What's in this Issue:

#2 Lynne's Backyard Gardening Tips

#3 New Gardening Product of-the-Month

#4 Odd & Strange Gardening News

#5 Great Plant of the Month

#6 Invasive Plant of-the-Month

#7 Garden Pest of-the-Month

#8 Plant Disease

#9 Feedback - Anonymous

Forcing Flowering Branches

Basically, you are tricking your spring-flowering trees and shrubs into thinking it’s springtime in the winter. You literally are bringing cut branches from flowering trees and shrubs inside for them to bloom indoors much earlier than normal.

You’ll need to wait until there has been at least 8 weeks of cold outdoors (under 40 degrees F is preferable). Woody plants have met their dormancy requirements and are just waiting for the right conditions to bloom.

Here is what you do:

1- Choose your target flowering tree or shrub.

2- Select branches that have a large number of flower buds

3- Carefully prune out branches using sharp pruners.

4- Cut at least 12 inch long branches.

5- Bring the cut branches indoors and place into water (submerge completely if possible in a large bucket or the bathtub overnight).

7- Wait for the blooms.

Once your flowering branches have blooms you can arrange them however desired. You may be able to increase the life of your blooms by using floral preservatives and keeping the stems in bright, indirect light during the day, and in a cool location at night.

Some of the known flowering trees and shrubs you can force include:

• Forsythia
• Poplars
• Red Maple
• Cherry
• Rhododendrons
• Azaleas
• Pussy Willows
• Apple & Crabapples
• Many more…

Fall Lawn Care

Why… Fall fertilization is the best time because your lawn has passed through the stresses of summer and requires nutrients to rebuild itself for the next season. During the fall there is less competition from insects, weeds, and diseases are less aggressive.

Fall is also the best time period for controlling perennial broadleaf weeds like dandelions and clover for example. The reason for this is that weeds are preparing for winter and pull starches and nutrients from their leaves into their root systems. As they do this they also draw herbicides into their root systems which in turn more effectively kill the weeds.

Lawns require high nitrogen levels, as a result fertilizer rates are expressed in pounds of nitrogen per thousand square feet of lawn. There are quick release nitrogen fertilizers and slow release ones. The slow release ones are more expensive but more evenly apply the nitrogen into your lawn.

Lawns need other nutrients as well but nitrogen is most important. The more established your lawn the more nitrogen only you can use. If you have a newly seeded lawn, or have just added new sod, you’ll need to make sure your using a more well balanced fertilizer with other nutrients. This will vary depending on the type of grass, the type of soil (including how nutrient rich or poor it is), and other factors.

To get the best results, contact your local county extension agent office or local master gardener. You can take a soil sample from your lawn and have it tested for the most accurate analysis of what nutrients are actually needed and in what proportion. If you think of all the time and effort you put into your yard and garden, it is worth a little time to get some advice.

In summary, fall is the ideal time to feed your lawn for future growth and to go after the weeds you hate with herbicides.

Flour & Pantry Moth Trap

The Flour Moth trap attracts and captures adult flour moths (Indian meal moth, Mediterranean flour moth, almond moth and raisin moth). These insects occur almost everywhere, and are attracted by food. The moths lay eggs in cracks and crevasses near food, such as in shelving, cupboards and pantries. Adult moths emerge and fly about seeking mates.

The FLOUR MOTH - PANTRY MOTH TRAP uses the same chemical messenger (pheromone) that female moths use to attract male moths for mating. Male moths are drawn by the scent and are caught in the trap. Removing male moths prevents mating and egg laying. Long term use of the FLOUR MOTH - PANTRY MOTH TRAP will reduce troubling infestations without the use of toxic chemicals.

SpringStar products can be found at www.SpringStar.net
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Elephant Foot Tree

The Elephant Foot Tree can grow to be 6 feet or taller and had these traits:

* Temperature: Hot is best, but it will adapt to medium & cooler temperatures if watered less.

* Moisture: The soil should be allowed to dry out almost completely between watering because of the plants ability to store water. In addition, the Elephant Foot Tree does very well in low humidity.

* Sunlight: This plant does very well in direct sunlight but will adapt to medium amounts of light if needed.

* Fertilizing / Feeding: Only fertilize the Elephant Foot once per year using a 10-10-10 mix.

* Soil Conditions: The Elephant Foot desires a coarse, fast draining soil mixture.

* Level of Care: Very little and perfect for those who neglect them.

Asters

There are many different types of aster flowers ranging in colors as well as heights. Some of the more common types include:

• Spider Aster
• Dwarf Aster
• Powder Aster
• Powder Puff Aster
• Single, Double, and Semi-Double types

Asters can be grown very well when planted directly from seed versus transplanting them. To grow them from seed, follow these steps:

1- Dampen the seeds between 2 paper towels (make sure they stay moist during germination).

Aster flowers will grow well in average soils, but as with all plants, they will especially thrive if plenty of compost is used. Once asters are established, they should thrive and grow for years.

Knapweeds

NOTE: Diffuse and Spotted Knapweed actually secrete a natural herbicide into the soil to eliminate competition.

To the farmer or rancher, Knapweeds are an economic problem because they are unpalatable, inedible and low-nutrient weeds. There are 25 species of Knapweed in North America and two of that cause the biggest problems.

1. Diffuse Knapweed
2. Spotted Knapweed

Diffuse Knapweed reproduces from seed only, can live up to 3 years as a perennial, and reaches heights up to 2-1/2 feet. It has white or pink to purple flowers.

Spotted Knapweed can reproduce from seed or vegetative from shoots growing near the surface. It grows up to 3 feet tall and has purple or white flowers.

Both Diffuse and Spotted Knapweeds spread rapidly for the following reasons:

1- They quickly establish themselves in soil that has been disturbed by vehicles.

2- They reproduce rapidly from seed with a single plant having 16 seed heads.

3- They have very long tap roots to search for water.

4- As mentioned before, they can secrete a natural herbicide in the soil to beat competition.

5- They have few natural enemies to harm them.

Control Measures: Knapweed can be eliminated or controlled by using chemicals or mechanical methods. When using chemicals check with te local county extension agents and master gardeners for the best answers in your particular region.

Mealybugs

Mealybugs belong to the scale insect group and have a worldwide distribution in all areas except Polar Regions. They are very significant in scope because they attack large numbers of cultivated and ornamental plants. Mealybugs can build up in numbers very quickly and cause considerable damage. They do this damage by inserting their straw-like mouth parts into plant tissue and take plant fluids and nutrients as well as excrete a toxic compound.

One of the results of the mealybugs producing “honeydew” is that this waste product is a perfect growth medium for sooty mold fungi. These molds damage a plant by covering leaves and thus reducing light available for photosynthesis. Eventually, either the plant is stunted and deformed, or it eventually dies.

Life Cycle of Mealybugs:

Most mealybugs species have numerous and often overlapping generations per year. They are highly dependent on temperatures for proper development. If temperatures remain elevated for prolonged periods mealybug populations will substantially decrease.

Eggs can be laid in clusters or singly and some variety of mealybugs can lay between 200-600 eggs in a lifetime. Upon hatching, the juveniles (crawlers) move away from the cocoon and search for suitable sheltered feeding sites. The juveniles progress through 5 moults before reaching adulthood.

Controlling Mealybugs:

Since mealybugs have multiple generations in a year they have the capacity to become resistant to pesticides in short order. By using increasingly stronger pesticides breeds more and more resistant mealybugs. The good news is that mealybugs can be controlled using less aggressive methods such as low toxic pesticides and biological agents. As always, it is a good idea to check with your local county extension agent or local master gardener for advice on the best solutions in your particular region.

Powdery Mildew

There are several types of powdery mildew fungi and they all produce similar symptoms on plants. The main characteristics are spots or patches of white to grayish, talcum-powder like growth. Powdery mildew has tiny, pinhead-sized & spherical fruiting structures that are at first white, and later go from yellow-brown to black. It can be in a group or by itself.

It is usually most apparent on the upper sides of leaves but will also affect the bottom sides as well. Also affected are young stems, buds, flowers, and young fruit. Infected leaves and plant parts can become distorted, turn yellow with small patches of green, and can fall prematurely. Also, infected buds may fail to open.

Powdery Mildew Conditions:

The severity of powdery mildew depends on a variety of factors including the host plant, age of the plant, condition, and weather factors during the growing season. Powdery mildews are most severe in warm, dry climates because the fungus does not need te presence of water on the leaf for infection to occur. High relative humidity does greatly favor powdery mildew and it thrives in crowded conditions where air circulation is poor.

Controlling Powdery Mildew:

Cultural – Many plants such as roses, vegetables, and Kentucky Bluegrass have been developed to be tolerant and resistant to powdery mildew. Buying a resistant plant variety can help in your control efforts. Other methods can include avoiding overhead watering to keep relative humidity down and removing infected plants.

Chemicals - If natural methods don’t do the job, an application of fungicide might be the only way. Before using chemicals, consider contacting a local county extension agent or master gardener for regional advice. Chemical are most effective when combined with cultural controls.

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