EDITOR'S NOTE: A University of Florida faculty member and Nassau County Extension Environmental Horticulture Agent, Rebecca Jordi addresses some of the questions she receives about landscaping and gardening in northeast Florida, in GARDEN TALK. ____________
QUESTION: Can we grow beets here? If so, when do we plant them? JK
JORDI: We indeed can grow beets in Northeast Florida. You can plant beets in our area anytime between August and February. The seeds should be planted ½ to 1 inch deep. It will take about 50-65 days until the beets are ready to harvest. Choices of seed for this area are: Early Wonder, Detroit Dark Red, Cylindra, Red Ace, Little Ball, Asgrow Wonder, Green Top, Pacemaker III, and Red Ace.
Irrigation at the beginning of root growth is important but it should be reduced significantly during the end of root maturation. Overhead irrigation may be needed to ensure soil does not become too dry to the point of cracking.
One 2 inch diameter beet contains 35 calories, zero fat and cholesterol, very little sodium or carbohydrates, small amounts of iron, vitamin C, fiber, potassium and manganese, and about 6 grams of sugar. The green leafy portion is a wonderful source of vitamin A. They greens can be eaten raw in a salad or cooked similar to other greens such as collards or mustard.
QUESTION: Are king sagos (cycas revoluta) subject to Ganodema butt rot? If not, is there some other disease that has similar conks that cycads would be subject to? MM
JORDI: After looking at the photo you sent, it is quite probable the causal agent was Ganoderma. Ganoderma, Ganoderma zonatum, attacks palms and hardwood trees so there is no reason to suspect cycads (sagos) would be an exception. There are numerous types of shelf fungi but the quickness of the destruction of the plant points to ganoderma. The only way to know for certain is to examine the trunk tissue after the sago is cut down. The tissue will show a dark ring inside the trunk. This fungus decomposes the lower part of the trunk palms or trees. It is also possible for the fungi to be present without seeing the conks. Once the conks appear on the trunk, the tree is quick to decline. There are no chemical controls for the disease.
The palm should be removed and destroyed as soon as possible. Remove all of the stump tissue along with the soil and do not plant another palm on the same site as these fungi live in the soil. Keep the palms and cycads healthy by avoiding over irrigation and fertilization. Palm fertilizers should be applied every spring, summer and fall using a 4-1-6-2 ratio (N-P-K-Mg respectively). Fertilizer should be broadcast under the canopy of the palm or cycad. Fertilizer should not be found in large clumps under the palm or allowed to stay on the fronds of the palms. It should never be sprinkled around the bud area as fertilizer only benefits the plant if is can be absorbed by the root tissue. Each fertilizer bag will provide instructions on how it should be applied properly, please read and follow the directions on the label.
QUESTION: What are all those black worms that crawl up on the sidewalks and driveways after it rains? DW
JORDI: I was not sure exactly what worms you were talking about until you brought in a sample in alcohol to the Nassau County Extension office. The worms found in your yard are called land planarians or black flatworms, Dolichoplana striata. They are tropical worms and their numbers will diminish somewhat in your yard during the winter. The worms have been found as far north as New Hampshire and west to California, they have even made it to Hawaii.
We believe black flatworms were brought into the United States via the potting soil of tropical plants. When you consider the amount of plant material moved about the U.S. from tropical areas, it is easy to see how the flatworms could have become so widespread in nurseries and garden centers and then to our landscapes.
Planarians have been known to hunt earthworms and insects but they cause no harm to humans or pets. The flatworms are really no more than a nuisance after they end up on the sidewalks and driveways (hardscapes). Once they are out of the soil the flatworms become dehydrated, which causes them to die. After the black flatworms are dead and dry, they are much easier to sweep off into the lawn or ornamental beds. When our weather dips into colder temperatures, over several days the worms go deeper into the soil which means you will see less and less of them. This is one of nuisance creatures for which you need to simply grin and bear it.
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Rebecca L. Jordi, Environmental Horticulture Agent III, 543350 U. S. Highway #1, Callahan, FL 32011. 904-548-1116 or 904-879-1019. Visit web site: http://nassau.ifas.ufl.edu
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