Your tomato publication says to give producing plants 1 to 2 gallons of water twice a week during dry spells. I water with a hose, so how can I know how much water I'm giving them?
Fill a bucket to 2 gallons with your hose at its regular setting. As you fill it, count aloud until the bucket is full. Whatever number your reach, count to that number when watering a plant and you'll know that you've given it 2 gallons of water. Counting to half the number yields 1 gallon.
Huge brown and yellow hornets are buzzing around our door at night. How can we stop them?
The European hornet, the only true hornet in Maryland, makes its nest in tree or building cavities that are difficult to find. While relatively docile, it can make a pest of itself by stripping bark from lilacs or ash (though it does eat some of the insects attracted to the resulting sap). It flies day and night. Lights can attract it at night, so turn off porch or other outside lights. Our publication Common Stinging Insects gives more information.
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Hot, dry weather will cause lawns to turn brown and go dormant. This natural response helps turf grass survive severe drought. Watering lawns will not reverse this process and won't keep lawns lush and green. Grasses that go dormant will green up when it rains and grow vigorously again in the fall.
Ellen Nibali, horticulture consultant, works at Maryland Cooperative Extension's Home and Garden Information Center, and David Clement is the regional specialist. The center offers Maryland residents free gardening information. Call the center's "hotline" at 800-342-2507 (8 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday-Friday) or e-mail plant and pest questions through the Send a Question feature at hgic.umd.edu.