Ask a Master Gardener: Don't Be an April Fool!
- Jennifer McDonald
- Apr 3
- 3 min read
By: John Olive, Retired Director, AU Ornamental Horticultural Research Center| www.mobilecountymastergardeners.org
April is here, one of the busiest and best times of the year for a gardener. Since today is April Fool’s Day, it is appropriate to consider some garden related things that can fool us or make a fool of us.
A good place to begin is with dwarf plants. The term “dwarf” refers to plants that are small and low-growing, usually an accurate description. Many plants described as dwarf are true to their description. Many of the Satsuki azaleas are low growing and never get over three or four feet tall. There are, however, many plants that will fool you if you are expecting them to remain small.
Dwarf Burford holly is a Chinese holly that is a slow grower but can eventually reach heights of 8 to 10 feet or more. They will make a fool of you if planted in a foundation planting, expecting them to stay under four feet tall. Do your homework when selecting “dwarf” plants to make sure they will remain small.
Plant diseases can fool you in many ways. One such disease is sooty mold. Aptly named, sooty mold is a fungus that can cover the surface of foliage. It is found on many Gulf Coast plants such as citrus, gardenia, crepe myrtle, privet, and many others. Sooty mold is actually a symptom of an insect problem, such as aphids, whiteflies, or scale insects present. The insects feed on the plant and produce copious amounts of waste (poop) called honeydew. This sticky sugary liquid covers the plant (and sometimes your car) and provides food for the sooty mold to grow. Don’t let the sooty mold fool you. You need an insecticide rather than a fungicide to control the insects and thus control the mold.
Plants labeled for growth in full sun can fool us on the Gulf Coast. Many plants that do well at northern latitudes can suffer in the full sun of our mid-summer in the Deep South. Gardenias are an example of a plant that may be labeled for full sun but will benefit from some afternoon shade in our brutal summers. Don’t be fooled by full sun labels.
Many plant catalogs will list plants as disease free. Don’t be fooled. They may be disease free in the cooler summers of Michigan or in the dry air of Arizona, but in the hot and humid summers of Mobile, the disease resistance does not hold up. Roses are often listed as “disease free.” Instead of believing catalog descriptions, look for old Southern favorites with a history in our climate. Roses such as climbers Peggy Martin and Lady Banks or shrub roses like Old Blush or Clothilde Soupert have proven disease tolerance on the Gulf Coast. They may get some leafspot, but they bloom and survive nicely here.
Garden websites or forums can be sources of helpful information but they can make a fool of you if you follow some of their advice. Remember, there are no knowledge requirements on the internet and people may say anything to see their avatar in the comments section. Whether it is malicious ignorance, or just out-of-zone information, be very careful taking advice from sources or people you don’t know. (That’s probably good advice for life in general and not just for gardening.)
Finally, garden chemicals can really make a fool of you. Always read the label of anything you use in the garden. I was recently fooled by an herbicide I have safely used for years. Because it had the same name and same manufacturer’s logo, I thought it was the same product, but the company decided to use the recognized name for a completely different chemical, not appropriate for the use I had intended. Don’t be fooled by product name changes.
There are many, many ways gardeners can be fooled. The good news is that we can take our lumps, laugh it off, and look forward to the next season to try again. It is also wise to call our Master Gardener Helpline (877) 252-4769 or consult www.aces.edu for research-based and reliable information. No fooling!
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