Ask Monty’s:

“Why do tomatoes split?  Mine are splitting at the seams!”

Radovich                                                                                                                                                                                       Pikeville, Tennessee

Radovich:

Moisture or heat stress is the culprit here – and some varieties are more susceptible than others. When the fruit becomes too plump too quickly they literally burst their skin.  This often happens after a heavy rainfall that occurs after a very dry spell.  Cracks that radiate down from the stem are caused by heat stress.  This occurs during period of hot, bright sunlight and temperatures above 90 degrees. Even moisture is the key, along with good drainage, and a thick layer of mulch to keep the soil cool and moist.  Remove ripe and nearly ripe fruit after a heavy rainfall as a proactive approach to letting them ripen further and split.  Better that than if you let a split tomato go unchecked and be invaded by insects or slugs which can create more problems for your plants.

Ask Monty’s:

“I separated a hug tulip bed last fall from a neighbor and replanted the bulbs in several new areas throughout my landscape.  This spring they feebly came up with very few having more than one leaf and what ones did flower were not spectacular by any means.  Was my transplanting efforts worthless?”

Cindy                                                                                                                                                                                                  Fowler, Indiana

Cindy:

Hang in here.  Your transplants are still “moving in.”  I hope you let what stems and flower there were yellow and die off undisturbed as they store the carbohydrates back into the bulbs as part of their regeneration process.  The bulbs just simply need to get a little larger and a little more situated in their new home before they exhibit the flower power you’re used to.  This could take a year or two, so like I said, hang in there!

Ask Monty’s:

“Is clover damaging to your lawn?  My lawn is experiencing a little more than usual and my husband wants to get rid of it.”

Madison                                                                                                                                                                                        Dubuque, Iowa

Madison:

Some people consider clover a weed, a bad rap it got in the late 1950’s when broadleaf herbicides killed the clover, along with more harmful weeds. The eradication of lawn clover then gave way to a lawn care trend of cloverless yards that homeowners found more desirable.  The advantages of clover in your lawn actually outweighs the disadvantages such as:

• Cover is draught-tolerant staying green virtually from spring to the first frost.
• Clover is a built in nitrogen producing fertilizer creating its own nitrogen and fertilizes nearby plants and grass as well.
• Clover out competes most other weeds and reduces the need for weeding or herbicide use.
• Clover tolerates poor soil conditions, growing particularly well in poor quality subsoil commonly found around the foundation of new homes.
• Clover is immune to “dog patches” where female dogs urine discolors lawn grasses, staying green and lush despite the abuse.
• Clover is inexpensive at about $4 per 4,000 square feet or by just letting it grow and spread.

You cna learn more about the plant, and ways to get rid of it, if htat remains your choice, here.

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