Garden Column for the Salisbury Post

Darrell Blackwelder

June 11, 2004

     High humidity from afternoon showers and high humidity create the perfect environment for insect and disease problems. Home gardeners are experiencing problems in both landscape and vegetable gardens. Below are a few problems gleaned from home garden inquires.

     Question: My pear tree has dead tips all over the tree.  Is the tree dying?  What can I do?  Answer: The problem is fire blight. Fire blight is a bacterial disease that attacks both pear and apple trees. It’s too late to spray.  Prune out the dead portions well below the infected area.  It’s important to sterilize the pruners with bleach each time you prune to keep the disease from spreading.  Generally, larger trees survive.

     Question: I have a strange yellow fungus-like growth spreading all over my mulch I just put out. Will it spread to my shrubs and kill them? Answer: No, this is a superficial fungus that does not kill shrubs or grass. Take a rake and spread out the mulch. When the mulch dries out, it disappears.

     Question: My young squash rotting and dying on the vines. The plant itself is healthy, but has no fruit.  What can be the problem? Answer: Lack of bees for pollination is probably the problem.  Avoid use of pesticides around squash or other cucurbits. Bees will eventually come back and pollinate the plant.

     Question: My tomatoes are rotting on the end before they ripen.  What can I do to control this problem? Answer:

Blossom-end rot is a physiological problem caused by lack of calcium. Poor watering practices, too much or not enough or disturbing the roots by hoeing or plowing is a contributing factor. Mulch plants and provide ample water. Avoid cultivation when plants start to bear fruit. Liming will also help. Some tomato cultivars have a predisposition to this problem.

     Question: I have white fuzzy stuff on my crepe myrtles. What is this and how do I get rid of it?  Answer: The problem is powdery mildew.  Powdery mildew is a problem on many cultivars. The weather has been perfect for the disease.  Resistant crape myrtle varieties are the most practical method of control.  Spraying with fungicides may be an option if the trees are small.

     Question: I have small worms crawling all over my house.  They were very bad last year and are back again this year. What can I do to control them?  Answer: Sounds like what you are experiencing is millipedes. When the weather turns hot, they become a problem. There are a number of controls. Using pesticides is a temporary control. Controlling moisture around the home may help. More complete information on the web site http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/Urban/millipedes.htm  will give you more information.

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 or phone at 704-633-0571.