Backyard Gardener

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 5 U F / I F A S E X T E N S I O N , V O L U S I A C O U N T Y IN THIS

ISSUE

Usig Mothballs in

the Landscape—

A NO-NO!!...Pg 1

Wow Factor ...

Page 3

We Get Calls in

the Clinic...Pg 4

Calendar...Page 5

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educa-tional information, and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to

race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions, or affiliations.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A&M University Coopera-tive Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

(IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information, and other services only to

individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions, or affiliations. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative

Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A&M University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County

O ver the years, I have heard of folks using mothballs in the landscape to repel a variety of wildlife and insects. Mothballs have been recom-mended (in error, I might add) to repel snakes, armadillos, moles, in-sects etc. It is important to know that this is wrong!

Mothballs are a registered pesticide and, as with any pesticide, they are regu-lated in the United States by the EPA and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). There are currently more than 30 products reg-istered with the US EPA that contain paradichlorobenzene and more than a dozen products that contain naphthalene (Fishel 2014). The label of any pesti-cide, including mothballs, specifies exactly where and how to legally use the product. Using mothballs in a way not specified by the label is not only illegal but can harm people, pets, or the environment. There are snake and wildlife repellents available at retail stores that contain naphthalene; however, mothball products are not approved for such use and can result in harm to children, pets, and other animals. Always read the product label first before using a pesticide product in order to determine where it can be used, what pests the product will control, and how to use it correctly. Mothball containers typically direct the user to place mothballs in a tightly closed container that will prevent the pesticide fumes from accumu-lating in living spaces where people and pets can breathe them for long periods of time. Are there harmful health effects caused by mothballs?

Using Mothballs in the Landscape – A No-No!!!! Joe Sewards

UF/IFAS Extension, Volusia County Urban Horticulture Agent and Master Gardener Coordinator

Continued on Page 2

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Are there harmful health effects caused by mothballs?

They can harm people, pets, or wildlife that may touch or eat the mothballs or that may breathe the vapors. Humans are most likely to be exposed to either paradichlorobenzene or naphthalene by breathing in the va-pors. Small children and pets are at risk of eating mothballs, because they look like candy or other treats. One mothball can cause serious harm if eaten by a small child. Once naphthalene enters the human body, it is broken down to alpha-naphthol, which is linked to the devel-opment of hemolytic anemia, the abnormal breakdown of red blood cells. As a result, oxygen can no longer be carried as it should. Kidney and liver damage may also occur. In humans, paradichlorobenzene is distrib-uted in the blood, fat, and breast milk. It is broken down into several other chemicals by the body and ex-creted in urine. Most of these chemicals will turn into a gas. In air, the half-life of naphthalene and paradi-chlorobenzene is less than one day and about 31 days, respectively. Paradichlorobenzene that binds to soil may be taken up by plants, and plant leaves may absorb it from the air. Paradichlorobenzene has been found in rainwater and snow and in groundwater close to a source of contamination. It is considered moderate to low in toxicity to fish, with differences in sensitivity by species. There is no information available for paradi-chlorobenzene’s effects on bees. The Bottom Line

Using a pesticide in a manner inconsistent with the label directions is illegal and carries the force of law. Moth balls are a pesticide and must be used in accordance with label directions to avoid environmental con-tamination, harming desirable wildlife and, possibly harming members of your household. There have always been “folk remedies” for landscape pests that are promulgated by gardeners everywhere. Some work and some don’t. It is important to control landscape pests and unwanted wildlife in the landscape by using methods that are based upon sound science and the latest research. As Master Gardeners, that is the kind of information that we are required to give. Folk remedies are usually not given by us unless they have been validated by sci-ence. Sometimes, using folk remedies such as mothballs can result in more envi-ronmental damage than products that are labeled for any given landscape pest.

The bottom line; READ THE LABEL!

Using Mothballs in the Landscape – A No-No!!!! - Continued from Page 1

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There are some plants about which you just have to

say “Wow, I didn’t know!” Such is this plant which

seems put here on earth just for man. It lacks noth-

ing that man can’t use. The stately stalks can be

eaten, providing both protein and starch. The rhi-

zomes can also be eaten raw or ground into flour. In

fact, the entire plant can be used for food, even the

pollen. The long, strong fibrous leaves are important

in making textiles and even paper. They are used to

weave the seats for chairs. Small mammals, rodents

and birds all use the parts of this plant for nest build-

ing and the flowers for food. The flowers can be

eaten by man too, and they have healing properties,

everything from stifling wounds to stopping attacks

of diarrhea. They can stuff a pretty nice pillow too.

Native American tribes knew all about these proper-

ties.

This plant is aquatic – its stems are arenchymous -

meaning they have open cells filled with air and

gases which allow them to be buoyant in water.

Man has used them as snorkels. The cross section of

a stem under the microscope resem-

bles beautiful fractal patterns with

round and oval designs. Pictures of

them would be great for a coloring

book or even a work of art. Being

arenchymous, they filter pollutants

from water – a good thing. They can

be converted into ethanol too, and are

considered a bioenergy source.

These plants are easy to grow. All they need are wa-

ter and sunshine. They germinate in wet mud, acid

or alkaline, and the seeds can survive for a long

time. A myriad number of seeds blow along in cot-

tony masses with the wind, and not only that, but

once sprouted in a suitable place their rhizomes take

hold and the plant thrives and forms happy colonies.

They are part of a very important order, the Poales,

which includes the grasses, sedges and bromeliads.

There are 16 families in the order-- and now we

come to the Family of the plant being touted--- it’s

Typhaceae, and yes, you may have already guessed

it – it’s the Cattail species! It’s also known as the

Bulrush, and even more fitting, Corn Dog Grass.

There are two native

types of Cattail in Flor-

ida: the southern cattail

or Typha domingensis

and the northern cattail,

Typha latifolia. They

are monoecious, with the

male and female on the

same plant – another attribute for prolific and felici-

tous growth. You can tell the two apart because the

flower of the southern cattail has a division on the

stalk that separates the male and female flowers,

while in Typha latifolia, the male and female flowers

are as one; but with both, the flowers, which consist

of a pair of stamens and hairs, are at the top while

the main body of the “corndog” is the female flow-

ers. Typha domingensis tends to grow taller than T.

latifolia as well. Here, in Volusia County, both spe-

cies can often be found growing together.

Species of cattails are found all over the world.

There is even conjecture that the baby Moses was

hidden in his little basket (maybe of cattail leaves)

amongst a colony of cattails. But today, modern

man is not as happy as the cattails are. Perhaps it’s

because man has forgotten about all their many at-

tributes, or because his diet and mode of living have

changed. Perhaps it’s because the cattails (all unwit-

tingly of course)

compete with

other plants and

effortlessly win or

that they don’t

wish to give up

their muddy turf

and man has to

resort to mowing

or burning, of course, that’s another story...

WOW Factor Rebecca Turner, Master Gardener UF/IFAS Extension, Volusia County

Typha latifolia

Typha latifolia

Typha domingensis

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Master Gardener Vision Statement To be the most trusted resource for horticultural education in Florida

Master Gardener Program Mission Statement To assist extension agents in providing research based

horticultural education to Florida residents.

Q: Can we graft our orange trees that are not looking so well. There are many dead branches, and the fruit is small and bitter. If we graft these trees will it help them to recover?

A: From your description, it sounds like your trees may have Citrus Greening. Another indication your trees may have Citrus Greening is that the leaves will be blotchy. On each half of the leaf the blotches will form a different pattern. Grafting will not help these trees. Citrus Greening is a fatal disease for which the University of Florida is working diligently to find either a cure or a tree that is resistant to the disease. You may be better off looking into stone fruits, pomegranates, or grapes as fruit source to replace your orange trees. Please bring a branch with some leaves and a piece of fruit to the Uni-versity of Florida extension office on Highway 44 just in front of the Fair Grounds so that we may be able to give you a more accurate diagnosis of the problem with your trees.

Editor’s note: in Florida, it is illegal for anyone to propagate citrus without a permit from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Q: Can I prune my Japanese violets now.

A: From your description, what you have are 4 foot Philippine violets. These violets can be pruned back to near ground level in late February to remove winter damage and encourage compact bushy shrubs in the spring.

Q: Can I use hay as mulch for my garden or will I get lots of weeds. The last time I used it, I pulled weeds all summer long.

A: Hay is excellent mulch. Just be sure it has been harvested from a 'clean' field. You are better to com-post the hay and use it in that form. Most hay comes from 'open' fields and does include weeds and weed seeds and you will be busy again all summer long pulling weeds.

Q: I live in Edgewater. I have a 30' tall Norfolk Island Pine in my yard that has many empty branches on the one side. The rest of the limbs are lush and green.

A: Norfolk Island Pines do not like freezing weather and neither do they like too much water. Yours, since it has grown so tall, has survived the coastal weather for many years. And also it is lush and green. We did not have severe weather last winter but this summer has been very wet. Leave the dead branches until spring to see if they will create new growth. If they do not begin to show new growth by April, then remove the dead branches and enjoy your tree, even though it is a little lop-sided.

We Get Calls Jean Porter

Master Gardener

Continued on Page 5

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Q: My lawn is dying and I think I have a major chinch bug problems. What can I do to control it and get

my green lawn back. A: Looking at pictures of the client's lawn, it was determined that he had Large Patch (Rhizoctonia so-

lani) fungus problems. Large Patch in the lawn, formerly known as Brown Patch, is evident from November through May when temperatures are below 80o. Large Patch is triggered by rainfall, ex-cessive irrigation and extended periods of high humidity.

The fungus affects the leaf area closest to the soil, and eventually kills the leaf. The base of a pulled leaf has a rotted odor. Roots are not affected by the pathogen. Use a slow release nitrogen source just prior to or during disease development periods. Irrigate only when necessary and during the early morning hours. Diseased areas should be mowed last and equipment should be thoroughly washed of all grass clippings. To learn more of this disease and how it can be controlled, visit solu-tionsforyourlife.com and search Large Patch bulletin # SS PLP 5.

Calendar of Public Events Topic Date/Time Location

Ormond Beach Plant Clinic 2/2/15—10 am to 12 n Ormond Beach Library

Port Orange Library Clinic 2/10/15—2 to 4 pm Port Orange Library

Tree Care (1.5 CEU) 2/12/15 – 1 to 2:30 pm DeBary Hall—Howard Jeffries

Plant Clinic 2/17/15— 1 to 3:00 pm New Smyrna Beach LIbrary

Sugar Mill Garden Workday /Q&A 2/18/15—9 to 11 am Sugar Mill Garden ,Port Orange

Plant Familiarization (1.5 CEUs) 2/21/15— 10—11:30 am DeBary Hall—Howard Jeffries

Basic Pest Control (1.5 CEUs) 2/26/15—1 to 2:30 pm DeBary Hall—Howard Jeffries

Ormond Beach Plant Clinic 3/2/15—10 am to 12 n Ormond Beach LIbrary

Port Orange Library Plant Clinic 3/10/15—2 to 4 pm Port Orange LIbrary

Basic Rose Care 3/12/15—1 to 2:30 pm DeBary Hall—Howard Jeffries

Operating /Maintaining Your Irrigation System (`1.5 CEUs)

3/14/15—10 to 11:30 am DeBary Hall—Howard Jeffries

Plant Clinic 3/17/15—1 to 3 pm New Smyrna Beach LIbrary

Sugar Mill Garden Workday /Q&A 3/18/15—9 to 11 am Sugar Mill Garden ,Port Orange

Citrus Care (1.5 CEUs) 3/26/15—21 to 2:30 pm DeBary Hall—Howard Jeffries

Wildflower Festival 3/28/15—8 am to 3 pm Downtown DeLand

For more details Master Gardeners should check the VMS calendar. The general public may contact the Volusia County Agricultural Center.

Volusia County Agricultural Center 3100 E. New York Ave. (S.R. 44),

Deland, FL 32724 At the Volusia County Fair Grounds

West Volusia… 386-822-5778 Daytona Beach… 386-257-6012 New Smyrna Beach… 386-423-3368

We Get Calls—Continued from Page 4