Ants and Peonies Lawn Mowing Height Purchasing Ladybugs Pale Azalea Leaves Lightning Damaged Trees Moving & Pruning Dogwoods Poison Ivy Perennial Bed Maintenance Lawn Irrigation Using Old Pesticides
Don't touch them. Ants are a very important part of the plant cycle of the Peony. The ants crawl along and up onto the Peony leaves in search of food. As the ant approaches and moves onto the flower bud, they find a honey dew that is secreted by the flower and they feed on it. Before long a cluster of ants are moving back and forth between the different flower buds on that plant. Now, you think, what good is this doing the plant? The ants' movements across the flower stimulate a chemical release in the flower bud, causing it to open into a full flower. If you spray the ants to kill them, the flower buds will not open and in a few weeks they will turn brown and fall off. This is just one of those neat connections of one lifeform being dependent on another in nature.back to the list
Q. I have a tall fescue lawn. At what height should I mow it?
This time of year the grass should be mowed at 2 1/2 to 3 inches with a mower that has a sharp mower blade. A dull blade pulls through the grass and shreds the tips of the leaf blades, making conditions more ideal for disease development. With the brown patch disease season approaching, keep that blade sharp! As we move into May, begin raising the height of the mower blade to 3 1/2 inches. The lower you mow the grass, the more stressful it is to the grass plant. back to the list
Q. Where can I purchase ladybugs?
This area has many ladybugs naturally, and you should not need to purchase them. Ladybugs are available for sale through gardening catalogs and magazines and also through some of the local beneficial insect companies. Talk to your local garden center about these suppliers. They may also have some of the catalogs and/or magazines on hand. Another place to look for these suppliers is at the library or on the World Wide Web. Ladybugs are very helpful insects, in that they feed on many of the harmful insects found in the garden and landscape. back to the list
Q. My azalea leaves turned a pale color last year and looked almost white. On the back of the leaves were little brown specks that look like shellac varnish. Why are my leaves doing this and how can this be stopped?
This problem is caused by an insect that is commonly found on azaleas. The insect is a lace bug. The lace bug has two life cycles each year. The biggest population boom occurs in the mid to late spring as the new growth on the plant is occurring. Each brown varnish-looking area covers an egg and protects it through the winter and early spring. As the weather warms, the lace bug larva emerges and crawls out onto the underside of the new young leaf. Within a few weeks it is actively piercing and sucking the leaf juices out of the leaves. The removal of the green plant juices from the leaves gives them the washed out pale green/white look. This same occurrence is seen again around September.
The time to spray is in late April or early May depending on the year and how quickly the weather warms. Follow up with a second spraying in mid September to control the next population explosion of lace bugs. I would recommend the use of a horticultural oil spray which must be applied to the under side of the leaves where the lace bug lives. Read all label directions for mixing rates, precautions and so on. Always apply at the lowest recommended rates first; why use more of a material than necessary?back to the list
Q. My tree was struck by lighting, is it going to live and what can I do to help it?
That's a tough question. Trees struck by lighting are very difficult to evaluate as to the extent of damage. A tree can be struck in two basic ways, cloud to ground and ground to cloud. As a general rule if the damaged area at the trunk of the tree is more than 30 - 35 % of the circumference of the tree, it will likely die within a few years. The biggest problem we have is determining the amount of damage to the root system. The above ground part the tree can look lightly struck with little damage, but the lighting traveled down the trunk into the ground and the roots are blown apart. Trees struck like this will die within a few weeks to a month or so. Fortunately, many trees struck by lighting will recover and heal themselves. Several factors involved in the recovery of the tree include:
- the tree must be strong and healthy
- keep insects out of the damaged areas
- do not use tree paints
Q. When can a dogwood be transplanted from the woods and when can a dogwood be pruned?
The best time of year to dig and move a dogwood into your yard is in the mid to late fall. Moving dogwoods at that time of year gives the tree a chance to reestablish its root system in time to support the spring leaf growth. A spring planting can be successful if the tree is a container-grown plant that has come from a nursery. Planting in the spring will require more care for the plant, including watering during those hot dry periods of the year.
Pruning dogwoods is recommended to help direct the proper limb establishment. The best time to accomplish this is in early summer. I find the most preferred time is mid June here in Gaston County. Do not prune after mid July or it will effect the fall bloom set for the next springs flowering. The maximum amount of foliage to remove in one season 20 - 25 %. Removing more foliage can weaken the tree and open the door to insects and diseases. Remember to always use clean sharp pruning tools. Also, go with the weather conditions. If we are in the middle of a drought, put off pruning until there is moisture in the soil. Pruning at any time of the year is stressful to plants and requires moisture to heal the cut areas. back to the list
Q. I have some poison ivy in my yard. I don't think I touched it, but now I have a rash. How can I get rid of the ivy?
Always wear gloves when working in the garden. Besides poison ivy, the shrub areas and even the soil can be hiding a surprise that you may not want to discover. Broken glass and fingers are not a good combination in soils, but it happens. Poison ivy causes many problems with the skin. Many people, including myself, have allergic reactions to this plant. Poison ivy is actively growing now and this would be a good time to work to kill it. It can be sprayed with a recommended herbicide or if it is small, just pull or dig it (with gloves on).
Poison ivy is a woody type vine that crawls along the ground until it finds a vertical surface to climb. The distance can be great between leaf clusters. The three leaves per cluster are all of equal size. It is the oil in bruised leaves or damaged vines that causes the rash. It is not always necessary to touch a damaged plant; if the oil gets on your gloves, clothes or on a pet and then you touch that area, you will get a rash. Wash any clothes you wore after handling poison ivy separately in hot water and detergent. Also, do not burn poison ivy; oil droplets carried in the smoke can cause extremely severe allergic reactions. back to the list
Q. I love my perennial flower bed, but I have a hard time keeping up with the weeds. What can I do?
Get the mulch out if you have not already spread it over the plant beds. The two most common mulch materials used are: pinebark and pinestraw. If it is a new bed, spread bark at 3 inches or straw at 3-4 inches; if it is an existing bed, spread 2 inches of bark or straw. Mulch helps to maintain the moisture longer as opposed to bare soils and it also helps to keep the soil temperature at consistent levels.back to the list
Q. When should I start irrigating my lawn?
If you plan to irrigate your lawn for the summer season, now is the time to decide. Don't wait until mid-June and then start. Definitely don't start now if you will tire of watering and quit in the summer heat. Any of these will result in injuring the grass and possibly killing it. If you are going to water stick with it until fall. back to the list
Q. I have a pesticide which has lost its label. Can I still use it?
NO! Even if you used the pesticide last year, don't go by memory on how to use it. Proper pesticide use is complicated and varies for both different products and different plants.
Be sure to read the label directions for any pesticide carefully before using it, even if you used it last year. The most common mistake I see in homeowner use of pesticides is being just plain careless with the handling, use and disposal of the pesticide. Many of these materials work well within our environment, but the misuse and careless action can and will cause great damage that can years to repair.
Keeping pesticides in mind, take a little time this spring and look through the storage area where you keep them. If some pesticides need to be disposed of, I have just the place and day where you can take the pesticides so that they may be disposed of properly. Household Hazardous Waste Collection Days are scheduled once each spring and fall in Gaston County. Watch your newspapers, and your utility bills for information about the date, time and locations. Bring your old or unwanted paint, solvents, cleaners, pesticides(examples: bugs sprays, weed killers,...), motor oil, tires, vehicle batteries and other household hazardous wastes for proper disposal. back to the list
Mark Blevins , Horticulture Agent
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