Neil Sperry's Mailbag

DEAR NEIL: Every time I work around an old privet hedge I get swarms of little white insects in my face. What are they and how can I get rid of them? Also, they seem to cause a black mold on the leaves.

Those are whiteflies. They're factory equipment with privet, gardenias, gerbera daises and even tomatoes. They're even more prevalent on greenhouse plants for gardeners who try to grow plants like tropical hibiscus or poinsettias. Your best bet in controlling them on your privet would be a systemic insecticide called acephate (formerly know as Orthene). It's reasonably effective on white flies on ornamental plants but it does not have label clearance on vegetable crops. And the black sooty mold actually grows in the honeydew left behind by the whiteflies. They're a partnership. It will wash away after you have killed the insects.

DEAR NEIL: I have a ton of nutgrass in my St. Augustine lawn. What kills it without hurting the St. Augustine?

Use a product called Image. You'll need two applications 30 days apart and both of them must be made between mid-May and mid-September. Image is active through the soil which means that you will put it on, then water it into the ground thoroughly. You will gradually notice the nutsedge (not a true grass) will disappear. Read and follow label directions, most especially if you are going to use it around other types of plants. Image will retard growth of your turfgrass in treated areas. A similar product called Manage is more commonly used by professional turf care people.

Have a question you'd like Neil to consider? Mail it to him in care of this newspaper or e-mail him at mailbag@sperrygardens.com. Neil regrets he cannot reply to questions individually.

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