JUNE
2006
By
Rosie Lerner
Consumer Horticulture Specialist
Purdue University
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Q. Last summer I was troubled by so much green moss on some of my flower
beds. I am sure I will have the moss again this year because much of it
has lived over this winter. What can I do to get rid of it? Does the moss
affect the flowers and plants in a negative way?
A. True moss tends to grow in areas of moist shade, where there is little
competition from other plants. It can grow in areas of the lawn that are
sparse, due to shade, or in flower beds, pavement, even on buildings.
You can rake the moss off and allow it to dry out, or there are chemicals
that can be used to spot kill the existing moss. However, the moss will
soon grow back if the environment is still the same. Some products, such
as copper sulfate and iron sulfate, may leave a stain, and herbicidal
soaps can leave a bleached appearance (Moss-Aside, Safer's Moss and Algae
Killer, Monterey Herbicidal Soap, etc.). Be sure to read and follow all
label directions.
Q. Several years ago, a friend gave me some seeds to small mangoes, which
are round and are green and turn red. Do you know where these plants can
be purchased? I have looked in some seed catalogs and can't find them.
A. Sounds like a cherry pepper, which can be hot, mild or sweet, depending
on the cultivar. Of course, you can always check with your local garden
centers to see what they carry, but you may need to buy seed from a mail-order
company. Here's a list of cultivars and their sources.
Q. I'm a recent transplant from New York. My problem is the everbearing
red raspberry in my backyard. The first year the yield was good. The second
year, they contracted some sort of blister and are dying. The plants looked
healthy in the spring and as they matured toward blossoms. Then, the berries
withered, turned black and died. The stems and leaves turned a silver-brown
color. We tried several types of spray, powder and fertilizer recommended
by a hardware/garden center, and nothing worked. If I can't stop it this
year, there will be no more plants. That's how serious it is. Can you
help me?
A. It's difficult to say for certain without seeing the plants but my
primary suspect is a fungal disease, most likely spur blight or anthracnose
(anthracnose is more likely on black or purple raspberries but some red
raspberries are also susceptible). Both diseases infect young raspberry
canes and leaves. The lesions on the canes continue to enlarge and can
eventually girdle the stem before the crop matures, causing the berries
to dry up.
Rainy weather and overcrowded plantings favor disease development. The
fungus overwinters on either healthy or dead raspberry canes, so pruning
out infected canes and removal of fruiting canes after harvest will help
reduce infection in subsequent years. For varieties that have a persistent
problem with the disease each year, applying a delayed dormant spray of
lime-sulfur when leaf buds are just showing about one-eighth inch green
can provide some protection.
Since this is an everbearing type raspberry, you might consider sacrificing
the summer crop and harvesting just the fall crop. This would reduce overcrowding
and the overwintering sites for the fungus. Cut or mow all the canes to
ground level in the spring before growth starts. When new canes emerge,
thin to correct spacing and keep the row 12 to 18 inches wide to promote
good air circulation.
6-1-06
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