Q/A column – for release December 10, 2008

Dan Culbert - Extension Horticulture Agent 

 How Does Your Garden Grow?

Your local Extension office recently began a column for local gardeners, and we depend on folks sending us questions.  This week we did receive very few questions -  maybe it’s because people are too busy working in their Florida Yard, putting up the decorations, shopping to keep the economy going or otherwise getting ready for the holidays. 

So, today’s column is a little shorter than usual.  Please send us some questions so we can continue to keep Okeechobee in the Green.

 

Rose Transplanting

My mother does yard work for a living and one of her clients recently gave her some rose bushes. She dug them up, but does not know where she should put them in her yard. Her yard gets rather wet and there are a lot of large Oak trees which provides shade pretty much 24/7. Where would be the best place to put them? Is there a certain time of day that is best to plant them? ~ Laura

Thanks for your question, Laura.  Rose bushes need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight to do well.  They do like moist soil, but will not tolerate wet feet.  Experienced “rosarians” also choose bushes that have been grafted on to rootstocks that stand up to our moist soils an to nematodes – hopefully your bushes are on Fortuniana rootstock.  The soil pH should be slightly acid to make life easier on you and the plant.  Another consideration is good air movement – it keeps the leaves dry and discourages black spot diseases and the various sucking insects that roses seem to attract. 

“Under an oak tree” does not sound like a good spot due to the shade.  If your Florida Yard does not have a spot like the one I’ve describe, the rosebush might be planted back into a good sized container where if can be grown.  Another alternative is to look for a neighbor that has a rosy spot that will work.  Remember – Christmas is coming, and it’s better to give than receive!

If you have the right spot, at this time of year, the time of day when transplanting is best will not matter – chose a time when it is light enough to work outdoors.  Dig the hole twice as wide as the rootball, and just as deep as the deepest root.  Excess soil from the hole should be used to build a water ring around the plant, mulch it well, but not against the stem, and water it in well.

Here’s a link to my column on roses printed last May: http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu/News%20columns/Rose.Gardening.htm

 

Shady Gardener

I have a small vegetable garden at my home. Half of the garden is thriving and the other half sprouted and grew to about 3inches tall then stopped. I think it is due to not getting enough sun, because the same vegetables that are in the sun more during the day are doing wonderful.  Are there any vegetables or herbs that do well in shady areas? ~Beth

 Beth - thank your for your question.  Take a look at my response to Laura above, even though you are growing different kinds of plants.  Vegetable Gardens also need 6 or more hours of sunlight to do well.  There are very few edible plants that I can think of that can grow well in shady areas. 

I asked Angela Sachson here in our office what her experiences are with shady gardens.  She suggests that you may have better luck with leafy kinds of vegetables, such as lettuce, spinach, kale and possibly broccoli.   If you consult our Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/VH021, it will give you how many days to harvest for common garden plants.  In shady areas, you will need to add more days on to those figures.  Be careful not to overwater, and keep a careful look out for diseases and insects that may find these stressed plants well suited for their diner than for your salad bowl.  Good Luck!

 

Send us your favorite garden question by fax (863-763-5901), email (okeenews@newszap.com) or just drop it off at the Okeechobee News office at (107 SW 17th St. suite D, Okeechobee, FL 34974).  The University of Florida - Okeechobee County Extension office will pick out three questions that would be of greatest interest to local residents and publish brief answers in the Okeechobee News.

To continue the column, we need YOUR real questions by Monday at 5 PM. Be sure to include your name and phone or email address in case we need more information (We can publish a question as anonymous if you wish).  Clear photographs (digital preferred) may also be submitted,.  Do not drop by actual plant specimens (unless it is a prize tomato for our salad or a beautiful flower for our office!)  We reserve the right to edit all questions for space.

More information is available on the award winning Okeechobee web page, http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu. If you need additional information on Florida-Friendly Landscaping, please email us at okeechobee@ifas.ufl.edu or call us at 863-763-6469.  Local residents can stop by our office at 458 Hwy 98 North in Okeechobee, and visit our Okeechobee County Master Gardeners from 1 to 3 PM on Tuesday afternoons.  Go Gators! 

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Trade  names, where used, are given for the purpose of providing specific information. They do not constitute an endorsement or guarantee of products named, nor does it imply criticism of products not named. The Florida Cooperative Extension Service - Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer authorized to provide research, educational information, and other services to individuals and institutions that function without regard to race, color, sex, age, handicap, or national origin.  Florida Cooperative Extension Service / IFAS / University of Florida.  Larry A.  Arrington, Dean. Last update: 12/09/2008.  This page is maintained by Dan Culbert