Crinum lillies require almost no maintenance

My mother-in-law just gave me a Crinum lily, and I don’t know what to do with it. Hers has been in place in full sun for a few years. Can I plant mine in shadier spot?

Absolutely! Crinum lilies prefer full or partial sun on well-drained soil. They can be very long-lived with virtual neglect, so pick its spot carefully; you’re going to have this one for years. Just be sure to give it plenty of room to show off its big, fragrant blossoms in spring and summer.

There are several species of Crinum and dozens of varieties. You can plant them any time of the year, though it’s best to avoid the winter. They’re easy to divide during the winter when they are dormant, and new plants will be ready to pass along in the spring. Divided plants will bloom quickly compared to plants started from outshoots.

For more information on planting and caring for your newest garden star, look to UF publication, “Crinums.” (http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/crinums.html)

Container gardening is something new to me but, having recently moved to an apartment with only a balcony, it’s something I want to learn. I decided to start out with something easy, like pole beans. A few bamboo poles in a big pot with a few seeds and I’ve had fast, if not instant, gratification. Now, however, the leaves are turning a bronze/orange color and the flower production has slowed down. Is the bean season over so soon?

Limited to non-existent space is only one reason to try your hand at container gardening. Containers cut down on bending and stooping which cut down on sore backs and achey knees. Containers can be placed where the sun is even if there’s no garden soil nearby. And containers don’t demand the commitment to weeding, tilling, planting, watering, (did I mention weeding?) that even a small garden plot requires.

Even though there are tomes written on the subject, I’d like to get you started with two from the University of Florida. “Growing Vegetables in Containers” (http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/edibles/vegetables/growing-vegetables-in-containers.html) and “Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide” (http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vh021) provide virtually all the information you’ll want to get started. Both focus on the unique problems and opportunities our climate presents, and planting dates, varieties, and planting directions for most home gardens.

Now, on to the bean question.

I’m sure your container has plenty of holes that allow good drainage; that it’s getting full sun (defined as 4-6 hours of uninterrupted sun), and that you used a sterile potting mix.

There are any number of blights and bacterium, viruses and varmints that cause bean leaves to turn yellow. But the most likely cause for “bronze/orange” leaves is rust. Best described as a mix of yellow, brown and red, rust is a fungal disease prevalent in humid climates. It attacks all aboveground parts of the plant and can quickly take down an entire garden of beans, let alone your singular pot.

To be sure this is the correct culprit, rub you finger across a leaf. The powdery rust-colored spores will easily tint your fingers.

To treat for rust, first prune out the affected leaves and pods. Be aware, however, the spores may have already spread to adjacent leaves that are not yet displaying the infection.

Fungicides containing sulfur are going to be effective if the plant isn’t already overrun by rust. There are many good products available. Be sure to read the label and carefully follow all instructions.

When you water, wet the soil and not the leaves. Splashing droplets will spread the disease to the other plants in your pot.

If all this fails, take heart. The aforementioned growing guide says, come August through September, you can start over with rust-resistant bean varieties McCaslan, Kentucky Wonder or Blue Lake. After all, there’s always next season.

The lawn is looking pretty good this year but I still have a problem with the weed Wandering Jew. I spend an afternoon diligently pulling it out, and in no time it’s back. Can you help?

“Wandering Jew” is just one of a dozen common names for Tradescantia fluminensis. It’s important to know the scientific name because Tradescantia is a pretty large family of plants and many varieties make very attractive hanging baskets and dependable house plants.

The white flowering varieties are hard to reel in once they’ve become established in the lawn. In fact, in parts of Australia, South Africa and its native South America, Tradescantia is considered an agricultural pest.

Because this plant is very shade-tolerant, it forms a dense mat on the forest floor and smothers native vegetation, potentially leading to the destruction of native woodlands.

Closer to home, Tradescatia has naturalized in forests and bottomlands from central Florida to the Panhandle and is now considered a Category I exotic invasive by the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council.

Tradescantia is a perennial creeping succulent that roots at the nodes (the place on a plant stem where a leaf is attached) as it goes along the ground. Every part of the plant has to be removed when weeding or else, as you’ve found, the material left behind will produce a new plant.

To help you control the spread of T. fluminensis, both cattle and chickens find it tasty. If your neighbors object to that approach, I regret you’re left with careful and thorough hand weeding. At this time only non-selective weed killers like glyphosate or triclopyr are truly effective. Overspraying either of these products will kill the surrounding grass and leave you with a new problem.

Paula Weatherby is a Master Gardener with the Duval County Extension Service and the University of Florida/IFAS. For gardening questions, call the Duval County Extension Office at (904) 255-7450 from 9 a.m. to noon and 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. and ask for a Master Gardener.