Consumer Q’s

Published 1:03 pm Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Question: Will a pesticide remain viable longer if I pour it in an airtight container?

Answer: You should never store pesticides in containers that were not intended for that purpose. Keep the pesticide in the container it came in. That includes insecticides, herbicides, fungicides or any other kind of pesticide in any form – liquid, powder or granule. People, pets and livestock may be killed by accidentally consuming a pesticide or drinking or eating from a container that once held a pesticide. Children as well as adults have died from drinking pesticides that were being stored in a soft drink bottle, sports drink bottle, juice bottle or similar container.

Q: Are there any evergreen ferns that are hardy outdoors?

A: Four possible choices are the holly fern, Christmas fern, ebony spleenwort, and autumn fern. Holly fern is better for the coast and Piedmont, but the other three will thrive throughout the state.

Q: My neighbor has perennial zinnias – they come back every year. All I have ever seen are annual zinnias. Are these perennial ones new?

A: Your neighbor does not have perennial zinnias. A perennial is a plant that lives from year to year. Zinnias are annuals; the plants are killed by freezing temperatures. Your neighbor’s zinnias are coming back the following year from seeds that the plants dropped. Perhaps your neighbor is even breaking apart the old flower heads and scattering these seeds around his garden himself. Numerous annuals will “self-sow” when they are allowed to set seed and the garden soil and conditions are adequate for the seeds to sprout and grow. These are sometimes referred to as “re-seeding annuals.” Petunia, cosmos, marigold, abelmoschus, torenia, impatiens, sunflower, salvia and other annuals often re-seed themselves.

Q: What is the best way to store cheese?

A: Refrigerate cheese in its original wrapping until ready to use. When cheese is removed from its original packaging, wrap it tightly with plastic film wrap or foil. Once cheese is exposed to air, molding and dehydration may occur. To help protect cheese from mold, double-wrap it and place it in a sealed container after each use. You may wish to store cheese in a refrigerator drawer so it does not pick up flavors from other foods. Strong-smelling cheeses, like Limburger, should be wrapped well and kept in a separate container to prevent their odors from transferring to other foods. As a general rule, the harder the cheese, the longer its shelf-life. Hard cheeses such as Parmesan, Cheddar, Swiss, Colby and Monterey Jack, will generally keep for several months, whereas softer cheeses will keep from one to three weeks after opening. Large pieces of cheese tend to keep longer than shredded cheese.

If you have questions about services or products regulated by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, visit our website at www.agr.georgia.gov or write us at 19 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Room 227, Atlanta, GA  30334 or email us at info@agr.georgia.gov. To learn more about agricultural issues, get garden tips and find sources for flowers, livestock and other agricultural products, consider a subscription to The Farmers and Consumers Market Bulletin. Subscriptions for Georgia residents are $10 per year. To start or renew a subscription, send a check or money order payable to Market Bulletin at the address above.