Filed under: Disease, Fruits/Vegetables, Garden, Lawn, Perennials, shrubs | Tags: fungus prevention, Zoysia
Zoysia summer care: Zoysia loves hot weather — the hotter the better — and you want to feed it now that the days are hot. High nitrogen fertilizers work best, but stay away from Ammonium nitrate and other nitrate fertilizers because they can burn very easily. Mow your Zoysia around 2 inches and mow regularly. Zoysia can take it dry, but for the best lawn water about an inch every other week. You need a sharp blade to get a good clean cut.
Fungus amoungus: with the recent rain and the warm night temperatures, we are seeing all sorts of fungus diseases popping-up. There are some cultural things to do before you reach for the fungicides. First, don’t water anything at night (lawns, flowers, vegetables, or shrubs). Water early in the morning before the sun is too high in the sky. Water the ground and not the plants, as moisture on the leaves can lead to fungus problems. Water thoroughly when watering, a deep soaking rather than a lot of little waterings daily. Remove damaged leaves from the plants and beds to reduce the spread of the disease. When you do use a fungicide, make sure it’s for the disease you’re trying to stop, follow the directions, spray in the cool part of the day, and make sure that you spray the ground around the plants so that spores cannot be splashed up on the leaves.
Good luck and try to stay cool!
Filed under: Fruits/Vegetables, Garden, Perennials, Pests, shrubs, trees | Tags: grubs, Japanese beetles
It was only a matter of time really. We didn’t really think they would skip a year (or maybe 13/17 like cicadas?). This week, Japanese beetle sightings have been reported all about town. Expect to see them soon in your yard, if you haven’t already; and expect the numbers to increase.
What to Do. Traps can be great IF you place them away from what they are attacking. The pheromones in the traps are very effective and will attract beetles from around your neighborhood. Since beetles are notoriously poor pilots, they may not make it into the trap immediately. Thus, if you put the trap right next to your prize roses, expect to see more beetles on the roses, not less. If you decide to spray, do so in the early morning or early evening, not in the heat of the day. You will need to repeat spray every 4-7 days (depending on the product you choose). There are many organic methods of control available… stop in the nursery and Don can help you select the best product for your needs.
The adult beetles will be around for about three or four weeks. During this time, they will mate and lay eggs (when they aren’t eating all of your favorite plants). In mid-August, the eggs will hatch into grubs, which will overwinter underground.
Filed under: Fruits/Vegetables, Garden, Lawn, Pests, shrubs, trees | Tags: beetle traps, grubs, Japanese beetles
Adult Japanese Beetles have yet to emerge, but are likely to start munching on your favorite trees and shrubs in early- to mid-June. They are currently underground, either in the larval (grub) stage feeding on your grass roots or in the pupal stage preparing to morph into the adult stage.
We don’t yet know how bad the beetle outbreak will be this year, as populations can vary quite a bit from year to year. So, be on the lookout and be prepared for battle, if need be. Even if you have been treating your lawn for grubs, your neighbors might not have done the same, so you should not be surprised to see the beetles in your yard. (After all, the adults are quite mobile and don’t respect the fence-line!)
Japanese beetle traps have been popular in years past, but many people feel that using beetle traps attracts more beetles to your yard than you would have otherwise (the pheromones used in the traps can be detected by beetles near and FAR). In this case, the best approach to beetle eradication may be the simplest: pick them by hand. In the morning and evening, the beetles are less active and easy to pluck off plants. Just drop the beetles into a jar of soapy water and they are no longer a problem. Pesticide sprays, including some plant-derived compounds, may help to reduce the population, but you generally need to apply the pesticide several times. Always read and follow all instructions for pesticides.
Whichever method you attempt, act early. The sooner you eliminate the pests, the fewer eggs they will lay. You will help to reduce the number of grubs in your yard, and in turn, next year’s beetle population.
Filed under: Lawn, shrubs, Uncategorized | Tags: azalea, blueberry, fertilizing, holly, Holly-tone, rhododendron, Zoysia
Now that the Azaleas have finished blooming, you can fertilize them. Repeat the fertilization every 30 days until early August. Stopping the fertilizing then will give the plants plenty of time to slow growth and prepare for winter. Because Azaleas like an acidic soil, you want to choose a fertilizer made for acid-loving plants. Espoma’s Holly-tone is an excellent organic fertilizer. You can also use it on hollies (bet you guessed that one already), Rhododendrons, and blueberries.
It is also time to fertilize your Zoysia lawn with a high-nitrogen fertilizer. You can repeat the fertilizing in about 6-8 weeks. A perk of having a Zoysia lawn: you need less fertilizer than you would use on other grasses. Generally, you shouldn’t need to apply more than two pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet annually.
Filed under: Disease, Garden, Perennials, Pests, shrubs, trees, Uncategorized | Tags: mulch
Perhaps volcanoes are on the brain, but have you noticed the mulch volcanoes popping up around town? What is a mulch volcano, you ask? It occurs when mulch is piled around and against the trunk of a tree (or the stem of a shrub, perennial, etc.).
So, beyond looking a bit odd, what is wrong with this mountain of mulch? When mulch touches a tree trunk or plant stem, moisture gets trapped against the trunk and creates an environment ideal for disease and insect pests. Ultimately, this could lead to plant death. Trunks and stems need air circulation around them, so when mulching, take care to leave a few inches free around the trunk.
When properly applied, mulch improves the health of your trees and plants. Mulch helps to regulate moisture and keep weeds away. Additionally, as the mulch breaks down, its nutrients become incorporated into the soil.
A final note: it is a little too early to put out mulch. Wait for the soil to warm up a bit more. If you apply mulch while the soil is still cool, the mulch acts as an insulating layer and keeps the soil temperature cool for a longer time. It isn’t the end of the world if you apply early, but it may delay the growth of many annuals and perennials.
Filed under: shrubs | Tags: azalea, boxwood, broadleaf evergreens, holly, pruning, rhododendron, winter damage
Winter — even St. Louis winter — can be rough on our plants. The combination of cold, wind, snow, and sunscald have damaged many of our hollies, azaleas, rhododendrons, boxwood, and other broadleaf evergreens. This damage, though unsightly, is not deadly. As the plant starts to put on new growth, the damaged leaves are usually sloughed off by the plant.
Light pruning on NON-FLOWERING plants can remove the damage more quickly, if need be. Azaleas and rhododendrons are best left along until after they bloom. A good feeding will also help to bring plants out of winter damage.
Have patience!
We’ve been asked a lot lately about pruning and feeding of trees and shrubs for fall. What I tell everyone about pruning is: If it blooms in the spring, leave it alone until after it finishes blooming. You can feel free to trim broadleaf evergreens lightly now along with yews and junipers, the key is LIGHTLY — no more than a few inches or there could be winter damage.
You don’t want to feed trees or shrubs now because it can take a month or more for the fertilizer to get into the system of the plant. Late October is not a great time for plants to be putting on new growth. With trees, the best time to feed is in the dead of winter. The freezing and thawing of the ground will work the fertilizer into the ground and in March, when the trees start their new growth, the nutrition is already waiting. Tree trimming is best done when the trees are dormant.
A note: the Botanical Garden is ending the pot recycling program on September 30, 2009. If you still have pots to recycle, please bring them in before next Wednesday. We want to thank all of you for bringing in your pots, but we ask that you not bring any after September 30 since we have no place to store them until next April when the program resumes.
