Funnel spiders in lawn are harmless

By Walter Reeves

For the AJC

Q: My neighbor has hundreds of small spider webs all over his lawn after a rain. Any idea what those webs are? -- Gene Brannon, email

A: They are probably the webs of funnel weaver spiders. They are completely harmless and indeed eat aphids, moths, chinchbugs and other lawn pests. When prey lands on the wide sheet of the spider web, the spider darts out to grab it and bring it back to a narrow funnel for consumption. One old-fashioned saying is that when there is dew on their webs in the morning, it will be a beautiful day.

Q: Will fresh lemon rinds hurt my compost pile? -- Darrell Olson, email

A: Not at all. Anything that was previously a plant can be composted and the resulting humus can be incorporated into garden beds. Folks commonly compost banana peels, coffee grounds and corn cobs without problems. All will happily decompose, becoming a mass of beneficial bacteria and organic matter that keeps your soil healthy.

Q: I’ve had a kiwi vine growing great for six years, but no kiwis! I've learned I need a male and female vine. How do I know what sex I have? -- Janet Turner, Fulton County

A: If your fuzzy kiwi vines flower, it’s not terribly hard to determine their sex. Male flowers will have a strongly yellow center due to the pollen-bearing anthers. Female flowers are much more white due to the cluster of stigmas. I’ve collected links to pictures of kiwi flowers and a guide to raising them at xrl.us/kiwiflowers.

Q: I was given a spinning Persian primrose that blooms in the evening, just as it’s getting dark. What do I do with the stalks during the winter? -- Monroe Brock, Dunwoody

A: Spinning primrose, Oenothera biennis, is also known as evening primrose. It has fragrant yellow flowers that "spin" as they open at night then wilt at daybreak. Although the flower opening is interesting, the seeds that follow can be a real nuisance. My advice is to collect the tan seedpods from the stalk as soon as they form. Don't let them crack open and scatter seed. Plant a few of the seeds in a sunny bed now. Some will sprout and grow the rosette of leaves that marks the first year of this biennial plant. These plants will bloom next year. If you save the seeds to plant in spring, they won't bloom until the following year. By all means, do not put the seed-filled stalks on your compost pile!

Q: We have beautiful tomatoes but as soon as they begin to show color, they are pecked at by birds. Is there anything we can do? -- Florence and Jim Baria, email

A: I suppose bird netting is a possibility but the easiest thing to do would be to pick the tomatoes when they turn orange on the blossom end and ripen them in your kitchen window. Once a tomato has begun coloring, the stem cuts off communication with the rest of the plant and the fruit ripens on its own. Tomatoes ripened on the vine don’t taste markedly different from those ripened at home in a warm place.

Listen to Walter Reeves Saturday mornings on AM 750 and 95.5 FM News-Talk WSB. Visit his website, www.walterreeves.com or join his Facebook Fan Page at xrl.us/wrfacebook for more garden tips.