Insects or lack of bloom getting you down?

THE GARDEN FANATIC

“It will be gone by June.”

-- Christopher Cerf and

Victor Navasky

“Warm in December, cold in June, you say?”

-- Robert Frost

The first week of the first month of summer has brought the

expected gloomy skies, as well as unexpected showers. The weather

challenges a gardener’s sunny outlook and faith that the sun and blue

skies will arrive prior to July. Be on the alert for aphids, snails

and mildew -- they’re lurking out there.

Sunday June 15 is Father’s Day. There’s lots of good gardening

stuff to be found at Coast Hardware, Laguna Gardens, Madison Square

and Haster Grove that dad would appreciate. And so, happy gardening

from the Plant Man.

Q: Why are birds suddenly attracted to my lawn?

A: If you’re not leaving birdseed on your lawn, it is probably

being attacked by Sod webworm. It’s a little early for this lawn

pest, but if you notice irregular brown patches in your lawn, which

appear to be expanding, look for final confirmation in small beige

moths that fly at sunset. Don’t wait for this problem to worsen, the

insect larvae is eating the roots of your lawn! The best control is

Diazinon, applied as soon as you suspect a problem. St. Augustine

owners, beware of chinch bugs; they are active as well.

Q: Plant Man, what should I plant now in the shade?

A: Fuchsia, tuberous and bedding begonias and impatiens are at

their best during early summer. Provide plenty of moisture and light

shade. Water plants in containers or pots carefully.

Q: My tomato plants look great, but all of the flowers keep

dropping off.

A: Tomatoes may fail to set fruit for a number of reasons, in the

main, tomatoes will not set fruit if the soil is too dry. Also, if

night temperatures fall below 55 degrees or rise above 90 degrees

(not usually a problem in Laguna) the blossoms may not set. Too much

nitrogen in the soil can also inhibit blossom production. Try

applying a tomato blossom set and adding superphosphate (0-20-0) to

your soil.

Q: Why are my tomato leaves curling inward?

A: Leaf roll on tomatoes is a physiological result of excessively

wet soil, most commonly seen during wet springs. It is a temporary

disorder and generally only staked tomatoes and the larger tomatoes

like Big Boy and Beefsteak are affected. Within a few days, as the

soil dries, the plant leaves should return to normal.

Q: My rose is growing great leaves but I haven’t seen a flower

yet.

A: Some rose varieties will concentrate their energies into growth

the first year and flower little, especially if they have received

heavy dosages of nitrogen. If your rose is a once-blooming variety it

will not bloom the first year. Climbers are also not likely to bloom

their first year.

Q: Plant Man. Is it OK to plant roses in pots?

A: Smaller roses that remain under 3-feet tall may be planted in

18-inch pots. Larger roses and climbers should be planted into 20 to

28 inch pots.

Q: What happens if I trim all of the surface roots of my hedge?

A: If the hedge has not been watered properly (and it probably

hasn’t if you have lots of surface roots) the results may be fairly

simple. The hedge could blow over in a storm (and you may avoid a

Design Review hearing).

In our quest to grow perfect roses and children, we provide them

with well-tended beds and prescribe myriad remedies, hopeful that

they remain untouched by temptation or disease. But Catharine and I

discovered that life is not perfect and trying to protect (and

prevent) our sons from everything was just not possible.

Congratulations to all of the graduates, as they embark on their next

great adventure. And it’s great to see Cooper and Austin frequently

at home. See you next time.

* STEVE KAWARATANI is the owner of Landscapes by Laguna Nursery,

1540 S. Coast Highway in Laguna Beach. He is married to local writer,

Catharine Cooper, and has three cats. He can be reached at (949) 497

2438, or e-mail to steve@lagunanursery.com.