WHO TO CALL:

Community Editor Andrew McCredie

Home and Garden Editor Layne Christensen

985-2131 (147) 985-2131 (118)

Roy Jonsson

Sow it grows

THIS IS 2 good time to catch up on the answers to some of the many questions

that | have received asa con-_

sultant and columnist.

Ehave always adinired the beau tiful hollyhocks that l have seen growing along cottage walls in southern England. | have tried planting hollyhocks in my garden bat the leaves have turned brown and the plants did nat put on much af a show. What can | do ta grow these beautiful plants?

Hollyhocks (Althaea rosea) can bloom profusely when grown under the right conditions...

o> They like a rich. well drained soil, with southern exposure and a wall at their.back. While they need - Moderate moisture and nutrients at their roots to develop a strong ste’ ‘and large flowers, they do not like. . Wet roots or wet foliage. : . This limiting condition makes them very difficult to grow ina high rainfall area like the North Shore. Growing them under a wide

overhang or eaves ‘near a wall is the:

best place, providing that there is’

- good air movement for the leaves to dry quickly after‘a rain. -

_ Also, wet leaves make the plant ; susceptible to.rust, a fungal disease. The first sign of this problem is small, raised, red pustules on the under side of the leaves. If not

_. treated, the pustules’ will increase in

; cnumber and size until the entire -

leaf turns brown and withers.

At the first sign of disease, remove the infected leaves and destroy, To prevent new spores from spreading to other plants. vad will Thaive to treat both sides of the lua! with sulphur SOG dust or wet- table powder at Libel rates anes a week,

Last year Thad a beatiful show of snapdragons, With the mild

‘weather the plants survived the

winter aud came back inte bloom this semuner, Now the leaves are turaing brown and the plants are nat putting aut any new flower spikes,

Snapdragons (Amtirrhinum majus), like hollyhoe ks, are very susceptible to rast.

‘Normatiy they will get through the first season but may become. infected in the late fall. Plants that are held over from year to year are mach more likely to become infect ed or ceintected. The taller varieties are More resistant but should not be grown in the same place for two consecutive years. Infected plants can be sprayed or dusted with sul- phur 90% D'or W P every two weeks,

The scales on the branches of my cedar hedge are turning Grown creating a motiled look, What is causing the problem and yill it Kill the hedge that we depend an for privacy?

The’ problem with your hedge is Keithia blight. a fungal disease.

Irregular to circular brown or

‘black cushions appear on the scales

(foliage) in the spring and gradual- ly the scales turn brown as the sea- son progresses, Dead scales will eventually fall, leaving the branch bare.

(Thuja plicata ‘Excelsia’ and ‘Atrovirens’) are susceptible, partic-

ularly when they.are continuously | . damp or planted too close together. To control, apply wettable cop- °-:

per at 4 ml/! during the infectious period, which is from late-March to mid-June.

For several years now, the ends of the branches on our evergreen

» Shrubs have turned brown, What

SPE CIAL PURCHASE

NEW.

‘CALIFORNIA COUNTRY CLASSIC”

- bedroom furniture. Top of the line quality ot LIMITED QUANTITIES *

‘EXAMPLES: ‘6 7 Drawer Dresser. Armoires 5 Drawer Chests * 2 Drawer Nites - ‘ 4 Poster Panel Beds

Special 499% 499° 399° 199% 389%

Reg. 749% 749% 589% 299° 549%

* All have Dovetailed Drawers * he NO LAY-AWAYS. ke

Only two varieties of Red Cedar

van bdo to stop the dieback and get them growing avait?

Your probletn aiay be Cypress Tip Moth, a niath thint attacks cedars. junipers and false express (hamacevparis).

A very small S nan O20 grey inoth shows up in dane and July and fays eves an the trees. The bar vae over vinters in amnion C16 ine long while cocoons that are visibly in April end May of the following year The insects suck the juive out

ofthe foliage atthe tip of the branch, causing it to turn brown

and fait off. :

To break the cycle af the Tip Moth, spray the infected plant with Diazinon 12.5 at 6 sal/t of water in late-April, mid-June and again in carly July. o

Our warden has a large eamunber af many, fan shaped junipers. One by one the branches slowly iurn yellow and then whole sec tions die back. What can we dete save these shrubs?

Juniper twig blight can be caused by a pumber of fungal dis-

“gases and will eventually kill the “plant:

The symptoms start to show a the tip of the branch and work back. becoming most severe at tie” centye, There is no sure cure, but, you should pruné out and destroy the infected branches as soon as" possible. Avoid overhead watering in (he evening and spray with Benomyl at | ml or Maneb at 3 ml/l at two week intervals as soon ws YOU see new growth i in the spring.

If the problent persists Ht might, be, wise to redevelop sections of your garden using less disease prone plants that have more charac: ter and interest. i, :

‘ADDITIONAL IN-STORE

500 styles, 2000 fabrics ‘and leathers. O

NEWS photo Mike Wakefield —

SNAPDRAGONS (ABOVE) like hollyhocks, a are very susceptibie © to rust, columnist Roy Jonrison tells a reader. Normally, snap- dragons will get ‘ane the first season but may become i:

-Infected in the late fall.

SAVINGS ON ALL LEATHERS

‘Summer Sale with special savings on leather.

Over 90 years of € experience tuming customers’ ideas into

custom-made sofas and chairs. We'll build and deliver them in just'35 days. At prices so low, you'd. never believe they were built just for you, And now, in addition to storewide values, cnjoy special savings on all leather furniture - and celebrate your freedom of choice. Something tells us.it’s just

what you had in mind. *

#500 styles, # 2000 fabrics & leathers ° #35 day-defivery

* Free design assistance © Lifetime frame warranty . 2 year fabric warranty

ut THE FURNITURE IDEA FURNITURE IDEA

: You Dt ‘AM Iv. WE Buin he

| SALE ENDS AUGUST 31, HURRY IN! Yaletown Store 980 Cambie Street (at Nelson) 68 1- 6363 Pacific. Reach Store #110.-1655° United Blvd. 540- 4733.