1. I have a tank pump sprayer that I use for lawn weed killer.  Is it okay to use it for insecticides and fungicides as well?
    The answer is yes and no.  If you are willing to wash out the sprayer with soap and water, and then ammonia and then rinse it, the answer is yes.  However, we would advise one sprayer labeled for lawn weed killer and one for insecticides-fungicides as it is difficult to get rid of 2-4D residue typically contained in lawn weed killers.  This residue sprayed on your plants will distort the growth or even kill your valuable plants.

  2. Powdery mildew is a constant problem on some of my plants such as lilacs and roses.  What can I do?
    Use Bi-Carb fungicide to prevent or even to eliminate mildew.  Bi-Carb is a salt potassium bi-carbonate combined with a spreader sticker and is more effective than baking soda.  It was developed by Dr. Hurst at Cornell University in New York and will actually pierce the cell walls of the fungus cells and “dry them up”. 

  3. I do not want chemical sprays on my herbs and other garden plants but sometimes bugs are a problem.  What can I do? The use of the following organic products can be used without fear of leaving a chemical residue on the plants that you and your family may eat.  Insect Control:  Neem Oil, Insecticidal Soap, Thuricide, Horticultural Oil Disease Control: Serenade, Bi-Carb, Bordeaux

    Note that dormant or horticultural oil must be used with caution as it may burn plants if the wrong dilution rate is used.  Bordeaux while not technically organic, is an old-fashioned fungicide that has been around for about 200 years. It consists of copper sulfate salt and lime “mixed” with water.  It cannot be applied with a hose-end sprayer as the lime will not dissolve in water.  Be sure to use a pump sprayer for Bordeaux and agitate it periodically to keep product in suspension while spraying.  The copper portion of Bordeaux will also correct bacterial problems such as fireblight.

  4. Rhododendron will sometimes wilt and die suddenly as though it is dry, but it may not be.  This is caused by the fungus Phytophthora cinnamoni. Phytophthora is derived from a Greek word meaning plant killer and the specific epithet cinnamoni refers to the cinnamon color of the bark of the plant near the crown, as it is evidence of the fungus that has entered root systems and has made its way to the crown, cutting off the plant’s water supply.  There is no control for this disease once it has entered the root system. 

    Prevention is the key by doing the following:
     1.  Making sure plant has fast, deep drainage; 2.  Avoiding over-fertilizing and injuring roots from too much salt.; 3.  Watering if necessary in drought periods to only once weekly for an established plant as constantly wet soil when soil temperatures exceed 55° F will cause problems.  
    Phytopthera is spread by contaminated splashing water in that the organism needs free water in the soil to move as it has a flagella in order to swim to it’s host.  Soil temperatures above 70° F and wet soils favor the disease to infect plants.

  5. For years I have planted impatiens in the same area in front of my home but now they don’t seem to want to grow!
    The problem is a classic example of the failure to perform “crop rotation”.  Farmers over 200 years ago such as George Washington knew of the importance of crop rotation.  The problems start when a disease particular to that plant (or crop) builds up in the soil overtime in such numbers that they are able to attack the plant and overwhelm it.  Avoid planting the same genus of plants in the same place no more than 3 years in a row which will insure the pathogens do not build up in the soil. Re-planting of the plants could occur after the soil has “rested” with other crops for at least two years.

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