Permission is given to reprinted these tips in any publication on plants in the Gesneriaceae family. Referencing www.africanvioletbooks.com as the source is required.

Mel's Tip #1

Dandelions, the scourge of any homeowner who’s goal in life is to have the nicest lawn in the neighborhood. Their “yellow heads” are just not acceptable! They got to go.
Control of dandelions is not difficult. If you only have a few take a knife and cut them out of the grass. You must cut them off approximately two inches under the soil. They have a tap root and another plant will grow back if you superficially cut it off at the grass level. Chemically, there are a few good products on the market, which can be purchased at any garden center.
Just remember, if you get rid of the dandelions, what will your grand children pick for Mother’s Day? Another interesting fact is dandelion greens are in the top five for overall nutritional value when used as a vegetable in a salad. There are also numerous medicinal qualities to the dandelion. Dandelion greens are extremely high in vitamin A.

Centipedes in your garden, do they pose a health threat to you? First, in the entire world there is only one known death from the bite of a centipede. So relax when you see one. Don’t panic. You can out run them if you have too!
In general, if bitten by a centipede it will be similar to being stung by a bee or wasp. Painful for a short period of time and the stinging sensation gradually diminishes in just a few hours or in the most extreme case it may take 2-3 days. Usually there is no need to go to the doctor if bitten, however if you are allergic to bee stings you it may be a good idea to check with a doctor.
Beneficial factors in favor of the centipedes in your garden are: they eat insects, spiders and in case of the largest members of this group they will eat geckos, small frogs/toads, small lizards and the occasional mouse.
How can you tell a centipede from a millipede? There are three simple ways to distinguish a centipede from a millipede: (1) When touched, a millipede will roll up its body, (2) centipedes have two legs per body segment and millipedes have four legs per body segment, and (3) centipedes have a flat body and millipedes have a round body. 

Rose Selection
When at the store do not just pick the first rose bush you see and take it home. Spend a few seconds inspecting it. Use the following check list as a guide to buying roses.
1. The stems should be green all the way to the tip. There should not be any discoloration or scars on the stems.
2. Roots should be healthy, well branched and very numerous.
3. Buds on the lower portions of the stems should be swollen and plump. Any damage to these buds, or the lack of any buds, indicates a plant that will not produce many new stems the first year.
4. Check the main stalk just above the roots. There should not be any scars or any kind of damage in this area. Also look for spilt bark, any openings will make it easy for disease organisms and insects to attack.
5. The number of desired, healthy canes on the plants you are buying depends on which kind of rose you are buying. Floribunda roses should have at least two canes(15 inches long), climbing roses a minimum of two canes (24 inches long) and a hybrid tea rose should have three sturdy, health canes (18 inches long).

I have noticed crabgrass growing in my lawn this fall. Should I try to kill it now or wait until next year? The best time to control crabgrass is in the spring. Use a pre-emergent chemical when the seeds are just starting to germinate. Once the plant has matured just wait until spring to get our revenge. Trying to kill it in the fall is not necessary if you live where temperatures drop below freezing. The first frost will kill this annual for you. Chemicals used to eliminate broadleaf weeds (dandelions, spurge, oxalis, knotweed) will not kill or even slow down the hardy crabgrass!

Rose Fertilization
When comparing roses to African violets they are just the opposite when it comes to selecting a fertilizer to achieve maximum flowering. Mature African violets should be giving low nitrogen in a feeding program to promote flowering. For roses to produce numerous flowers per plant they require high nitrogen applications.
Apply one cup of a complete fertilizer, which is high in nitrogen, four times during the growing season. Rose plants have a fairly shallow root system so when you mix the fertilizer into the soil do not dig to deep. A complete fertilizer is one containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. An example would be 16-16-16.

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