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by Rett Davis | |
Gardening Q&A by Rett Davis appears in
Alamance County's daily newspaper, The Times-News,
every Sunday in the Accent section. Each week's installment is
posted to this
website, beginning with January of this year. Scroll to the bottom of
this page to navigate to other Gardening Q&As. Please contact
Rett via e-mail with questions
or
comments in regard to this column.
Question: I have a large shade tree in my front yard that is shedding it's leaves. The leaves are covering the front lawn, my sidewalk, and the street. I am not sure what kind of tree it is. Is this the result of all the ice we had this winter or lightning damage?
Answer:
You can blame this on a cool and wet spring. Your tree is most
likely a white ash. Green ash is more resistant. This disease causes
the new young leaves to develop irregular brown blotches. We often
refer to these spots as being water soaked. They are tan to brown in
color. Maple and sycamore will often suffer from this disease too.
Although it is very alarming to see leaves falling off the tree in the
springtime, these trees will resprout new leaves on the barren branches
by early summer. Just rake the leaves up and dispose of them. No
chemical treatments are needed or can be justified. Whether or not this
disease returns next year on not will depend on just the right
combination of temperatures and rainfall. One of the downsides of a lot
of rain is the increased activity of plant diseases. As we say in our
profession, drought will scare you to death, too much rain will kill
you!
Question:
Our home is infested with the smallest red and black bugs I
have ever seen. They are all over the windowsills, the walls, and even
my curtains.
I can't seem to control them with aerosol cans of ant and roach spray.
Do you have any suggestions on what I can do for whatever this is?
Answer:
What you have are clover mites. These are outdoor mites that
live in moist, grassy areas, particularly in the spring. These mites
will make their way indoors and seemingly cover everything including
carpets, walls, and furniture. Outdoors they will cover patios, decks,
brick, and tables. When crushed they will leave a red stain. These
tiny mites are harmless and will not bite. I know however, that most
people cannot stand the thoughts of bugs in their house and often carry
control measures to the extreme out of unfounded fears. Therefore your
plan of attack should be concentrated outdoors if you expect any
results. Insecticides that contain cyfluthrin (Bayer), esfenvalerate
(Ortho), permethrin (Spectracide) and tralomethrin (Spectracide) are
labeled for controlling mites outdoors. I have put the manufactures
name in parenthesis after the insecticidial name. You must read the
ingredients on the label in order to get the right product. All of
these products are available here. Spray one of these products around
the outside foundation of your home and a short distance into the lawn.
Repeat as needed. The mites will subside in just a few weeks. If you
wish to spray indoors, most ant and roach sprays from Black Flag or Raid
will work but must be used around the windowsills and door openings. Do
not spray the entire house, walls, or carpets. Clover mites will not
live long indoors. Sleep tight!
Question:
There are little mosquitoes flying around our boxwoods. What
can I spray them with?
Answers:
Mosquitoes they are not. They are the adult boxwood leaf
miner. This insect pest of American boxwoods will cause the leaves to
blister and turn yellow after the eggs hatch into little maggots inside
the leaves. It is especially noticeable in late summer and winter.
You can interrupt the life cycle of this pest by spraying your boxwood
leaves with Isotox, malathion, or Cygon. Two sprayings, a week apart,
will be all that is needed. You must spray immediately while the adult
females are trying to lay eggs. Another very effective treatment can be
done with a systemic insecticide that is drenched on the soil beneath
the boxwoods. One yearly treatment is sufficient. This insecticide is
imidacloprid which is sold as Merit or Bayer's Systemic Tree and Shrub
Insecticide.
Question:
How soon can I prune my azaleas and how far back can I cut?
Answer:
Prune azaleas as soon as the blossoms begin to fade. Do not
wait long after flowering since this shrub will begin developing next
year's blooms this summer. Most azaleas just need a light pruning to
keep the plant in shape and to remove long flower stalks. However
overgrown azaleas can be severely pruned if needed to renovate. This
may require cutting them to within 12 inches from the ground. There
will be no leaves left on the stems. Do not despair, new leaves will
emerge within 6 weeks. After this type of pruning you will need to
fertilize your azaleas and remulch them with a pine product.
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If you have any horticultural questions, please direct them to Rett Davis