Polyester cover can combat busy vine borer

By Walter Reeves

Q: On a recent radio show, you mentioned using polyester row cover to overcome squash vine borer. I purchased some, but when do I cover the plants? — Marion Nelson, Baldwin County

A: The lightweight cover prevents squash vine borer moths from laying eggs on the stem of a squash plant. Insert a 2-foot tall stick beside each plant when it is 
4 inches tall to make a “tent pole” support. Drape the row cover on top and seal the edges to the earth with clods of dirt.

Sunshine and rainfall will come through the polyester but vine borer moths can’t penetrate. Keep the plant covered until you see the first female flowers (remember that male flowers occur before female flowers). At that point, remove the cover to allow visits by pollinating insects. The squash plants are large enough at this stage to resist borer infestation.

Q: Early last summer I planted three ‘Quinault’ strawberry plants. I got lush plants but minuscule berries. What do I need to do to get decent fruit? — George Kalnin, Roswell

A: The ‘Quinault’ strawberry doesn’t grow very well in Georgia. It is an older variety that was released in 1967 from Washington State University. It’s best suited for the Northwestern U.S.

In Georgia, you’ll get better results from ‘Earliglow,’ ‘Allstar’ and ‘Chandler.’ Ansley Glenn at Southern Belle pick-your-own farm in McDonough reports they grow the ‘Chandler’ and ‘Camarosa’ varieties for their customers. If you pick the right cultivar and maintenance schedule, you can harvest strawberries from the same bed for several years. Learn how to do the yearly bed renewal at xrl.us
/strawberries.

Q: Where can I buy soybeans to cultivate? I’d like to make my own soy milk. — Ellie Ramos, e-mail

A: The economics are against you but the adventure will be very educational. Assuming optimum conditions, your garden yield should be the equivalent of 40 bushels per acre or 1 pound of beans from 18 square feet of garden. Assuming you can make 1 liter of soy milk from 125 grams (0.27 pound) of seed, you’d get roughly 4 liters of soy milk from 20 square feet of garden.

Soybeans aren’t terribly hard to grow. They just need full sunshine and a rich, fast-draining soil. They don’t have an overwhelming number of insect or disease pests. You can find the seed at organic groceries or online. Let me know how it turns out.

Q: My rhododendrons are 3 feet tall and full of pink blooms. I noticed that after last season’s flowers were gone, there didn’t seem to be much foliage. Should I trim the rhododendrons back after flowering? —Glenn Miller, Scottdale

A: If they are the right size for their space, there is no need to prune them back to make denser foliage. Instead, after each bloom has faded, twist off the flower base with your thumb and forefinger. This will result in two or three new sprouts that will each make new leaves and a bloom next year. Be sure soil around each rhododendron is mulched to keep it cool and moist.

I also recommend you feed the shrubs at least twice this year: now and in early June, plus maybe in September if you want them to grow a bit larger.

Listen to Walter Reeves 6-10 a.m. Saturdays on AM 750 and now 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.