Beaver Creek Nursery 812-689-5595 NEWSLETTER JUNE 2013 "School's out for Summer!"... (remember that tune?...that feeling?.. It's ok to sing a few bars) In This Issue AHHHH Be On Alert RDD
Important Dates Quick Links... Email Us Landscape Photos More About Us View Our Past Newsletters AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH... "My God...What is that thing??????"
Quit your screamin' Lady... I'm just a little Aphid tryin' to have a nice "peaceful" lunch here on your pretty little plant!" Geezzzzzzzzzz!!! Get a Grip!!!!! Hmmmm...APHIDS...the great "sucker" of life out of your plants! Also known as Plant Lice, (Yuk...), Aphids are tiny pear shaped insects that can be found in many different colors depending on the species but for this writing they are normally black, green, yellow or white and they normally appear on plants in April and early May when the temperatures are cooler ( 65-80 degrees ) and we have plenty of moisture. However, this year with Ma Nature taking an "extended winter lunch break", they are still creating havoc in the garden.
It is a good idea to check your plants often during this time of year as Aphids are quite good at reproducing. "Each" Aphid can produce from 50-100 LIVE offspring "each week". Multiply that one out!! Over a few weeks time that's a bunch of tiny little mouths sitting there sucking the sap out of your plants. A tell tale sign that your plant has Aphids is the curling of leaves.
In the early stages of infestation Aphids will normally be found on the undersides of leaves where they are protected not only from natural predators such as...
the lovely Ladybug, but it also gives them good protection from the "elements" ( and insecticides ). And, just like "Scale" that we discussed in a previous Newsletter, Aphids also secrete a sweet, sticky substance called Honeydew. This sweet honey dew attracts ants and because ants love this stuff they also will become protective of the aphids, oftentimes carrying them off to a better plant to suck on when the Aphids have done enough damage and/or the sap is running low. This honeydew is easily noticed as a shiny substance on the leaves and will usually turn black as it is also fed on by Sooty Mold.
Now, if you want to know the best way to keep Aphids from getting on your plants I will tell you. Do NOT put any plants in your landscape! Use only the plastic variety! I know...ha HA! Actually this is pretty true as Aphids can get on any number of different plants during this time of year. The best thing to do is to check them often and keep your landscape free from debris with good air circulation ( another reason to avoid over crowding ). If you do notice them early you can attempt to spray them off with a high stream of water from the garden hose but remember they are UP under the leaves and somewhat protected. You can also use insecticidal soaps or Pyrethrins but remember these will only kill what they hit. If you decide on a stronger insecticide just be sure to use a "systemic" type so that it stays in the leaves waiting for any little guys you might have missed to take a gnaw. A good "systemic" product to use would be that which contains the active ingredient Acephate or Malathion but do not use this on food crops. Hint: Acephate is available for sale here at the Nursery. Well that pretty much raps up my little dissertation on Aphids so until you run into these little "suckers"... remember the famous words of Humphrey Bogart...
"Here's lookin' at you kid!!" Be
On ALERT!!! The Carpenter Bees are back in force! If you want to know more about these guys and how to control them then click here and follow this link to a previous Newsletter and the article titled " What's the Buzz About". You can also find out all the things you NEED to do in your landscape during the month of June in this same Newsletter. So, kill two birds with one stone and enjoy! Do your Roses Look Like This????
or
Like This?? Do they have wild, crazy looking and/or distorted shoots? Do the flowers not look right to you? Is the flower color not solid as it should be? Is the color mottled? Are some of the shoots "clustered" together with small leaves like a "witches broom"? If the answer to these questions is Yes then your rose probably has a very, very bad disease called "Rose Rosette Disease" or RRD for short! RRD was first identified during the early 1940's and the spread of this disease was and still is, attributed to the spread of a more commonly known rose...the "Multiflora Rose" or more often referred to as "them wild roses". The Multiflora Rose was brought to the U.S from Japan back in the mid 1800's and it was recommended by those wonderful and often ignorant "powers to be", that it should be planted "extensively" for erosion control, as a living fence for livestock or even as a barricade along highways. And, as is "often the case" this "knowledgeable recommendation" backfired with the rapid spreading of
this plant to every state east of the Rockies. Many of these states have even declared it a "noxious" weed...please exterminate! RDD is spread by a tiny mite called the "Eriophyoid mite". This mite should not be confused with any other mite such as the more common red spider mite. The Multiflora Rose is very susceptible to RDD and when this little mite gets on an infected plant and the wind blows, it can easily wind up resting on your beautifully cultivated roses. With all of the Knockout roses being planted over the last several years it is no wonder that this disease is becoming more prevalent especially in more rural areas where the Multiflora Rose is more likely to be found. AND
Paul Harvey 1918-2009 "Now for the rest of the story"... There is no known cure for this disease!!!!! It is here, NOW, in every locale, and if your rose or roses have RRD the only thing you can do...and MUST do...is to dig it up and either burn it or completely cover it with a plastic bag and discard it!!! You would not want it to spread to your other uninfected roses or even worse...to your neighbor's roses. It is also important to dig out ALL existing roots from this infected plant. It is recommended that all Multiflora roses within a 300'+ radius of your roses be eliminated if at all possible in order to keep that little mite from "blowing in the wind" and spreading this nasty disease. Another preventative measure that you can take is to make sure to prune your roses each late winter or early spring by at least 2/3 and discard or burn all clippings...just in case. Besides, a good pruning is needed at least yearly to keep your Knockout Roses looking good and under control. Just remember to ALWAYS disinfect your pruning shears before, during and after you prune to prevent the transmission of diseases. The Good News is Once you have discarded the infected plant and all pieces of its root
system, you can re-plant another rose back in the same spot. It is not a soil borne disease! So, in conclusion, RRD is a highly transmittable disease spread by the Eriophyoid mite and not "spider mites". Keeping good spacing between your roses so they do not touch, giving them a good annual pruning and eliminating any Multiflora roses within 300' should help your beautiful rose garden to "Live long and prosper"!! P.S. If you suspect that any of your roses may have RRD...PLEASE...DO NOT bring a sample to the Nursery! We have enough problems!!! Send a photo to us...call.. or contact your local extension officer. Dates to Remember!! June 2nd Beaver Creek Nursery begins Summer Hours Yeee...Haaa! ( nothing personal...we just NEED a break ) Summer Hours Monday - Saturday 9 am - 5 pm
CLOSED All Sundays and Holidays June 21st Summer Solstice or First Day of Summer!!! AND... For the most IMPORTANT date of the month
It is better to suffer wrong than to do it, June 16th Some of us have ONLY memories...so be sure to show your Dad how much he means to you. You may not get another chance! A Closing Thought
and happier to be sometimes cheated than not to trust....samuel Johnson Beaver Creek Nursery Southeastern Indiana's Largest & Most Unique Nursery 812-689-5595