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Saturday, June 13, 2015An Advertising Feature of

The Topeka Capital-Journal

REALTOR

Jamie Hancock Garden Column 32015 Topeka Garden Tour: Rising from the ashes 5

Sharing the passion of gardening 8TCJ Pin of the Week 9

2 | Saturday, June 13, 2015 | The Topeka Capital-Journal | At Home

At Home | The Topeka Capital-Journal | Saturday, June 13, 2015 | 3

Welcome back! Apparently my last arti-cle on problems with tomatoes didnt scare you off. Good. There is an old science fic-tion movie called Attack of the Killer To-matoes I am calling this What Attacks and Kills My Tomatoes (not quite as gory, but just as deadly). This week is a sequel to last week and will cover wilt diseases and viruses. Keep these two articles to help you when growing your tomatoes.

The dreaded wilt diseasesThe two major wilt diseases are Fusari-

um and Verticillium. They live in the soil, enter through the roots, and block the water-conducting tissues of the tomato. Plants are deprived of water and wilt, es-pecially during dry conditions.

Fusarium wilt is the more prevalent wilt. It generally occurs in midsummer when air and soil temperatures (80 degrees) are high. Older leaves near the ground turn yellow. Often the yellowing is restrict-ed to one side of the plant or to leaflets on one side of the petiole (KSU publica-tion L-723). The affected leaves soon wilt and dry up, but they remain attached to the plant. Younger leaves are soon af-fected followed by the death of the plant. The stem will still appear green, but if you slice through the stem at ground level and look at the inside of the stem you will see a narrow column of brown between the center (pith) and the outer green portion.

Verticillium wilt tends to develop in the

cool of late spring (soil temperatures 55-75 degrees). Older leaves are affected first turning yellow and wilting. Leaves are uniformly yellow (not one sided like fusarium wilt) and the infected leaves drop prematurely. The diseased plants continue to live, but will be stunted and weak and produce small fruit. The stem will display the same symptoms as fusarium wilt and will take a laboratory analysis to tell the difference. Verticillium can attack a wide range of plants, includ-ing strawberry, black raspberry, potato, eggplant, and many common weeds.

Both wilts can be introduced into your garden by contaminated seed or infected transplants. The diseases can survive in

the soil for many years. There is no cure for wilts and viruses.

Fusarium has at least three known races or strains. The term race refers to the organisms ability to infect certain crop varieties but not others. Race 1 is known to occur in Kansas, and Race 2 likely oc-curs here. Race 3 could easily spread to Kansas.

Control measuresn Resistance is the most practical

means of control of wilt diseases. Scien-tists have been working to breed tomato varieties that have a resistance to wilt diseases. Many tomatoes today will come with a notation in the catalog or on their label such as VF12. This means that that particular tomato is resistant to verticilli-um and fusarium Races 1 and 2. Heirloom varieties are gaining popularity for having unique characteristics, but most are not resistant to wilt diseases.n Corp rotation is another good control

measure. Grow crops that are not hosts to wilt diseases in place of tomatoes. Move the tomatoes to a new location for 4-6 HANCOCK continues on 4A

What ails your tomato plants Part IIA Note FromThe Gardener

[email protected]

Jamie Hancock


years.n Sanitation is a must! Remove and

destroy diseased plants at the end of the season. Clean stakes, cages, tools and any-thing that came into contact with the soil or debris in the infected area.n Healthy plants can resist disease bet-

ter than weak ones. Fertilize appropriately and irrigate regularly to maintain good plant health.

Root knot nematodes attack roots of tomato, potato, eggplant, sweet potato, radish, geranium, and peony. Diseased tomato plants are stunted and pale green. They may show signs of nutrient deficien-cies even though there is plenty in the soil.

Plants wilt during the day and recover at night. Roots develop multiple small tan galls and can cause extensive swelling and distortion of roots.

Control by avoiding introducing the nematodes in the first place. Check new transplants before planting for distorted roots. Rotate crops every 3-5 years and plant resistant varieties (listed on the

plant label).Viral diseasesThree of the most common viruses in

Kansas are tobacco mosaic virus, cucum-ber mosaic virus, and tomato spotted wilt virus.

Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) attacks a wide range of vegetable plants and flow-

HANCOCK continues on 13A

Continued from 3A

Hancock: Control with crop rotation


By Linda A. DitchSpecial to The Capital-Journal

On a typical February afternoon in 2009, Carol and Bob Williams each re-ceived the phone calls at work every hom-eowner dreads. The next door neighbors teenage daughter came home from school and discovered fire shooting up the back of the Williams home at 3423 SW 35th. In spite of the fire fighters best efforts, the house they had lived in since 1989 was a complete loss.

Both the fire and subsequent house re-construction destroyed the gardens in the front yard and around the foundation. Also, many of the trees in back were dam-aged, including the silver maple planted the year the Williams moved in.

Today, the gardens are back in full bloom. So much so, they are a part of this years Topeka Beautification Association Garden Tour, which takes place on Satur-day, June 20 and Sunday, June 21.

The silver maple survived the fire and still stands proud in the back, as do two crabapple trees and a weeping mulberry tree in front. New plantings were added to give the yard a lush, shady feel. A path

along the side of the house leads from front to back, past Jessicas garden, a col-orful flower bed named after the couples daughter because, the garden is a work in progress, just like her, Bob said, with a smile.

In the back, bits of sunlight filter through the canopy of numerous shade trees. A dry creek bed sweeps through a large portion of the yard, allowing runoff to flow into the creek along the back of the property. Benches dot the landscape so those who stop to rest have a different, unique view of each garden area.

Bob credits Custom Tree Care with helping to minimize the tree damage from the fire. To help with restoring the gardens, they turned to designer James Widman from Skinners, who also created the backyards dry creek bed. Bob and Carol do the rest of the work, which Bob described as a two person job since they both work fulltime. (Carol for the Kansas Ethics Commission and Bob as executive director of the Kansas Association of Os-teopathic Medicine.)

Carol enjoys mornings in the garden. Leaning with her arms on the deck railing and gazing out over the backyard, she

said, I find its therapeutic. I love being out here listening to the birds and watch-ing the squirrels.

For Bob, he gardens because its fun TOUR continues on 6A

2015 Topeka Garden Tour: Rising from the Ashes

LinDA A DiTch/SpeciAL TO The cApiTAL-JOURnAL

The front of the Williams home, with the weeping mulberry and crabapple trees that survived the fire.


helping to make things grow. Creating little ecosystems in the gardens. Its our sport. Our hobby. While other people golf or go boating, we work in the garden.

Other gardens on this years tour in-clude:n Nordgren Garden, 3419 SE 35th

neighbors to the west of the Williams, they housed many of Bob and Carols plants in their backyard until the house construc-tion was complete. Their own garden is designed to look like a natural, Colorado-inspired retreat, with a sloping lawn and a gazebo overlooking a disappearing wa-terfall. n Row House Garden, 515 SW Van

Burenlocated behind the Row House Restaurant, gardener Dave Frederick be-gan restoring the forgotten garden nine years ago when the restaurant opened. In fact, he married chef and owner Greg Fox in the garden, and restaurant guests can choose to dine among his plantings of flowers, herbs and vegetables. n Milliken Garden, 1343 Collinsa

romantic cottage garden with a rose-covered vintage iron gazebo and a flower-lined walkway leading to a garden room getaway. n Balda Garden, 832 Anderson Ter-

racea landscape designed to give the feel of strolling through various garden rooms throughout the long, narrow back-yard.n Nelson Garden, 748 Prairie

Courta garden that evolves according to the amount of sun or shade provided each year, this seasons selection of salmon, coral and purple annuals is done in honor of Mrs. Nelsons mother, Barbara Upton, who taught her to love of gardening. n Cordill Garden, 4304 SW Lau-

rens Waya landscape designed around a berm, two dry creek beds and several stone walls, and filled with plantings that thrive in the sunlight.

The garden tour goes from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, and 12 to 4 p.m. on Sun-day. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at any stop on the tour. The proceeds sup-port the Topeka Beautification Associa-tions programs to educate and inspire the

community to create and maintain an aes-thetically pleasing environment. More de-tails about the tour can be found at http://kabtopsh.org/.

TOUR continues on 7A

Continued from 5A

LindA A diTch/SpeciAL TO The cApiTAL-JOURnAL

Bob and Carol Williams in the garden they have rebuilt.

Tour: Gardens on the tour


Linda a ditch/SpeciaL to the capitaL-JournaL

The evolving Jessicas Garden on side of the house.

Topeka Beautification Association Garden TourWhen: Saturday, June 20, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, June 21, 12 to 4 p.m.Where: 515 SW Van Buren; 1343 SW Collins; 832 SW Anderson Terrace; 748 SW Prairie Court; 4304 SW Laurens Way; 3423 SE 35th; and 3419 SE 35thtickets: $10 and can be purchased on the day of the tour at each garden location.Website: http://kabtopsh.org/

Continued from 6a

Tour: Plan to visit the gardens


By Jenni HarrisonSpecial to The Capital-Journal

In nearby Eudora, Kansas, Eric Mack and his family enjoy hybridizing and rais-ing daylilies. Hybridizing is the process of taking two different species or varieties and crossbreeding them, a practice that is popular among daylily enthusiasts such as Eric.

Eric and his wife Kari invite their chil-dren to help them with maintaining the flower beds. Aiden (8), Maisy (4) and

Grayson (2), assist their parents with jobs that are age appropriate. Aiden and Maisy water and pull weeds while younger Gray-son offers support by sitting on his fathers shoulders. One of the more valuable tasks, according to Eric is fixing the kinks in the hose, a job his kids often help with.

A member of the Daylily Club since 2012, Eric has several modest sized gar-dens set up around his property that con-sist of hybridized and named varieties. He started his hobby ten years ago when he began buying daylilies from a neighbor

that hybridized across the street from his parents in Indiana. At the time, they had thousands of varieties available but after the 3rd year of Eric making his purchases, they retired from the business and sold ev-erything cheap. Eric used this opportuni-ty and bought a whole bunch. Joining the club a few years later, he has succeeded in cross breeding and winning ribbons.

The first time I entered the show, that one got a purple ribbon Eric tells me as he points to a variety called Golden Ten-tacles which is currently reaching a near

bloom state and just as its namesake implies, is a golden color. He shows me another hybridized plant with a purple bloom which he is also awaiting the ar-rival of called Tooth. We continue to walk and Eric describes the different daylilies he has planted from one called the Big Red Express to his first daylilies: Smith Broth-ers, a black bloom and Joan Senior, a con-trasting white. Aiden, who has been with us since the start of my tour now stoops to the base of the plant and begins to pick

DAYLILY continues on 10A

Sharing the passion of gardening

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY ERIC MACK

Daylily hybrid cross of Silver Moon Sparkle and Eight Miles High. On the cover Daylily from cross of Horny Devil and Heavenly Velocirapter that he will name Princess Maisy when he registers it.


Re-fashioned T-shirt Tutorial

The Topeka Capital-Journal Pin of the Week

1. Cut the sleeves off, and then cut straight across, just below the neck/collar.2. Fold the top inch over on the front and sew across the top to create a place to thread my strap. Repeat for the back.3. Cut the arm-bands off. I want to save them to use as straps.4. Snip each one once, to open them up long ways.5. Thread each one through the shirt, one through the front, and one through the back.6. Sew the bands together at each side to create one big loop.Note, I did nothing to hem anything, anywhere. I left it all raw. Im fine with it rolling and even fraying a little, although itll roll before it frays.

1 2

5-6

3-4

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Photo source: Nichoward.tyPePad.com


off an unattractive, discolored leaf and an-nounces that the yellow parts are bad. We usually pull them off, while pruning the first family daylily bed.

Aside from Erics flower beds that he and his family maintain, the children have their own area to grow. The kids section of named daylilies was started last fall. Even-tually Aiden and Maisy want to do a day-lily show and enter theirs in a competition to see whose is best. The plants may be the same on either side of the line but perhaps one might have a mightier watering tech-nique than the other.

The task of producing new growth is a DAYLILY continues on 14A

Continued from 8A

Daylily: Creating a family tradition


Part of the choirs assigned to Aiden and Maisy are to water their respective sides of the kids garden.


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Hancock: Seminars at the Libraryers. On tomatoes, the infection causes light and dark green mottled areas on the leaves. Plants are stunted and leaves may appear fern-like and distorted. Some strains cause mottling, streaking, and death of the fruits, but not the plants.

Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) appears as mottled, yellow leaves that become twisted, curl downward, and develop a

shoestring appearance.Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV)

appears on young fruit. White to yellow concentric rings, inch in diameter feel raised and give the fruit a bumpy appear-ance. Bright yellow rings on red fruit are easily diagnosed as spotted wilt.

Control measures are the same as above with the addition of thorough hand washing with soap and water for smok-ers before working with plants. Tobacco

mosaic virus can be transmitted from to-bacco products.

For a list of resistant tomato varieties go to www.shawnee.ksu.edu and for publica-tion L-41 Recommended Vegetable Vari-eties go to www.ksre.ksu.edu.

The sequel wasnt so gory after all was it?Jamie Hancock is a horticulturist with Kansas State Research and Extension in Shawnee County.

Note: Drip Irrigation will be presented at the

Topeka/Shawnee County Public Library on June 25th at 7:00 p.m. Come and learn how to conserve water, reduce weeds and lower your summer water bill by using drip irrigation.Note: The Master Gardener Sick Plant Clinic will be held at Fairlawn Plaza Mall on July 6th from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Bring our sick plants, insects, unknown plants, and questions to a panel of KSU specialists in entomology, plant pathology, plant identification, etc. This is a free service.

Continued from 4A


year round task. Eric has a grow room in which over the winter he rears seeds in fountain drink cups. Wait. Fountain drink cups? Doing his research, Eric found that the cups are beneficial because they are longer, aiding roots that like to grow deep such as daylilies. Besides, the benefit to using a soda cup is also the low cost. In addition to growing, the garden itself is a continuous work in progress. There is thinning out the plants, adding new items such as hostas and rearranging. Eric may

spend as much as two hours on an aver-age day with the constant weeding, plant-ing, digging or many other chores. As he pointed out, there is always something to do.

When it comes to hybridizing, Eric fo-cuses on teeth around the edge of the flower because he likes the appearance. He will eventually register one after grow-ing out what he sees as the best and then splitting the clump so there are extras for him and others. While he envisions the daylilies taking over the yard eventually, Eric has set his stage on a lifelong journey that began as something so simple such as a single plant.

Continued from 10A

Daylily: Growing can be done year-round


Grayson sits on Erics shoulders as he observes his garden.

Topeka Daylily Club Fower ShowDate: Saturday, June 27thTime: 1 5 p.m.Fee: Free to publicLocation: Inside Fairlawn Plaza MallFree: daylily plants starting at 1 pm (while supply lasts)

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