EDITOR'S NOTE: A University of Florida faculty member and Nassau County Extension Horticultural Agent, Rebecca Jordi addresses some of the questions she receives about landscaping and gardening in northeast Florida, in GARDEN TALK. The Extension also offers helpful clinics throughout the year, providing assistance to local gardeners in the Amelia Island and surrounding areas of Nassau County, Florida. __________
QUESTION: My neighbor and I would like to plant some shrubs, trees, and perennials to attract birds and butterflies. What advice do you have for us? TW
JORDI: Well, first I want to congratulate you both on your cooperative efforts to share the land with our winged friends. I suspect once neighbors see your successes, you may have other confederates joining in on your enterprise.
There are a few important steps in attracting wildlife. The first step is to reduce the amount of lawn grass in your yard. Although grass is important, it is a monoculture and is seldom attractive to wildlife. The second step is to have a constant, clean water source such as a bird bath or fountain. Next, consider layering your plants so you have some ground cover, then perennials followed by shrubs and finishing with trees.
Birds and butterflies need places to hide from predators and often seek shelter under leaves and tree limbs. Think about providing plants with leaves for the caterpillars to eat such as milkweed, parsley, dill and/or citrus. Have plenty of flowers for nectar and pollen. Maybe you both could grow your own sunflowers along a fence line to provide food for seed eaters. Wildflowers, such as thistle, might also be incorporated which attract finches and other small birds.
Avoid or limit the use of pesticides in the landscape. If possible, allow dead trees to remain on the property as they can provide homes for many animals. Build or purchase bird houses available for nesting birds such as screech owls or bluebirds. Attached is more information from which will help you: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/UW175
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/document_uw058
QUESTION: What is causing the white lines all over my tomato leaves? GK
JORDI: Once you brought a clipping of the tomato leaves into the office, the culprit was easy to identify. The cause of the white lines is probably the American serpentine leafminer, Liriomyza trifolii.
The American serpentine leafminer is the larval stage of a very tiny fly. The eastern part of the United States has had this insect chewing on our vegetables for many years but it has just been introduced to California which means it will not be long before it is found throughout the southern states. The good news is leafminers do not live very long and their life cycles require 3 – 4 weeks.
Damage done by the females feeding and puncturing holes in the leaf tissue causes a yellow spotting. Once the egg is placed in between the leaf tissue it develops into a larva which feeds on the leaf tissue. This causes the distinctive white lines along the upper leaf tissue. It only takes about 3-4 days for the egg to develop into a larva. The feeding habit of this insect does reduce the ability of the leaves to produce carbohydrates and heavy feeding may cause the leaves to drop but it does not cause the death of the plant. The holes produced by the female have the potential for allowing in fungi, bacteria or viruses which can in turn cause greater damage to the plant.
Parasitic wasps are important natural enemies of this fly and therefore using broad spectrum pesticides on a regular basis is not advisable. It is also important to reduce the weed population around garden at they are often the source of many insect pests. At the end of the season it may be advisable to bury the crop as leaf miners have difficulty surviving in deep soil.
One study by Price and Poe in 1976 indicated natural enemies to the leaf miner (predators and parasitoids) were less likely to be found around tomatoes grown in plastic mulch and tied to stakes. As an alternative, consider using organic mulches such as pine straw, shredded oak leaves or newspaper.
QUESTION: My friend brought me this beautiful vine from south Florida. She says it has clusters of purple flowers on it from late spring through the fall. What can you tell me about it? EC
JORDI: This plant identification would have been difficult had you not brought a sample to the office – especially since it was not blooming at the time. The plant is commonly called Queen's wreath or Sandpaper vine, Petrea volutbilis.
According to Dr. Ed Gilman, professor, UF/IFAS, this plant is a fast growing vine which originated from the Caribbean. It is a vine with a similar overall look of Chinese wisteria when viewed from a distance. The leaves are rough to the touch which is where one of its common names was derived. Queen's wreath also comes in a pure white flowered variety.
This plant is a true tropical, belonging to cold hardiness zones 10-11. This means the vine should be grown only in the southern most parts of Florida although it is possible for it to survive here in some isolated areas. Therefore, please be careful about planting Queen's wreath in areas around wildlife preserves and conservation greenways as it can become weedy and in some cases it is considered invasive. http://hort.ufl.edu/shrubs/PETVOLA.PDF (Photo from University of Connecticut.)
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Rebecca L. Jordi, University of Florida/IFAS,
Nassau County Extension, Environmental Horticulture Agent
543350 U. S. Highway #1, Callahan, FL 32011
904-548-1116 or 904-879-1019