Boardash: ArcaMax Gardening Daily Tips for Friday January 22, 2010

Thursday, January 21, 2010

ArcaMax Gardening Daily Tips for Friday January 22, 2010

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Q&A: Whiteflies in Greenhouse

Question: Whiteflies have taken over my hobby greenhouse. How do I get rid of them without killing the plants?

Answer: Whiteflies are effectively controlled by several products which are natural or organic. Some options are products containing Neem, insecticidal soap, or one of the lightweight summer oils. Always read the label before purchasing the product to make sure it is labeled for the plants you will be spraying it on and for greenhouse applications. It is important to direct sprays upward from beneath the plant to reach the undersides of the leaves. Be ready to repeat sprays once or twice at 10 day to two week intervals, as new eggs will hatch and pupae will continue to emerge for a while. If you look carefully under the leaves you will see small yellow/green scale-like things (the size of a typed "o"). These are the pupal stages of the insects and will soon emerge as adults. Spray early in the morning when temperatures are cool to avoid burning the plant.

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Q&A: Lighting for Germinating Seeds

Question: I used large trays with lots of little cells to start my seeds, and used a bottom heater to speed germination. Now some of the seeds have germinated and some have not. Do I put under the whole tray under the light source now or do I wait until all the seeds have sprouted?

Answer: A rule of thumb is to set seed flats under lights when a third to half of the seeds seem to have germinated. Generally, seeds (all of the same kind) will germinate with a day or two of each other assuming they are planted at about the same depth. If you wait too long the early ones will get leggy and suffer from lack of light.

If you planted lots of different types of seeds in the tray, some will probably take quite a bit longer than others to germinate. Some people cut the large trays into "six-packs" so they can plant different seeds in each six-pack. That way, they can put the germinated seeds under lights, and keep the slower-germinating seeds on the warming map to hasten germination.

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Tip: Bird Feeder Care

To minimize the spread of disease at your bird feeder this winter, disinfect it monthly with a solution of 1 part bleach to 9 parts water. Clean droppings off the perch area and make sure your bird food isn't moldy.

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