Wilson County News Q & A 

By Calvin R. Finch, PhD, SAWS Water Resources Director, and Horticulturist

Week of November 12, 2007

 

Q.       We checked out our stored bird seed from last year and find it is full of weevils.  Will the birds eat it or should we throw it away?       

 

A.       The birds will usually eat it, but I would suggest the infested seed be spread on a platform or the ground rather than placing it in tubular or hopper feeders.  Clean out your storage cans (bins?) with a 5% bleach solution, let them dry and then you can put the fresh seed in the storage can.    

 

Q.       I am from Georgia.  We had a beautiful Japanese maple in our courtyard.  The weather is about the same, why isn’t the Japanese maple a recommended tree for this area?     

 

A.       Our weather is not the same as Georgia, we have half as much rain.  The main reason that Japanese maples do not survive, however, in our alkaline soil.  Japanese maples like moist environment with acid soils.    

 

Q.       Which fertilizer should we use for our broccoli and cabbage?          

 

A.       Use a slow release lawn fertilizer such as 19-5-9 or a winterizer lawn fertilizer, such as 18-6-12 or 15-5-10.  Apply a quarter cup per plant..                 

 

Q.       What is causing my tomatoes to split at the top?     

 

A.       Tomatoes split when there is fluctuations in growth rate due to water and temperature changes.  In some conditions the skin does not grow as quickly as the interior of the fruit.  To reduce cracking, water every two days with drip irrigation.           

            

Q.       We have a million acorns.  Can my daughter just plant one and expect it to grow?   

 

A.       Yes, if weevils have not penetrated the shell and eaten the meat.  Select several acorns that sink in a pail of water and then plant them one inch deep in a container filled with potting soil. Water the plant enough to wet the whole pot and then water every month if it does not rain.  The seed should sprout next spring. 

 

Q.       When should we move our bougainvilleas into the greenhouse?

 

A.       Now is a good time.  They do not prosper when temperatures fall below 50° F.