Hopefully everyone is taking advantage of these wonderful days we have been receiving. Last Sunday we addressed some things we can be doing to get started with a productive spring so this week I will answer some questions to help stop problems from occurring.

Q. Why are my lawn and vegetables dying after I spray recommended chemicals on them?

A. Unfortunately I have spoken to agents in other counties having this same problem. The effect of not thoroughly rinsing out sprayers before using different chemicals is starting to accumulate. So far this spring I have heard of dead grass from not cleaning out glyphosate, dead tomato plants from not cleaning out insecticide, dead flowers from not cleaning out herbicide, and more. Be sure to always rinse out your sprayer at least three times with clean water after each use. Be sure this rinsing includes the hose and nozzles. Many times we remember to rinse out the tank, but forget the hose and nozzles are full of the mixture we have just sprayed. If you spray a lot, it is a good idea to use a different sprayer for herbicides and pesticides. This will reduce this risk; it is also a good reason to buy plants with resistant varieties when possible.

Q. How often should I be watering?

A. Water is the most essential necessity of all life forms; however, as I have addressed previously in this column, don’t over water! Check the soil, if it is dry, water to thoroughly moisten the soil. Pour out any water that stands in pot saucers. If the plant is limp and the soil is moist, do not water. You may have a root rot problem from over watering. Check the roots and if they are dark brown, slimy or have a bad odor you probably have a root problem and the simplest remedy, depending on the severity of the problem, is to discard the plant and soil and start over. While we are on the subject of excessive maintenance I have also looked at some tomatoes that are suffering from over fertilization. Be sure not to get carried away when side dressing your fertilizer. Follow the label and you will eliminate many of these problems.

Q. Should I be doing anything for my houseplants?

A. Thank you for asking this question. We often get carried away outside now that the weather is warming up and spring in session. However, don’t forget about houseplants. A big problem for many houseplants is they simply overgrow their living capacity. Check houseplants to determine if they need to be repotted if you haven’t done this already. Carefully remove the root ball and check the roots. If they are matted and spiraling around the soil ball it is time to repot. If the roots are sparse the plant should grow all summer in the present pot.

We have several upcoming 4-H youth programs we will be promoting in the upcoming months for Adams County youth to gain knowledge and skills in various areas from outdoors skills, cooking, dramatic art, horsemanship, and more. In addition we will be offering an 8-week horsemanship course for horse owners to gain knowledge and skills in the areas of equine science starting on June 5. Details on all these programs will be available in the near future. If you have any questions or concerns please call me at the county extension office at 601-445-8201 or e-mail dcarter@ext.msstate.edu. I look forward to working with you.

David Carter is the Mississippi State University Agriculture Extension Office county agent for Adams County. He can be reached at dcarter@ext.msstate.edu.