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

Tree Wounds

Trees are wounded when the bark is broken and the trees inner bark or wood is exposed to the air. Wounds to trees can occur by many things including:

• Lightning
• Fire
• Insects
• Animals & Birds
• Etc…

Tree wounds can be classified into 3 primary types:

1. Branch wounds
2. Trunk wounds
3. Root wounds

Decay is a condition that results from the digestion of wood by fungi and other microbes. Wounds through the bark start the processes that lead to decay, but proper care of wounds can lessen the chance decay will occur.

When a tree is damaged (wounded) a natural process begins that results in the covering of the wound by bark and new wood. This natural process of wound closure is also known as callusing over or wound healing. This process also begins to make the wood beneath the wound unsuitable for the growth of organisms that cause decay.

Wound Problems

If pruning is necessary, prune dead and dying branches properly to help the tree heal its branch wounds faster and to reduce the chances for infection that could lead to decay. Proper pruning will help the tree, while improper pruning only causes the tree more trouble . Many microorganisms use old dead stubs as springboards into the trunk.

Cankers: Canker-causing microorganisms often become established on dying branches before invading the trunk. Most cankers start from poorly healed branch stubs.

Splits: The bark often splits above and below poorly healed branch stubs. These splits are additional entry points for trunk-infecting microorganisms.

Hollows: Water often fills the hollows associated with very old branch stubs. Do not bore a hole to let water out of a hollow, because this will permit decay to spread into the healthy wood that surrounds the hollow.

How to Treat Wounds:

#1- Remove dead and injured bark, from around the wound with a sharp knife. Scribe wound in the shape of a vertical ellipse, if possible. Cut bark away from wound to form an interface of healthy wood and bark, although this may enlarge the size of the wound.

#2- Prune dead and dying branches to increase tree vigor.

#3- Remove dead and fallen branches and trunks from the ground nearby. Such dead wood may harbor wood-inhabiting microorganisms that could infect wounds.

#4- Thin out and remove less valuable trees nearby to reduce competition for nourishment in favor of the wounded tree.

#5- Fertilize and water the tree properly to increase vigor.

#6- Discuss the wounded tree with professionals including your local Master Gardeners or County Extension Agent.

Natural Pest Control

There are numerous methods to control garden & home pest that include both chemical or organic means. It is always better to use organic / natural methods when possible, and practical. Below are some alternative methods to control pest naturally:

* Dish Soap / Liquid Soap: Liquid soap is used often in natural pest controls to combat a variety of pest. Diluted dish soap is a good way to control aphids as well.

* Alkaloids: This is derived from the leaves of tomato, potato, or tobacco plants. It is process by chopping up the leaves, soaking them for a day, then draining off the resulting tea. This controls aphids and is said to attract beneficial insects.

* Diatomaceous Earth: This is a white powder that is derived from crushed fossilized remains of single cell marine organisms known as diatoms. The powder resulting from crushing is very fine and very sharp. It is used to battle a variety of pest including ants and slugs and works because it injures any soft bodied insect trying to cross over.

* Sticky Traps: These are cards that are coated with an organic substance that attracts pests. Once the pest steps or lands on the sticky pads they are caught for later disposal.

* Neem Oil: Thisis juice derived from pressing the seeds of the Azadirachta Indica Tree. It can be used as a fungicide, pesticide, and miticide.

* Garlic: To use garlic as a pesticide, chop, crush, and soak in oil. Then add a little liquid dish saop and spray on your plants to control a variety of insects.

* Pyrethrins: This is a natural derivative of a species of the Chrysanthemum flower. Pyrethrins are safe to use on edible crops because it controls pest and breaks down and disappears when exposed to oxygen and sunlight.

There are many other natural and organic methods in addition to the above. The important thing to remember is that there are choices when controlling pest other than chemicals.

Pop Bottle Tarp Clip

It's not always possible to secure a tarp with bungee cords or rope.

This clever clip creates an instant tarp weight when you attach it to any 2-litre pop bottle filled with sand or water. This is very handy whenever you are short of easily accessed tie-down points. The 1-1/2" wide waffle-textured jaws securely hold poly tarps, cloth, or other sheet material up to 1/8" thick without perforating.

Attachment and removal are quick using the integral thumbscrew. The UV-stable nylon clip is 3-5/8" overall.

You can find the pop-bottle tarp clip at this website: http://www.leevalley.com

Banyan Trees

The banyan tree is a common office and houseplant, but in the wild it’s a gigantic tree. In the Indian jungles, the banyan tree starts life out as an epiphyte, growing on another tree where a fig-eating bird deposited a seed. As it grows, the banyan tree produces aerial roots that hang down from horizontal branches which then take root where they touch the ground.

Needless to say, this can multiply into huge proportions and these vertical “prop roots” can create a forest on their own. Banyan Trees can become 100 feet tall and spread over several acres with the help of their extensive “prop roots”. There is a well known Banyan Tree near Poona, India that is said to measure ½ mile around its perimeter and can hold 2,000 people underneath it.

Then Banyan Tree is native to India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. It is considered sacred by both the Hindus and Buddhist and is planted around temples. The Banyan Tree can thrive indoors and can do so year round if repotted every 2-3 years. Outdoors, the Banyan Tree survives in Hardiness zones 10-12 and needs half to partial shade to do best.

Dogwood Shrub

The Dogwood Shrub produces a stunning display of large crisp yellow leaves in the spring followed by florets of small white flowers. It is a beautiful full shrub that grows 5-8 feet in height and can be just as wide.

In the Autumn new stems turn a crimson color and remain through the winter months. In other words, it has color and charm all year round.

Additional features and facts:

* USDA Hardiness: Zones 2-8 (-50 degrees F) * Height: 5-8 feet

* Sunlight:> Full sun to partial shade

* Blooms: Springtime with white flowers

* Type: Hardy deciduous shrub

* Pest: Deer resistant

The Dogwood Shrub is a very easy and hardy shrub to grow.
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#6 Invasive Plant of-the-Month

Kudzu

If you live in an area where this vine is active then you know the invasive properties of Kudzu. It grows so fast you can virtually watch it advance before your eyes.

Kudzu is a native of Asia and a woody, perennial vine in the pea family. Kudzu kills or degrades other vegetation by smothering them under a solid blanket of leaves. It completely covers almost everything in its path and in the process sort of creates sculptures. It kills trees by suffocating them by breaking branches or uprooting them by the sheer force of its weight.

Once established, Kudzu grows as much as 60 feet per season, or about 1 foot per day. Each vine may end up being anywhere from 32-100 feet in length and have stems as thick as 4 inches in diameter. Kudzu tap roots are can be 7 inches in diameter and 6 + feet long, and weigh as much as 400 pounds. Furthermore, up to 30 vines can grow from a single root crown.

Kudzu can grow well in a wide range of conditions and in most soil types. Its preferred habitats are forest edges, roadsides, abandoned fields, and disturbed areas where sunlight is abundant. It does best where winters are mild, rainfall of 40 inches per year, and summer temperatures above 80 degrees.

To successfully control Kudzu, its extensive root system must be destroyed. Mechanical methods include cutting vines just above the ground and destroying all cut material. Close mowing for two growing seasons will help tremendously. A side benefit of kudzu is that in cut form it can be feed to livestock. Pesticides can be used but should be done so wit caution. Contact your local Master Gardener or County Extension Agent for advice.

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#7 Garden Pest of-the-Month

Cutworms

Cutworms are gray grubs that live just below the surface of the soil. Their method of plant destruction generally is to feed by wrapping themselves around the stem of a plant and cutting through the stem. Note: Some cutworms feed on leaves, buds, or fruits.

Common host plants for cutworms are:

• Tomato
• Pepper
• Cabbage
• Peas
• Beans
• Squash

Control of Cutworms:

Cultural – With transplants, place a stiff 3 inch cardboard collar around the stems; allow it to extend about 1 inch into the soil and protrude 2 inches above the soil; clear the stem by about 1/2 inch.

Organic & or Chemical –> There are options available at your local garden centers. If concerned, call your local Master Gardener or County Extension Agent for advice.

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#8 Plant Disease

Botrytis

Botrytis is a disease caused by a fungus that can affect many popular annuals and perennials. It reproduces quickly when temperatures are warm and humidity is high. Botrytis blight can affect leaves, stems, crowns, flowers, flower buds, seeds, seedlings, bulbs, and just about any other part of a plant with the exception of the roots.

Botrytis blight or gray mold is a fungus disease which infects a wide array of herbaceous annual and perennial plants. There are several species of the fungus Botrytis which can cause blights; the most common is Botrytis cinerea. Botrytis infections are favored by cool, rainy spring and summer weather usually around 15C (60F). Gray mold can be particularly damaging when rainy, drizzly weather continues over several days.

Detection is based on symptoms including bud blast, leaf spots and flower blight, as well as signs such as a proliferation of gray mold covering the diseased plant.

Infected plant material should be removed and disposed of. Maintaining good plant spacing for proper air circulation is an important cultural control. Humidity levels may be reduced by avoiding overhead watering.

On most susceptible plants, new infections may begin in the spring as soon as weather conditions are favorable for disease development. Wet or very humid weather may be highly favorable for the spread of the disease. The best way to manage this disease is by inspection and sanitation. Fungicide sprays may also help by protecting plants from infections.

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