Haricots verts are easy to grow

By Walter Reeves

For the AJC

Q: I want to grow the green beans they call "haricot vert" at the grocery store. Any varieties you suggest? Connie Hyder, Fayette County

A: Haricots verts (French for green beans) are just a skinny version of our typical green snap bean. Varieties like Rolande, Maxibel and Emerite are readily available online. The best time to plant is after the middle of April, when soil temperatures are quite warm. Plant in full sun, six inches apart, next to a fence or trellis.

Q: Last year my yellow squash grew fine but they had little green worms inside when you cut the squash open. Sean Porter, Gwinnett County

A: My guess is that you had pickleworms in the squash. They are the larvae of a brownish-yellow moth. According to the University of Florida, the moths are active only at night. When they are a few days old, females begin laying eggs in small clusters of two to seven, mostly on buds, flowers, and other actively growing plant parts. Each female moth can produce 300 to 400 eggs. Young larvae are often found in flower buds. They burrow into the fruit as they grow larger.

You can control them with beneficial nematodes but the cost ($40 per treatment) may deter you. I recommend spinosad (Captain Jack's Dead Bug Brew, etc.) for organic control. You'll have to spray flowers weekly. Do it after sundown to prevent harm to honeybees.

Q: I am from Germany and use celery root in my soups but those roots are hard to find and are expensive. Can I grow celery root in my own garden? Lill-Karin Bryant, East Point

A: I think our summer heat will be your enemy. Like its celery kin, celeriac (celery root) prefers night temperatures below 70 degrees. That's hard to accomplish during a Georgia summer. Complicating matters is that celeriac seed takes a couple of weeks to germinate and the plant itself needs 100-120 days to mature. Since the root is edible at any time, you might do best by planting seed indoors in early March, transplanting it outdoors in late April and harvesting whatever you get when the leafy tops start to yellow in June or July.

Q: What’s the scoop on Pink Lemonade blueberrys? Will they grow here? Daniel Grentz, Forsyth County

A: My blueberry expert Scott Nesmith says Pink Lemonade is one of the latest garden novelties because of the pink color of the fruit. It would be cool to grow one but the pink berries likely wouldn't be the best tasting blueberries. Pink Lemonade’s parents are Delite rabbiteye blueberry and an amalgam of other blueberry species. For best pollination and fruiting, plant another rabbiteye variety, like Tifblue or Climax nearby.

Q: I have some unopened two-year-old bags of potting soil under my deck. Do you think the products are still good? Jacqueline Harris, e-mail

A: If the material is still dry inside the bags I think it would be fine to use in your pots. If the soil has gotten wet, use it as a soil amendment when you plant flower beds.

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.