July-August 2017 Bourbon County Horticulture Newsletter Bourbon County Cooperative Extension Service Inside this issue: Summer Gardens 2 Japanese Beetles 3 Organic Fact Sheet Turf Beetles and Wasps 4 Maple Syrup Quiz 5 Seasonal Recipes 6 Ray Tackett County Extension Agent, Horticulture Bourbon County Extension Service 603 Millersburg Road Paris, KY 40361 Office: (859) 987-1895 Toll Free: 1-888-317-3120
Page 2 Give Your Summer Garden New Life Source: Rick Durham, Extension professor The general rule of thumb for watering your plants is 1 inch of water per week. Plants growing in pots may need water as often as every day throughout the summer, depending on the type of plant and the size of the container. Once the top few inches of container soil is dry, add enough water so that a little drains through the hole in the bottom of the pot. If rain doesn t supply enough water, you should apply the necessary water in one application rather than in several small applications. Remember, the best time to water your plants is in the morning or early evening, preferably before 7 p.m. During periods of drought, many annuals may appear to die. However, if you cut them back, water them regularly and apply fertilizer, they will often recover. Another thing you can do to help your summer flower garden rebound is to remove spent, or old, flowers. This process is called deadheading. Deadheading helps encourage new growth that will produce new flowers. Late summer is also the time to pull out the flowers that have seen their better days and plant new ones that are more suitable for fall. Annual flowers that give a good show in the fall include pansies, ornamental cabbage and kale and snapdragons. Perennials, such as anemones, asters and showy sedums, also give a good show in the fall but you ll need to transplant them the previous spring to give them a chance to provide their best show. As you renovate your summer garden, be careful when applying fertilizer around perennial plants. If you apply fertilizer later than August, it may stimulate new growth at a time when the plants would normally begin to prepare for dormancy. And that can mean more winter injury. Of course, all of this may be moot if you haven t carefully tended your summer garden throughout the growing season. If you ve kept your garden well-watered and periodically added fertilizer, your chances are greater for a late summer and fall show of color. For more information, contact the Bourbon Extension office at (859) 987-1895.
Page 3 Japanese Beetle Activity Continues Source: Lee Townsend, Extension Entomologist Japanese beetles have made a comeback so far this year with significant problems in some areas of the state. Reports from Ohio also indicate above-normal numbers. Management Options Hand Removal Removing beetles by hand may provide adequate protection for small plantings, especially when beetle numbers are low. The presence of beetles on a plant attracts more beetles. Thus, by not allowing beetles to accumulate, plants will be less attractive to other beetles. One of the easiest ways to remove Japanese beetles from small plants is to shake them off early in the morning when the insects are sluggish. Kill beetles by shaking them into a bucket of soapy water. Highly valued plants, such as roses, can be protected by covering them with cheesecloth or other fine netting during the peak of beetle activity. Insecticides Many insecticides are labeled for use against adult Japanese beetles. Examples include pyrethroid products such as cyfluthrin (Tempo, Bayer Advanced Lawn & Garden Multi-Insect Killer), bifenthrin (TalstarOne, Onyx), deltamethrin (Deltagard), lambda cyhalothrin (Scimitar, Spectracide Triazicide), esfenvalerate (Ortho Bug-B-Gon Garden & Landscape Insect Killer) and permethrin (Spectracide Bug Stop Multi-Purpose Insect Control Concentrate and other brands). Carbaryl (Sevin and other brand names) is also effective. The pyrethroid products generally provide 2 to 3 weeks protection of plant foliage while carbaryl affords 1 to 2 weeks protection. Biological Alternatives For those seeking a botanical alternative, Neem products such as Azatrol or Neem- Away (Gardens Alive), or Pyola (pyrethrins in canola oil) provide about 3 to 4 days deterrence of Japanese beetle feeding. Insecticidal soap, extracts of garlic, hot pepper, or orange peels, and companion planting, however, are generally ineffective.
Page 4 New Fact Sheet Offers Summary of IPM and Organic Production From eorganic Organic agriculture and integrated pest management (IPM) systems and proponents share many of the same goals to address environmental and human health concerns. However, key commonalities and differences between these systems are not always clearly understood. The Organic and IPM Working Group developed a fact sheet summarizing these two systems, including ways to tell if products were produced using organic and/ or IPM practices. You can find and download the fact sheet on the working group s website (organicipmwg.wordpress.com). The Organic and IPM Working Group includes more than 60 industry professionals, practitioners, researchers, Extension agents, educators and pol- icy makers working together to synergize these two communities. Their work is supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, North Central IPM Center. Turf-cruising Green June Beetles and Bluewinged Wasps Green June beetles (Figure 1) and bluewinged wasps (Figure 2) are beginning to cruise turf areas now. Green June beetle grubs feed on organic matter in the soil. These grubs do not feed on plant roots, but they can uproot seedlings as they visit the surface at night and churn the soil. Green June beetle grubs are the targets of bluewinged wasps. The vividly colored wasps zoom over grassy areas in search of grubs. Female wasps enter the soil to lay eggs on the beetle larvae. While intimidating, the wasps are neither aggressive nor dangerous. Figure 1. Green June beetle (Photo: Lee Townsend, UK) Figure 2. Bluewinged wasp (Photo: Lee Townsend, UK)
Page 5 Public Notification of Procedure for Filing a Complaint: The Cooperative Extension Service prohibits discrimination in its programs and employment on the basis of race, color, age, religion, gender, disability, or national origin. To initiate a complaint at the college level, contact Tim West in the Business Office at 859-257- 3879. At the University level, Terry Allen and Patty Bender in the UK Office of Institutional Equity and Equal Opportunity (859-257-8927) may be contacted. Additionally, employee or clientele complaints involving any research or extension sponsored program or activity may be directed to the USDA, Director Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W Whitten Bldg., 14th & Independence Ave. SW, Washington DC 20250-9410 (202-720-5964).
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