Q See in the photos my tomato plants with odd curved leaves and spindly stalks. I've been gardening for 40 years and have never seen this before. There are very few flowers and, out of nine plants, only two fruits. All other plants in the garden are flourishing and producing. I pulled up a first planting of plants earlier because of the same thing and this second planting I'm getting the same thing. Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.
A Every now and then we will get one tomato plant that curls terribly, when the other plants nearby show no problems. But when I see a whole row affected, my first guess is herbicide damage. Sometimes it is drift from a lawn herbicide application, but I notice that you have mulched with straw or hay. By any chance do you know if whoever grew that hay used herbicides, particularly Grazon? Sometimes the residue can persist in the hay, and it will affect tomato plants. Tomatoes in particular are quite sensitive to herbicides. You may want to take a sample in to your local county extension office.
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Q Do you have any idea what these are? They are everywhere near the North Atlantic Ocean.
A Those are roses — probably a rugosa rose. The round ball-like things are the rose hips or fruits of the rose flower. Rose hips form after the flowers fade. They start out green but will eventually turn a bright orange or red, depending on the variety of rose. They can be quite ornamental. Rose hips are edible, containing a lot of vitamin C. Some people make jams, jellies or rose hip tea from them. Rugosa roses are highly tolerant of salt and so would be amenable to a seaside location.
Photo Gallery
Tomatoes, beach roses, redbud and gardenia
Janet Carson’s In the Garden Q&A for July 24, 2021.
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Q I have attached pictures of our Bubble Gum redbud in Bentonville that appears to be dying slowly. I have already cut down a large branch where the leaves that came out this spring turned brown but did not fall off. The wood was dead inside. This tree had started to show blossoms this spring before the freak snowstorm. It never really bloomed and the leaves struggled from the start. Some of the dead blossoms are still attached to the trunk. Is this tree "terminal?" As you can see the leaves are turning yellow and some have continued to turn brown. Even the suckers at the base of trunk are badly shaped. I'm concerned that if it is an infection, it could affect a nearby Bleeding Heart redbud. Should I just cut down the sick tree now or is there a chance it will rebound? Two other redbuds in the yard made it through the deep-freeze and snowstorm this past winter intact.
A The redbud is obviously not going to survive, but why it is sprouting so anemically, I do not know. I would remove the tree and take a sample of the leaves, sprouts, roots and some soil to your county extension office for a diagnosis. Were any herbicides sprayed nearby? Take a pint of soil to test for the pH levels. Was the tree healthy in 2020? We did see some dieback in parts of the state after February's cold, but the new growth came in healthy and green. This is unusual.
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Q My gardenia bush is 30+ years old and 10 feet tall. As you can see it's coming back from the winter freeze. Should I cut it back now or wait till next year? The first pic is springtime. The second is current, showing it's coming back.
A Surprisingly, mine all leafed back out, and I actually see some blooms now. Your plant needs a little pick-me-up. I would do some thinning cuts and prune it back by about a third to a half now. This should help it thicken up and fill in some more foliage. It will begin to set flower buds for next year at the end of the growing season, so prune soon to allow for recovery. Fertilize lightly and keep it watered to aid in recovery.
Retired after 38 years with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, Janet Carson ranks among Arkansas' best known horticulture experts. Her blog is at arkansasonline.com/planitjanet. Write to her at P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, AR 72203 or email jcarson@arkansasonline.com