​If you have vegetables that are blooming but not setting fruit, you may have a problem with flower pollination. There are several possible reasons for this that usually vary by species. One condition that can affect several species at the same time is overfertilization. Too much nitrogen causes the plant to emphasize vegetative growth, often to the detriment of fruit production.  Overfertilization can lead to a delay in flower production and a decrease in fruit set among the flowers produced.

Squash, cucumbers, watermelon, and muskmelon can have a couple of other problems. First, the early flowers on these plants are usually all male. The production of both male and female flowers becomes more balanced as time passes. You can easily tell the difference between the two because only the female flower has a tiny fruit behind the blossom. If you have both, have not over-fertilized, and still have a problem, make sure you have pollinators. 

Look for the presence of bees visiting the plants. If you don't see any, try hand-pollinating several flowers.  Use a painter’s brush to transfer pollen from the anther of the male flower to the stigma of the female flower. If you get fruit on only those flowers you pollinated, you need more pollinators.  Make sure you aren't killing them with overuse of insecticides.  If you must use an insecticide, spray near dusk when the flowers have closed. 

Tomatoes are wind pollinated and therefore not dependent on pollinators. But they have another possible problem which is temperature. Tomatoes normally won't set if the night temperature is below 50 due to sparse pollen production. They also won't set when nighttime temperatures are above 75 degrees F and daytime temperatures are above 95 degrees F with dry, hot winds.  Under such conditions, fertilization is not completed and no fruit develops.  (Ward Upham)

August 15       K-State Vegetable Research Field Day, Olathe
                        http://hnr.k-state.edu/events/2016%20GG%20Vegetable%20Research%20Tour.pd

​Summer squash such as zucchini and scallop are harvested while immature but winter squash such as acorn, hubbard and butternut are harvested later, in the mature stage, after the rind is tough and seeds have developed. We normally think September is the time that winter squash are harvested. Harvesting too early leads to fruit that shrivels and rots.
 
There are two main characteristics that help tell us when winter squash are mature: color and rind toughness.  Winter squash change color as they become mature. Butternut changes from light beige to deep tan. Acorn is a deep green color but has a ground spot that changes from yellow to orange when ripe. Gray or orange is the mature color for hubbard.
     
A hard, tough rind is another characteristic of mature winter squash. This is easily checked by trying to puncture the rind with your thumbnail or fingernail. If it easily penetrates the skin, the squash is not yet mature and will lose water through the skin -- causing the fruit to dry and shrivel. Also, immature fruit will be of low quality. The stem should also be dry enough that excessive water doesn’t drip from the stem.
     
Winter squash should be stored cool with elevated humidity. Ideal conditions would be 55 to 60 degrees F and 50 to 70 percent relative humidity. Under such conditions, acorn squash will usually last about 5 to 8 weeks, butternuts 2 to 3 months and hubbards 5 to 6 months.  (Ward Upham)

​An August application of nitrogen on spring-bearing strawberries is important in order to increase the number of strawberries produced next spring. Plenty of daylight and warm temperatures during June, July and August promotes the growth of new runner, or daughter, plants. As daylight hours dwindle and temperatures grow cooler in September and October, fruit buds for the next year's fruit crop develop. To get a good berry crop next spring, it is important for strawberry plants to be vigorous during this period of fruit bud development.
     
Nitrogen, applied mid August, will help promote fruit bud development. A general application rate is ½ to 3/4 pound of actual nitrogen per 100 feet of row. The nitrogen may be in the form of a fertilizer mixture such as ammonium phosphate or 12-12-12, or in a fertilizer containing only nitrogen such as urea or ammonium nitrate. Some specific examples would include:
 
     Iron + (11-0-0) at 6 pounds per 100 feet of row.
     12-12-12 at 5.5 pounds per 100 feet of row.
     Nitrate of Soda (16-0-0) at 4 pounds per 100 feet of row
     Ammonium sulfate (21-0-0) at 3 pounds per 100 feet of row
     Urea (46-0-0) at 1.5 pounds per 100 feet of row
 
On sandy soils, the rate may be increased by about a half. After spreading the fertilizer, sprinkle the area applying at least a half-inch of water to move the nitrogen into the strawberry root areas. (Ward Upham)

​Though several cool-season grasses are grown in Kansas, tall fescue is considered the best adapted and is recommended for home lawns. The cultivar K-31 is the old standby and has been used for years. However, there is a myriad of newer cultivars that have improved color, density and a finer leaf texture. Most of these newer varieties are very close to one another in quality.
     
Each year the National Turfgrass Evaluation Trial rates tall fescue varieties for color, greenup, quality and texture. Quality ratings are taken once a month from March through October. The cultivars listed below received an average rating of 6.0 or above when 2013 and 2014 ratings were averaged.  Note that  K-31 consistently rates at the bottom. The highest rated cultivars were Thor, Michelangelo, GTO, Traverse 2, Technique, Maestro, Firebird 2, 4th Millennium SRP, Reflection, Black Tail, Avenger II, Falcon V, Terrano, Rowdy, Rockwell, Rhambler 2, Hot Rod, Firewall, Bizem, Titanium 2LS, Hemi, Firecracker, Leonardo and Grande 3.
     
There are a number of other cultivars that did not make this list but should do well in Kansas. Go to http://www.ntep.org/states/ks2/ks2_tf.htm for access to the data.  Keep in mind that mixes of several varieties may allow you to take advantage of differing strengths. It is not necessary for mixes to contain only the varieties mentioned above.
     
Though K-31 may still be a good choice for large, open areas, the new cultivars will give better performance for those who desire a high-quality turf. (Ward Upham)

​Though Kentucky bluegrass is not as heat and drought tolerant as tall fescue and the warm-season grasses, it is commonly used in northeastern Kansas, where there is sufficient annual rainfall. It is also grown under irrigation in northwestern Kansas where the higher elevation allows for cooler summer night temperatures. The following cultivars have performed well compared to other bluegrasses in this region. Use this list as a guide. Omission does not necessarily mean that a cultivar will not perform well.
     
Recommended cultivars for high-quality lawns, where visual appearance is the prime concern, include Alexa II, Aura, Award, Bewitched, Barrister, Belissimo, Beyond, Diva, Everest, Everglade, Excursion, Ginney II, Granite, Impact, Midnight, NuChicago, NuGlade, NuDestiny, Rhapsody, Rhythm, Rugby, Skye, Solar Eclipse, STR 2485, Sudden Impact, Washington and Zifandel. Such lawns should receive 4 to 5 pounds nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per year and would typically be irrigated during dry periods to prevent drought stress.   Cultivars that do relatively well under a low-maintenance program with limited watering often differ from those that do well under higher inputs. Good choices for low maintenance include Baron, Baronie, Caliber, Canterbury, Dragon, Eagleton, Envicta, Kenblue, North Star, and South Dakota. Instead of the 4 to 5 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per year, low-maintenance program would include 1 to 2 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per year. Obviously, a low-input lawn will not be as attractive as a higher-input lawn, but you can expect the cultivars listed above to look fairly good in the spring and fall, while going dormant in the summer. (Ward Upham)

​People often assume that all of our American Elms have been killed by Dutch elm disease. Fortunately, such is not the case. Though many have survived thus far, the number diminishes each year. We are still seeing examples of Dutch elm disease on American elms. Though American elms are the species often associated with this disease, red and some hybrid elms are also susceptible. Siberian elm (sometimes referred to as Chinese elm) and the true Chinese elm (lacebark elm) are considered resistant but not immune to the disease.  However, we do have true American Elms that are naturally resistant.  Our January 19 issue of this newsletter has an article on these cultivars. That issue can be found at: http://hnr.k-state.edu/extension/info-center/newsletters/2016/Jan19_2016_3.pdf  .
     
Early diagnosis can help save recently infected trees. Look for branches with leaves that have wilted and suddenly turned yellow to brown. Remove a portion of the branch and peel back an area of the bark. If you notice brown streaking in the sapwood, you may have Dutch elm disease. Healthy bark is more cream-colored and the streaking is absent. Suspect wood should be submitted to the diagnostic lab and control measures started immediately.
     
Dutch elm disease can often be controlled through the use of systemic fungicide injections, judicious pruning of affected trees and removal of nearby diseased elms. However, trees infected through root grafts with nearby infected elms or those in which the disease has reached the main stem cannot be saved. Therefore, preventative measures have a better chance of success and are preferred. Fungicides labeled for Dutch elm disease include Arbotect and Alamo. The Arbotect fungicide is preferred because it is the most persistent with a three-year interval between injections. A trained arborist should administer injections. These treatments are quite expensive. Check with your local arborist for current prices.
 
Megan Kennelly, one of our plant pathlogists, has a more detailed discussion of this disease in our Turf Blog.  See http://blogs.k-state.edu/turf/dutch-elm-disease/  (Ward Upham)

​Peak flight of the third generation of Nantucket Pine Tip Moth occurred on August 2 in the Wichita area.   The best time for control is a spray 10 days following peak flight of the insect.  Therefore, the OPTIMUM day for control will be on August 12, 2016 for the Wichita area. Note that growers further north will spray later.
 
This is a pest primarily of scotch, ponderosa and mugo pines. Thanks to Willy Goevert of 4C Christmastree Farm that does the local pheromone trapping and monitoring of this pest.  (Ward Upham)
 
 
Contributors: Ward Upham, Extension Associate

The extremely hot weather we have had recently not only interferes with flower pollination (see July 12 newsletter) but also can affect how quickly fruit matures. The best temperature for tomato growth and fruit development is 85 to 90F. When temperatures exceed 100 degrees, the plant goes into survival mode and concentrates on moving water. Fruit development slows to a crawl. When temperatures moderate, even to the low to mid 90s, the fruit will ripen more quickly.
 
Tomato color can also be affected by heat. When temperatures rise above 95 degrees F, red pigments don't form properly though the orange and yellow pigments do. This results in orange fruit. This doesn't affect the edibility of the tomato, but often gardeners want that deep red color back.
 
So, can we do anything to help our tomatoes ripen and have good color during extreme heat? Sure, there is.  We can pick tomatoes in the “breaker” stage.   Breaker stage tomatoes are those that have started to turn color.  At this point, the tomato has cut itself off from the vine and nothing will be gained by keeping it on the plant.  If tomatoes are picked at this stage and brought into an air-conditioned house, they will ripen more quickly and develop a good, red color.  A temperature of 75 to 85 degrees F will work well.  (Ward Upham)

A bitter taste in cucumbers is the result of stress that can be caused by a number of factors, including heredity, moisture, temperature, soil characteristics, and disease. Most often this occurs during the hot part of the summer or later in the growing season.
 
Two compounds, cucurbitacins B and C, give rise to the bitter taste. Though often only the stem end is affected, at times the entire fruit is bitter. Also, most of the bitter taste is found in and just under the skin.  Removing the stem end and the skin can often help salvage bitter fruit.
 
Bitter fruit is not the result of cucumbers cross-pollinating with squash or melons. These plants cannot cross-pollinate with one another.
 
Often newer varieties are less likely to become bitter than older ones. Proper cultural care is also often helpful. Make sure plants have the following:
– Well-drained soil with a pH between 6.0 and 6.5. Plenty of organic matter also helps.
– Mulch. Mulch helps conserve moisture and keeps roots cool during hot, dry weather.
– Adequate water especially during the fruiting season.
– Disease and insect control. (Ward Upham)

Telling when a melon is ready to be harvested can be a challenge, or it may be quite easy. It all depends on the type of melon. Let’s start with the easy one. Muskmelons are one of those crops that tell you when they are ready to be picked. This can help you not only harvest melons at the correct time but also choose good melons when shopping. As a melon ripens, a layer of cells around the stem softens so the melon detaches easily from the vine. This is called “slipping” and will leave a dish-shaped scar at the point of stem attachment. When harvesting melons, put a little pressure where the vine attaches to the fruit. If ripe, it will release or “slip.”
 
When choosing a melon from those that have already been harvested, look for a clean, dish-shaped scar. Also, ripe melons have a pleasant, musky aroma if the melons are at room temperature (not refrigerated). Watermelons can be more difficult and growers often use several techniques to tell when to harvest.
 
1. Look for the tendril that attaches at the same point as the melon to dry and turn brown. On some varieties this will need to be completely dried before the watermelon is ripe. On others it will only need to be in the process of turning brown.
 
2. The surface of a ripening melon develops a surface roughness (sometimes called “sugar bumps”) near the base of the fruit.
 
3. Ripe watermelons normally develop a yellow color on the “ground spot” when ripe. This is the area of the melon that contacts the ground.
 
Honeydew melons are the most difficult to tell when they are ripe because they do not “slip” like muskmelons. Actually, there is one variety that does slip called Earlidew, but it is the exception to the rule. Ripe honeydew melons become soft on the flower end of the fruit. The “flower end” is the end opposite where the stem attaches. Also, honeydews should change to a light or yellowish color when ripe, but this varies with variety. (Ward Upham)

When temperatures exceed 90 degrees F, fruit plants lose water quickly. When this happens, moisture is withdrawn from the fruit to supply the tree. Stress from high temperatures, along with a moisture deficit in the root environment, may cause fruit to drop or fail to increase in size.
 
The stress may also reduce the development of fruit buds for next year's fruit crop. If you have fruit plants such as trees, vines, canes, and such, check soil moisture at the roots. Insert a spade or shovel or a pointed metal or wood probe -- a long screwdriver works well for this. Shove these into the soil about 8 to 12 inches. If the soil is hard, dry, and difficult to penetrate, the moisture level is very low, and plants should be irrigated to prevent drooping and promote fruit enlargement.  Water can be added to the soil using sprinklers, soaker hose, drip irrigation, or even a small trickle of water running from the hose for a few hours. The amount of time you irrigate should depend upon the size of plants and the volume of water you are applying. Add enough moisture so you can easily penetrate the soil in the root area of the plant with a metal rod, wooden dowel or other probe to a depth of 12 inches. When hot, dry weather continues, continue to check soil moisture at least once a week.

Strawberries have a shallow root system and may need to be watered more often – maybe twice a week during extreme weather. Also, newly planted fruit trees sited on sandy soils may also need water twice a week. (Ward Upham)

These large (1-1/3- to 1-5/8-inch long) wasps fly slowly above the ground. Cicada killers have a black body with yellow marks across the thorax and abdomen. Wings are reddish-orange.
 
Although these wasps are huge, they usually ignore people. Males may act aggressively if they are threatened, but are unable to sting. Females can sting, but are so passive that they rarely do. Even if they do sting, the pain is less than
that of smaller wasps such as the yellow jacket or paper wasp and is similar to the sting of a sweat bee.
 
The cicada killer is a solitary wasp rather than a social wasp like the yellow jacket. The female nests in burrows in the ground. These burrows are quarter-size in diameter and can go 6 inches straight down and another 6 inches horizontally. Adults normally live 60 to 75 days from mid-July to mid-September and feed on flower nectar and sap. The adult female seeks cicadas on the trunks and lower limbs of trees. She stings her prey, flips it over, straddles it and carries it to her burrow. If she has a tree to climb, she will climb the tree so she can get airborne and fly with cicada back to the nest. If not, she will drag it. She will lay one egg per cicada if the egg is left unfertilized. Unfertilized eggs develop into males only. Fertilized eggs develop into females and are given at least two cicadas. Cicadas are then stuffed into the female’s burrow. Each burrow normally has three to four cells with one to two cicadas in each. However, it is possible for one burrow to have 10 to 20 cells.
 
Eggs hatch in two to three days, and larvae begin feeding on paralyzed cicadas. Feeding continues for four to 10 days until only the outer shell of the cicada remains. The larva overwinters inside a silken case. Pupation occurs in the spring. There is one generation per year.  Cicada killers are not dangerous, but they can be a nuisance. If you believe control is necessary, treat the burrows after dark to ensure the female wasps are in their nests. The males normally roost on plants near burrow sites. They can be captured with an insect net or knocked out of the air with a tennis racket during the day. Carbaryl (Sevin) or permethrin may be used for control. (Ward Upham)

Fall webworm feeds on almost all fruit, shade, and ornamental trees except conifers. This insect is present more often on trees that are not surrounded by other trees. The larvae begin by constructing small webs near the ends of branches. The insect will gradually increase the size of the web as the need for food increases.
 
Mature caterpillars are yellowish with black and brown markings, and have many tufts of long hair. As larvae mature, they crawl down the tree and spend the winter as pupa in the leaf litter under the tree.
 
High populations of fall webworm can completely defoliate host plants but do not kill them. However, on pecan trees, nut production and quality can be reduced if webworms are not controlled. On ornamental plants, control is optional.
 
Pruning and destroying the infested portions of branches is a common control practice while webs are still small. Also, a stick or pole with a nail inserted crosswise can be used to snag individual webs. Twisting the pole after insertion will cause the web to wrap around the pole where it can be removed and destroyed. Instead of a nail inserted crosswise, some people use a toilet brush attached to the end of a pole. Insecticides can also be used for control but a commercial quality, high-pressure sprayer is needed to penetrate the webs. Numerous products can be used for control including spinosad (Conserve; Fertilome Borer, Bagworm, Leafminer and Tent Caterpillar Spray; Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew),
cyfluthrin (Tempo, Bayer Vegetable & Garden Insect Spray) and permethrin (numerous trade names). We normally consider fall webworm damage to be purely aesthetic, and control is not needed to protect the health of the tree. (Ward Upham)
 
Contributors: Ward Upham, Extension Associate

Development of No-Till Pumpkins for the Great Plains
August 20, 2015
Depot Market
1101 30 Road, Courtland, KS
5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
For more information, go to:  http://www.hfrr.ksu.edu/doc4356.ashx

Development of No-Till Pumpkins for the Great Plains
September 1, 2015
Schwinn Produce Farm
17624 Santa Fe Trail, Leavenworth, KS
5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
For more information, go to:  http://www.hfrr.ksu.edu/doc4357.ashx

Fall planting time is close at hand, so it's time to talk about grass seed. Many people have the idea that all grass seed is basically the same. Big mistake! Choosing quality seed is one of the most important steps in successfully planting or overseeding your lawn. If you don't know what to look for, you may be introducing unwanted intruders into that new stand. In particular, we are concerned with seed contaminated with orchardgrass and/or rough bluegrass (also known by its Latin name, Poa trivialis, or Poa triv for short). These are both perennial grassy weeds that cannot be selectively controlled once they are in a lawn.

Orchardgrass is a problem because it is faster growing and lighter green than our turfgrasses. It is a bunch grass and so doesn’t spread, but infested areas are still unsightly due to small tufts of this species pockmarking the lawn.

Rough bluegrass is fine-textured and forms circular patches in the lawn.  It blends in fairly well until summertime heat causes it to turn brown rapidly. If the rough bluegrass would just die in the heat, it would only be a temporary problem. Unfortunately, it usually just goes dormant, turning green again with cooler temperatures and rain.

Buying quality seed starts with knowing how to decipher the seed label. One of the most important things to look for is listed as "% other crop.” "Other crop" refers to any species that is intentionally grown for some purpose. That would include turfgrasses (those species other than the one you are buying) and pasture grasses. Orchardgrass and rough bluegrass both are listed as “other crop” seed. Seed labels are required by law to show the percentage (by weight) of "other crop" in the bag, but unless a species constitutes 5% or more, the label doesn't have to list each species by name.

How much "other crop" is too much? That’s a difficult question to answer, but the tolerance is very low. It depends on what the "other crop" actually is, and the quality expectations of the buyer. In practice, "other crop" may refer to something relatively harmless, like a small amount of perennial ryegrass in a bag of tall fescue, or it may refer to something bad, like rough bluegrass or orchardgrass. The homeowner really has no easy way of knowing what the "other crop" is, although there are some hints. If it is something bad, less than ½ of 1% can ruin a bag of seed. Obviously, if your expectations are high for the area you are planting, you would want the "other crop" to be as close to zero as possible. Good quality seed will often have 0.01% “other crop” or less. (Ward Upham)

Though several cool-season grasses are grown in Kansas, tall fescue is considered the best adapted and is recommended for home lawns. The cultivar K-31 is the old standby and has been used for years. However, there is a myriad of newer cultivars that have improved color, density and a finer leaf texture. Most of these newer varieties are very close to one another in quality. 

Each year the National Turfgrass Evaluation Trial rates tall fescue varieties for color, greenup, quality and texture. Quality ratings are taken once a month from March through October. K-31 consistently rates at the bottom. The highest rated cultivars were 3rd Millennium, Braveheart, Bullseye, Catalyst, Cochise, Corona, Escalade, Faith, Falcon V, Firecracker, Firenza, Jamboree, LS 1200, Monet, Mustang, Raptor II, Rhambler SRP, RK5, Shenandoah III, Shenandoah Elite, Sidewinder, Spyder LS, Talladega, Turbo and Wolfpack II.

There are a number of other cultivars that did not make this list but should do well in Kansas. Go to http://ntep.org/data/tf06/tf06_12-10f/tf0612ft04.txt   . Any variety with a mean rating of 6.0 or above should be fine. K-31 has a rating of 4.1. Keep in mind that mixes of several varieties may allow you to take advantage of differing strengths. It is not necessary for mixes to contain only the varieties mentioned above.

Though K-31 may still be a good choice for large, open areas, the new cultivars will give better performance for those who desire a high-quality turf. (Ward Upham)

Though Kentucky bluegrass is not as heat and drought tolerant as tall fescue and the warm-season grasses, it is commonly used in northeastern Kansas, where there is sufficient annual rainfall. It is also grown under irrigation in northwestern Kansas where the higher elevation allows for cooler summer night temperatures.  The following cultivars have performed well compared to other bluegrasses in this region. Use this list as a guide. Omission does not necessarily mean that a cultivar will not perform well.

Recommended cultivars for high-quality lawns, where visual appearance is the prime concern, include Alexa II, Aura, Award, Bewitched, Barrister, Belissimo, Beyond, Diva, Everest, Everglade, Excursion, Ginney II, Granite, Impact, Midnight, NuChicago, NuGlade, NuDestiny, Rhapsody, Rhythm, Rugby, Skye, Solar Eclipse, STR 2485, Sudden Impact, Washington and Zifandel. Such lawns should receive 4 to 5 pounds nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per year and would typically be irrigated during dry periods to prevent drought stress.

Cultivars that do relatively well under a low-maintenance program with limited watering often differ from those that do well under higher inputs. Good choices for low maintenance include Baron, Baronie, Caliber, Canterbury, Dragon, Eagleton, Envicta, Kenblue, North Star, and South Dakota. Instead of the 4 to 5 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per year, low-maintenance program would include 1 to 2 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per year.  Obviously, a low-input lawn will not be as attractive as a higher-input lawn, but you can expect the cultivars listed above to look fairly good in the spring and fall, while going dormant in the summer. (Ward Upham)

An August application of nitrogen on spring-bearing strawberries is important in order to increase the number of strawberries produced next spring. Plenty of daylight and warm temperatures during June, July and August promotes the growth of new runner, or daughter, plants. As daylight hours dwindle and temperatures grow cooler in September and October, fruit buds for the next year's fruit crop develop. To get a good berry crop next spring, it is important for strawberry plants to be vigorous during this period of fruit bud development.

Nitrogen, applied mid August, will help promote fruit bud development. A general application rate is ½ to 3/4 pound of actual nitrogen per 100 feet of row. The nitrogen may be in the form of a fertilizer mixture such as ammonium phosphate or 12-12-12, or in a fertilizer containing only nitrogen such as urea or ammonium nitrate. Some specific examples would include:

         Iron + (11-0-0) at 6 pounds per 100 feet of row.
         12-12-12 at 5.5 pounds per 100 feet of row.
         Nitrate of Soda (16-0-0) at 4 pounds per 100 feet of row
         Ammonium sulfate (21-0-0) at 3 pounds per 100 feet of row
         Urea (46-0-0) at 1.5 pounds per 100 feet of row

On sandy soils, the rate may be increased by about a half. After spreading the fertilizer, sprinkle the area applying at least a half-inch of water to move the nitrogen into the strawberry root areas. (Ward Upham)

Field dodder (Cuscuta campestris) is a unique parasitic annual plant that also is known as strangleweed or devils’ hair. It is composed of golden yellow "threads" that twine over other plants and attach themselves with short, suction-cup-like suckers that arise from the bottom of the dodder stems. These suckers penetrate the stems of host plants to obtain nourishment. Flowers are small, whitish, and 1/4 inch in diameter. They are produced from April to October and will produce a seedpod that is two-celled and four-seeded.

Because dodder is an annual, it must reproduce from seed.  Plants present now will be killed by the first frost this fall. Seed may sprout in the spring or lie dormant for a number of years.  Germination takes place in the soil, but roots die as soon as theplant finds an acceptable host. After attachment, dodder lives completely off the host plant. A single dodder plant can spread by branching and attacking additional host plants.

Destroying the host plants can control dodder, but this may not be an acceptable solution for many people. Dodder cannot be destroyed by pulling it off the host plants because remaining stem pieces will continue to grow. Trifluralin (Preen, Miracle-Gro Garden Weed Preventer, Treflan, Hi-Yield Herbicide Granules Weed and Grass Stopper) is a preemergence herbicide that can be used for control if applied before the dodder seed germinates. Also, glyphosate (Round-up, Kleen-up, Killzall, etc.) is effective on dodder. However, glyphosate is nonselective and will kill whatever it hits, including the host plants. (Ward Upham)

These large beetles feed on sweet corn, blackberries, and peaches. They look much like the common May beetle, or June bug, but have a dull, velvety green color. The underside is more of an iridescent green. These beetles have poor navigational skills and seem to fly until they hit something. They also make a buzzing sound somewhat like a bumblebee. Unfortunately, they are also about the size of a bumblebee and so cause concern for many gardeners even though they cannot harm people. As noted above, they may damage crops.

A number of general-use insecticides, including Sevin and malathion, may be used to discourage feeding. Sevin has a two-day waiting period between spraying and harvest on sweet corn and a three-day waiting period on peaches. There is a seven-day waiting period for Sevin on blackberries, so malathion, with a one-day waiting period, may be a better choice. (Ward Upham)

Kansas Turf & Ornamentals Field Day
Thursday, August 6, 2015
K-State Research & Extension Center, Olathe

The field day program is designed for all segments of the turf industry - lawn care, athletic fields, golf courses, and grounds maintenance.  Included on the program are research presentations, problem diagnosis, commercial exhibitors, and equipment displays.  There will be time to see current research, talk to the experts and get answers to your questions.

Pesticide recertification credits in 3A and 3B are available, as well as GCSAA education points.

For more information and to register, go to:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kansas-turf-ornamentals-field-day-tickets-16109376579

Smut (Ustilago maydis) is a fungal disease of corn that may infect leaves, stems, tassels or ears though infections on ears are the most obvious. Immature galls are white and spongy but become brown with dark powdery spores with maturity. Leaf galls remain small but those on the ears or stems can become rather large and will release large numbers of spores when they rupture. This disease is likely to be most severe on plants injured by hail, cultivation or insects and tends to be worse on soils that have had heavy applications of nitrogen fertilizer or manure. Also anything that slows growth such as hot, dry weather or cool, wet weather when the plants are young can result in more infections.

Immature smut galls are considered an edible delicacy known as cuitlacoche in Mexico. They are a high value crop for some growers in the northeast U.S. who sell them to Mexican restaurants. There is no chemical control for this disease. Crop rotation and a balanced fertilizer program can help minimize this disease. Remove and destroy galls from infected plants before they rupture.  (Ward Upham)

Though we normally see this condition most commonly on tomatoes as evidenced by a sunken, brown, leathery patch on the bottom of the fruit, we can also see it on summer squash. Not a disease, this condition is caused by a lack of calcium in the developing fruit. It is often assumed that this means there is a corresponding lack of calcium in the soil. This is not necessarily the case, especially in Kansas. Most Kansas soils have sufficient levels of calcium. So what causes blossom-end rot? Actually, there are a number of possible causes. Let's look at some of them.

- This year, inconsistent amounts of water may be a factor. This can be due to watering practices or may be due to heavy rains followed by dry periods. Try to keep soil moist but not waterlogged. Mulching can help by moderating moisture levels over time.

- Vegetable tops will sometimes outgrow the root system during cooler spring weather. This is especially true of tomatoes. As long as it is cool, the root system can keep up. When it turns hot and dry, the plant has a problem, and water —with the calcium it carries — goes to the leaves and the fruit is bypassed. The plant responds with new root growth and the condition corrects itself after a couple of weeks.

- Heavy fertilization, especially with ammonium forms of nitrogen, can encourage this condition.  Heavy fertilization encourages more top than root growth and the ammonium form of nitrogen competes with calcium for uptake.

- Anything that disturbs roots such as hoeing too deeply can encourage blossom-end rot.  Mulching helps because it keeps the soil surface cooler and therefore a better environment for root growth.

There are some years you do everything right and the condition still shows up due to the weather. In such cases, remember that blossom-end rot is a temporary condition, and plants should come out of it in a couple of weeks. You may want to pick off affected fruit to encourage new fruit formation.

Soils with adequate calcium will not benefit from adding additional calcium. If your soil is deficient in this nutrient, add 1 pound gypsum per 100 square feet. Gypsum is calcium sulfate and will not affect pH. Though calcium raises pH, sulfate lowers it and the two cancel each other out. Even if not needed, gypsum will not hurt anything.

We have also found that spraying plants with calcium doesn't work. The fruit's waxy surface doesn't allow absorption of the material and calcium does not move from the leaves to the fruit.  (Ward Upham)

Telling when a melon is ready to be harvested can be a challenge, or it may be quite easy. It all depends on the type of melon.

Let’s start with the easy one. Muskmelons are one of those crops that tell you when they are ready to be picked. This can help you not only harvest melons at the correct time but also choose good melons when shopping.

As a melon ripens, a layer of cells around the stem softens so the melon detaches easily from the vine. This is called “slipping” and will leave a dish-shaped scar at the point of stem attachment. When harvesting melons, put a little pressure where the vine attaches to the fruit. If ripe, it will release or “slip.”

When choosing a melon from those that have already been harvested, look for a clean, dish-shaped scar. Also, ripe melons have a pleasant, musky aroma if the melons are at room temperature (not refrigerated).

Watermelons can be more difficult and growers often use several techniques to tell when to harvest.

1. Look for the tendril that attaches at the same point as the melon to dry and turn brown. On some varieties this will need to be completely dried before the watermelon is ripe. On others it will only need to be in the process of turning brown.

2. The surface of a ripening melon develops a surface roughness (sometimes called “sugar bumps”) near the base of the fruit.   

3. Ripe watermelons normally develop a yellow color on the “ground spot” when ripe. This is the area of the melon that contacts the ground.

Honeydew melons are the most difficult to tell when they are ripe because they do not “slip” like muskmelons. Actually, there is one variety that does slip called Earlidew, but it is the exception to the rule. Ripe honeydew melons become soft on the flower end of the fruit. The “flower end” is the end opposite where the stem attaches. Also, honeydews should change to a light or yellowish color when ripe, but this varies with variety. (Ward Upham)

The weather this summer has resulted in many peonies catching the "measles." This is a disease, also known as red spot, that causes distinct, reddish-purple spots on the upper leaf surfaces.  These spots often coalesce and become large, reddish purple blotches on the upper leaf surfaces but are a light brown color when viewed from the underside of the leaves. The spots on stems will merge and form streaks that are reddish brown.

Sanitation is the best control for this disease.  Remove all diseased tissue, including stems, at the end of the growing season. Mulch that contains plant debris should also be discarded and then replaced with fresh mulch. Reducing the source of the inoculum will reduce the chances of another severe outbreak next year. (Ward Upham)

We have received a number of calls on grasshoppers recently. Permethrin (numerous trade names) is a good choice for vegetable crops because it is labeled for a wide variety of vegetables. However, keep in mind that hoppers can reinfest an area relatively quickly. Many times gardeners have not had an insecticide failure, but a reinfestation. Carbaryl (Sevin) can also be used for grasshopper control but can lead to mite outbreaks as it is very toxic to mite predators.

We often have gardeners who are interested in organic controls. Nosema locustae, a protozoan, is the active ingredient in a number of products including Semaspore, NOLO Bait, HopperStopper and Grasshopper Attack. These products are selective and will affect only grasshoppers. This is a trait many gardeners find attractive. However, Nosema locustae products may not be as effective in garden situations as they would be under large-scale rangeland conditions due to potential reinfestations from outside the treated area. Also, these products have other potential disadvantages:- They are most effective against nymphal rather than adult grasshoppers. Also some grasshopper species are less susceptible than others.

- Kill can take 3 to 6 weeks after ingestion.

- These baits are perishable and should be kept refrigerated until use. Pay attention to the expiration date.

As mentioned above, reinfestations of uninfected grasshoppers can occur. These products are not effective against adults. Try to treat the nesting area when hoppers are small and populations are concentrated. Nosema locustae products are allowed in certified organic crop production.  Poultry including turkeys, guinea hens and chickens have also been used to help control grasshoppers.

Regardless of method used, the trick is to treat early before the population has matured. Young nymphal stages are much easier to control than adults and are also much less mobile. (Ward Upham)

Recently we have seen twig dieback on pin and other oaks caused by a fungal disease called Botryosphaeria canker. Affected trees show wilting or “flagging” of terminal growth on the ends of branches. Dieback usually extends 4 to 6 inches down the twig with leaves bending back toward the twig before turning brown. Dead leaves remain attached to the tree. If you look closely at the twig, you should see a rather marked transition from healthy to diseased tissue. Take a knife and scrape away some of the outer bark tissue. Healthy tissue is light green. Diseased tissue tends to be brown to black.

Botryosphaeria canker differs from oak wilt in that only the tips of branches are affected. Oak wilt affects whole branches. This disease causes such minor damage that chemical control measures are unwarranted. Dead twigs on small trees may be pruned off if desired. (Ward Upham)

Contributors: Ward Upham, Extension Associate

Though several cool-season grasses are grown in Kansas, tall fescue is considered the best adapted and is recommended for home lawns. The cultivar K-31 is the old standby and has been used for years. However, there is a myriad of newer cultivars that have improved color, density and a finer leaf texture. Most of these newer varieties are very close to one another in quality.

Each year we the National Turfgrass Evaluation Trial rates tall fescue varieties for color, greenup, quality and texture. Quality ratings are taken once a month from March through October. K-31 consistently rates at the bottom. The recommended cultivars were 3rd Millennium, Braveheart, Bullseye, Catalyst, Cochise, Corona, Escalade, Faith, Falcon V,  Firecracker, Firenza, Jamboree, LS 1200, Monet, Mustang, Raptor II, Rhambler SRP, RK5, Shenandoah III, Shenandoah Elite, Sidewinder, Spyder LS, Talladega, Turbo and Wolfpack II.  There are a number of other cultivars that did not make this list but should do well in Kansas.   Go to http://ntep.org/data/tf06/tf06_12-10f/tf0612ft04.txt .  Any variety with a mean rating of 6.0 or above should be fine. K-31 has a rating of 4.1.  Keep in mind that mixes of several varieties may allow you to take advantage of differing strengths. It is not necessary for mixes to contain only the varieties mentioned above.

Though K-31may still be a good choice for large, open areas, the new cultivars will give better performance for those who desire a high-quality turf. (Ward Upham)

Though Kentucky bluegrass is not as heat and drought tolerant as tall fescue and the warm-season grasses, it is commonly used in northeastern Kansas, where there is sufficient annual rainfall. It is also grown under irrigation in northwestern Kansas where the higher elevation allows for cooler summer night temperatures.

The following cultivars have performed well compared to other bluegrasses in this region. Use this list as a guide. Omission does not necessarily mean that a cultivar will not perform well. Recommended cultivars for high-quality lawns, where visual appearance is the prime concern, include Alexa II, Aura, Award, Bewitched, Barrister, Belissimo, Beyond, Diva, Everest, Everglade, Excursion, Ginney II, Granite, Impact, Midnight, NuChicago, NuGlade, NuDestiny, Rhapsody, Rhythm, Rugby, Skye, Solar Eclipse, STR 2485, Sudden Impact, Washington and Zifandel. Such lawns should receive 4 to 5 pounds nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per year and would typically be irrigated during dry periods to prevent drought stress.

Cultivars that do relatively well under a low-maintenance program with limited watering often differ from those that do well under higher inputs. Good choices for low maintenance include Baron, Baronie, Caliber, Canterbury, Dragon, Eagleton, Envicta, Kenblue, North Star, and South Dakota. Instead of the 4 to 5 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per year, low-maintenance program would include 1 to 2 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per year. Obviously, a low-input lawn will not be as attractive as a higher-input lawn, but you can expect the cultivars listed above to look fairly good in the spring and fall, while going dormant in the summer. (Ward Upham)

Fall planting time is close at hand, so it's time to talk about grass seed. Many people have the idea that all grass seed is basically the same. Big mistake! Choosing quality seed is one of the most important steps in successfully planting or overseeding your lawn. If you don't know what to look for, you may be introducing unwanted intruders into that new stand. In particular, we are concerned with seed contaminated with orchardgrass and/or rough bluegrass (also known by its Latin name, Poa trivialis, or Poa triv for short). These are both perennial grassy weeds that cannot be selectively controlled once they are in a lawn. Orchardgrass is a problem because it is faster growing and lighter green than our turfgrasses. It is a bunch grass and so doesn’t spread, but infested areas are still unsightly due to small tufts of this species pockmarking the lawn. Rough bluegrass is fine-textured and forms circular patches in the lawn.

It blends in fairly well until summertime heat causes it to turn brown rapidly. If the rough bluegrass would just die in the heat, it would only be a temporary problem. Unfortunately, it usually just goes dormant, turning green again with cooler temperatures and rain.

Buying quality seed starts with knowing how to decipher the seed label. One of the most important things to look for is listed as "% other crop.” "Other crop" refers to any species that is intentionally grown for some purpose. That would include turfgrasses (those species other than the one you are buying) and pasture grasses. Orchardgrass and rough bluegrass both are listed as “other crop” seed.

Seed labels are required by law to show the percentage (by weight) of "other crop" in the bag, but unless a species constitutes 5% or more, the label doesn't have to list each species by name.

How much "other crop" is too much? That’s a difficult question to answer, but the tolerance is very low. It depends on what the "other crop" actually is, and the quality expectations of the buyer. In practice, "other crop" may refer to something relatively harmless, like a small amount of perennial ryegrass in a bag of tall fescue, or it may refer to something bad, like rough bluegrass or orchardgrass. The homeowner really has no easy way of knowing what the "other crop" is, although there are some hints. If it is something bad, less than ½ of 1% can ruin a bag of seed. Obviously, if your expectations are high for the area you are planting, you would want the "other crop" to be as close to zero as possible. Good quality seed will often have 0.01% “other crop” or less. (Ward Upham)

An August application of nitrogen on spring-bearing strawberries is important in order to increase the number of strawberries produced next spring. Plenty of daylight and warm temperatures during June, July and August promotes the growth of new runner, or daughter, plants. As daylight hours dwindle and temperatures grow cooler in September and October, fruit buds for the next year's fruit crop develop. To get a good berry crop next spring, it is important for strawberry plants to be vigorous during this period of fruit bud development.

Nitrogen, applied mid August, will help promote fruit bud development. A general application rate is ½ to 3/4 pound of actual nitrogen per 100 feet of row. The nitrogen may be in the form of a fertilizer mixture such as ammonium phosphate or 12-12-12, or in a fertilizer containing only nitrogen such as urea or ammonium nitrate. Some specific examples would include:

         Iron + (11-0-0) at 6 pounds per 100 feet of row.
         12-12-12 at 5.5 pounds per 100 feet of row.
         Nitrate of Soda (16-0-0) at 4 pounds per 100 feet of row
         Ammonium sulfate (21-0-0) at 3 pounds per 100 feet of row
         Urea (46-0-0) at 1.5 pounds per 100 feet of row

On sandy soils, the rate may be increased by about a half. After spreading the fertilizer, sprinkle the area applying at least a half-inch of water to move the nitrogen into the strawberry root areas.  (Ward Upham)

Just like Old Faithful erupts “on schedule” (well, on average, every 91 minutes), green June beetle flights predictably erupt in Kansas. So why are they worthy of comment? Because of their dark appearance, large size and the very audible buzz created by their wing beats, people often automatically become leery of their presence ---- the thinking being that these are bumble bees. Also, their rapid and erratic flights may result in accidental collisions, causing people to flee the area fearing that they will be stung. However, green June beetles are harmless ---- neither capable of biting nor delivering a sting. Rather than reacting “in fear of,” take the opportunity to capture a few beetles and admire them for their beauty from top to bottom.

Green June beetles sometimes are victims of mistaken identity ----that of being Japanese beetles.  Size-wise, green June beetles are “Goliaths” compared to Japanese beetle “Davids.”   There are distinct differences in color/color patterns as well as the presence or absence of white setal tufts.  Lastly, green June beetles do not damage flowers or foliage as do Japanese beetles.

Probably the only legitimate complaint against green June beetles is that they may cluster on ripened (especially  overly-ripe) fruit, notably peaches and grapes. Timely picking/harvesting of those commodities will help to  avoid this situation. (Bob Bauernfeind)

Field dodder (Cuscuta campestris) is a unique parasitic annual plant that also is known as strangleweed or devils’ hair. It is composed of golden yellow "threads" that twine over other plants and attach themselves with short, suction-cup-like suckers that arise from the bottom of the dodder stems. These suckers penetrate the stems of host plants to obtain nourishment. Flowers are small, whitish, and 1/4 inch in diameter. They are produced from April to October and will produce a seedpod that is two-celled and four-seeded.

Because dodder is an annual, it must reproduce from seed. Plants present now will be killed by the first frost this fall. Seed may sprout in the spring or lie dormant for a number of years. Germination takes place in the soil, but roots die as soon as the plant finds an acceptable host.  After attachment, dodder lives completely off the host plant. A single dodder plant can spread by branching and attacking additional host plants.

Destroying the host plants can control dodder, but this may not be an acceptable solution for many people. Dodder cannot be destroyed by pulling it off the host plants because remaining stem pieces will continue to grow. Trifluralin (Preen, Miracle-Gro Garden Weed Preventer, Treflan, Hi-Yield Herbicide Granules Weed and Grass Stopper) is a preemergence herbicide that can be used for control if applied before the dodder seed germinates. Also, glyphosate (Round-up, Kleen-up, Killzall, etc.) is effective on dodder. However, glyphosate is nonselective and will kill whatever it hits, including the host plants. (Ward Upham)

Contributors:   Bob Bauerenfeind, Entomologist; Ward Upham, Extension Associate