K-State Research and Extension Horticulture Newsletter
  • Newsletters
  • About
  • Contact
  • Pest of the Week

Horticulture Newsletter 2016, No. 24

6/13/2016

0 Comments

 

Video of the Week:
Tomato Problems

Turfgrass:
Little Barley in Lawns​

little barley
Many people mistake little barley (Hordeum pusillum) for a little foxtail because the foxtail and little barley seedheads are similar. However, little barley is a winter annual that thrives in the cooler spring temperatures but dies out in the summer. Foxtail, on the other hand, is a summer annual that does well in hot weather. Also, foxtail will not produce seedheads until mid- to late-summer.
 
At this point there is no control for little barley other than a glyphosate product such as Roundup. However, Roundup will kill whatever it hits and cannot be used in a lawn situation. The only preemergence herbicide that I know that is labeled for lawn situations is Surflan. Monterey Lawn and Garden also sell it under the name of Weed Impede. Surflan can only be used on warm-season grasses (bermudagrass, buffalograss, zoysiagrass) and tall fescue grown in warm-season areas. Because little barley is a winter annual, apply the preemergence herbicide in September.  (Ward Upham)

Brown Patch in Tall Fescue Lawns Publication

Brown patch on fescue
Megan Kennelly, our Horticulture Plant Pathologist, has updated her publication on brown patch.  You can find the publication at  http://tinyurl.com/zyyn29d , Following is the introduction from the publication, “Brown patch, caused by the fungus Rhizoctonia solani, is common on tall fescue lawns in Kansas during the summer. The fungus becomes highly active when conditions are moist and nighttime low temperatures are above 65o F, with dew and high humidity. In Kansas this frequently occurs in July and August, but those conditions can occur at other times. This article provides information for homeowners with tall fescue lawns.”

Fruit:
Fruit Reminders

suckers on apple
​We should have good fruit crops this year as long as we can avoid severe weather. Keep in mind some tips to help ensure healthy trees, vines and fruit.
 
 * Remove fruit from heavily loaded apples and peaches (if the flower buds weren’t killed by frost) to improve fruit size and prevent limbs from breaking. Apples should be spaced every 4 inches and peaches every 6 to 8. Note that is an average spacing. Two fruit can be closer together if the average is correct.
 
  * Remove sucker growth from the base of fruit trees and grape vines.
 
  * Remove water sprout growth from fruit trees. Water sprouts grow straight up.
 
  * "Comb" new growth on grape vines so these new shoots hang down for greater exposure to sunlight.
 
  * Continue disease and insect control to prevent fruit damage. (Ward Upham)

Cherry Leaf Spot

Cherry Leaf Spot
​Be on the lookout for cherry leaf spot.  This disease causes small, pinpoint dark lesions on cherry leaves. The black spots often fall out, resulting in a shot-hole appearance. Numerous lesions turn light green, then yellow, and eventually the infected leaf will drop.
 
Removing diseased leaves at the end of the season can help, but fungicide applications during the growing season are also useful.  No fungicide can be applied during harvest but captan (Hi-Yield Captan, Bonide Fruit Tree Spray, Gordon’s Liquid Fruit Tree Spray) can be applied up to harvest. If the disease is still active, an application after harvest and two weeks later is recommended. (Ward Upham)

Vegetables:
New Potatoes

potatoes
​Many gardeners look forward to harvesting new potatoes this time of year. New potatoes are immature and should be about the size of walnuts.  Pull soil away from the base of the plants to see if the tubers are the desired size. If they are, dig entire plants and allow the skins of the exposed tubers to dry for several hours before gathering.
 
These young potatoes are very tender and prone to the skin “slipping” unless they are given a few hours to dry. Even then these immature potatoes will not store well. Red-skinned varieties are often preferred as they are the earliest to produce.  (Ward Upham)

Flowers:
​Deadheading Flowers

Geranium
​Some plants will bloom more profusely if the old, spent flowers are removed, a process called deadheading.  Annuals especially, focus their energy on seed production to ensure that the species survives. If you remove old flowers, the energy normally used to produce seed is now available to produce more flowers.
 
Perennials can also benefit by lengthening the blooming season. However, some gardeners enjoy the look of spent flowers of perennials such as sedum or purple coneflower. Also, the seed produced can be a good food source for birds.
 
Not all plants need to be deadheaded, including sedum 'Autumn Joy', melampodium, impatiens, most flowering vines, periwinkle (Catharanthus), and wishbone flower (Torenia).
 
Those that do increase bloom in response to deadheading include hardy geraniums, coreopsis, petunias, marigolds, snapdragons, begonias, roses, campanulas, blanket flowers, delphiniums, zinnias, sweet peas, salvia, scabiosa, annual heliotrope, geraniums (Pelargonium), and yarrow.
 
Deadheading is easily accomplished by removing spent flowers. With some plants, pinching between a thumb and finger can do this, but tough, wiry stems will require a scissors or pruning shears. (Ward Upham)

Plant Something in June

Mixed annual flowers
​It’s not too late to get some plants in the ground or in a container. I’ve found myself scrambling to do my own gardening this year. April’s weather was eclectic and May was jam-packed with all kinds of end-of-school events. I did manage to fill a few containers on my birthday, but my flower beds are woefully empty. I imagine I am not alone in my desire to plant something and I’ve been telling myself that it’s just a matter of time…I’ll get to it. In the meantime, I’ve been admiring the fresh, lush growth of trees, shrubs, and perennials wherever I see them.
 
Notably, I’ve seen quite a few public planting containers with annual flowers in them. This means that people are thinking about color and about gifting their presence to others who might happen to walk by. Whether they notice or not, most folks feel closer ties to their communities and pride in their public places when ornamental plants are present. Think about it…if there weren’t any plants in your public spaces—at all—what would that feel like? Might it feel just a little harsher, tougher, and less cheerful? Even “big city” folks make an effort to bring landscaping nearer their high-rise buildings. The presence of plants has been documented to increase physical and mental health for people nearby, reduce stress, contribute to healthy aging, improve quality of life, and much more.
 
So what’s keeping you from planting something? Some say that the term “gardening” isn’t cool anymore. Even though many people continue to be drawn into the love of getting their hands dirty through the desire to grow their own food, they don’t want to be called a “gardener.” I also think there is some confusion about where to buy plants. Google Trends showed me “trees for sale,” “fruit trees,” and “garden plants” as popular searches. If you were looking for a place to purchase a plant, what would you think of? For me, of course, I think of “garden center,” but do you? What about “plant store”? This is an industry-wide question and I/we welcome suggestions from folks that find the identity of plant-related activities, well, lacking. Please, do share your ideas.
 
As a young person, I remember easily confusing the terms “annual” and “perennial”. It was honestly a mess of jargon for me. Now, of course, I know loads of jargon and terminology and find it easy to forget what it felt like to not know what to call things (uncomfortable and ignorant, in the most innocent of ways—I loved gaining all of that knowledge about plants). For the record, annuals are tender plants that complete their life cycles in one year and need to be replaced yearly (or seasonally—fun!), and they often have incredibly showy floral displays. Perennials last more than one year, often many years. Technically trees and shrubs are also perennials, but we generally talk about those types of plants comparatively—woody vs. non-woody. Trees and shrubs would be called “woody plants” with above-ground structures that are visible year round and perennials are plants that return year after year, but generally die back to the ground (or above-ground portions are no longer viable) in the winter.
 
Are there aspects of gardening that overwhelm you? Truly, I want to know. I can’t tell you how much joy it brings me to share my love of gardening with other people. The term “gardener” doesn’t bother me and I’m quite proud to have a lovely garden that everyone walking through my neighborhood can enjoy. They are often amazed that I, a relatively young person with two young kids (Oh, boy, my son turns 6 this month!) manages such a beautiful space. But I do, with not nearly as much time and effort as most people think. I just wish I could make more time to work out there. However, I am content with the time I do get to garden in this season of life with little kids and I’m grateful that I still have lots to look forward to as a “gardener for life.”
 
What about you? Do you have a plan in place to plant something? You really don’t have to have a plan, just grab what catches your eye when you see it. Find a spot for it and enjoy it. (Cheryl Boyer)

Pests:
Jumping Oak Gall

Jumping Oak Gall
​We have several reports of jumping oak galls.   The fallen galls attract attention by jumping an inch or more due to the action of the larva inside the gall.  
 
Jumping oak galls are caused by a very small, stingless wasp that lays eggs on developing oak leaf buds early in the spring.  The larva that hatches from the egg will start to feed and juices from the saliva will cause the gall to form.  The larva will feed inside the gall which offers a measure of protection.  The galls are quite small; about the size of a pinhead.  The gall eventually drops out of the leaf and falls to the ground.  The galls will then jump due to movement of the larva inside the gall.  This helps the insect move into the litter under the tree or into cracks in the soil where the insect will eventually pupate and overwinter.  The mature wasp will chew its way out of the gall the next spring to start the cycle over again.
 
White oaks and members of the white oak family can be affected.   Though heavy infestations can cause leaves to brown (or turn black), curl and possibly drop, otherwise healthy trees are not appreciably harmed.  Even if it were more serious, it is too late to treat by the time symptoms are seen.  Often natural controls prevent damage in subsequent years.  Keep trees healthy by watering during dry weather.  (Ward Upham)

Colorado Potato Beetle

Colorado potato beetle
Overwintering females emerge in late April and lay a cluster of bright, yellow eggs on recently emerged potato plants. Larvae mature in about 3 weeks and pupate in the soil. After another 10 days, adult beetles emerge, mate and lay more eggs.
 
Both larvae and adults of this insect feed on potato (as well as tomato, eggplant, and pepper), causing extensive loss of foliage and reducing yields. Control strategies are varied and include:
 
- Hand picking: Useful for small gardens where plants can be checked a couple of times a week. Dropping beetles and larvae in a container of soapy water will lead to their demise.
 
- Floating row cover: This material can be placed over the planting and act as a physical barrier to the insects. Be sure to seal the edges. It is sometimes suggested to leave the floating row cover in place during the growing season because potatoes do not need to be pollinated to produce tubers. Often, this is not practical because it interferes with weed control.
 
- Insecticides: A number of products are registered including spinosad (Fertilome Borer, Bagworm, Leafminer and Tent Caterpillar Spray and Bonide Colorado Potato Beetle Beater Concentrate), permethrin (numerous trade names) and lambda- or gamma-cyhalothrin (Bonide Beetle Killer, Spectracide Triazicide). (Ward Upham)
 
Contributors: Cheryl Boyer, Nursery Crops and Garden Center Extension Specialist; Ward Upham, Extension Associate

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Authors

    Ward Upham runs the Horticulture Response Center in the Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources at Kansas State University. Other contributors include K-State Extension Specialists.

    RSS Feed

      Subscribe to the newsletter by entering your e-mail and clicking the link below

    Subscribe

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014

    Categories

    All
    All America Selections
    All-America Selections
    Amaryllis
    Anthracnose
    Ants
    Aphids
    Apples
    Apricots
    Army-cutworm-moths
    Ash-borer
    Ashes-in-the-garden
    Asparagus
    Bacterial-wilt
    Bagworms
    Bark-shedding
    Beans
    Bermudagrass
    Bird-feeding
    Bitter-cucumber
    Blackberries
    Blackspot
    Black-walnuts
    Blister Beetles
    Blossom End Rot
    Blossom-End Rot
    Blueberries
    Botryosphaeria
    Breaking-dormancy-early
    Breaking-dormancy-early
    Bristly Rose Slug
    Broccoli
    Brownheaded-ash-sawfly
    Brown-patch-on-fescue
    Brown-rot-of-fruit
    Budworms
    Buffalograss
    Bulbs
    Bulb Storage
    Butterflies
    Butterfly Gardening
    Cabbage
    Cabbage Worms
    Caddo Sugar Maples
    Calcareous
    Cantaloupe
    Carpenter Bees
    Cauliflower
    Cedar Apple Rust
    Cherry Leaf Spot
    Chickweed
    Chiggers
    Christmas Cacti
    Christmas Trees
    Cicada
    Cicada Killer Wasps
    Codling Moth Control
    Cold Frames
    Cole Crops
    Colorado Potato Beetle
    Columnar Trees
    Compost
    Conservation Trees
    Container Gardening
    Controlling Volunteer Trees
    Cool Season Vegetables
    Cool-Season Vegetables
    Core Aeration
    Corn Earworm
    Corn Gluten Meal
    Crabapples
    Crabgrass Control
    Crickets
    Crop Rotation
    Cucumber
    Cucumber Beetles
    Daylilies
    Deadheading Flowers
    Dormant-seeding-turfgrass
    Dothistroma Needle Blight
    Drip-irrigation
    Dr-seuss-gardening
    Dutch-elm-disease
    Early Blight
    Eggplant
    Elm Flea Weevil
    Elm Leaf Beetle
    Elm Pocket Gall
    Emerald Ash Borer
    Euonymus Scale
    European Pine Sawfly
    Excessive Rain
    Fall Armyworms
    Fall Colors
    Fall Gardening
    Fall Lawn Seeding
    Fall-webworm
    Family-heritage-gardening
    Fertilizing-cole-crops
    Fertilizing-flowers
    Fertilizing Lawns
    Field-bindweed
    Field Dodder
    Firewood
    Flatid Planthoppers
    Flooding
    Floral Arrangement Care
    Flourescent Lights
    Flowerbed Design
    Flowering
    Frost On Lawns
    Fruit
    Fruit Baskets
    Fruit Damage From Cold
    Fruit Trees
    Fungus Gnats
    Galls
    Garden Hoses
    Gardening Calendar
    Garden Seed
    Garden Spiders
    Garden Tool Care
    Garlic
    Goldenrod Soldier Beetle
    Grapes
    Grasshoppers
    Grass Seed
    Green June Beetles
    Growing Cuttings Inside
    Grubs
    Hackberry Caterpillar Butterflies
    Hackberry Psyllids
    Hardiness
    Harlequin Bug
    Harvesting
    Help For New Gardeners
    Henbit
    Herbicide Damage
    High PH Soils
    Holly
    Hollyhock
    Honeysuckle
    Hornworms
    Horseradish
    Houseplants
    Hydrangea
    Ice Melters
    Invasive Plants
    Iris
    Iron Chlorosis
    Irrigation
    Itch Mites
    Japanese Beetles
    Junipers
    Kansas Garden Guide
    Kentucky Bluegrass
    Knotweed
    Lacebugs
    Ladybird Beetles
    Landscape Design
    Lawn
    Lawn Calendar For Cool Season Grass
    Lawn Calendar For Cool-Season Grass
    Lawn Calendar For Warm Season Grass
    Lawnmower Care
    Lawn Seeding
    Leaf Scorch
    Leaves
    Lettuce
    Lilac
    Lilac Borers
    Little Barley
    Marcescence
    Maximizing Garden Space
    Melons
    Millipedes
    Mimosa Webworm
    Mole Control
    Mouse Damage
    Mowing
    Mulch
    Mums
    Mushrooms
    Mycosphaerella Leaf Spot
    Nantucket Pine Tip Moth
    Native Prairie Flowers
    Needle Drop On Conifers
    New Gardener Resources
    Nightcrawlers
    Nuts
    Oak
    Oak Leaf Itch Mite
    Onions
    Orchids
    Organic Matter
    Organic Sources Of Nitrogen
    Ornamental Grass
    Overseeding Lawns
    Overwintering Geraniums
    Paperwhite Bulbs
    Pawpaw Trees
    Peaches
    Pears
    Peas
    Peonies
    Peony
    Peppers
    Perennial Garden Clean Up
    Perennial Garden Clean-up
    Pesticide Effectiveness
    Pine Wilt
    Planting Calendar
    Plastic Mulch
    Plum
    Poinsettia
    Poison Ivy
    Poisonous Plants
    Pokeweed
    Poor Drainage
    Potatoes
    Powdery Mildew
    Powdery Mildew On Lawn
    Power Raking
    Propagating-woody-plants
    Prop Up Fruit Limbs
    Pruning
    Publications
    Quince
    Rabbits
    Raccoons
    Rain-barrels
    Raspberries
    Recommended-plants-for-ks
    Rhubarb
    Roasting Pumpkin Seeds
    Roots
    Rose
    Rose Rosette
    Roundup For Lawns
    Salad Garden
    Sawfly Larvae
    Scale
    Scale Insects
    Screen Trees
    Sedum
    Seed Germination
    Seed Germination
    Seed Tape
    Septoria Leaf Spot
    Shrub Pruning
    Shrubs
    Sidedressing
    Slime Molds
    Slugs
    Smut
    Soil
    Soil Preparation
    Soil Temperature
    Spider Mites
    Spiders
    Spirea Aphid
    Spittlebugs
    Spray Water PH
    Spreaders
    Spring Bulbs
    Spring Flowering Shrubs
    Squash
    Squash Bugs
    Squash Vine Borer
    Squirrel Damage
    Starting Seed
    Stink Bugs
    Storing Power Equipment
    Storm Damage
    Stratification
    Straw-bale-gardening
    Strawberries
    Succession Planting Of Vegetables
    Sunflowers
    Sunscald
    Survey
    Sweet Corn
    Sweet Potatoes
    Tall Fescue
    Tan/White Drupelets
    Termites
    Thatch Control
    Ticks
    Tomatoes
    Transplant Fertilization
    Tree Health
    Tree Leaves And Turf
    Tree Planting
    Trees
    Tubakia
    Tubakia-leaf-spot
    Turf-in-shade
    Twig-girdlers
    Vegetable-flowersfruit
    Vegetables
    Vegetable Seed
    Vegetable Transplants
    Velvet Ants
    Vinegar As Herbicide
    Walnut Caterpillars
    Warm Fall
    Water Damage
    Watering
    Watermelon
    Water Teepees
    Weeds In Flower Beds
    Weeds In Turf
    Weird Squash
    White Grubs
    Whitelined-sphinx-caterpillar
    Wildflower Establishment
    Wildflower-establishment
    Wildlife
    Wild Violet Control
    Wind Chill
    Winter Damage
    Winterizing Water Lines
    Winter Mulching Vegetables
    Winter Squash
    Wood Chips
    Worms From Oaks
    Yellowjackets
    Yellow Nutsedge

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.