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November Questions &Answers Compiled by David Rodriguez County Extension Agent-Horticulture Bexar County

Extension educational programs serve people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability, or national origin.

Special thanks to Forrest W. Appleton and volunteers of the "Master Gardener Hotline" in support of the weekly gardening questions and answers.

Question:
David, this is the first year I have grown broccoli and I cannot determine when it is ready to harvest. How will I know?
Answer:
Generally, when individual buds of broccoli are match-head size and distinct (loose) in appearance, the head is as large as it is going to get. After growing a certain variety for several seasons you will soon know the potential size for heads of that variety. The size of the head produced depends on variety, season and fertilization. The ideal selection to grow in this area is one called "Green Magic."

Question:
Mr. Rodriguez, what is broccoflower? Did someone misspell broccoli?
Answer:
A strange new vegetable is invading produce departments throughout the United States. This produce stranger, broccoflower, is the result of a genetic cross between broccoli and cauliflower. Although its physical attributes resemble cauliflower, it has the color and flavor of broccoli. Initial indications from producers of this new crop suggest that demand for broccoflower is exceeding supply. Whether or not broccoflower's rapid rise in popularity is due to its novelty or to its taste, it is the hottest produce item to hit the market in recent years. Cultural practices and growing seasons are similar for both cauliflower and broccoflower. The major difference in production is that there is no need to tie wrapper leaves over broccoflower to maintain its color and quality as is required for cauliflower cultivation.

Question:
David, are beet tops good to eat?
Answer:
Yes, definitely. Many people prefer the tops of beets to the enlarged roots. Beet tops are prepared much like other types of green, such as collards or turnips, and have a distinctive flavor.

Question:
Mr. Rodriguez, how do I keep my spinach growing vigorously instead of slowing down?
Answer:
Spinach responds to liberal applications of a high nitrogen fertilizer which stimulates growth and production of leaves. Applications of a 19-5-9 fertilizer analysis applied as a side-dress at the rate of one half cup per 10 linear feet of spinach row will hasten growth and improve spinach yields. Apply when the plants are about two inches tall and again after the first harvest. The selection of spinach called 'Coho' planted as transplants are the best selection for this part of the state.

Question:
Mr. Rodriguez, crabgrass is spreading rapidly. I understand I should use a pre herbicide to prevent it from returning next year. Can you make any recommendations as to the best time to put this on the lawn and what I should use?
Answer:
You should apply a pre-emergent herbicide such as Green Light's Amaze or XL in accordance with the label instructions in February and again in July.

Question:
David, I have a rare night blooming cactus. Sometimes at night it will bloom flowers and on different nights it blooms some kind of fruit. I would like to know what kind of fruit it is and if it's ok to eat.
Answer:
Without knowing what plant this is, I cannot tell you whether or not the fruit is "ok" to eat. And even if I did know the answer, I would be very reluctant to tell you to eat it. People react in many different ways to things that are edible such as peanuts or crustaceans which can be fatal to those who are allergic to them. The fruit is probably the seed pod of a pollinated flower.

Question:
Mr. Rodriguez, what is the acceptable height, if any, to spray pruned oak trees in Texas? I was told anything above ten feet was not needed. Is this correct?
Answer:
All wounds to a live oak should be painted. See http://www.texasoakwilt.org/About/disease.html which says: "Regardless of season, all pruning cuts or other wounds to oak trees, including freshly-cut stumps and damaged surface roots, should be treated immediately with a wound or latex paint to prevent exposure to contaminated insect vectors."

Question:
How do I go about making a raised bed? I would like to put one in front of my house which faces east.
Answer:
A raised bed can be in any growing area that is elevated above the normal level of the ground. You can place something like timbers, RR cross ties, cinder blocks, rocks or other material around the perimeter of this bed to hold the soil or you can just make a mound of soil without this barrier. You fill the bed with good quality top soil or soil, sand and compost mix, both of which are sold by most purveyors of soil.

Question:
This fall I want to plant cereal rye (Elbon). I am interested in controlling soil nematodes and adding organic material to my garden. Is it recommended to shred the cereal rye and rototill it into the soil at least 30 days before planting occurs? Many times it is too wet to work. What should I do? Also, it has been hard to find Elbon rye. Where can I find it?
Answer:
You have two choices. You can wait until it is dry enough to shred and rototill the rye into the garden soil. The second choice is to mud in some of the early planted vegetables. These include broccoli and onions; be sure to use one-half cup of super phosphate per 10 linear feet of row beneath plants. If you want to be strictly organic, simply shred the rye to the ground with a flexible string trimmer and plant through the stubble after making a trench with a shovel. The rye will begin to re-grow but should be manageable until the heat of summer kills it. Several days before planting, consider applying a glyphosate herbicide like Roundup or Complete to the strips of rye in which you want to plant. This will avoid a later sprouting problem and it does not damage transplants. It also ends nutrient competition from growing rye. In commercial plantings, tall rye is sprayed with glyphosate and left standing to provide a wind break. Either of these solutions to managing cereal rye will work but will not make for the prettiest garden you have ever had. This is not the ideal way but it is the only way, given a wet weather condition. Consider contacting Douglas W. King Seed Company at: http://www.dkseeds.com/shop/hitpage.asp?recid=7 or 210-661-4191, they have always been a reliable supplier of this "Natural Green Manure" crop.

Question:
What varieties of onions should I plant to produce the largest sweetest bulbs and when?
Answer:
Consider planting onion bunches from mid-November through early January for the largest size bulbs in about 100 to 120 days. Plant varieties such as 1015Y, Yellow Granex, and White Contessa or, if you prefer a red onion, consider Southern Belle. These "Bermuda" onions are considered short-day onions. Planted at the right time and given proper moisture and fertility, they should produce large, sweet bulbs like those you find in the spring at local grocery stores.

Question:
I am looking for a company to order White Granex onions. Do you know of one?
Answer:
White Granex onions are almost impossible to find anymore. Consider planting Contessa which is the closest and probably the best replacement. It is like the white version of the 1015 Y onion. You probably can get transplants from Dixondale Farms, P. O. Box 127, Carrizo Springs, TX 78834, telephone: 830-876-2430.

Question:
Mr. Rodriguez, I grew some okra this year that I would like to take the seeds from and have them to plant for next year. Can you tell me the process? I've been letting the okra plants get bigger and I'm not sure what size they need to be to be able to get good planting seeds from them. Once, the okra is cut, what I do to keep it for next year.
Answer:
Leave the pods on the plant until they begin to turn brown. Then cut them off and place them in a brown paper bag in a dry location like your garage. They will continue to dry and split open. When completely dry, you can remove the seed. Place the seeds in an airtight container in your refrigerator and they will be ready to plant next spring, usually the first of May, and plant them about one inch deep.

Question:
David, do you have any suggestions on how to preserve chile pequín after they have been picked?
Answer:
If the chile pequíns were red when you picked them, you can preserve them dry or in vinegar. The dry chile pequíns can be used (cautiously) in cooking and the chile pequíns in vinegar make a good hot sauce. To dry put them in an old clean panty hose leg and hang them in a dry location like your garage. In vinegar put them in a sealable glass container (of your choice) and pour vinegar, that has been brought to a boil, over them and let them set. This makes a 'spicy' vinegar to be used as desired. More vinegar can be added as needed.

Question:
Mr. Rodriguez, I have been placed in charge of the grounds at my church. Someone had planted lots of irises in the shade and therefore no blooms! They have multiplied quite a bit and I want to dig them up and divide them. Can you give me some tips on this, such as time of year to do this, how to divide them and when to replant them, as well as how to store them.
Answer:
Irises need to be dug and divided in the fall (now is the time). Cut the fan back to about six inches and return them to the ground with the top of the rhizome just at soil level and barely covered. If you need to store them, store only the healthy large corms and spread out in any dry location. You can dust them with dusting sulfur which will help prevent any rotting.

Question:
What is the difference between winterize fertilizer and 19-5-9? Also, what is the best type to use and when?
Answer:
The "winterizer" fertilizers have their nitrogen in a 'quick release' formulation which means that all of the nitrogen is quickly water soluble and available for the plants to use immediately. 19-5-9 has half of its nitrogen encapsulated in a sulfur coated formation that breaks down over a period of time (perhaps 60 days depending on temperature). We recommend using the winterizer fertilizers at this time of the year, so that the grass can benefit from all of it before going dormant. The most commonly available one is 18-6-12.

Question:
What should I do, if anything, to the elephant ears in my backyard over the fall and winter?
Answer:
Nothing! If it freezes, they will freeze to the ground and come back next year. After the first hard frost or freezing temperature you can cut them to the ground and discard the dead material.

Question:
I am using a trash can (with drainage holes) to compost. After returning from a week in the hospital, I checked the compost and there were small bugs that looked like weird roaches on the top. What do I do to get rid of them and do I have to get rid of the compost? I did not use animal fat, just leaves, vegetable/fruit peels, water, and some soil. It smelled good before and looks good now, but I don't want bugs!
Answer:
All compost piles are going to have some bugs since decomposing organic material is like dessert to them. None of them are going to hurt it or you. They are just assisting in the decomposition process.

Question:
What do you recommend for our cannas that have been taken over by these white worm caterpillar type insect? They are eating all our leaves which makes the plant look awful.
Answer:
I recommend that you spray them with either an Acephate insecticide such as Ortho Orthene or one of the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) insecticides which are sold by names like BioWorm Killer, Thuricide, Dipel and others. Your favorite nurseryman will know. Just ask for Bt.