April Table of Contents: Tree Growing Tips for the DIY Home Landscaper by Ben Wardlaw, Master Gardener Intern. Tackling Plant Disease Problems

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1 MARION COUNTY GOVERNMNT Table of Contents: Tree Growing Tips for the DIY Home Landscaper Tackling Plant Disease Problems Waste Not, Want Not Upcoming Events Published by Norma Samuel UF/IFAS Extension Marion County Horticulture Agent Timely Gardening Tips for MARION COUNTY by Josephine Leyte-Vidal, UF/IFAS Extension Marion County Master Gardener The warm weather insects are surfacing now that the temperatures are beginning to climb. One in particular to be on the lookout for is the lubber grasshopper. The immature version of this pest differs dramatically from the large, colorful adults. Nymphs are almost completely black with yellow stripes. They are voracious feeders. Unfortunately, the best way to eliminate them is to pluck them off the plant and crush them, or knock them into a bucket of water with a little bleach. April 2015 Tree Growing Tips for the DIY Home Landscaper by Ben Wardlaw, Master Gardener Intern Introducing trees into your home landscape can be fun and very rewarding. Trees provide much enjoyment to the homeowner and their family, guests, and neighbors. To ensure that the money you invest in trees pays dividends for many years you should take the time to acquaint yourself with information pertaining to the SELECTION, PLACEMENT, PLANTING, and PRUNING of your trees. Tree selection is probably the most important step in protecting your tree investment dollars. Selection begins by determining the purpose and function of the tree in your landscape. Will the tree provide shade for outdoor activities such as dining or games? Will the tree become part of a windbreak on your property? Should the tree be one that will drop its leaves in winter to allow the sun to warm the southern exposure of your home? Defining the Redbud hot.uga.edu tree s function will enable you to properly select the species most appropriate for your landscape. Placement should be given much consideration prior to selecting the specific tree species. Always be aware of the mature height and width of a tree species to ensure that it will fit in the space available. Ask yourself, will the size and shape of the tree impact sidewalks, driveways, patios, decks, or utilities as it grows to maturity? Before you start digging be sure to determine that the tree species you select is compatible with the amount of sunlight and soil moisture in the location you have chosen. When you are ready to start planting your tree you should dig a hole that is wide and shallow. The hole width should measure 1.5 to 2 times the diameter of the root ball. If the soil is wet or compacted a wider hole should be used. To determine the depth of the hole you should measure from the

2 Page 2 Timely Gardening Tips for MARION COUNTY by Josephine Leyte-Vidal, UF/IFAS Extension Marion County Master Gardener (continued from page 1) Lubber nymph Another bug that causes gardening problems this time of the year is the aphid. This critter is found sucking the juices out of the nice tender leaves and buds. An effective control is to spray with insecticidal soap. Be sure to spray the underside of the leaves where the insects colonize. Aphids hort.cornell.edu perdue.edu Jobs for April are: Prune flowering shrubs as soon as they finish flowering. Apply iron to bahia turf to encourage greening. Seed bahia or plug St. Augustine lawns. Pinch back your annuals to encourage new flowers. Tree Growing Tips for the DIY Home Landscaper by Ben Wardlaw, Master Gardener Intern (continued from Page 1) bottom of the root ball to the point where the topmost root extends from the tree trunk. The top of the root ball should not be more that 2 to 3 inches above the landscape grade. If you live in an area where the water table is very close to the surface make sure that the bottom of the root ball is positioned above the water level in the hole. One of the most common mistakes that I and many Do-It-Yourself home landscapers make is adding soil amendments to the backfill soil. Many of us believe that adding manure, compost, commercial garden soil, fertilizer, or peat moss will enhance the growth prospects of our new tree. This belief has been proven to be false. The root system of the tree will be negatively impacted by adding any of these soil amendments to the backfill soil. When soil Ifas.ufl.edu amendments are added the roots of the tree will remain in the area close to the hole instead of spreading out into the landscape surrounding the tree. Before placing the tree in the hole be sure to cut any roots that are circling the root ball. This is very common among trees grown in containers or balled-in-burlap. If these circling roots are not cut your tree may develop a severe lean after a wind storm. Remove all synthetic burlap, rope, plastic, string, and any other materials that will not decompose in the soil. Place 10 to 20 gallons of water into the hole to wet the root ball. To insure that your tree is standing straight and tall have someone view it from two directions that are perpendicular to each other. Now you can begin slowly filling the hole around the root ball with backfill soil to secure it into position. Adding backfill soil too quickly may cause the position of your tree s trunk to shift and lean. Should you mulch around your tree? There are two schools of thought with regards to mulching. One recommends that you add a 3-inch deep layer of mulch around the outside of the root ball. To provide sufficient coverage for your tree s new root growth create a circle of mulch 2 to 3 feet in diameter for each 1 inch of tree trunk caliper. The mulch will help conserve moisture,

3 Page 3 Tree Growing Tips for the DIY Home Landscaper by Ben Wardlaw, Master Gardener Intern (continued from Page 2) control weeds, and reduce temperature fluctuations in the soil. Mulch will also provide a barrier for your lawn s turfgrass. Trees often perform poorly when turfgrass and weeds are allowed to grow over the root ball and up to the trunk. And avoid piling the mulch like a volcano around the tree s trunk. This can cut off oxygen to the roots, prevent water from getting to the roots, and rot the trunk. New research suggests that you should not add any mulch over the soil around your tree. Take time to do your own research to determine which school of thought makes the most sense to you. New trees need to be irrigated regularly during the establishment period. Your tree s trunk caliper will determine how much and how often you should irrigate. For example, if the trunk caliper is less than two inches you should irrigate daily for the first two hort.uga.edu weeks, every other day for the next two months, and weekly until established. Apply 2-3 gallons of water for each inch of trunk caliper. Water should be applied to the top of the root ball only. Avoid overwatering if the soil around the root ball becomes saturated. My final tip for the Do-It-Yourself home landscaper pertains to pruning. Other than Ifas.ufl.edu the removal of dead, diseased, or damaged branches, you should not begin pruning until your tree has been established for one year. Study your tree to identify the branches that are best positioned along the trunk. These will become the permanent branches. They should be spaced between six inches and two feet apart. If your tree has multiple stems (leaders) you should remove all but the straightest and healthiest one so that it will become the dominant leader as your tree matures. Every day I experience feelings of great joy and satisfaction while observing the trees that I have planted. I sincerely hope these tips will help you enjoy, benefit, and become successful at adding trees to your home landscape. UPCOMING LECTURES/EVENTS: Educational seminars and events are presented by UF/IFAS Extension Agents and/or Master Gardeners. Unless otherwise indicated, to pre-register, please call or terry.holt@marioncountyfl.org. April Master the Possibilities Series Square Foot Gardening April 16, :00-11:30 a.m. On Top of the World 8415 SW 80th St, Ocala Florida-Friendly Landscaping Workshop April 16, 23, 30, :00-3:00 p.m. Dunnellon Public Library Robinson Rd, Dunnellon $5.00 registration fee Kid s Day at the Library April 11, :00-12:00 p.m. Reddick Library 5150 NW Gainesville Rd, Ocala April 18, :00-11:00 a.m. Fort McCoy Public Library NE Highway 315, Ft. McCoy April 18, :00-3:00 p.m. Forest Public Library 905 S Hwy 314A, Ocklawaha Master the Possibilities Series Vegetable Gardening April 23, :00-11:30 a.m. On Top of the World 8415 SW 80th St, Ocala

4 Page 4 UPCOMING LECTURES/EVENTS: May Dunnellon Satellite Plant Clinic May 6, :00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Dunnellon Public Library Robinson Rd, Dunnellon Master Gardener Spring Plant Sale: May 9, :00 a.m. until noon Master Gardener Greenhouse 2232 NE Jacksonville Rd, Ocala Prospective Master Gardener Orientation May 13, :00 a.m. noon UF/IFAS Extension Auditorium 2232 NE Jacksonville Rd, Ocala Tackling Plant Disease Problems by Dr. Norma Samuel, Urban Horticulturist Plant diseases can be very frustrating to control, especially during the rainy season. Periods of prolonged wetness provides ideal conditions for disease organisms to thrive. There are three main factors that must interact for a plant disease to occur. These can be represented on the three points of a triangle - referred to as a disease triangle. They are a susceptible host, a favorable environment and the pathogen or disease organism interacting over time. If one of these items can be eliminated the chance for development of a particular disease can be avoided or kept to a minimum. Susceptible host. The pathogen must have a susceptible host in order for the disease to develop. Planting disease resistant varieties will prevent or reduce disease development. For example, tomatoes are susceptible to many diseases. New hybrid varieties are now bred with resistance to fusarium wilt, verticillium wilt, and nematodes. Varieties with such resistance usually carry the letters VFN at the end of the name. Powdery mildew is a common fungal disease of crapemyrtles, one way to avoid it is to plant a powdery mildew resistant variety such as Acoma which has high resistance to the disease. Favorable environmental conditions. Disease organisms such as fungi thrive in moist conditions. High humidity, along with poor drainage, leaves that remain wet for extended periods of time and plants that may have open wounds from recent pruning or damage will allow for entry of the pathogen. Direct the flow of water away from your plant bed. Consider installing a rain barrel to collect excess rain water. Avoid overhead watering. Do not water your plants late in the evening. Plants that are sent to bed wet stay wet for an extended period of time and that creates a favorable environment for the pathogen to flourish. Presence of the pathogen. The disease organism can come into contact with your plant by rain splashing the pathogen onto the plant. The use of infected tools is another mode of transmission. Sterilize tools with rubbing alcohol or 10% bleach solution when working in the garden to reduce

5 Page 5 Tackling Plant Disease Problems by Dr. Norma Samuel, Urban Horticulturist (continued from Page 4) infecting plants with the pathogen. Smoking tobacco and then handling tomato plants that have open wounds can allow for transfer of tobacco mosaic virus. Always purchase healthy plants. Avoid those plants on the sale rack that have leaf spots or other disease symptoms. Simply removing leaves that fall under a diseased plant will help to reduce the amount of the pathogen present. Rotate plants in your vegetable garden. Plants in the same family are usually affected by the same disease problems. For example, do not follow tomato with peppers or squash with cucumber, but you can follow tomato with squash. Gardeners can become overwhelmed trying to tackle disease problems. Prevention is the key. Once you follow the guidelines presented to remove at least one component of the triangle you will be a happy gardener with happy plants. If you need assistance troubleshooting your plant problems contact the Marion County Master Gardeners at For those of you born in April your birth flower is the Daisy. The Daisy symbolizes innocence, youth, and purity. Many people give the Daisy to wish good fortune, happiness, and pleasure. It is also a flower given between friends to keep a secret; the daisy means I ll never tell. There are five common types of daisies, with the Gerbera Daisy being the most popular. Waste Not, Want Not by Nancy Berulis, Master Gardener Intern I grew up with some pretty awesome gardeners. My mother, grandmother and great-grandmother were often found tending both flower gardens and vegetable gardens. They survived the great depression by recycling, reusing and repurposing foods as well as household items. One of my favorite inherited techniques is to regrow veggies. Simply, you can regrow leftover bits and pieces from your kitchen. You can keep growing even after you ve had a meal or two out of them. The process is pretty simple for many vegetables with roots that we buy. All you need is water, a container and a sunny window. After cutting off the roots from the food you want to regrow, please the root stub in water and watch them sprout. I change the water from time to time to keep it fresh. Depending on the season and your patience, you can replant in your garden when the roots are sufficient to support continued growth. Some plants can be harvested right from your kitchen window. There are Stockphoto.com

6 Page 6 Items below are available for purchase at the UF/IFAS Extension Marion County. We also have many other items available in our Shop Extension store. The store is open Mon-Fri from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Please come to see these environmentally-friendly products, as well as many other agricultural-related items. Waste Not, Want Not by Nancy Berulis, Master Gardener Intern (continued from page 5) numerous vegetables that this technique works well with: Carrot tops will regrow in water, providing greens for salads. Basil and cilantro just need about four inches of the plant to regrow in water. When the roots are about two inches in length, it is ready to plant in a pot or in your garden. Romaine lettuce and bok choy bases are easy to regrow. Simply place in a bowl of water, add some sun, and watch them grow. Celery bases will regrow in water, or by soaking overnight in warm water and then planting in soil. It will produce only a few slim stalks, but often just enough for what you re cooking. Garlic If you are like me, I sometimes find my garlic has sprouted. Clip off the bitter shoot and replant the clove in your garden. You can use the shoots in pastas and salads. A new bulb will grow if you leave it undisturbed. Celery Stockphoto.com Ginger This culinary rhizome has a longer growing period. Pick a piece of ginger with firm fingers and plant in a pot. Keep the soil moist. Once it sprouts, plant in your garden. It may take 8-10 months until you can harvest a firm root but the wait will be worth it. Scallions and leeks are probably the quickest to regrow in water. Cut off all the green and place the roots in water. You could see new growth in as little as two days. Mushroom stalks can be replanted in moist compost, enriched soil or aged coffee grounds. They like it cool and do not require much light. I haven t tried this but it could be interesting if you have a corner on your counter that you aren t using. Foundation for the Gator Nation An Equal Opportunity Institution If you don t compost vegetable scraps, regrowing is another way to get more from your garden and decrease water. After a few harvests, you ll be glad you didn t toss that vegetable piece. You won t want if you don t waste.