When Crook plants tomatoes next spring, he should mulch them immediately, so the soil can't wash up and touch the leaves of the plant. Crook's crape myrtles are not blooming well this summer and some have powdery mildew, too. The lack of blooms could be due to inadequate fertilizer or improper pruning. Get a soil analysis done to see if some nutrients are lacking. Do not prune this fall or winter and see if flowering is better next year.
Powdery mildew affects older types of crape myrtles.
The trees can be sprayed with a fungicide such as Daconil, but it's better to replace the tree with a mildew-resistant variety. Ask about them at nurseries or garden centers. At 10 a.m. Thursday, also at the botanic garden, Donna Little will lead a discussion of favorite gardening books, magazines and publications. Little is the horticulturist at Historic Elmwood Cemetery. More than 250 vendors have set up booths at the show.