Mite causes tomato decline
good poinsettia growth. It would be possible to keep the plant in the window in a container and gradually trim it back as needed to keep it in bounds, but growth would be a bit lanky. The video also shows a nice poolside area that might be a better spot for the plant.
Why not give the plant an inch or two larger container, trim it back about six inches and set in a poolside area with full to filtered sun? Then keep the soil moist and use a slowrelease fertilizer at the container rate of every three to four months or as labeled. Make sure the plant only receives normal daylight starting in October, and you should have a poinsettia to bring back indoors when full of color for the holidays.
A landscaper installed coontie plants in our yard a number of years ago that recently developed white stuff on the leaves. I used a fungicide and soap and water but the white came back. What should I do?
Scale insects or a relative of mealybugs have found your plants and are enjoying the sap from the stems and leaves. Since these are insects, the fungicide treatment was not effective, but the soapy water wash should have helped a little if you wet the insects.
Perhaps a better treatment is to spray the coontie plants with a horticultural oil found at garden centers. Follow the label and hit the insects you need to control. Control may be slow, and the insects should gradually slough off the plants. A second treatment in two weeks is likely needed. Another option is the use of a systemic insecticide labeled for trees and shrubs found at garden centers to apply to the soil as instructed.
I have pineapple plants that produced well for several years but now seem to be declining. What care do they need?
Pictures with your email question showed relatively healthy small plants with some yellow leaves and many fruits. Pineapples don’t like the cold, and the yellow leaves are likely due to the limited but chilly winter weather and a nutrient deficiency. Since the yellow leaves were few, they are best either tolerated or trimmed off. Then give your plants a liquid fertilizer application, as instructed for vegetables. Follow this feeding a week later with a slow-release product, as instructed for vegetables.
After several years of growth, pineapple plants produce smaller fruits as the clusters of plants grow and become congested. You might remove shoots that develop to start new plants and gradually replace the older ones.
Last year, there were little holes in the yellow squash, and when cut open, we found worms. How do we prevent the damage this year?
You can expect the same pest to be back this year as the moths are already flying in to lay eggs that develop into larvae that bore into squash, cucumbers and melons. Similar moths also lay eggs that form caterpillars noticed feeding on tomato foliage and fruits. I guess you could try to catch the moths or pick off the caterpillars, but I think this might be frustrating. Why not try a natural insecticide?
Two natural controls used by organic gardeners are available at garden centers. Select either Thuricide or a product containing spinosad. The spinosad insecticide is found in certain Bonide, Fertilome and Southern Ag brand products. This later product controls larvae from moths often called worms or caterpillars plus thrips and leaf miners. Follow the label for the product selected.
Amaryllis plantings have bloomed beautifully this year. When the flowers die, should I cut off the old stems or leave them to drop on their own?
It’s your choice when determining what to do with the old amaryllis flower stems. Often, gardeners notice rounded capsules forming after the flowers fade. These contain seeds that you could sow to produce more bulbs. When the capsules turn yellowish-brown and crack open, the seeds are ready to sow and germinate within a week or two. Otherwise, if your amaryllis plants are not forming seeds or you don’t want to give them a try, most gardeners cut the stalks down to near the ground. It won’t hurt to let them wither on their own too.