Question. Clusters of mushrooms are forming in our yard. How did they start growing, and is there a control?
Answer. Folklore suggests mushrooms popping up in lawns is where the devil churned his butter or fairies danced at night. Actually, the growth of mushrooms took months to occur and started out with spores landing in organic matter-enriched sites. Often this is where a tree once grew and the decomposing roots supply the medium for mushroom growth. Mushrooms are most prevalent during the rainy season when adequate moisture is available to pop up the white-to-tan (and sometimes color) fruiting bodies arising from underground stem and root-like portions. Unless you are an expert, it is best to consider all mushrooms poisonous to family members and pets. No reliable chemical control exists. If you fear they might be eaten, removing them as they develop and discarding them with the trash is best.
Q. We have been offered a fern-like leaf ground cover with clusters of pink blooms for our yard. Is it a good one, and where does it grow best?
A. Accept this offer if you have a sunny area that needs colorful low growing plants. This native ground cover observed in your email photo is the sensitive plant also known as Mimosa, which is the genus of its scientific name. The leaves are small and numerous along short stems. They are sensitive to touch and fold up when disturbed. Use the sensitive plant as a perennial creeping ground cover to enjoy the green leaves and spring through fall puffy clusters of flowers. It is drought-tolerant but grows well in moist soils. If needed, it can occasionally be mowed when not in bloom.
Q. Plants of our Mexican petunia have a white coating on the leaves that does not rub off. I have applied insecticides but they do not give control. Should I remove the plants?
A. Lots of gardeners are reporting a white covering on the leaves of their Mexican petunia plants, also known by the scientific name Ruellia. Some suggest it is powdery mildew, a fungus and others, like you, feel it may be insect damage. Actually, this white fibrous look is caused by very tiny eriophyid mites. The mites are so small they can only be seen with special magnification. Leaf hairs are affected by the mites and are caused to form white growths. A horticultural oil found at local garden centers can be applied to help control the mites. Do follow label instructions carefully, as use during high temperatures can be toxic to plant portions. Some gardeners cut off the severally affected plant portions and then begin the sprays as needed.
Q. Our vegetable garden is done. What can we do to prepare the soil for an August or September planting?
A. Now is the time to remove all the dead and declining crops, weeds and other debris. Till the soil as needed to maintain weed control as these unwanted growths flourish during the summer rainy season. Use this time to improve sandy and recently cropped soils with organic matter. Add compost, peat moss, composted manures and similar materials. Till them into the soil. Usually, an inch or more of any one of these or in combination is needed to improve sandy soils. Gardeners can also use this time to have the soil acidity checked. Adjust the soil pH if needed following test recommendation. Soil acidity tests can be conducted at garden centers and through your local University of Florida Extension Office. Summer is also a time to bake out nematodes by covering the soil with clear plastic.
The Plant Doctor: Common herbicides not affective on artillery weeds
Q. Two years ago, I planted a persimmon tree from a container that was loaded with fruits. Last year and this year, there are no fruits. What have I done wrong?
A. Don’t scold yourself because this tree takes a few additional years to get back into production. This is normal for a young tree that was probably a bit rootbound at the time of planting. The crowded root system from a container often encourages fruiting until the tree is planted in the ground — then it begins growth but skips fruiting for a few years. Encourage this early growth by feeding the persimmon once in March and once in July for the first three years in your soil, then stop these feedings. Thereafter the fertilizer given to nearby shrubs and turf is normally adequate to feed the persimmon too. Do keep the soil moist during dry times, and your tree should be a good producer after a year or two more.
Q. As I was mowing, lots of moths came flying out of the lawn and they are near a wall and flowering bush too. What is the best way to get rid of sod webworm moths?
A. Butterfly nets and flyswatters are the best way to control the adult moth stage of the sod webworms. Most likely, you find them a nuisance and maybe a threat, too, but the moths cause no harm to your plants. They do lay eggs that may produce the webworm stage that feeds only in the grass. One curiosity is they like crabgrass the best, so they might be considered a slight benefit. Many eggs and larvae never reach the feeding stage due to beneficial insects also present in your lawn. A control may be applied if you notice the feeding webworms, which are only out at night. Since few gardeners rarely see the webworm caterpillars, feeding is normally detected by the chewed grass blades. Most gardeners say their lawn appears to be mowed closer than normal. Just about all lawn insecticides marketed at garden centers give sod webworm control. These often include natural products marketed as Dipel and spinosad containing insecticides. Follow the label for the product you select to control the feeding stages.
Tom MacCubbin is an urban horticulturist emeritus with the University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service. Write him: Orlando Sentinel, P.O. Box 2833, Orlando, FL. 32802. Email: TomMac1996@aol.com.
