Many methods to reduce aphids.

The month of June is a welcomed friend this year. The need to mow every fourth day, provoked by spring rains and cool temperatures that my fescue turf thrives on, will soon drop to weekly. The evening planting ritual has slowed to a trickle, and I will be able to relax on the deck and enjoy the color of spring. I don't know if it's my increase in age, or that I bite off more than I can chew, but I'm ready for a slower pace.

This is the time of year when I reflect on what I didn't get done that I had hoped to. While I did get some new varieties of vegetables and annuals incorporated into the garden this year, I still have a list of plants that I wanted to try.

As in the garden, it seems to be spring cleanup time for a few questions from readers.

A reader from Eldon, Mo., is having problems growing turnips because of aphids.

Aphids normally are just a nuisance in most gardens. The small, sucking insects damage the looks of the foliage on which they feed. In great enough numbers, aphids can ruin a crop.

If the reader wanted to grow the turnips for the greens, an infestation would be highly detrimental to a good harvest.

There are chemicals that do a fine job controlling aphids in the vegetable garden. But those same chemicals also may destroy the beneficial insects that feed on aphids.

Aphids also can be controlled by other techniques. A strong blast of water from a hose will often do the job. Using insecticidal soap as a spray will also do a good job controlling aphids without harming beneficial insects. Spray coverage should include the bottom side of the foliage, which is where the majority of the insects will be. A high-pressure spray may be required for plants like turnips, where it is difficult to spray under the foliage.

A reader from Wamego, Kan., sent in a leaf sample of a plant that has small, orange-colored flowers. She has had it for more than a year, and it hasn't bloomed.

Her plant is a kalanchoe, also known as maternity plant--probably because it is a staple at hospital flower shops. Kalanchoes make beautiful potted plants with red, orange and pink blooms. But they can be difficult to keep. Powdery mildew can be a huge problem, often covering the foliage until it falls off.

If you are one of the lucky gardeners who has an extra-green thumb and can keep a kalanchoe plant looking good throughout the year, the trick is to get the plant to rebloom.

Kalanchoes are like poinsettias in that they both need short day lengths to promote flowering. A kalanchoe plant that does not receive any artificial light after the first of October will be ready to bloom after six weeks. Once the flower buds appear, the plant can be moved to a room where the lights are on after dark.

A reader from Lewisburg, Ky., is having trouble growing lima beans. She gets blooms on her vines, but it produces very few beans.

There are a couple of things that might be working against her bean crop. Hot, windy weather can cause bean blossoms to drop before the beans are set. Likewise, temperatures above 90 will cause poor production, even though the plants are flowering well.

She should also watch fertilizer. Beans are in the legume family, which adds nitrogen to the soil. Additional fertilizer, which contains nitrogen, can decrease the bean yield by encouraging leaf instead of fruit growth.

Article Details

Printer friendly Cite/link Email Feedback
Title Annotation:	Through The Garden Gate
Author:	Lang, Mike
Publication:	Grit
Date:	Jun 1, 2004
Words:	598
Previous Article:	Honor heights offers azaleas and more.
Next Article:	Variety is the spice of life.