pesticides should be based
on the proper identification and presence of the
target pest and not a set date or possibility of a
problem.
Several of the local schools with horticulture
programs have begun marketing and selling plants of
all kinds. I urge you to support them and even
cooperate with them to get things that you can’t find
easily. Some of them will also work with you on
germinating your seed for a fee or donation. These
programs help kids learn the cultural part of the
horticulture industry and the business side as well as
customer service. The programs depend on plant
sales to expand and stay current with the industry.
Enjoy the outdoors!
March 2022
Peaches, plums, and nectarines are blooming or
very near blooming. Bud swell through fruit
development is a risky time. The risk of freeze
damage is high once the bud breaks dormancy.
During this time, if temperatures are forecast to drop
to 32 degrees or below, you may want to have a plan
to protect your blooms/fruit. You can cover with
fabric, freeze cloths, arrange lighting strategically
placed as to not damage the plant(s) or cause a fire,
etc. Keep an eye on the weather and take action if
need be.
As I mentioned in a couple of articles last year, I
started raising chickens back in July of 2021. I built
a portable coop, chicken tractor, that I have been
moving around for the past few months. As a result,
they have really cleaned up an area of the garden
that was covered with some tough to control weeds,
aerated the compacted soil, and added valuable
nutrients and organic matter to the soil. I have
placed them in a new area giving the old site plenty
of time to make sure I won’t be harvesting any crops
within 90 days of their presence to reduce any food
safety concerns/risks. I recall when I raised rabbits, I
used the manure in all areas of my landscape and
the plants looked great and performed better than
expected. I also planted cover crops (clover and
ryegrass) in the area the chickens worked over. The
cover crops really grew well and added even more
organic matter to the soil. WINNING!!!
It appears that I will have to mow my winter weeds
one more time in the next couple of weeks before my
warm-season grass greens up. Again, this is a result
of missing the fall application of a pre-emergent.
Stay on top of those pre-emergent applications. It is
easy to miss a seasonal treatment if you have done
it enough times to keep them out of sight, but as
soon as you miss a treatment, they germinate with a
vengeance.
On the vegetable front, most gardeners plant by a
calendar. Well, seasons and temperatures don’t
always match dates on the calendar. I use a
combination of soil temperature, dates, and weather
trends. Here is a publication that lists soil
temperatures for various vegetables:
https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/lawn-garden/soil-
temperature-conditions-for-vegetable-seed-
germination/
Even with optimal soil temperatures, freezing air
temps can still damage/kill seedlings.
I love this warming trend and the days getting longer.
Get out there and enjoy the outdoors! Even the rainy
days!
February 2022
If you missed the fall application of pre-emergent
herbicide like I did, winter weeds are starting to
mature and flower. Most of them are annual weeds.
One thing that can be done now is kill them with an
herbicide or cut them down to prevent them from
producing more seeds. Last month, I pulled out the
lawnmower and mowed my yard that was mainly
grown in winter weeds in an effort to prevent
flowering and to give it a manicured look. Mid-
February is the time to apply the pre-emergent
herbicides for your warm-season weeds.
As for chill hour accumulation, January weather
wasn’t pleasant for the most part, but it was really
good to the Gulf Coast chill hour numbers.
Chill hour numbers as of February 1st
Brewton, AL – 636 hours Old Model; 513 hour
Modified Model
Fairhope, AL – 411 hours Old Model; 370 hour
Modified Model
Moss Point, MS – 477 hours Old Model; 409 hours
Modified Model
You can start pruning most of your landscape plants
after Valentine’s Day but watch the weather trends.
If there is a major cold front predicted right before or
a few days after the day you plan to prune, wait until
the front has passed.
I have been getting emails and catalogs from seed
companies and garden centers. It has got me
building my wish list of plants I want to try, and areas
I want to expand. Last year, I wrote about my new
interest in Monarch butterflies. I also stated that it
took 2 years of planting Milkweed before they found
my landscape. Well, my excitement about attracting
Monarchs is still strong and expanding to other
butterflies and their needs. Here are a few tips for
you if you have an interest in plantings for Monarchs
or butterflies in general.
•
Plant more than one of the same plant. A
general landscape rule is to plant odd numbers.
•
Plant more than one species, some insects
have specific preferences and variety helps cover all
bases.
•
Plant species for the larva and the adult stages
of the life cycle.
•
Plant them in groups to enhance the chances of
attracting your desired insect.
•
Plant your butterfly garden in full sun.
•
Plant a progression of flowing plants for
extended feeding periods.
Now, here is some homework for you. Below is a list
of common plants that attract Monarchs and other
butterflies that you can research.
Milkweed – attracts Monarchs
Buddleia – attracts a variety of butterflies
Passionflower – vining plant that attracts Gulf
Fritillary and Zebra longwing
Bottle brush – shrub to small tree, attracts a variety
of butterflies
Blazing Star – herbaceous perennial, attracts a
variety of butterflies
Queen Anne’s Lace – herbaceous, attracts Black
Swallowtail
Here is a link for more information:
https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/landscaping/butterfl
y-gardens/
Enjoy the outdoors!
January 2022
Happy New Year!
Though our temperatures are not consistently
reflective of winter we can still perform some of our
winter gardening activities. Continue to plant fruit
trees and other hardy woody ornamental shrubs and
trees.
If you performed a soil test last month, add the lime
according to the recommendation now. If you didn’t
soil test last month, you can still do it.
Start checking your favorite websites and catalogs
for new varieties of plants you are generally
interested in. You should check the shipping
availability of them, some plants that you order now
may not ship until April or May. That’s not a bad
thing, just make a note on your calendar and plan
ahead.
The only pruning that should be done at this point is
removing damaged limbs. The bulk of our regular
pruning will be done mid to late February. So don’t
get in too big of a hurry. Pruning too early can result
in reduced cold tolerance, possible winter injury, and
the plant may attempt to come out of dormancy too
early.
If you are like me, you still have satsumas on your
trees. They are still in good shape and will keep for
weeks to come on the tree better and longer than in
the house or refrigerator. Once we get into February,
you will need to remove all the fruit to give the plant
a little time to recuperate and prepare for the next
bloom crop.
For those interested in vegetables the Alabama
Cooperative Extension System has an app for that,
“SOW”. It is free and available at the app store. It
gives you planting dates and details about any
vegetable you are interested in. It will give you a list
of vegetables you can plant today or any date you
select. Here is a link for more information:
https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/products-programs-
lawn-garden/sow-planting-companion/
Chill hour numbers as of January 1st
Brewton, AL – 262 hours Old Model; 139 hour
Modified Model
Fairhope, AL – 112 hours Old Model; 71 hour
Modified Model
Moss Point, MS – 173 hours Old Model; 173 hours
Modified Model