Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
In the garden
QI have a 7-yearold asparagus bed that I did not harvest until the third year. Since then I have enjoyed lots of yummy asparagus. Last year’s harvest was a bit disappointing, and so far this year it has been downright pitiful: not one fat spear, just some skinny spears and lots of skinny spears ferning out way too soon (too short to be doing this). I noticed last year that some areas had skinny spears and not the nice fat ones from previous years. Now it seems to be the entire bed. Could the last two mild winters have anything to do with this? I have spent a lot of time congratulating myself on this asparagus bed and perhaps not enough time doing … what?
AWhile it is true that high temperatures in the fall can affect the quality of the spring asparagus harvest, I have seen some outstanding asparagus this spring, so I don’t think our weather had anything to do with this. Have you been fertilizing your beds every year? Asparagus likes a rich site. Some gardeners add a layer of compost or well-rotted manure every spring, while others simply fertilize. You should fertilize every year. Most gardeners fertilize once a year
after harvest, while others divide the application in two and fertilize after harvest and again six to eight weeks later. Are you watering when it’s dry in the summer? If your plants are struggling to grow it can limit the harvest. If there are neighboring trees with competing roots, or if you overharvest in later years, this can also hurt the plants. Try to get them healthy and happy this year and hope for a better season next year. With proper care, asparagus can be productive for 20 years or more.
QCan you help us identify this shrub? I wish I could capture the wonderful aroma of this tree and send it to you via email or over the phone.
AThe plant is a wax leaf ligustrum. It is a better-behaved relative of the common privet. Both shrubs are blooming now. Some like the sweet fragrance, while others think it is too cloying. In my travels around the state, the aromas of the privet and Japanese honeysuckle, which is also blooming, make for a fragrant ride, although they are messing with my allergies. Wax leaf ligustrum does not reseed like the common privet or like Japanese honeysuckle.
QWe have had a forsythia bush for the last seven years. It has grown wildly and we have pruned it back several times, always being careful to prune right after it is finished blooming. However, it has never bloomed out fully down each branch as many in our Sherwood neighborhood do, instead blooming only at the ends of the branches. It gets plenty of sunlight (six to eight hours daily), and we have kept it watered throughout each summer. Do you have any idea why it won’t bloom out fully? We are about ready to dig it up and plant a different kind of bush.
AMy guess is you are pruning your forsythia by simply heading it back from the top on all of the branches and not removing the older canes at the soil line. Forsythia doesn’t have a main trunk, but multiple canes. To keep them blooming from the top down you need to remove the older, woodier canes at the soil line. This will allow new, vigorous canes to emerge from the ground up, and these should have flowers all the way down the stem. I would suggest removing a third of the canes every year. It is best to prune as soon after flowering as possible, but no later than mid-June.
QI have a collection of about 16 African violets that I’ve had for many years. A couple of weeks ago I started seeing white “specks” on the leaves, and now I feel some stickiness when I remove spent flowers. I guess it must be some kind of insect, but I don’t know what to do about it. I know you aren’t supposed to get the leaves wet if you can help it. Any idea for me? I appreciate any advice you can give me. I don’t want to lose them all.
AMy first guess is mealybugs. They can cover their bodies with a small white cottony growth. They suck sap out of the foliage and release a sticky substance called honeydew. If only one or two plants are affected, isolate them from the others. If it is mealybugs, dip a Q-tip in rubbing alcohol and dab each spot. Don’t douse the foliage since, as you know, African violet leaves can be sensitive to being wet. Do this as you see new areas. The other major insect problem is the cyclamen mite, which can cause distorted foliage. Cyclamen mites are much more difficult to control. If you take a sample of your damage, either via a photo or a leaf, to your local extension office, the staff can help identify the problem.