Garden Column for the Salisbury Post

Darrell Blackwelder

August 11, 2004

     The unusual cool weather last week gave us a reprieve from the normal, hot sultry weather of August. However, cooler and dry weather hasn’t slowed problems homeowners are having around the home. Below are a few inquires I received over the past few days that you may also be pondering.

            Question: How do I know when to harvest my sunflowers? Answer:  Sunflowers should be allowed to mature while still in the garden. There are several ways to determine maturity. The back of the flower head will be brown and dry and many of the yellow petals will have dried. If birds and squirrels are a problem, cover the heads with paper bag and tie with a string. Heads may also be picked when the back turns from green to golden yellow and then dried in a dry, protected location.

     Question: I am growing tomato plants in my shrub beds and the exterminator sprayed last week. Is it safe for me to eat the tomatoes? Answer: No. pesticides used for controlling insects around the home are not labeled for use around vegetable plants. Spray drift is a common problem. Better to be safe and not eat. Visit the farmer’s market and plant tomatoes away from your home isolated from these types of sprays.

     Question: I found a huge red, fuzzy ant in my yard.  Is this a fire ant?  Answer: No, it is a velvet ant.  It is a solitary insect that actually feeds on other insects.

     Question: My tomatoes are splitting cracking open. What causes this?  Answer: The cracking is common with changes in watering practices by the grower or excessive rain we’ve received over the past few weeks. Not much you can do about rough tomato fruit at this time of the year. Cracking usually occurs when the fruit is allowed to fully ripen on the vine.

     Question: I have this very aromatic fruit that appeared in my garden.  It is growing on a vine like a cucumber, but has a very sweet, fruity smell. What is this fruit?  Answer: It is probably a plum granny or Queen Anne’s fruit. They were grown many years ago a type of potpourri for the home. They can be found in heirloom vegetable catalogs.

     Question: I have a friend that would like to give me some horse manure for my garden. Is it ok to put horse manure on a garden?  Answer: If the manure is well-composted yes. If not you’ll be carrying seed that could cause quite a weed problem. Make sure it is well composted before applying.

Darrell Blackwelder is an agricultural agent in charge of horticulture with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service in Rowan County. For archived garden columns or other information, visit the Rowan County Master Gardener web site at www.rowanmastergardener.com , e-mail Darrell_Blackwelder@ncsu.edu