Question #1: About ten years ago I planted a row of 15 Arborvitae between my house and my neighbor’s. Half of them lost a tremendous amount of interior needles this winter. Now I notice that some of the tips of the needles are turning brown. What is causing this to happen?
Answer #1: Most likely what you are noticing now on your Arborvitae began to happen last summer and fall. We were below the average rainfall at that time of year. What you are describing sounds like drought stress. Drought symptoms begin with wilting but as the dryness continues needles drop and the tips of branches begin to brown. Keep an eye on the amount of rain we have in the spring. If it is dry give the trees some supplemental water and mulch around the base of the trees to conserve water. Make sure that the mulch does not touch the trunks of the trees.
Question #2: For the last few years, we have grown cucumbers and zucchini from seed. The plants come up healthy and begin producing fruit. All of a sudden the leaves start to turn brown, wilt and the plants begin to die. This seems to happen overnight. What is happening, I just want some homegrown cucumbers and zucchini.
Answer #2: What you describe can be a common problem on both cucumber and zucchini plants. You may be dealing with two separate issues that cause very similar symptoms. Bacterial wilt is a disease spread by the cucumber beetle. It primarily affects cucumbers but can also infect squash. It causes wilting of individual leaves and then eventually the entire plant. The squash vine borer attacks lower stems of squash plants causing similar wilting. There are ways of managing both of these problems. Go to the Grow It Eat it website www.growit.umd.edu and look under ‘Plant Problems’ for management ideas.
Question #3: Last fall I built two raised beds to plant some vegetables in. I am getting ready to uncover them for the upcoming spring growing season and was wondering how I can tell if I am getting good quality topsoil to fill them with.
Answer #3: Maryland does not have regulations that set standards for topsoil sales. Go to a reputable nursery or topsoil dealer and ask questions about where the soil comes from, what kind of soiling testing is performed, what the pH is and if anything has been added to it. Examine the soil before purchasing it. Topsoil should be dark and crumbly with an earthy smell. Do not purchase if the soil is foul smelling, has grayish mottling or a chalky texture. Some sellers have a mix of topsoil and leaf compost which can make an excellent growing media for raised beds.
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