By Rafash Brew LSU AgCenter Area Horticulture Specialist

The tomato is one of the most popular

vegetables grown in the home garden.

They require little space when staked and

tied, and are capable of producing five or

more pounds of usable fruit per plant. The

tomato fruit is relatively low in calories

and is a good source of vitamins C and A.

All tomatoes are acidic regardless of their

color. Those said to be low acid are really

normal or high in acidity but also are high

in sugars which impart a sweet taste that

masks the sharp acidity.

There are many pest problems associated

with growing tomatoes which perhaps, has

caused many of the calls to the Extension

office in recent days. For instance, Buck-

eye rot, Blossom-end Rot, Early Blight,

Leaf Spot, Fusarium Wilt, Tomato Spotted

Wilt Virus, Bacterial Canker along with

others have all been a challenge to the

home gardener. Even with these problems

the average home gardener can still grow

tomatoes with some success.

Dealing with Pest Problems

By now most of you have your plants

growing in the home garden or container

garden and looking for fruit set. One of

the most troublesome fruit problems is

Blossom-end rot. Blossom-end rot is

distinguished by a black round circle on

the blossom end of the fruit, however do

not panic. Blossom-end rot can easily be

corrected. It is caused by a calcium

deficiency and is aggravated by any kind of

drought stress or extreme fluctuation in soil

moisture and over fertilization, especially

with nitrogen. The calcium content can be

determined by a soil analysis. If calcium is

low, the soil should be limed.

Pickles, Peaches and Pansies Quarterly Newsletter May - June 2015

Rafash E. Brew Area Horticulture Specialist

Northeast Region

Union Parish Office 210 East Water Street Farmerville, LA 71241 318-368-9935 (office) 318-355-3038 (cell)

Ouachita Parish Office 704 Cypress Street Monroe, LA 71291

318-323-2251 (office) 318-355-3038 (cell)

Email: rbrew@agcenter.lsu.edu www.lsuagcenter.com

Contributor:

Dr. Allen D. Owings Professor

LSU AgCenter Hammond Research

Station 985-543-4125

Another practice that will help to reduce

blossom-end rot is to try to keep the soil as

uniformly moist as possible. Do not let the

plants dry out before irrigating. Provide

good drainage to remove excess water after

a heavy rain, use mulch, and do not over

fertilize. There are materials sold in local

garden centers which can be sprayed onto

the plant and corrected by the time the

plant sets the next cluster of fruit.

As you await your first picking, you may

suddenly find much of the fruit rotting

after a period of heavy rainfall. Spores

which cause Buckeye Rot are splashed

from the soil onto the lower fruit cluster.

They then enter the fruit and may rot half

of it rapidly. The rot may form regions

with lighter and darker bands or rings in

the fruit just under the skin. Buckeye Rot

can be controlled only by spraying

immediately after periods of heavy rainfall.

A good mulch cover will help stop some

of the splashing of mud.

Early Blight is a fungus disease problem

that can affect both leaves and stems.

The symptoms of the disease are brown

spots on leaves or stems. These spots

average about one-half inch in diameter,

are irregular and may take on a concentric

ring or “bullseye” pattern. Preventive

fungicide sprays at regular intervals are

necessary to control early blight.

Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus

CURES FOR TOMATO PROBLEMS

Fusarium Wilt is the most common and

destructive soil-borne disease in

Louisiana. The disease is most severe

during warm weather and enters the

plant through the roots to develop inside

the stem. The plants show a progressive

yellowing and wilting starting at the

bottom. A week or two may past

between first symptoms and plant death.

If the stem is cut near the soil line, a

brownish discoloration can be seen in

the inner tissue of the plant. The best

control measure is to use disease

resistant plants. The presence of this

resistance is often designated on a seed

packet or plant label as “F” following

the variety name. Many varieties will

have resistance, but keep in mind that

resistance does not imply immunity.

Under stress conditions or in heavily

infested soils, these resistant varieties

may also develop disease. In severe

cases, soil sterilization or a new

planting site should be considered.

Southern Blight is another soil-borne

wilt. It develops in warm weather and

may quickly spread from plant to plant.

A cottony fungus growth at the soil line

may be observed with Southern Blight.

Later stages, the fungus may develop

mustard seed like ‘sclerotia’ on the stem

near the soil line. Soil applied fungicides

are recommended to control Southern

Blight.

Bacterial Wilt is a serious disease in the

southern United States. It is caused by a

soil-borne bacterium. It is similar to

Fusarium wilt in symptoms, except that

it kills the plant quickly. If bacterial wilt

is contracted, it will be necessary to

rotate the tomatoes to a new planting

site.

The Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus, also

called curly top, can cause unusual

symptoms to develop in the plant. The

upper leaves and upper portion of the

plants may curl, twist and become very

stunted. The leaf veins often turn

purplish in color and the leaves turn

yellow. The virus is transmitted by

insects called thrips. These insects

should be controlled early with an

insecticide. Immediately after

diagnosing a plant as having Tomato

Spotted Wilt Virus, it should be

discarded and removed from the garden.

Do not be discouraged by the problems

mentioned above you can still grow

tremendous tomatoes. Consider planting

disease-resistant varieties of plants as

well as your favorite personal

preferences. For instance, Crista-Harris,

Amelia-Harris and Bella Rosa are

varieties of tomatoes that have resistance

to Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus these

varieties also have an excellent flavor

as well. Also worth trying are Roma

tomato plants they are very tough and

seam to produce tomatoes without the

spraying of pesticides. A pesticide

program of insecticide and fungicide is

an excellent cultural practice to use as

well.

PEACHES

By Rafash Brew LSU AgCenter Area Horticulture

Specialist

CONSIDER MAYHAWS AS A CASH CROP OR LANDSCAPE TREE

Mayhaw jelly was declared the state

jelly by the Louisiana state legislators

in 2003. Mayhaw a member of the

hawthorn family is native to our region.

Many people for years harvested

mayhaws from the swamp bottoms

throughout northcentral and central

Louisiana for decades. Today many

farmers are producing mayhaws on

upland type soils with great success.

Most of the research; I must admit has

been done by the farmers themselves.

Traditionally, Mayhaws ripen during the

month of May, but with new varieties

produced by Mayhaw enthusiast they

have been able to extend the season up

to about two and a half months. For

many years ripened Mayhaws may come

2-3 times over a ten year period because

of the early flowering on the native

mayhaw the fruit was often destroyed by

late freeze.

New varieties flower later than most

late freezes and provide the farmer with

ripened fruit each year during their

regular ripening period and beyond.

Other work being done with mayhaw

is directed towards marketing by

developing other uses for mayhaws

such as concentrated fruit juices as well

as ice cream. Many people have the

ability to bake mayhaw cakes and you

talk about a fancy cake!

Locally, mayhaws can be grown in the

home or back yard orchard as well as

commercial farms. The labor involved

in mayhaws is about ½ that of peaches.

Individuals considering starting a

mayhaw orchard should begin with a

plan. For instance, consider the site, soil,

size, potential wildlife as a pest as well

as tools to work the orchard. The site

should be full sun, excellent soil

drainage and have space for tree growth.

Looking closer at the site selection good

air drainage as well as surface drainage

is essential. Internal soil drainage can be

tested by digging a hole 2.5 feet deep.

Fill the hole with water and check to see

if it drains within 24 hours. If the hole

drains within 24 hour the site has

excellent internal soil drainage.

Contrary to popular believe mayhaws

do not have to have wet feet however,

adequate moisture is essential for

maximum production.

Water requirements may vary from

season to season. Consider a water

source in your planning for irrigation

purposes because thorough watering is

needed to maintain healthy trees.

May - June 2015 Pickles, Peaches and Pansies

Soil Preparation

Begin soil preparation well ahead of

planting the orchard. The soil should be

thoroughly prepared by eliminating

weeds as well as fertilizing according to

soil test results. Mayhaws grow best at a

pH of approximately 5.5-6.5 and if soil

test results call for it lime should be

applied well ahead of planting on the

row. Rows should be 25 feet wide with a

gradual elevation with the center of the

row being the highest point just as it is

done within a well planned peach

orchard. Remember, early soil

preparation is essential because these

trees will be growing in this orchard for

a number of years.

Planting the Orchard

Select and order varieties early. Grafted

trees are more expensive however; if

you are willing to learn to graft young

seedlings this could save you some

money. January through February is the

best planting time. Bare root or potted

plants can be used for planting. Potted

plants can be planted any time of the

year but winter is the best time to plant

bare root plants.

When planting bare root plants; dig the

hole wide enough to spread the roots

without bending them. Avoid digging

the hole too deep to avoid sinking. Pot-

ted plants should be planted with the

graft union approximately 2 inches

above the soil line. Do not add fertilizer

to the planting hole.

Fertilization can begin one year after

planting and at that time small amounts

frequently rather than large amounts at

one time works best. Slow release

formulations are more expensive but are

safe and effective. Fertilizer spikes can

be effective as well. Remember always

fertilize according to soil test.

Varieties

Native mayhaws can be grown with

success however; if cedar trees are

present your mayhaw tree could be

susceptible to cedar apple rust. Growers

have worked to create varieties with

some resistance to cedar apple rust like

Maxine and Cajun. Spectacular is a

variety which could be grown by

someone just using the mayhaw as a

flowering ornamental landscape tree.

Spectacular needs a pollinator for best

fruit production.

Pruning

Training of the tree should begin the day

of planting. Think about the type of

pruning system to be used. It is best to

remove all branches below two feet.

As new growth emerges from young

plants select branches that have the

characteristics to give the tree an open

type center.

Practice Pest Control

A productive orchard practices weed

control as well as other cultural practices

creating an environment that has

excellent sanitation to prevent insect

and disease problems. Preventive

measures are a must. Practice removing

old fruit and old canes from the orchard.

When planning your orchard consider

potential wild life threats.

Well-developed mayhaw trees, in most

cases mature enough fruit for you and

the birds and the best thing I’ve seen yet

for deer is an eight feet wire fence.

POMEGRANATE A BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPE FRUIT CROP

Many people throughout Louisiana at

some point in time may have been

Introduced to the pomegranate fruit.

Pomegranate fruit is that leathery

orange, thick-skinned spherical, several

celled berry, with seeds that are

surrounded by a fleshy pulp.

The pomegranate fruit grows on a

deciduous shrub in Louisiana that later

develops into a small very attractive tree

that tolerates extremes of heat and

alkaline soils, but thrives under a wide

range of conditions.

Pomegranate needs full sun for best

performance.

Pomegranate can be considered a low

maintenance fruit crop, needing little

pruning and generally free of most pests

and diseases.

Pomegranate was once a popular

ornamental and fruiting shrub in old

gardens of the south but seems not to

appear to be as popular as it once was

however; home gardens should give it a

try for its fruiting and/or ornamental

value. The pomegranate tree has an

upright, oval shape which lends itself to

screening purposes and is effective for

artificial night lighting. Dry landscapes

would benefit from the pomegranate tree

significantly.

The pomegranate has bright green

foliage which turns to a yellow color in

autumn. The new foliage gives a

beautiful copper color.

The flowers borne terminally on new

wood in clusters of 1-5 from spring

through summer, and even into late

autumn in warmer areas are very showy,

orange-red, yellow or white, bell shaped,

each two to two-and-a-half inches

across. The heavy ruffled carnation like

shape attracts hummingbirds and is

highly effective in artificial night light.

There are single and double flowering

cultivars. The double flowering cultivars

do not produce fruit and or used for

ornamental purposes.

May - June 2015 Pickles, Peaches and Pansies

Young pomegranate trees can begin to

bear fruit as soon as the second year

after planting however; it usually takes

3-4 years to fruit. It normally takes 5-7

months for fruits to mature after

pollination. Younger trees less than 5

years old can show signs of severe fruit

drop which may be caused by over-

watering or over-fertilization. Mature

trees do not seem to suffer from fruit

drop.

Fruit ripens in Louisiana normally in

late September through October. They

can be harvested once the fruit has a full

red color. The fruit should not be picked

until fully ripe as they will not ripen

properly afterwards. Be careful when we

start to get rain fall during the autumn of

the year in Louisiana; because if left to

long on the tree, the fruit start to split

from too much water.

Since flowers are borne on new wood;

fruits formed later in summer normally

do not fully mature before cold weather

begins.

Pomegranate fruits have a long shelf life

if they are kept cool; they can be stored

for up to 7 months. The fruits can

improve by becoming juicier and

developing greater flavor during storage.

Home gardeners looking to try this low

maintenance fruit crop for fruit

production should try the fruiting

cultivars wonderful, sweet or fleshman.

Wonderful is a popular fruiting cultivar

commonly found in nurseries throughout

Louisiana. Alba Plena is a cultivar

normally grown for its non-fruiting

double white flowers and Albescens

also has white flowers. Nana and Chico

are dwarf cultivars which can be grown

in pots.

Pomegranates are self-fruitful and only

need one tree to produce fruits however;

more than one tree can enhance cross

pollination and improve fruit quality and

quantity.

Zahara White is one of the colors in

this newer group of landscape type

zinnias. (Photo by Allen Owings)

PANSIES

ZINNIAS PRODUCE GREAT COLOR ALL SUMMER LONG

By Allen Owings LSU AgCenter Horticulturist

Hammond, Louisiana

Home gardeners have long enjoyed

zinnias, one of our most popular warm-

season bedding plants. New zinnia

varieties have been introduced regularly

over the past few years. Extended bloom

and fewer disease problems are some of

the primary criteria in developing new

zinnia varieties.

Profusion Double Fire zinnias offer

great blooms through the summer

months. (Photo by Allen Owings)

Some of the newer zinnias include the

Profusion and the Zahara varieties.

These landscape-type zinnias resulted

from hybridization between the old

cut-flower-type zinnias and the Mexican

or narrowleaf zinnias.

Flowers and foliage are smaller than the

old cut-flower-type zinnias but larger

than the narrowleaf zinnias. Plants reach

heights of 14-18 inches and will bloom

from planting date until first killing

frost. They are also a great improvement

over the Dreamland and Peter Pan

zinnias, which have traditionally been

the primary varieties used in residential

and commercial landscapes.

Profusion zinnias are available in many

colors, including orange, white, yellow,

cherry, coral pink, apricot, deep apricot

and fire in both single and double flower

forms.

You can buy Profusion zinnias as a

three-, five- or seven-color mix and also

in a mix called Sunrise. The Profusion

Orange, Profusion Cherry and Profusion

White varieties are all All-America

Selections winners.

Zahara zinnias have been out a few

years less than the Profusions. The

Zaharas have flower colors including

fire, cherry, red, yellow, white, coral

rose, starlight rose, raspberry and

scarlet. You can also plant a formula

mix of all these colors, a Bonfire mix of

bright colors and a Raspberry Lemonade

blend. The Zahara zinnias come with

single and double flowers, too.

Zinnias can be planted throughout the

warm season in Louisiana. Typically,

you should plant in April or early May.

Some years, a spring planting looks

good into fall, and some years a spring

planting only looks good until mid- or

late summer. A mid-to-late-summer

planting works just as well as spring

plantings and leads to a great flower

display in September and October.

Zinnias flower abundantly in fall.

Plant zinnias in full sun. Most zinnias

prefer to have old flowers removed to

encourage continual bloom, but

Profusion and Zahara zinnias stay in

flower much better and longer than other

varieties. Deadheading is not needed.

Powdery mildew and leaf spot diseases

caused by fungi and bacteria are

sometimes a problem on zinnias, but

they don’t occur on the Profusion series.

Zinnias perform best in drier years.

Also, it is important to note that a well-

drained bed is preferred. Irrigation isn’t

needed very often, but avoid overhead

irrigation if you do water these plants.

In general, zinnias are remarkably

drought-tolerant.

You can see more about work being

done in landscape horticulture by

visiting the LSU AgCenter Hammond

Research Station website. Also, like us

on Facebook.

You can find an abundance of landscape

information for both home gardeners

and industry professionals at both sites.

May - June 2015 Pickles, Peaches and Pansies