Horticulture Hints/media/system/7/6/d/6/76d66e323ba… · at two- to three-week intervals through...

1 Horticulture HintsWinter 2012-2013

Landscape Gardening and OrnamentalsChecklist for December/January/February• PlanttulipsandhyacinthbulbsthatpreviouslyhavebeenrefrigeratedforsixtoeightweeksinlateDecemberorearlyJanuary.

• DaffodilbulbscanbeplantedthroughlateDecemberifyoufindthemonsaleatnurseries.Theydonothavetoberefrigeratedbeforeplanting.ExcellentcultivarsthatcomebackandbloomforyearsinLouisianaincludeIceFollies,Fortune,CarltonandUnsurpassable.

• Removeoldflowersfromyourcool-seasonbeddingplantstoextendbloomingandimproveflowerperformance.

• PlantgladiolusinlateFebruaryinsouthLouisianaandinearlyMarchinnorthLouisiana.Prolongthebloomingseasonbyplantingattwo-tothree-weekintervalsthroughearlyApril.

• Mulchshrubandflowerbedsto2to3inchesdeeptominimizeweedproblems.

• WatchazaleasinFebruaryforlacebugs.Theycausethefoliagetohavenumeroussmallwhitespotsastheyfeedunderneathlowerfoliage.Controlwithhorticulturaloilspraysoracephate.

• Alatewinterplantingofpetuniaswillprovideagoodflowershowforearlyspring.ConsidertheWave,TidalWaveandSupertuniaseries.

• Winterisagreattimeforplantingtrees.SomeexcellentnativespeciesforLouisianaincludenuttalloak,southernredoak,willowoak,redmaple,southernmagnolia,baldcypressandmayhaw.

• Februaryistheidealtimetofertilizetrees.Treesintheirfirst10yearsafterplantinggenerallybenefitthemostfromfertilization.Treesinlowvigoralsoshouldbefertilized.

• JanuaryandFebruaryaregoodmonthstoprunelandscapetreesandanydeciduousandevergreenplantsthatdon’tflowerinthespring.

• Cleanandsharpentoolsbeforeyouputthemawayforwinter.Wipethemetalbladeswithanoilycloththatcoatsthemwithathinlayerofprotectiveoiltohelppreventcorrosion.Coatwoodenhandleswithprotectantssuchasasealer,tungoilorvarnish.

• Februaryisagoodtimetoplantcontainerorbare-rootroses.Bare-rootrosebushesshouldbeplantedbytheendofFebruary.Earlyplantingallowsrosebushestobecomeestablishedintheirnewlocationsbeforetheybegintobloom.Thisincreasesthenumberandqualityofflowers,andthebushesaremorepreparedtodealwithsummerheatwhenitarrivesinMay.Plantrosesinsunny,well-preparedbedsthathaveexcellentdrainage

• LookforLouisianaSuperPlantsatyourlocalnurseries.Theseplantshavebeenselectedfortheiroutstandingbeautyandreliabilityinthelandscape.ParticipatingnurserieswillhavesignsandlogosindicatingtheSuperPlantsselectionstheycarry.Tofindtheclosestparticipatingnurserytowhereyoulive,gotowww.LSUAgCenter.com/SuperPlants.

• TrimbackdormantornamentalgrassesinlateFebruary.Itisimportanttoremovethebrownleavesbeforethenewgrowthemergesandmixeswiththedeadgrowth.Electrichedgetrimmersareagoodtooltouseforthisjob.

Plant tulips this fall for spring flowers.

Winter2012-2013

Horticulture Hints

2 Horticulture HintsWinter 2012-2013

Holiday Cactus Available in November, December

ThanksgivingcactusesandChrist-mascactuseshavebeenhybridizedwitheachothertothepointthatwenowgrouptoday’scultivarstogetherunderthecatchallnameholidaycactus.TheybloomfromNovemberthroughJanuaryandgenerallyarepurchasedinNovemberandDecem-ber.

Whenyougetthemhome,placethemnearabright,sunnywindowandkeepthesoilevenlymoist.Itisquitecommonfortheseplantstodropflowerbudswhenyougetthemhome,butthereislittleyoucandoaboutthat.Still,manybloomsandbudswillholdon,andtheirgreatbeautyinshadesofmagenta,red,pink,orange,goldorwhitemaketheirpurchaseworthit.

Holidaycactuseswillrewardyouwithbloomseveryyearformanyyearsifgrowncorrectly.Afteralltheflowershavedroppedoff,allowthesoiltobecomefairlydrybetweenwaterings,andkeeptheplantinabrightwindow.Aneastorwestwindowwillprovideplentyoflight.Theyalsowillthriveonaporchorpatioinasemishadedpositionduringthesummer.

Theyaretriggeredtobloombylongnightsandchillynighttimetemperaturesinthe50s.TheeasiestwaytogetaplanttobloomagainistoplaceitoutdoorsinOctober(ifyouhavebeengrowingitinside).Leaveitoutside,allowingthepro-gressivelylongerandcoolernightstoinitiatebudstoform.(Donotleavetheplantoutonanightwhenafreezeispredicted,however.)Onceyouseelittleflowerbudsatthetipsofthebranches,movetheplantintoabrightwindowinsideandkeepthesoilevenlymoist.

There’s Still Time To Plant La. Super Plants

TheLouisianaSuperPlantsprogramisanLSUAgCentereducationalandmarketingcampaignthathighlightstoughandbeauti-fulplantsthatperformwellinLouisianalandscapes.

LouisianaSuperPlantsselectionshaveahistoryofoutstandingperformanceinLouisianaorhavegonethroughseveralyearsofuniversityevaluationsandobserva-tions.LouisianaSuperPlantsare“universitytestedandindustryapproved.”

Here are the Louisiana Super Plants for fall 2012:

‘Conversation Piece’ AzaleaFlowersizeon‘ConversationPiece’

azaleascanbenearly4inchesacross,andflowersofdifferentcolors,includingdarkpink,variegatedpinkandwhiteandnearlywhite,appearonthesameplant.Itisalow-growing,moundingevergreenshrubusefulasacoloraccentorinafoundationplantinginpartlyshadedareas.

Sorbet Series ViolaSorbetviolasarethebestflowering

violasinLSUAgCentertrials.TheyarecompletelywinterhardyinLouisianaandcomeinamultitudeofbrightcolors.

Evergreen Sweet Bay MagnoliaTheevergreensweetbaymagnolia

(Magnolia virginiana var. Australis)isanexcellentnativetreethatretainsitsleavesthroughthewinter.Maturetreeswillaver-ageabout30feettallwithaspreadof20feet,butlargersizesarecommon.

New Louisiana Super Plants for Spring

LSU A

gCenter RecommendedSUPERSUPERSUPER

Plants

Louisiana

Plants

Louisiana

Look for more Louisiana Super Plants announced each spring and fall

LSUAgCenter.com/SuperPlants

Begonia - BabyWing seriesHydrangea 'Penny Mac'

Cleome 'Senorita Rosalita'

University tested and industry approved

Superior performance under Louisiana growing conditions

Ask for Louisiana Super Plants where you shop.

3 Horticulture HintsWinter 2012-2013

Louisianaisknownformanythings–spicyfood,CajunandZydecomusic,andpeoplewithfunnyaccents!Wearenot,however,knownforfallfoliage.TouristsaremorelikelytovisitLouisianaforalligatorsightingsthanprettyfallcolors!

Thatbeingsaid,however,thereareafewtreesthatboththriveinLouisianaandprovideexcellentfallcolor.SpeciesincludeTallowtrees(Sapium sebifera),someofyoumayrefertotheseaschickenseedtrees,Japanesemaple(Acer palmatum)andredswampmaples(Acer rubrum var. drummondii),amongothers.

Butfallcolorisnotthepremiseofthisarticle.Easygardeningisthepremise,andalthoughtheymaylackcolor,Louisianaleavesmakeexcellentmulchmaterialforyourvegetableandornamentalgardens.Collect-ingandplacingfallenleavesintothegardenismuchsimplerthanpullingweeds.

Notonlyismulchingwithleavesanexcellentsimplealternativetoweeding,thoseleavesalsohap-pentobefree!

Hereareafewtipstofollowwhenusingfoliageasmulchinyourgardenareas:• Iftheleavesfromthetreesinyouryardarelarge,suchaswithsycamoretrees,chopleavesuppriortoplacingtheminthegardensothewinddoesnotcarrythemaway.Hint:Foreasychopping,runoverthemwithyourlawnmowerafewtimes.

• Putenoughleavesdowntocreatea4-6inchlayerofmulchmaterial.Youwanttopreventsunlightfromreachingthesoilsurfacesoweedseedsdonotgerminateandemerge.

• Don’thavetrees?Don’twanttopickuptheleavesinyouryard?Drivearoundongarbagedayandpickupotherpeople’scollectedandbaggedleaves!Youmayhavetosortthroughafewunwanteditemssuchaslargesticks,butit’swellworththemulch!

• IfenoughofusfollowthisLouEASYanagardeningtip,Louisianamightbecomeknownforitsmusic,food,accents,andclean,weed-freegardens.

Camellias in ContainersCamelliasarealmostindispensableinthesouthern

landscapeandarewelllovedfortheirlargecolorfulwinterbloomsfromDecembertoApril.Theirshinyevergreenfoliagealsostaysattractivethroughthewinter.

Evenmore,asbeautifulastheyareintheground,camelliasadapthappilytolifeincontainersandareparticularlyimpressivegrownthatway.

Growingcamelliasincontainersallowsgardenerstocultivatethemwheregroundspaceisnotavailable,suchasanapartmentbalconyoradeckorpatio.Italsoallowsyoutomoveaplantaroundtodifferentlocations–bringingittoaprominentpositionwhileitsflowersareattheirbestandplacingitinamoreout-of-the-wayspotatothertimes,forinstance.

Theircoldhardinessmeansyoucanleavethemoutsidethroughthewinter,exceptfortherareoccasionswhentemperaturesgobelow20degreesbecausetherootballmightfreeze.

Thetypeofpotyouchooseisasmuchamatteroftasteaswhatisbestforthecamellias.Blackplasticpotsfromthenurseryworkfinebutlookabittooutilitarianformostlandscapes.Decorativeplasticinmutedcolors,terracotta,fiberglass,glazedpotteryandwoodallmakesuitablecontainers(althoughtermitesmakewoodaquestionablechoice).Whatevercon-taineryouchoose,makesurethedrainageholesareadequate.

Thedrainagealsoisaffectedbythepottingmixyouuse.Donotusegardensoil.Instead,choosefast-drainingsoilmixesspecificallyblendedforuseincontainers.

Eventually,acamelliawillrequireacontainerabout2feetwideand2feetdeepasitreachesmaturity.Thistakesanumberofyears,however,anditisbesttogrowcamelliasinsmallerpotsthatareappropriatetotheirsize,graduallyshiftingthemtolargercontainersastheyoutgrowtheonestheyarein.Thecamelliaisnotoneofthoseplantsthatwillsuffertheminuteitgetsabitpot-bound,butyoushouldn’tallowittoremaininthatstateformorethanayearortwo.Otherwise,thegrowthwillbestuntedandflowersfew.

Whenrepotting,shifttheplantintoanewpotonlyafewinchesoronesizelarger.Plantingintoanexcessivelylargerpotcreatesasituationwhereoverwateringandrootrotaremorelikelytooccur.

Whenrepottingyourcamellia,donotplantitanydeeperthanitwasgrowinginitsoriginalcontainer.Also,thelevelofthesoilshouldbeaninchortwolowerthantherimofthepottofacilitatewatering.

Youdoneedtowaterregularly,evendaily,duringhot,summerweather.Camelliasarelikelytodroptheirflowerbudsifyouallowthemtobecometoodrybeforewatering.Fertilizationisbestaccomplishedwithasolublefertilizerforacid-lovingplantsappliedonceortwiceamonthduringthespringandsummer.Oruseaslow-releasefertilizerappliedonceinthespring.

Whenyouthinkaboutplantsincontainerstoem-bellishyourfrontentrance,patio,courtyard,balconyordeck,don’tforgettheoutstandinglybeautifulcamellia.

4 Horticulture HintsWinter 2012-2013

Avoid Encouraging Termites

Whilefallandwinterareexcel-lenttimesforaddinghardytrees,shrubsandgroundcoverstothelandscape,theseseasonsalsoare

timestobecautiousaboutcreat-ingproblemsthatcouldbringter-mitesintoyourhome.

LSUAgCenterexpertsofferthesesuggestionstoreducethepos-sibilityoftermiteproblems:• Placeguttersandslopeyourlandscapebedssowaterdrainsawayfromyourhouse.

• Keepmulchinbedsadjacenttothehousepulledbackabout12inchesfromthefoundation.

• Donotaddfilldirtaroundthefoundationorunderporchesorstepswithoutcontactingyourtermitecompanyforretreatment.

• Donotdisturbthechemicalbarrieratthebaseoftheslaboraroundpilingsbydiggingintoitduringbedpreparation.

• Promptlyremoveallscrapwoodandwoodendebrisfromthelandscape.

• Pinestrawappearstobethemulchthatisleastattractivetotermites.Avoidusingwoodchipstomulchbedsadjacenttothehouseorotherstructures.

• Usemetaledging,decorativebricksorborderplantstoedgeyourbeds.Avoidlandscapetimbers,railroadtiesorotherwoodenmaterialsthatmayserveasfoodfortermites.

• Whenwatering,avoidsprayingwateragainstthefoundationofyourhouse.

• Leaveatleast2inchesofspacebetweenyourhouseandadeckorotherwoodenstructureoutside.Builddecksandotherstructuresonconcretepadsandtreataroundthepadsandposts.

• Donotallowclingingvines,suchasEnglishivyorcreepingfig,togrowonthewallofyourhouse.

What Is in a Name?InwhatisprobablyoneofthemostquotedlinesfromShakespeare’s

play,Romeo and Juliette,Juliettesays,“Whatisinaname?Arosebyanyothernamewouldsmellassweet.”Thepointbeing,whatsomethingisdoesnotchangebasedonwhatwecallit.Aroseisgoingtolook,smellandbewhatitisregardlessofwhatnamewegiveit.

Butingardening,knowingthepropernamesofplantsisimportant.Weneedtoknowandproperlyuseplantnamesforavarietyofreasons.

Knowingthepropernameisthekeytofindinginformationaboutaplant.Thereisnotmuchaprofessionalcandotoprovidecareinforma-tionifthegardenerdoesnotknowthepropernameoftheplant.OrifyouwanttolookupinformationaboutanewplantinareferencebookorontheInternet,youhavetohavetherightnamefortheplanttodothat.Knowingtherightnamealsoisimportantinfindingandpurchasingaparticularplantyouwant.PlantsareknownbybothcommonandLatinnames.

Commonnamesareeasiertopronounceandremember,andmostgardenersgetbyusingthemexclusively.Buttheyhavetheirlimits.Latinnamesarethemostreliablenamestoknowanduse.Unfortunately,peoplegenerallydon’tlikeLatinnames.Everyoneisintimidatedbythoselong,unpronounceablestringsoflettersthatmakeuptheLatinnamesofsomeplants.

Why,youmightask,dealwiththeseunfamiliarandforeignwords?Althoughcommonnamesareuseful,theychangefromregiontoregion–andaroundtheworld–forthesameplant.Severaldifferentcommonnamescanapplytothesameplant,oronecommonnamecanapplytoseveraldifferentplants.Youcanseehoweasilyconfusioncancreepintothissituation.Eachplant,however,hasonlyoneofficialLatinname,anditisusedworldwide.

IntheageofinternationalInternetcommunicationaboutplants,Latinnamesarebecomingincreasinglyimportant.SoIwouldencourageyoutoputasidewhatIcallyour“nomenclaturephobia”andtrytouseLatinnamesmoreofteninyourgardeningefforts.Forthat,ithelpstounder-standalittlebitaboutLatinnames.

BinomialnomenclatureisthescientificsystemdevelopedbyCarlvonLinne(Linnaeus)inthe1700sthatgivesatwo-partnametoeachplantoranimal.Thefirstname,thegenus,isfollowedbyadescriptivename,thespecies.ThegenusandspeciestogetherformthescientificorLatinnameofaplant.

Thegenusisagroupofcloselyrelatedplantsthathavemanysharedcharacteristics,suchasQuercus–theoaks;Ulmus–theelms;andLilium–thelilies.Thegenusactuallycanstandalone.WhenyouseethewordQuercus,youknowitreferstooaks.

Agenusissubdividedintospecies.Whenaspeciesnameisaddedto Quercus,youhavethenameofaparticulartypeofoak,suchasQuercus virginiana,theliveoak,orQuercus shumardii,theShumardoak.Thespeciesnamemustbepairedwithagenustomeananything.Itismeaninglessbyitself.

Sincetheyareinaforeignlanguage,Latinnamesgenerallyareitali-cizedorunderlinedintext.Pronunciationoftenisachallenge,butyoushouldjustdoyourbest.Andyoudon’thavetoknowhowtopronounceaLatinnametorecognizeitorwriteit,soit’snotaninsurmountableobstacle.Thesedays,thereareevenwebsitesandmagazinesthatprovidehelpfulpronunciationguides.

Soalthoughyoumayhatethem,scientificnamesoftenarecriticaltoproperlyidentifyingplants.Andwheneveryouareaskingquestions,doingresearchorlookingtobuyaparticularplant,therearemanyinstanceswherehavingtheLatinnamewillmakeyoureffortsmoresuccessful.

Dan Gill, Horticulturist

5 Horticulture HintsWinter 2012-2013

Avocados for LouisianaColdhardinessisthesinglemostimportantlimitingfactorfor

avocadoproductioninLouisiana.Unfortunately,research-basedinformationonthistopicisnonexistent.Thereareseveralinflu-encesthatareknowntoaffectcoldhardiness,however.

Theacclimatizingtemperaturestheplanthasexperiencedpriortothepotentialdamagingtemperaturescanbeimportantinensuringthattheplantisatmaximumhardiness.Aquickcoldsnapafterweeksofwarmtemperaturesmakestheplantmoresusceptibletoinjury.Thedurationofthepotentialdamagingtem-peraturesalsocanbepartofthedynamicthatdetermineshow

muchdamageissustained.Andthefinalfactoristheminimumtemperaturestheplantactuallyexperiences.

Collectively,thesedetermineiftheplantisdamaged.Addition-ally,youngtreestendtobelesscoldhardythanmaturetreesbysomethinglike1to6degreesFahrenheit.

Ihaveheardthatsomevarietiescantoleraterangesaslowas15-18Fforafewhoursandalsothatdamagecanbeexpectedat25-26F.

TheracesofavocadosareWestIndian,GuatemalanandMexican.Ingeneral,theMexicanandMexicanhybridecotypesarethemostcoldhardyofthethreeecotypes(alsoknownasraces).

TheMexicantypehasrelativelysmallfruit,75-300grams(2.6-10.6ounces)inweight,athin,smoothblackskin,andalooseseed.Thistypehasthehighestoilcontent(sometimes30percent)andgrowsinthedriestandcoolestlocations.Thevarietiesthataremostoftenmentionedasbeingthemostcoldhardyinclude‘Pryor’(‘Fantastic’),‘Lila’,‘Joey’,‘BrazosBelle’,‘Pancho’and‘WinterMexican’.

Avocadosareeasilypropagatedbygerminatingthelargeseed(pit).Thiswillproduceatreeofunknownquality,however,whichwillhavequestionablecoldhardiness.Homeownersshouldpurchaseonlyknowngraftedvarietiesfromthelistabove.

Floralinductionoccursduringthefallandwinterfollowingcessationofsummervegetativegrowth.Floralinitiationrequiresexposuretocooltemperaturesbelow68F.Optimumday/nighttemperaturesduringfloweringfornormalfloweringbehaviorarearound75F/68F.Cross-pollinationbetweentwodifferentvarietiesprobablyisnotnecessarybutdoestendtoincreasefruitsetandfruitsize.

Thisfruitistrulyunusual,notonlybecauseitisoilyandnotsweet,butalsobecauseitneversoftenswhilestillonthetree,whereitremainshardandcontinuestogrow.Avocadoskeepfairlywellwhilehardbutcanturnsoftovernight.Toripenanavocado,placethefruitintoasmallpaperbag,includinganappleorbananaifyouareinahurry.Anyonewhohaspreparedguacamoledipknowsthegreenfleshblackensfairlyrapidly,andthiscanberetardedbyimmediatelymixingwithlemon(acidic)juice.Tokeepthegreenfleshofacutavocadofromturningblack,youcanimmediatelywashthecutsurfacewithcoldwaterbeforewrappingitinaplasticbag.

Dr. David Himelrick

Fruits Louisiana Master Gardener Volunteer Program

TheLSUAgCenter’sLouisianaMasterGardenerVolunteerProgramoffersthepublicawonderfulcombinationofhorticulturaltrainingandleadershipopportunities.

Designedtorecruitandtrainvolunteers,theLouisianaMasterGardenerprogramisopentoanyonewithawillingnesstolearnandadesiretohelpothers.TrainingfortheLouisianaMasterGardenerprogramistailoredtoinstructionforbeginnersaswellasexperiencedgardeners.

Classesareofferedinmorethan21parish-esacrossthestate,with54parishesbenefittingfromMasterGardenervolunteerinvolvement.MasterGardenerclassesoffer40to50hoursofinstructiononavarietyofinterestinghorti-culturaltopics.AsaMasterGardener,youwilllearnaboutinsectsanddiseases,ornamentalplants,fruitsandvegetablesandsoilfertility,aswellashowtodiagnoseplantproblems.

Inexchangeforhorticulturaltraining,Mas-terGardenerscontributetimeasvolunteers,workingthroughtheirparishLSUAgCenterEx-tensionServiceofficestodevelopandenhancecommunityprogramsrelatedtohorticulture.ParticipantsintheMasterGardenerprogramnotonlybecomebettergardeners,theylearnhowtohelpyouthsandadultswithgardeningneeds.Dependingonthecommunityneeds,thismayincludeenvironmentalimprovementactivities,parishfairs,planthealthclinics,civicmeetingsandcommunityandschoolgardeningprograms.

Enjoythesatisfactionthatmorethan2,000citizensacrossthestateareexperiencingascertifiedLouisianaMasterGardeners.FormoreinformationontheLouisianaMasterGardenerprogram,contactyourparishLSUAgCenterof-ficeorvisittheLSUAgCenterMasterGardenerwebsiteatwww.LSUAgCenter.com/MasterGardener.

Rene’ G. SchmitState Master Gardener Coordinator

6 Horticulture HintsWinter 2012-2013

Vegetable GardeningCrop Highlights

Onions: Transplantpencil-sizeonionplantsfrommid-DecemberthroughJanuary.Fertilizewith6to7poundsofacompletefertilizersuchas8-24-24or13-13-13per100

feetofrow(about0.6-0.7poundsper10feetofrow)abouttwoweeksbeforetransplanting.Spaceplantsabout3inchesto4inchesapartintherow.Severaldrillsmaybeplantedon

arowwith6-inchto12-inchspacingbetweendrills.Side-dressonions,shallotsandgarlicwhengrowthstartsinearlyFebruary.Use¼

teaspoonofammoniumnitrateor½teaspoonofcalciumnitratebetweeneveryotherplant.Twoadditionalside-dressingsattwo-weektothree-weekintervalswillincreasebulbsize.

ControlweedsduringearlyNovemberandDecember.ControlthripswithMalathion!Shallots: Shallotsetscanbeplantedanytimeduringthewinter.Ifyouhavesomegrow-

inginthegarden,replantseveralasyouharvestbycuttingbacktopsandseparatingbulbsandtransplantingthemagain.SeparateplantsduringDecemberandJanuaryfornextyear’ssets.

Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower and Chinese Cabbage: Cabbageplantednowmayencounterlowtemperatures.Temperaturesinthelow20swillinjuresomeofthecabbage,andlowertemperatureswillfreezemanyvarieties.RecommendedvarietiesforwinterproductionareBravo,Cheers,BlueVantage,Emblem,VantagePointandRioVerde.Forreds,tryCardinal,RedRookie831,RedRookieorSaladBowl.

Boltingmayoccur.Boltingiscausedwhenplantsgodormantbecauseofprolongedexposuretocoolertemperatures(45Fandlower).Boltingofthecool-seasoncropsalsowilloccurwhenlate-seasoncropsareexposedtohottemperatures.

EachofthesevegetablescanbeplanteddirectlyintothefieldduringJanuary,butcauli-flowerandChinesecabbageshouldnotbetransplanteduntillateJanuaryorFebruary.

Irish potatoes: BeginplantingIrishpotatoesaroundmid-JanuaryinsouthLouisianaandaboutthefirstofFebruaryinnorthLouisiana.Fertilizeattherateof7to8poundsofacompletefertilizer(8-8-8,13-13-13)or8-24-24per100feetofrowbeforeplanting(0.7-0.8poundsper10feetofrow).

Cutseedpotatoesintoblockypiecesthatweighabout1½to2ounceseachorareaboutthesizeofanegg.Besureeachseedpiecehasatleastoneeye.Thatiswheretheplantwilloriginate.Irishpotatoplantsmaybenippedbackbyalightfrost,butdamageusu-allyisnotserious.

Plantseedpieces10to15inchesapartintherow.

Transplant ProductionSeedsofcolecropssuchascabbage,broccoliandcauliflowerwillgerminatewellincool

soils(temperaturesfrom45to50Fdegrees)buttheyhaveearliergerminationtimesathighersoiltemperatures.Aftergermination,growplantsat70to80degreesFahrenheitforabouttwomonthsforbestresults.

Transplantsrequiresunlight.Providefullsunlightalldaywhenseedlingsfirstappear.Ifstartingtransplantsinsideahouse,keeponabrightwindowsill.Mostcolecropswillbereadytotransplantfivetosixweeksafterseeding.

Makesureyouhardenoffyourtransplantsbeforemovingthemintothegarden.Removetheplantsfromyourhomeorgreenhouseandkeepoutsideforoneweek.Waterlessfrequentlythanyoudidwhentheyweregrowingindoors.

Planttransplantsintothegardenearlyinthemorningorearlyintheevening.Donotwaitanylongerthanonehourafterplantingtowater!

Justanaside,everytimetheLSUAgCentergivesfertilizerrecommendations,theyarebasedona100-footrowthatisapproximately4feetwide.Forinstance,ifourrecommenda-tionssay6poundsper100-footrow,itrepresentstheamountfora400-square-footarea.Ifyouhaveagardenthatis10feetwideand10feetlong,youhave100squarefeet.So,6poundsper400squarefeetwouldbe1.5poundsfor100squarefeet.Apoundof13-13-13or8-8-8is1pintor16ounces.

Dr. Kathryn Fontenot, Community/School Vegetable Gardens

Thefallseasonisagreattimetogrowvegetables.Theweatherispleasant,andinsectandweedpressuresarelesssevere–withtheexceptionofcaterpil-lars.Watchoutforthesepeskypestsonallcrops,especiallyyourcabbage!

Prepareyoursoil,andstartseedingupcrops.Ifyouactquickly,youmightevenpulloffacroportwotoaddtoyourThanksgivingandChristmasfeasts!Peopleoftenbragoftheirhomemadereci-pes.Yourswillbeevenbetterifthey’rehome-grownandhomemade!

Read the vegetable crop highlights, and give winter vegetables a try!

7 Horticulture HintsWinter 2012-2013

Decemberbeginsableaktimeforwarm-seasonturfgrasses.MostlawnsshouldbedormantoratleastclosetothisstagebyChristmas.

Becauselawnsarenotactivelygrowing,fertilizerapplicationsarenotneededduringthewinter.Infact,nitrogenfertilizationshouldhaveceasedonhomelawnsbylatesummer(mid-tolateAugustforSt.Augustinegrassandcentipedegrass).NitrogenfertilizerondormanttosemidormantSt.Augustine,centipedeandzoysialawnscanleadtoincreasedbrownpatchandwinterkill.Also,nitrogenapplicationsduringthistimehaveagreaterpotentialforleachingormovementintonontargetareas.

Soil Sampling and LimingWinterisanexcellenttimeto

collectsoilsamplesandsubmitthemforanalysis.

Samplesshouldbeacompositeofsoilcollectedfrom3to4inchesdeepatvariousplacesaroundthelawn.ReducethesampletoaboutapintofsoilandtakeittotheLSUAgCenterExtensionServiceofficeinyourparishortoaparticipatinggardencenter.Makesuretospecifythetypeofgrass

Turfgrasses and Lawnsyouaregrowingonthesoiltestform.

SoilsamplessubmittedtotheLSUAgCentercostonly$10,buttheyprovideawealthofinformationconcerningtheoverallfertilityofyoursoil.

IfresultsofthesoiltestindicatethesoilpHistooacidic,limewillbeprescribedinthesoiltestrecom-mendations.Winteristhebesttimetoapplylimesoitcanbefullyactivatedbythefollowingspring.ThecorrectsoilpHisextremelyimpor-tantandhaseverythingtodowithnutrientavailabilitytoyourlawn’srootsandtofertilizerperformance.

Turf Establishment Postponeanypermanentwarm-

seasonturfgrassestablishmentfromseeduntilnextspring.

Sod,suchasSt.Augustineandcentipedegrasses,canbelaidduringwinterandestablishedsuccessfullyduringthespring.Butremembertokeepitmoisttopreventitfromdryingoutanddying.

Evenestablishmentofsodiseasi-est,however,whensoddingisdelayeduntilthemiddleofspring,wellafter

springgreen-up.

Winter Weed Management

Broadleafweedsandannualbluegrassinfest-ingSt.Augustine,centipede,zoysiaanddormantBermudagrassescanbemanagedwithapplica-tionsofatrazineherbicide.

FebruaryandMarcharegoodmonthstospraywinterweedswhiletheyarestillactivelygrowing.Also,herbicidescontainingthree-waymixturesof2,4-Dplusdicambaplusmecopropcanbe

usedforwinterbroadleafcontrolinallsouthernturfgrassesthistimeoftheyear.

Sinceweed-and-feedproductsusuallycontainhighlevelsofnitro-genfertilizer,applicationshouldbedelayeduntiltheappropriatetimesforapplyingnitrogen-containingfertilizersforyourarea.(Seearticleaboutbrownpatchaboveforrecom-mendationsabouttimingoffertilizerapplication.)Weed-and-feedproductscanbesubstitutedasyourfirstap-plicationoffertilizerduringtheearlyspring.

Brown PatchBrownpatchdiseasecancome

andgothroughoutthewinteriftheweatherismild.

Treatmentwithfungicidescon-tainingmyclobutanil,propiconazole,pyraclostrobin,thiophanate-methyl

andtriticonazolewillreducethespreadofbrownpatch.Inaddition,azoxystrobinisnowavailableasgranularfungicide.Azoxystrobinisoneofthebestfungicidesonbrownpatchdisease.

Damagefrombrownpatchwillslowspringgreen-up,andaffectedareaswillremainunsightlyuntilwarmerspringweatherconditionshelpwithturfgrassrecovery.

Lawnsmayshowsignsofgreen-upinsouthernLouisianainlateFebru-ary.Donotpushturfgrassgrowthwithfertilizeratthattime.Fertilizerappliedtooearlywillfeedwinterweedsandwillresultinlushturfgrassgrowththatismoresusceptibletoinjuryfromlatefrostsorbrownpatch.LawnsmaybefertilizedintheNewOrleansareabylateMarch,butdelayfertilizingareasnorthofBatonRougeuntilearlytomid-April.

Ron StrahanTurfgrass Science

8 Horticulture HintsWinter 2012-2013

Visit our LSU AgCenter Store

www.lsuagcenter.com/OnlineStore

Prepared quarterly by:

Kathryn Fontenot, Ph.D., Community/School Vegetable GardensDan Gill, Consumer HorticultureCharles Graham, Ph.D., NutsDavid Himelrick, Ph.D., FruitsRon Strahan, Ph.D., Lawns

Parish agents, please adapt these suggestions to your area before disseminating.

School of Plant, Environmental and Soil Sciences155 J. C. Miller Hall - LSU, Post Office Box 25100, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70894-5100

(225)578-2222; Fax: (225)578-0773The LSU Agricultural Center is a statewide campus of the LSU System and provides equal opportunities in programs and employment.

School of Plant, Environmental and Soil SciencesHorticulture Division155J.C.MillerHall-LSUPostOfficeBox25100BatonRouge,Louisiana70894-5100

Winter2012-2013

Horticulture Hints