When I was young, like most boys that lived in the country, I went hunting. It was as natural as eating and sleeping. In fact, for a boy, it was a rite of passage. Every male looked forward to two things. One was the time you were old enough to go with the older male members of your family on a hunting foray. The other was when you had a gun of your very own. I never took my sons on this old Southern tradition. The reason was, as I become older, I lost the desire to kill animals, large and small.

You never forget what you’re taught about the different guns involved in hunting. A rifle shoots a single bullet that travels straight and fast. A shotgun expels a lot of bullet pellets. Instead of travelling a straight and narrow path, these pellets are spread out and cover a much larger area. Using that analogy, I’m going to use the shotgun approach today. The ideas, thoughts and topics are somewhat scattered and widespread. Hopefully, you won’t have to hunt very hard to find something useful.

First, I want to cover a couple of subjects about tomatoes. From all the widespread reports I’ve received, it’s been about the worst year ever for blossom end rot. This is when one end of the tomato has a small dark, rotten spot. The spot will grow and spread until there’s nothing left that is useful. This occurs due to the insufficient uptake of calcium during fruit production. Rainfall, being what it is and has been during the summer months, is the culprit. When the water has been cut off, the plant cannot pull a steady supply of calcium from the soil. Each tomato plant we plant in the ground receives a handful of dolomitic lime. This helps, but you still need to water the plants if rainfall is lacking or you’ll still end up with rotten tomatoes. There is a spray that is supposed to fight blossom end rot, but I’ve never used it. That’s why I can’t comment on its effectiveness.

Another question I receive often is why homegrown tomatoes have small hard white spots just under the skin. Even before you peel them, you will notice a slightly raised bump and a small dot in that area of the tomato. That dot is where a wicked insect has inserted its piercing mouthpart. It then inserts some liquid, dissolving some of the tomato. It finally sucks for all its worth and repeats the process as it needs to. I know this sounds really nasty and I guess it is. You can trim these small white spots off the main part of the tomato. It doesn’t seem to affect the overall taste. If you notice tomato seeds that are very dark, they are the result of the same thing. Believe it or not, the culprit is stinkbugs. It can be the oval flat stinkbug that is colored green or brown. It can also be the leaf footed stinkbug. They are brown, but look far different in appearance. Their legs are fairly large and prominent. They are also quicker in movement and fly faster.

The bad news is that the adults are very difficult to control. The younger stinkbugs, known as nymphs, are more susceptible to chemical control. In all honesty, there aren’t many insecticides on the market now that I think will help with this problem. Thiodan is no longer available in North Carolina, but is legal in South Carolina. This insecticide will do the job, but is no longer an option. Malathion is the best choice in my opinion. You will, however, need to start early and as always, thoroughly read and follow label directions. Another way to help control stinkbugs is to use good cultural practices. That means cleaning up and disposing of large stands of weeds and debris. This is where they spend the winter. If you have just began noticing any type of stinkbug, I would strongly suggest a pro-active approach. Left unchecked, they will infest fruits, vegetables and ornamentals.

I want to remind you that it’s a good time to take a soil test. Why? The wait time is much shorter this time of year. Since it’s less hectic in cooler weather, you have the time to address any problems. If your soil has a pH that is too acidic (and that is almost always the case) you will need to add lime. It moves very slowly through our soil and takes some time to change the pH. You’ll need to know in time to help next year’s plants. The directions are easy to follow and the soil boxes are available. At this time, even the soil analysis is still free. You need only to provide postage to send the samples. It may well be the most important thing you can do, whether you grow vegetables, fruits or ornamentals.

Another chore you can undertake during cooler months is to add more organic matter to the clay soil you’re dealing with. It can be in the form of leaf mold, compost, finely crushed pine bark, aged manures, or some similar material. Those ingredients are like gold due to the jobs they do. Clay soil has the tiniest individual particles of any soil. It packs tightly together especially when it’s wet. Mixing in amendments to this type of soil adds air pockets. This helps prevent roots from suffocating and rotting. I believe this is the number one reason for early plant death in clay soil. Amendments can also enrich the soil and make it more fertile.

Mulches, such as fine pine bark or crushed leaves, can insulate a marginal plant’s roots during a harsh winter. There’s also another great benefit from using a good mulch. I think our number one problem in gardening is having insufficient rainfall on a regular basis. Mulch helps preserve the water a plant receives. It adds a cushion of moisture. But, best of all, it insulates a plant’s roots from the drying effects of the sun. As an example, the number one reason that spring planted clematis vines fail is because the roots become too hot. I have yet to see a new clematis die if a thick layer of mulch is added.

You have weeks before you are seriously involved with spring planting. If you want to be more successful next year: 1. Get a soil test. 2. Get a load of compost/soil amendments for enriching clay soil. 3. Obtain a good organic mulch. 4. Be ready to do battle with several forms of stinkbugs.

The Cooperative Extension Service can supply all your soil kit needs. If you have questions concerning any of these topics, e-mail me or pick up the phone.