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If what I am seeing in our gardens right now is any indication of the populations to come this season, it's going to be a bad one! I finally resorted to spraying the other day - otherwise, the plants would not have any foliage remaining after the feeding frenzy. Compared to last year, the populations are extremely high this year. I had only a few here and there last year, easy enough to pick off by hand.
This year, however, there were about 15 - 20 per leaf. Much more than I can tolerate. I try to keep pesticide use to a minimum in my garden, but when the pest population is more than I can tolerate, I choose the right pesticide for the problem.
Another problem I have seen on the increase in our area is the appearance of yellownecked and walnut caterpillars. If you have hickory or walnut trees and they have been devoured by these pests in the past - be on the lookout for them now. They aren't going to kill a tree but they certainly make it look pretty bad. However, it goes back to that tolerance idea - if you can't tolerate them, you will want to spray them. Check with your local garden center for recommended caterpillar sprays. The only problem is that sometimes the trees are so big, they are hard to reach with hand sprayers.
I am still receiving lots of calls about annuals either not growing, looking pitiful, or completely dying. If you planted annuals early in May, when we got that heat wave, chances are, they might fit into one of the above categories. Those planted later - after the cold spell, seem to be doing much better. The only recommendation, if the plants are not growing, is to dig one up and take a look at the root system. Cold, wet soils will delay root development or even rot roots. Therefore, if the plant doesn't have a healthy root system by now, you may want to dig them up completely and start over.
I have also had concerns about gypsy moths in trees. Most of the samples I have seen have been other types of caterpillars and not gypsy moths. The adult male moths are now flying, so if you see a caterpillar, chances are it is not a gypsy moth. The males are searching for females to mate. The female moths do not fly.
If you find a buff-colored moth with rather large, feathery antennae, capture it and bring a sample to our office for identification. Once again, I have to get on my soap box and scold people who automatically get out the spray before they even identify the insect or disease problem. The first step in controlling pests is to identify them and determine the extent of the damage. If the pest isn't even present - don't automatically spray. Identify it first! Then decide.
Last Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending the celebration of the dedication of the Watkins Glen park on South Plum St. in Springfield. WOW! This is a truly incredible accomplishment for the neighborhood by a lot of different people and organizations.
Terry Smith, our community garden coordinator, Penny Worley, our children's garden coordinator, Josh Davis, Master Gardener, and Rick and Carol Grubb, from the Plum St. neighborhood, along with the help of many people, created this park. The park is more than just a park - it is an effort to revitalize this neighborhood. These people have worked over a year to clean out the vacant lots and build this park. There is a vegetable garden, maintained by various people in the neighborhood, a children's garden (planted and maintained by the youth), and playground equipment. Plans are to raise money to install a basketball court. Congratulations to all involved in this program - you deserve a huge applause.
The gardens are beautiful at this time and weed-free (now). But just wait, one good rain and the weeds will rise again. Weeds have been a problem this season because of the abundance of rain followed by nice, hot days. Any bare spots in the lawn or garden are prone to weed invasion. Cultivating the soil is the easiest way to encourage weeds to grow. It brings the seeds closer to the surface where they can get the sunlight needed to germinate.
The first rule in controlling weeds is Know the Enemy. Knowing the classification of the weed helps to determine what to use for control. Weeds have six classifications: summer annuals, winter annuals, biennials, simple perennials, bulbous perennials and creeping perennials. Summer annuals germinate in the spring, reach maturity in the summer or fall, set seed and usually are killed by a frost. Lambs quarters and redroot pigweed are examples. Winter annuals germinate in the fall, over winter as seedlings, grow in the early spring, set seed in the summer and die. Examples are shepherds purse and groundsel. A biennial germinates the first year and grows vegetatively. The second year, it produces a flower, which produces massive amounts of seeds. Simple, bulbous and creeping perennials live for more than two years. Dandelions and plantains are simple perennials. They spread only by seed. But, if the roots are cut, these can sprout and spread. Each root piece can form a new plant. This is why we tell you not to pull them out unless you get the entire root system. Bulbous perennials include wild onion and nutsedge. These reproduce by underground bulbs as well as seed. Again, if you pull them and don't get all underground parts, they will continue to spread. Canada thistle is an example of a creeping perennial and spreads by seed and by creeping roots. Others such as bindweed have underground creeping stems or rhizomes.
Perennial weeds are the most difficult to control, requiring repeated applications of herbicides or re- peated cultivation or hand weeding. Most herbicides work best on young weeds. Don't let your flower or vegetable beds get overgrown before attempting controls.
Once you determine the weed, choose a herbicide that will be most effective. Chemical labels list what type of weeds are controlled. When using a herbicide, don't think that if a little is good, then more is better. Overdoing it will reduce effectiveness. A good example is when using glyphosate (Roundup, Finale). If you exceed label recommendations, you won't get control. The foliage will die almost overnight - but only because it is burned by the heavy amounts of chemical. However, the roots will survive. The whole principal behind glysophate is that it is absorbed by the leaf and taken into the root system. If the leaves are dead, the roots will simply regenerate.
In our "front yard," Clark Soil and Water and Ohio Farm Bureau will have a petting zoo, with baby farm animals; displays (including one on the lower Mad River restoration project); presentations every half hour on Seasons of the Farm and Your Cookie Comes From the Soil; farm equipment (non-commercial); and free prizes for children.
In the "back yard," Clark County Master Gardeners will have more than 200 annuals on display in the Field Trials; vine and container gardens; perennial, hummingbird, and butterfly gardens; newly- renovated herb gardens; the OSU Regional Turf Plot; the newly-developed children's garden display; and children's activities.
South Side Teen's will have a farm market with fresh vegetables grown in their Tibbetts Avenue garden, along with various garden crafts. There will be a demonstration about worms and worm bins called "Ooh Cool! Worms" throughout the day. Area lawn and garden equipment dealers will be there with the latest in lawn and garden equipment. Books, garden items, hot dogs and drinks will be available, too.
For more details and directions, check this Web site: www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~clar/hort/index.htm
Annuals continue to look either great or sad, depending upon their location and when they were planted. Some of the Field Trials plants are outstanding, while others are pitiful. There isn't much you can do but wait it out. You can pull them up and replant with larger six-inch annuals or switch to mums.
Due to the recent rain, people are beginning to see slime molds in mulched areas. Slime molds are fungi which usually grow as a result of the moisture. The most common one seen growing on mulches is named dog vomit fungus - and the whitish mass looks like its name. There is no need to worry. After the mulch dries, the fungus will dry, too. If it disturbs you, use a hard-nosed rake and stir the mulch. There are no chemical controls for slime molds. Other slime molds may show up in turf areas. Again, when the moisture is gone, the molds will disappear. Slime molds are not detrimental to plants.
The Ohio State University Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program is undertaking a study into Ohio's Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle problem. These beetles supposedly are beneficial insects, but they appear to be invading people's homes in the spring and fall. The study's purpose is to determine where the problem exists, what makes one particular structure more attractive than another, and if any identifiable adverse health effects have resulted from the infestations.
If you have experienced problems with lady beetles and would like to participate in the statewide survey, call (800) 678-6412. Leave your name, address, and county. You'll receive a survey asking a short series of questions about your home and the nature of the lady beetle infestation. Return the survey to the IPM office in the enclosed self-addressed envelope. Survey results will identify vulnerable sites and provide data to design effective mitigation programs.
Don't forget that Saturday, Aug. 4, is the Horticulture Field Day - with the added attraction of the Farm/City Day (see story at right). The event is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Clark Soil and Water Conservation District and the Ohio Farm Bureau have some fun things planned for visitors, such as baby farm animals and presentations. Maribeth Leep does a fun presentation called, "Your Cookies Come from the Soil."
Mother Nature amazes me. This time, precipitation is the reason. As you travel across Ohio, it's crazy the way some areas are in moderate to severe drought stages, while others are nice and green. On a recent tour of Cleveland area garden centers, I was surprised to see how dry the grass was - completely dormant brown. At that time, Columbus was dry, too. We haven't had an extended dry spell since May. We've received enough rain each week to keep our lawns green. Things change, however, if you leave Clark County.
After rain, our phone calls usually are about fungus problems. The most common turf problem has been a disease called slime mold, which is caused by a fungus. Patches of gray or greasy white turfgrass appear where turf blades have remained moist for extended periods of time, such as under trees or along building sides. Close inspection reveals small, grayish-white beadlike clumps of sporangia on the turf blades. Sporangia are the fruiting structures of a primitive organism, kind of like the spores you might see on moldy bread.
During wet periods, the blade's surface becomes slimy. When warmer temperatures dry the fungal masses, they become powdery and easily break up. Continual infections of slime mold can cause turf grass to become chlorite (yellowish green) and thin. The disease rarely kills turf grass. To reduce the incidence of infection, prune or thin trees and shrubs to improve air circulation in the turf area. You also should infrequently irrigate thoroughly (only when needed). You should reduce thatch, which provides the ideal environment for the fungal spores to reside. Mow or rake affected areas to break up spore masses and reduce more infections. Slime molds also can take on various appearances. One man brought me a sample of a slime mold from his lawn. It reminded me of "gawk."
When I was taking a walk last week, I spotted something interesting. Every sycamore and London planetree had large amounts of shed bark laying on the ground around their base. Those trees normally exfoliate bark during the season. For some reason, this year they almost all did it at the same time - and in large amounts. I've never seen so much bark on the ground at one time. My colleagues and I don't know why it's been so heavy this summer. We've had several callers asking if there are serious problems with the trees. No, it's a normal occurrence that was a bit abnormal this year.
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