文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月15日
Yellowing or reddening of leaves, discoloured or aborting fruits and flowers, and poor plant growth. Fruits can become misshapen and display brown leathery patches.
Plants affected
All plants can be affected.
About Nutrient deficiency
In order to develop and complete their life-cycle without sustaining damage to new growth, flowers or fruit, plants require nutrients.
To maximise efficiency, nutrient supply to plants should be balanced to meet individual needs.
The main nutrients required are carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, phosphorous and potassium.
In addition to these, a number of less essential nutrients known as secondary nutrients are used by a plant to optimise its growth.
There are also many micro nutrients used in tiny amounts by specific plant species.
Main nutrients contribute to production of chlorophyll, fruit set and yield, defence against adverse environmental conditions, leaf loss, and certain diseases. They also aid in the healthy growth of roots, leaves and flowers.
Treatment
Chemical
Products containing the following chemical ingredients are all effective on Nutrient deficiency
Nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous fertilisers.
Calcium ammonium nitrate
Ammonium nitrate
Urea
Potassium chloride
Potassium sulphate
Calcium carbonate
Note: It is important to read manufacturer's instructions for use and the associated safety data information before applying chemical treatments.
Organic
Incorporating farmyard manure, composted plant material, leaf mould and other natural sources of nutrients will ensure healthy plant growth.
Prevention
Establish a regular feeding programme for all potted and hanging basket plants, and those grown in a greenhouse.
Apply a suitable liquid feed to your garden plants at regular intervals when watering.
Apply a suitable granular feed to your lawn at seasonal intervals as indicated.
Incorporate slow release fertiliser granules into all compost used for potting plants.
Dig sources of plant nutrients such as garden compost or well-rotted manure into flower beds and vegetable patches, or place around the bases of existing plants.
Scarify, top-dress, and aerate lawns at the beginning and end of growing seasons.
Plants affected
All plants can be affected.
About Nutrient deficiency
In order to develop and complete their life-cycle without sustaining damage to new growth, flowers or fruit, plants require nutrients.
To maximise efficiency, nutrient supply to plants should be balanced to meet individual needs.
The main nutrients required are carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, phosphorous and potassium.
In addition to these, a number of less essential nutrients known as secondary nutrients are used by a plant to optimise its growth.
There are also many micro nutrients used in tiny amounts by specific plant species.
Main nutrients contribute to production of chlorophyll, fruit set and yield, defence against adverse environmental conditions, leaf loss, and certain diseases. They also aid in the healthy growth of roots, leaves and flowers.
Treatment
Chemical
Products containing the following chemical ingredients are all effective on Nutrient deficiency
Nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous fertilisers.
Calcium ammonium nitrate
Ammonium nitrate
Urea
Potassium chloride
Potassium sulphate
Calcium carbonate
Note: It is important to read manufacturer's instructions for use and the associated safety data information before applying chemical treatments.
Organic
Incorporating farmyard manure, composted plant material, leaf mould and other natural sources of nutrients will ensure healthy plant growth.
Prevention
Establish a regular feeding programme for all potted and hanging basket plants, and those grown in a greenhouse.
Apply a suitable liquid feed to your garden plants at regular intervals when watering.
Apply a suitable granular feed to your lawn at seasonal intervals as indicated.
Incorporate slow release fertiliser granules into all compost used for potting plants.
Dig sources of plant nutrients such as garden compost or well-rotted manure into flower beds and vegetable patches, or place around the bases of existing plants.
Scarify, top-dress, and aerate lawns at the beginning and end of growing seasons.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月15日
These bright red beetles are very distinctive and therefore quite easy to spot on affected plants. Also, look for holes in leaves, stems and flowers, left by the small slimy black larvae.
Plants affected
They're highly destructive to lilies (Lilium), and fritillaries (Fritillaria).
About Scarlet lily beetle
These bright red beetles, with distinctive black legs and antennae, are an invasive species which was first recorded in the UK during the 1940s.
They're also known as red lily beetles and are now commonly found across the south-east of England, and have recently been reported in parts of Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
When disturbed, adults emit a high pitch squeak, perhaps as a warning to other beetles.
Adults overwinter in the soil and emerge in late-March to early April.
Adults will continue to mate and feed from spring until autumn.
After mating, females will lay small groups of bright orange eggs on the underside of leaves.
Larvae hatch a few days later as red or orange-coloured grubs with black heads and three pairs of legs on their upper body.
As they feed, the larvae cover themselves in their own sticky black excrement.
Lily beetle larvae are usually found on the underside of leaves where they feed from the tip and work back to the stem.
Any larvae which survive to become adults will drop to the soil in late autumn to overwinter, and emerge again the next spring.
Treatment
Chemical
Products containing the following chemical ingredients are all effective on Scarlet lily beetle
Pyrethrum
Natural fatty acids
Surfactant-based products
Note: It is important to read manufacturer's instructions for use and the associated safety data information before applying chemical treatments.
Organic
Inspect plants carefully in early spring and remove any adults and larvae by hand to prevent infestations becoming established.
Use netting and fleece to contain the pests and stop adults moving between plants.
Replant pot-grown lilies and fritillarias using fresh compost in early spring before the overwintering adult beetles emerge from the soil.
There are no biological controls commercially available, although a range of native parasites and predators will feed on both adult and larval stages. So encourage these by establishing a natural balance of wildlife in your garden and avoid using chemicals.
Prevention
Check plants regularly for signs of infestation and deal with them as soon as they appear.
Encourage insect-eating birds by putting up feeders in winter and provide nesting boxes in spring.
Plants affected
They're highly destructive to lilies (Lilium), and fritillaries (Fritillaria).
About Scarlet lily beetle
These bright red beetles, with distinctive black legs and antennae, are an invasive species which was first recorded in the UK during the 1940s.
They're also known as red lily beetles and are now commonly found across the south-east of England, and have recently been reported in parts of Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
When disturbed, adults emit a high pitch squeak, perhaps as a warning to other beetles.
Adults overwinter in the soil and emerge in late-March to early April.
Adults will continue to mate and feed from spring until autumn.
After mating, females will lay small groups of bright orange eggs on the underside of leaves.
Larvae hatch a few days later as red or orange-coloured grubs with black heads and three pairs of legs on their upper body.
As they feed, the larvae cover themselves in their own sticky black excrement.
Lily beetle larvae are usually found on the underside of leaves where they feed from the tip and work back to the stem.
Any larvae which survive to become adults will drop to the soil in late autumn to overwinter, and emerge again the next spring.
Treatment
Chemical
Products containing the following chemical ingredients are all effective on Scarlet lily beetle
Pyrethrum
Natural fatty acids
Surfactant-based products
Note: It is important to read manufacturer's instructions for use and the associated safety data information before applying chemical treatments.
Organic
Inspect plants carefully in early spring and remove any adults and larvae by hand to prevent infestations becoming established.
Use netting and fleece to contain the pests and stop adults moving between plants.
Replant pot-grown lilies and fritillarias using fresh compost in early spring before the overwintering adult beetles emerge from the soil.
There are no biological controls commercially available, although a range of native parasites and predators will feed on both adult and larval stages. So encourage these by establishing a natural balance of wildlife in your garden and avoid using chemicals.
Prevention
Check plants regularly for signs of infestation and deal with them as soon as they appear.
Encourage insect-eating birds by putting up feeders in winter and provide nesting boxes in spring.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月15日
Leaves, stems, flowers and buds will blacken, shrivel, wilt and possibly die. Fruits can become discoloured, and plants may be covered in a white, shiny frost. Stem and trunk bark may split, and develop cankers as a result of the damage.
Plants affected
Potentially all non-hardy plants.
About
Frost damage can occur anytime between late September to mid May.
Regular freezing and thawing of plants weakens cell walls.
Ice crystals form inside the plant removing water from the cells, or causing them swell and rupture.
Younger, tender plants are generally more susceptible, although hardier plants can be damaged during severe frosts.
Gardens sometimes have areas where cold air collects, commonly called “frost pockets”.
Plants infected with viral diseases are often more susceptible to frost damage.
When soil freezes, young plants may be squeezed out from beneath the surface.
The length of exposure to cold temperatures is often as important and the actual temperature.
Preventing further damage
Covering plants with horticultural fleece will reduce exposure to frost.
Removing any affected plant material will reduce the spread of disease from the damaged areas.
Avoid planting seeds in “frost pockets” in your garden.
Choose hardy plant varieties to grow.
A south facing wall will provide a warmer micro-climate for tender plants.
Plants affected
Potentially all non-hardy plants.
About
Frost damage can occur anytime between late September to mid May.
Regular freezing and thawing of plants weakens cell walls.
Ice crystals form inside the plant removing water from the cells, or causing them swell and rupture.
Younger, tender plants are generally more susceptible, although hardier plants can be damaged during severe frosts.
Gardens sometimes have areas where cold air collects, commonly called “frost pockets”.
Plants infected with viral diseases are often more susceptible to frost damage.
When soil freezes, young plants may be squeezed out from beneath the surface.
The length of exposure to cold temperatures is often as important and the actual temperature.
Preventing further damage
Covering plants with horticultural fleece will reduce exposure to frost.
Removing any affected plant material will reduce the spread of disease from the damaged areas.
Avoid planting seeds in “frost pockets” in your garden.
Choose hardy plant varieties to grow.
A south facing wall will provide a warmer micro-climate for tender plants.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月15日
Distorted and misshapen leaves, flowers, buds and fruit growth. The leaf tissue around affected areas may become brown and eventually die.
Plants affected
Many different garden plants are affected including fruits, vegetables, ornamentals, trees and weeds.
About Capsid bugs
Capsid bugs feed on plant sap and in doing so cause deformation of plant material.
There are many different species of capsid bugs in the UK.
Capsids are also known as mirid bugs.
Some species of capsid also feed on other small insects.
Adults vary in colour from green to red/ brown, around 6mm in length, and have a long, slender feeding tube.
Young are similar in shape and colour, but smaller and wingless.
When disturbed they fall down onto the soil as a defence.
When feeding they inject saliva which is toxic to plants.
There can be one or two generations per year depending on the species.
Eggs are laid into cracks in tree bark, woody stems, and at the base of hedges. They hatch in late spring.
Depending on species, over-wintering takes place as eggs or as adults in plant debris.
Treatment
Chemical
Products containing the following chemical ingredients are all effective on Capsid bugs
Pyrethrins
Pyrethroids
Note: It is important to read manufacturer's instructions for use and the associated safety data information before applying chemical treatments.
Organic
Regularly inspect plants in spring.
Remove and destroy adults by hand.
Winter wash trees to destroy eggs.
Prevention
Keep areas around plants free from plant debris.
Remove weeds around plants.
Plants affected
Many different garden plants are affected including fruits, vegetables, ornamentals, trees and weeds.
About Capsid bugs
Capsid bugs feed on plant sap and in doing so cause deformation of plant material.
There are many different species of capsid bugs in the UK.
Capsids are also known as mirid bugs.
Some species of capsid also feed on other small insects.
Adults vary in colour from green to red/ brown, around 6mm in length, and have a long, slender feeding tube.
Young are similar in shape and colour, but smaller and wingless.
When disturbed they fall down onto the soil as a defence.
When feeding they inject saliva which is toxic to plants.
There can be one or two generations per year depending on the species.
Eggs are laid into cracks in tree bark, woody stems, and at the base of hedges. They hatch in late spring.
Depending on species, over-wintering takes place as eggs or as adults in plant debris.
Treatment
Chemical
Products containing the following chemical ingredients are all effective on Capsid bugs
Pyrethrins
Pyrethroids
Note: It is important to read manufacturer's instructions for use and the associated safety data information before applying chemical treatments.
Organic
Regularly inspect plants in spring.
Remove and destroy adults by hand.
Winter wash trees to destroy eggs.
Prevention
Keep areas around plants free from plant debris.
Remove weeds around plants.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月14日
A common pest found in greenhouses and indoor/ outdoor gardens, thrips damage plants by sucking their juices and scraping at fruits, flowers and leaves. Plant leaves may turn pale, splotchy, and silvery, then die. Injured plants are twisted, discolored and scarred.
Adults are very small (less than 1/25 inch) straw-colored or black slender insects with two pairs of feathery wings. Without the use of a hand lens, they resemble tiny dark threads.
Damage
Extremely active, thrips feed in large groups. They leap or fly away when disturbed. Host plants include onions, beans, carrots, squash and many other garden vegetables, and many flowers, especially gladioli and roses. Both adults and the wingless larvae are attracted to white, yellow and other light colored blossoms and are responsible for spreading tomato spotted wilt virus and impatiens necrotic spot virus.
Life Cycle
Adults and pupae overwinter in garden soil. In spring, newly emerged females insert eggs into the tissues of flowers, leaves or stems. (They do not need to mate for reproduction.) Each female can produce up to 80 eggs, which hatch within days in warm weather or weeks to months in colder weather. They become wingless larvae (nymphs), which feed on plant sap. After two or more nymphal stages, many thrips drop to the soil to pupate. Emerging adults fly to the plant and repeat the cycle. There may be 12-15 generations per year with the entire cycle from egg to adult requiring less than 16 days in warm weather.
Control
Thrip management is a matter of garden maintenance — reducing the places where thrips may breed — and requires removing plant debris while it’s still on the ground and green. Thrips lay their eggs in slits they cut in live plant stems. Vigilance — spotting problems early and responding to them — is also required. Check your plants for damage and clusters of the pests at the place where leaves are attached to stems. Don’t wait to take action. Take the measures listed below. And be sure to use the safest, most proven products.
To get rid of thrips remove weeds and grass from around garden areas to eliminate alternate hosts. Clean up crop debris in the garden, especially onion leaves after harvest. (Dry mulch will not attract thrips. Green mulch will.)
Inspect all plants you import into the garden for signs of thrips or their damage. Discard any infested plants by securely bagging and putting in the trash.
Blue sticky traps are helpful for monitoring adult populations.
If found, use the Bug Blaster to hose off plants with a strong, encompassing spray of water to reduce pest numbers.
Release commercially available beneficial insects, such as minute pirate bugs, the effective thrips predator (feeds on eggs and larvae before they can become adults), ladybugs, and lacewing, (especially effective in green houses) to attack and destroy all stages of this pest. For best results, make releases after first knocking down severe infestations with water spray or other method.
Severe populations may require a least-toxic, short-lived botanical insecticide (pyrethrin) to reduce pest numbers. Follow-up with predatory insects to maintain control.
Safe, smothering insecticidal soaps made from naturally occurring plant oils and fats, are also effective for knocking down heavy infestations (and won’t harm most naturally occurring beneficial insects). Spinosad and neem oil can be used to spot treat heavily infested areas.
Adults are very small (less than 1/25 inch) straw-colored or black slender insects with two pairs of feathery wings. Without the use of a hand lens, they resemble tiny dark threads.
Damage
Extremely active, thrips feed in large groups. They leap or fly away when disturbed. Host plants include onions, beans, carrots, squash and many other garden vegetables, and many flowers, especially gladioli and roses. Both adults and the wingless larvae are attracted to white, yellow and other light colored blossoms and are responsible for spreading tomato spotted wilt virus and impatiens necrotic spot virus.
Life Cycle
Adults and pupae overwinter in garden soil. In spring, newly emerged females insert eggs into the tissues of flowers, leaves or stems. (They do not need to mate for reproduction.) Each female can produce up to 80 eggs, which hatch within days in warm weather or weeks to months in colder weather. They become wingless larvae (nymphs), which feed on plant sap. After two or more nymphal stages, many thrips drop to the soil to pupate. Emerging adults fly to the plant and repeat the cycle. There may be 12-15 generations per year with the entire cycle from egg to adult requiring less than 16 days in warm weather.
Control
Thrip management is a matter of garden maintenance — reducing the places where thrips may breed — and requires removing plant debris while it’s still on the ground and green. Thrips lay their eggs in slits they cut in live plant stems. Vigilance — spotting problems early and responding to them — is also required. Check your plants for damage and clusters of the pests at the place where leaves are attached to stems. Don’t wait to take action. Take the measures listed below. And be sure to use the safest, most proven products.
To get rid of thrips remove weeds and grass from around garden areas to eliminate alternate hosts. Clean up crop debris in the garden, especially onion leaves after harvest. (Dry mulch will not attract thrips. Green mulch will.)
Inspect all plants you import into the garden for signs of thrips or their damage. Discard any infested plants by securely bagging and putting in the trash.
Blue sticky traps are helpful for monitoring adult populations.
If found, use the Bug Blaster to hose off plants with a strong, encompassing spray of water to reduce pest numbers.
Release commercially available beneficial insects, such as minute pirate bugs, the effective thrips predator (feeds on eggs and larvae before they can become adults), ladybugs, and lacewing, (especially effective in green houses) to attack and destroy all stages of this pest. For best results, make releases after first knocking down severe infestations with water spray or other method.
Severe populations may require a least-toxic, short-lived botanical insecticide (pyrethrin) to reduce pest numbers. Follow-up with predatory insects to maintain control.
Safe, smothering insecticidal soaps made from naturally occurring plant oils and fats, are also effective for knocking down heavy infestations (and won’t harm most naturally occurring beneficial insects). Spinosad and neem oil can be used to spot treat heavily infested areas.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月14日
Primarily night feeders, the common earwig (Forficula auricularia) is considered to be an insect pest when it feeds on soft plant shoots, such as corn silks, and eats small holes in foliage and flowers. Sometimes ripened fruits are infested, but damage is usually tolerable. It can be particularly damaging to seedlings. Earwigs also play a beneficial role in the garden, acting as scavengers on decaying organic matter and predators of insect larvae, snails, aphids and other slow moving bugs. They are often carried great distances in produce shipments and other freight.
These slender red-brown insects (3/4 inch long) with elongated, flattened bodies are distinguished by a pair of sharp pincers at the tail end, which they use for capturing prey and mating. A few species have wings, although it is not a strong flier, and usually crawls in search of food. Earwigs get their name from an old superstition that they crawl into the ears of a sleeping person and bore into the brain. While menacing in appearance, they are harmless to man.
Note: Earwigs will occasionally enter the home. However, their presence is accidental and they will not establish themselves or reproduce indoors.
Life Cycle
Adults overwinter in the soil. Females lay 20-50 cream-colored eggs in underground nests during January and February, and the newly hatched young (nymphs) first appear in April. Nymphs are protected in the nest and do not leave until after the first molt, when they must fend for themselves. Young earwigs develop gradually, passing through 4-5 nymphal instars before becoming adults. They are similar in appearance to adults, but lack wings and the large sized pincers. Most species in this country have one generation per year.
Earwig Control
If earwigs become pestiferous there are several effective organic methods that can be used for getting rid of them.
Remove garden debris and excessive mulch where earwigs are living and breeding.
Since earwigs seldom fly, a sticky band of Tanglefoot Pest Barrier around the trunks of trees, shrubs, and woody plants will prevent them from reaching the leaves and fruits on which they feed.
Broadcast Insect Killer Granules around foundations, lawns and landscapes to eliminate or repel all kinds of troublesome pests.
Apply food-grade Diatomaceous Earth for long-lasting protection. Made up of tiny fossilized aquatic organisms, that look like broken glass under the microscope, DE kills by scoring an insect’s outer layer as it crawls over the fine powder. Contains NO toxic poisons!
Scatter Monterey Ant Control, a safe and organic bait containing iron phosphate and spinosad, evenly over the soil around or near areas to be protected.
Least-toxic botanical insecticides should be used as a last resort. Derived from plants which have insecticidal properties, these natural pesticides have fewer harmful side effects than synthetic chemicals and break down more quickly in the environment.
These slender red-brown insects (3/4 inch long) with elongated, flattened bodies are distinguished by a pair of sharp pincers at the tail end, which they use for capturing prey and mating. A few species have wings, although it is not a strong flier, and usually crawls in search of food. Earwigs get their name from an old superstition that they crawl into the ears of a sleeping person and bore into the brain. While menacing in appearance, they are harmless to man.
Note: Earwigs will occasionally enter the home. However, their presence is accidental and they will not establish themselves or reproduce indoors.
Life Cycle
Adults overwinter in the soil. Females lay 20-50 cream-colored eggs in underground nests during January and February, and the newly hatched young (nymphs) first appear in April. Nymphs are protected in the nest and do not leave until after the first molt, when they must fend for themselves. Young earwigs develop gradually, passing through 4-5 nymphal instars before becoming adults. They are similar in appearance to adults, but lack wings and the large sized pincers. Most species in this country have one generation per year.
Earwig Control
If earwigs become pestiferous there are several effective organic methods that can be used for getting rid of them.
Remove garden debris and excessive mulch where earwigs are living and breeding.
Since earwigs seldom fly, a sticky band of Tanglefoot Pest Barrier around the trunks of trees, shrubs, and woody plants will prevent them from reaching the leaves and fruits on which they feed.
Broadcast Insect Killer Granules around foundations, lawns and landscapes to eliminate or repel all kinds of troublesome pests.
Apply food-grade Diatomaceous Earth for long-lasting protection. Made up of tiny fossilized aquatic organisms, that look like broken glass under the microscope, DE kills by scoring an insect’s outer layer as it crawls over the fine powder. Contains NO toxic poisons!
Scatter Monterey Ant Control, a safe and organic bait containing iron phosphate and spinosad, evenly over the soil around or near areas to be protected.
Least-toxic botanical insecticides should be used as a last resort. Derived from plants which have insecticidal properties, these natural pesticides have fewer harmful side effects than synthetic chemicals and break down more quickly in the environment.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月14日
Cucumber beetles are found across the United States from Canada to Mexico and are either striped (Acalymma vittatum) or spotted (Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi). Both species feed primarily on the leaves, flowers and fruits of cucurbits (cucumbers, squash, pumpkins and melons). Alternate plant hosts include beans, corn, peanuts and potatoes.
Adult cucumber beetles (1/4 inch long) are yellowish-green in color with dark heads, legs and antennae. They have distinct black spots or lengthwise stripes on their wings. During the growing season, they are found feeding on seedlings, foliage, pollen and flowers causing greatly reduced yields and sometimes plant loss. The slender white larvae (up to 1/3 inch long), have brown ends and injure plants by feeding on roots and underground stems. Heavy larvae populations can reduce plant vigor and damage melon rinds making the produce unfit for consumption or market.
Note: Adult and larval stages of the cucumber beetle transmit several plant diseases, including bacterial wilt and mosaic virus in cucurbits.
Life Cycle
Adult beetles overwinter in plant debris and garden trash. Females leave their winter sites in early spring and deposit up to 800 orange-yellow eggs in the soil near the base of plants. In about 10 days hatching occurs and the larvae feed for three or more weeks before pupating. First generation adults emerge 10 days later. A complete life cycle requires 6-9 weeks. Up to four generations can be produced in a single growing season.
Control
Select resistant varieties whenever possible.
Inspect plants frequently for beetles and handpick any that are discovered.
Floating row covers are extremely effective when placed on seedlings and left in place until plants are old enough to tolerate beetle damage.
Commercially available beneficial insects, such as ladybugs, green lacewing and the spined soldier bug, will feed on pest eggs.
Beneficial nematodes work well to curtail immature stages developing in the soil.
When applied to plants, Surround WP (kaolin clay) leaves a fine powdery film that insects find unattractive for feeding and egg-laying.
Spinosad, the active ingredient in Monterey Garden Insect Spray is approved for organic use and works on a long list of insects found on vegetable crops.
If pest levels become intolerable, spot treat with a fast-acting organic insecticide. For best results, apply to the undersides of leaves and deep into the plant canopy where insects hide.
Remove garden trash and other debris shortly after harvest to reduce overwintering sites.
Adult cucumber beetles (1/4 inch long) are yellowish-green in color with dark heads, legs and antennae. They have distinct black spots or lengthwise stripes on their wings. During the growing season, they are found feeding on seedlings, foliage, pollen and flowers causing greatly reduced yields and sometimes plant loss. The slender white larvae (up to 1/3 inch long), have brown ends and injure plants by feeding on roots and underground stems. Heavy larvae populations can reduce plant vigor and damage melon rinds making the produce unfit for consumption or market.
Note: Adult and larval stages of the cucumber beetle transmit several plant diseases, including bacterial wilt and mosaic virus in cucurbits.
Life Cycle
Adult beetles overwinter in plant debris and garden trash. Females leave their winter sites in early spring and deposit up to 800 orange-yellow eggs in the soil near the base of plants. In about 10 days hatching occurs and the larvae feed for three or more weeks before pupating. First generation adults emerge 10 days later. A complete life cycle requires 6-9 weeks. Up to four generations can be produced in a single growing season.
Control
Select resistant varieties whenever possible.
Inspect plants frequently for beetles and handpick any that are discovered.
Floating row covers are extremely effective when placed on seedlings and left in place until plants are old enough to tolerate beetle damage.
Commercially available beneficial insects, such as ladybugs, green lacewing and the spined soldier bug, will feed on pest eggs.
Beneficial nematodes work well to curtail immature stages developing in the soil.
When applied to plants, Surround WP (kaolin clay) leaves a fine powdery film that insects find unattractive for feeding and egg-laying.
Spinosad, the active ingredient in Monterey Garden Insect Spray is approved for organic use and works on a long list of insects found on vegetable crops.
If pest levels become intolerable, spot treat with a fast-acting organic insecticide. For best results, apply to the undersides of leaves and deep into the plant canopy where insects hide.
Remove garden trash and other debris shortly after harvest to reduce overwintering sites.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月13日
Orchids have a love/hate relationship with fungi.
Many people know that orchids developed their amazing flowers to attract very specific pollinators in the wild, but fewer people are aware of the plant's relationship to various fungus. After pollination, an orchid plant produces a large seed pod. This seed pod is filled with thousands or even tens of thousands of tiny seeds. In general, plants have two strategies with seeds: they either produce very few large seeds that are loaded with food and nutrients to help the seed germinate, or they produce many smaller seeds but invest less in each seed.
Orchids are definitely among the latter group: their seeds tend to be tiny, vulnerable little packets of cells that can't even properly germinate on their own. After an orchid seed is released from its seed pod, it floats on the wind until it lands in a suitable location. Once there, the seed must be colonized by a specific kind of fungus. The colonized orchid seed destroys and digests the fungal, drawing enough energy from it to begin germination. So it's fair to say that orchids would not exist without fungus.
Common Fungi
In cultivation, however, various fungi extract a terrifying revenge: they are among the most common killers of orchids. Orchids are susceptible to some fungi, including Pythium, Phytophthora, Rhizoctonia, Fusarium, Anthracnose, Botrytis, and Cercospora, among others. These fungal agents attack various parts of the plant, including roots, stems, leaves, and flowers. Destructive by themselves, fungal attacks also leave the plant vulnerable to opportunistic infection by bacteria.
Why Is Fungi an Issue?
Part of the reason fungi is such a problem in orchids is because they naturally thrive under the same conditions that many people assume orchids like wet, humid, and still. This, however, is something of a misconception. Most orchids we grow are canopy plants, not swamp plants.
They rely on good air circulation and drying periods to stay healthy. So the first and best defense against fungal attacks is cultural: don't let your plants stay wet, never head into a night with wet plants, and provide plenty of strong airflows to keep your plants healthy.
That said, however, most orchid growers will deal with some fungal infection at some point, especially the annoying black leaf spots that disfigure our perfect plants. In most cases, these infections can be successfully treated by spraying early with an effective anti-fungal agent.
Many people know that orchids developed their amazing flowers to attract very specific pollinators in the wild, but fewer people are aware of the plant's relationship to various fungus. After pollination, an orchid plant produces a large seed pod. This seed pod is filled with thousands or even tens of thousands of tiny seeds. In general, plants have two strategies with seeds: they either produce very few large seeds that are loaded with food and nutrients to help the seed germinate, or they produce many smaller seeds but invest less in each seed.
Orchids are definitely among the latter group: their seeds tend to be tiny, vulnerable little packets of cells that can't even properly germinate on their own. After an orchid seed is released from its seed pod, it floats on the wind until it lands in a suitable location. Once there, the seed must be colonized by a specific kind of fungus. The colonized orchid seed destroys and digests the fungal, drawing enough energy from it to begin germination. So it's fair to say that orchids would not exist without fungus.
Common Fungi
In cultivation, however, various fungi extract a terrifying revenge: they are among the most common killers of orchids. Orchids are susceptible to some fungi, including Pythium, Phytophthora, Rhizoctonia, Fusarium, Anthracnose, Botrytis, and Cercospora, among others. These fungal agents attack various parts of the plant, including roots, stems, leaves, and flowers. Destructive by themselves, fungal attacks also leave the plant vulnerable to opportunistic infection by bacteria.
Why Is Fungi an Issue?
Part of the reason fungi is such a problem in orchids is because they naturally thrive under the same conditions that many people assume orchids like wet, humid, and still. This, however, is something of a misconception. Most orchids we grow are canopy plants, not swamp plants.
They rely on good air circulation and drying periods to stay healthy. So the first and best defense against fungal attacks is cultural: don't let your plants stay wet, never head into a night with wet plants, and provide plenty of strong airflows to keep your plants healthy.
That said, however, most orchid growers will deal with some fungal infection at some point, especially the annoying black leaf spots that disfigure our perfect plants. In most cases, these infections can be successfully treated by spraying early with an effective anti-fungal agent.
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Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月13日
A powdery white growth on leaves is the first evidence of this fungal disease, which affects beans, cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, lettuce, peas and many other kinds of plants. The fungus can spread to flowers and fruit. New growth and succulent plant tissues are particularly vulnerable to infection. Infected areas eventually turn yellow and dry up; severe infection can weaken or even kill entire plants.
Unlike other fungal diseases, powdery mildew does not require wet foliage for infection to occur, although it does require high humidity. It can spread quickly in warm, dry climates. The fungus overwinters on plant debris.
Prevention and Control
Plant powdery mildew-resistant varieties, such as Super Sugar Snap pea.
Water plants as needed to prevent moisture stress.
Keep plants well spaced and weeded to optimize air flow around the leaves.
Avoid excess nitrogen fertilizer, especially late in the growing season.
Unlike other fungal diseases, powdery mildew does not require wet foliage for infection to occur, although it does require high humidity. It can spread quickly in warm, dry climates. The fungus overwinters on plant debris.
Prevention and Control
Plant powdery mildew-resistant varieties, such as Super Sugar Snap pea.
Water plants as needed to prevent moisture stress.
Keep plants well spaced and weeded to optimize air flow around the leaves.
Avoid excess nitrogen fertilizer, especially late in the growing season.
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Lucky Coyote
2017年09月06日
the stonecrops in my front yard have different coloured flowers, is that normal
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Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月03日
Vitex (chaste tree, Vitex agnus-castus) blooms from late spring until early fall with long, upright spikes of pink, lilac and white flowers. Any shrub or tree that blooms all summer is well worth planting, but when it also has pleasantly fragrant flowers and foliage, it becomes a must-have plant. Chaste tree garden care is easy, but there are a few care essentials you need to know to get the most from this outstanding plant.
Chaste Tree Info
The chaste tree is a native of China, but it has a long history in the U.S. It was first cultivated in 1670, and since that time it has become naturalized throughout the Southern part of the country. Many southerners use it as a replacement for lilacs, which don’t tolerate hot summers. Chaste trees, which are considered shrubs or small trees, grow 15 to 20 feet tall with a spread of 10 to 15 feet. It attracts butterflies and bees, and it makes an excellent honey plant. Wildlife shuns the seeds, and it’s just as well because you’ll have to remove the flower spikes before they go to seed to keep the plant flowering.
Chaste Tree Cultivation
Chaste trees need full sun and very well-drained soil. It’s best not to plant them in soil that is rich in organic matter because organically rich soils hold too much moisture close to the roots. Chaste trees do very well in xeric gardens where water is scarce. Once established, you’ll probably never have to water a chaste tree. Inorganic mulch, such as pebbles or stones, allows the soil to dry between rains. Avoid using organic mulches such as bark, shredded wood or straw. Fertilize the plant every year or two with general-purpose fertilizer.
Chaste trees freeze and die back to ground level during severe weather. This isn’t a cause for concern because they regrow quickly from the roots. Nurseries sometimes prune the plant into a small tree by removing some of the main stems and all of the lower branches; but when it regrows, it will be a multi-stemmed shrub. You’ll need to prune annually to control the shape and size and encourage branching. In addition, you should remove the flower spikes when the blossoms fade. Allowing the seeds that follow the flowers to mature reduces the number of flower spikes late in the season.
Chaste Tree Info
The chaste tree is a native of China, but it has a long history in the U.S. It was first cultivated in 1670, and since that time it has become naturalized throughout the Southern part of the country. Many southerners use it as a replacement for lilacs, which don’t tolerate hot summers. Chaste trees, which are considered shrubs or small trees, grow 15 to 20 feet tall with a spread of 10 to 15 feet. It attracts butterflies and bees, and it makes an excellent honey plant. Wildlife shuns the seeds, and it’s just as well because you’ll have to remove the flower spikes before they go to seed to keep the plant flowering.
Chaste Tree Cultivation
Chaste trees need full sun and very well-drained soil. It’s best not to plant them in soil that is rich in organic matter because organically rich soils hold too much moisture close to the roots. Chaste trees do very well in xeric gardens where water is scarce. Once established, you’ll probably never have to water a chaste tree. Inorganic mulch, such as pebbles or stones, allows the soil to dry between rains. Avoid using organic mulches such as bark, shredded wood or straw. Fertilize the plant every year or two with general-purpose fertilizer.
Chaste trees freeze and die back to ground level during severe weather. This isn’t a cause for concern because they regrow quickly from the roots. Nurseries sometimes prune the plant into a small tree by removing some of the main stems and all of the lower branches; but when it regrows, it will be a multi-stemmed shrub. You’ll need to prune annually to control the shape and size and encourage branching. In addition, you should remove the flower spikes when the blossoms fade. Allowing the seeds that follow the flowers to mature reduces the number of flower spikes late in the season.
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Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月03日
Across the midwest United States, you may find a bright green tree with lacy panicles of creamy white flowers. The catalpa is native to parts of North America and frequently grows in hot dry soils. What is a catalpa tree? It is a softly rounded tree with lovely flowers and interesting pod-like fruit. The plant has an interesting use for fishermen and is an important tree for land reclamation. Try growing a catalpa tree in your yard and admire the attractive leaves and showy spring showers of white flowers.
What is a Catalpa Tree?
Catalpa trees are 40- to 70-foot tall trees with arching canopies and an average lifespan of 60 years. The deciduous plants are hardy to USDA planting zones 4 to 8 and can tolerate moist soils but are more suited to dry areas. The leaves are arrow-shaped and glossy bright green. In fall they turn a bright yellow-green before dropping as cold temperatures and chilly winds arrive. Flowers appear in spring and last into early summer. The fruit is a long bean-shaped pod, 8 to 20 inches long. The tree is useful as a shade tree, along streets and in dry, hard-to-plant sites. However, the pods can become a litter problem.
How to Grow a Catalpa Tree
Catalpa trees are quite adaptable to different soil conditions. They perform well in both full sun to partial shade locations. Growing catalpa trees is easy but they have the tendency to naturalize in areas where the tree isn’t native. This potentially invasive potential is more common in border states around the plant’s natural range. Trees may start from dropped seed but this is easily avoided by raking up the dropped seed pods. The tree is regularly planted to attract catalpa worms, which fishermen freeze and use to attract fish. The ease of catalpa tree care and its rapid growth make it ideal for areas where a quickly maturing tree line is desired.
Catalpa Tree Planting
Choose a bright sunny location for growing Catalpa trees. Ideally, the soil should be moist and rich, although the plant can tolerate dry and inhospitable sites. Dig a hole twice as deep and twice as wide as the root ball. Fluff out the roots to the edges of the hole and fill in around them with well worked soil. Use a stake on young trees to ensure straight growth. Water the plant well and every week until it has established. Once the tree has rooted, water is only needed in periods of extreme drought.
Catalpa Tree Care
Young trees should be pruned to encourage good growth. Prune in spring one year after planting. Remove suckers and train the tree to a straight leader trunk. Once the tree is mature, it is necessary to prune it to keep low growing branches from impeding maintenance under the plant. These are tough trees and don’t require much babying. Fertilize in spring with a balanced fertilizer to promote health. Watch for insects and other pests and avoid overhead watering, which can cause mildew and fungal problems.
What is a Catalpa Tree?
Catalpa trees are 40- to 70-foot tall trees with arching canopies and an average lifespan of 60 years. The deciduous plants are hardy to USDA planting zones 4 to 8 and can tolerate moist soils but are more suited to dry areas. The leaves are arrow-shaped and glossy bright green. In fall they turn a bright yellow-green before dropping as cold temperatures and chilly winds arrive. Flowers appear in spring and last into early summer. The fruit is a long bean-shaped pod, 8 to 20 inches long. The tree is useful as a shade tree, along streets and in dry, hard-to-plant sites. However, the pods can become a litter problem.
How to Grow a Catalpa Tree
Catalpa trees are quite adaptable to different soil conditions. They perform well in both full sun to partial shade locations. Growing catalpa trees is easy but they have the tendency to naturalize in areas where the tree isn’t native. This potentially invasive potential is more common in border states around the plant’s natural range. Trees may start from dropped seed but this is easily avoided by raking up the dropped seed pods. The tree is regularly planted to attract catalpa worms, which fishermen freeze and use to attract fish. The ease of catalpa tree care and its rapid growth make it ideal for areas where a quickly maturing tree line is desired.
Catalpa Tree Planting
Choose a bright sunny location for growing Catalpa trees. Ideally, the soil should be moist and rich, although the plant can tolerate dry and inhospitable sites. Dig a hole twice as deep and twice as wide as the root ball. Fluff out the roots to the edges of the hole and fill in around them with well worked soil. Use a stake on young trees to ensure straight growth. Water the plant well and every week until it has established. Once the tree has rooted, water is only needed in periods of extreme drought.
Catalpa Tree Care
Young trees should be pruned to encourage good growth. Prune in spring one year after planting. Remove suckers and train the tree to a straight leader trunk. Once the tree is mature, it is necessary to prune it to keep low growing branches from impeding maintenance under the plant. These are tough trees and don’t require much babying. Fertilize in spring with a balanced fertilizer to promote health. Watch for insects and other pests and avoid overhead watering, which can cause mildew and fungal problems.
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Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月03日
The calabash tree (Crescentia cujete) is a small evergreen that grows up to 25 feet tall and produces unusual flowers and fruits. The flowers are greenish yellow with red veins, while the fruit – large, round and hard – hang directly beneath the branches. Read on for more calabash tree facts, including information about how to grow a calabash tree.
Calabash Tree Information
The calabash tree has a broad, irregular crown with wide, spreading branched. The leaves are two to six inches long. Orchids grow in the bark of these trees in the wild. Calabash tree facts indicate that the tree’s flowers, each about two inches wide, are cup shaped. They seem to grow directly from the calabash branches. They only bloom at night and emit a slight odor. By noon of the following day, the flowers wilt and die.
The calabash tree flowers are pollinated by bats during the night. In time, the trees produce the round fruit. These large fruits take six months to ripen. Calabash tree facts make clear that the fruits are not edible to humans but they are used for a variety of ornamental purposes. For example, the shells are used to make musical instruments. Horses, however, are said to crack open the hard shells. They eat the fruit without detrimental effect. Black calabash trees (Amphitecna latifolia) share many of the same characteristics of the calabash and are from the same family. They grow to about the same height, and produce leaves and flowers that resemble those of the calabash. The black calabash fruits, however, are edible. DO NOT confuse the two trees.
How to Grow a Calabash Tree
If you are wondering how to grow a calabash tree, the trees grow from the seeds inside the fruit. The shell of the fruit is surrounded by pulp in which the brown seeds are located. Plant the seeds in almost any type of soil, and be sure to keep the soil moist. The calabash tree, whether a seedling or a mature specimen, cannot tolerate drought.
A calabash tree can only be planted in areas without frost. The tree cannot tolerate even the lightest frost. It thrives in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10b through 11. Calabash tree care includes providing regular water to the tree. Be careful if planting a calabash near the sea, as it has no salt tolerance.
Calabash Tree Information
The calabash tree has a broad, irregular crown with wide, spreading branched. The leaves are two to six inches long. Orchids grow in the bark of these trees in the wild. Calabash tree facts indicate that the tree’s flowers, each about two inches wide, are cup shaped. They seem to grow directly from the calabash branches. They only bloom at night and emit a slight odor. By noon of the following day, the flowers wilt and die.
The calabash tree flowers are pollinated by bats during the night. In time, the trees produce the round fruit. These large fruits take six months to ripen. Calabash tree facts make clear that the fruits are not edible to humans but they are used for a variety of ornamental purposes. For example, the shells are used to make musical instruments. Horses, however, are said to crack open the hard shells. They eat the fruit without detrimental effect. Black calabash trees (Amphitecna latifolia) share many of the same characteristics of the calabash and are from the same family. They grow to about the same height, and produce leaves and flowers that resemble those of the calabash. The black calabash fruits, however, are edible. DO NOT confuse the two trees.
How to Grow a Calabash Tree
If you are wondering how to grow a calabash tree, the trees grow from the seeds inside the fruit. The shell of the fruit is surrounded by pulp in which the brown seeds are located. Plant the seeds in almost any type of soil, and be sure to keep the soil moist. The calabash tree, whether a seedling or a mature specimen, cannot tolerate drought.
A calabash tree can only be planted in areas without frost. The tree cannot tolerate even the lightest frost. It thrives in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10b through 11. Calabash tree care includes providing regular water to the tree. Be careful if planting a calabash near the sea, as it has no salt tolerance.
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Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月03日
Also called Sabal palms, cabbage tree palms (Livistona australis) are a native American tree that ideal for warm, coastal areas. When planted as street trees or in groups, they give the entire area a tropical atmosphere. Showy white flowers on long, branching stalks bloom in early summer, followed by dark, edible berries in fall. The fruit is edible, but more appealing to wildlife than humans.
What are Cabbage Palms?
Cabbage palms are capable of reaching heights of 90 feet or more in the wild, but in cultivation they usually grow only 40 to 60 feet tall. The tree’s 18- to 24-inch wide trunk is topped by a rounded canopy of long fronds. It isn’t usually considered a good shade tree, but clusters of cabbage palms can provide moderate shade. The lower fronds sometimes drop from the tree leaving their base, called a boot, attached to the trunk. These boots create the cross-hatched pattern on the trunk of the tree. As the tree matures, the older boots fall off leaving the lower part of the trunk smooth.
Cabbage Palm Growing Region
The cabbage palm growing region includes USDA plant hardiness zones 8b through 11. Temperatures below 11 F. (-11 C.) can kill the plant. Cabbage palms are particularly well-adapted to the Southeast, and they are the state tree of both South Carolina and Florida. Nearly hurricane-proof, the tree remains standing against the wind long after pine trees snap in two and oaks are uprooted. Choose a sunny or partly shaded site in any well-drained soil. The hardest part about growing a cabbage palm tree is getting it planted just right. Take care with the roots when transplanting the tree. Cabbage palms are drought-tolerant, but only after all the roots that were damaged during transplanting regrow from the base of the tree. Until then, you’ll have to water deeply and often to make sure the tree gets the moisture it needs.
Cabbage palm care is easy once the tree is established. In fact, it will do just fine if left to its own devices. One thing you may want to do is remove the little seedlings that come up where the fruit falls to the ground because they can become weedy.
What are Cabbage Palms?
Cabbage palms are capable of reaching heights of 90 feet or more in the wild, but in cultivation they usually grow only 40 to 60 feet tall. The tree’s 18- to 24-inch wide trunk is topped by a rounded canopy of long fronds. It isn’t usually considered a good shade tree, but clusters of cabbage palms can provide moderate shade. The lower fronds sometimes drop from the tree leaving their base, called a boot, attached to the trunk. These boots create the cross-hatched pattern on the trunk of the tree. As the tree matures, the older boots fall off leaving the lower part of the trunk smooth.
Cabbage Palm Growing Region
The cabbage palm growing region includes USDA plant hardiness zones 8b through 11. Temperatures below 11 F. (-11 C.) can kill the plant. Cabbage palms are particularly well-adapted to the Southeast, and they are the state tree of both South Carolina and Florida. Nearly hurricane-proof, the tree remains standing against the wind long after pine trees snap in two and oaks are uprooted. Choose a sunny or partly shaded site in any well-drained soil. The hardest part about growing a cabbage palm tree is getting it planted just right. Take care with the roots when transplanting the tree. Cabbage palms are drought-tolerant, but only after all the roots that were damaged during transplanting regrow from the base of the tree. Until then, you’ll have to water deeply and often to make sure the tree gets the moisture it needs.
Cabbage palm care is easy once the tree is established. In fact, it will do just fine if left to its own devices. One thing you may want to do is remove the little seedlings that come up where the fruit falls to the ground because they can become weedy.
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Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月03日
Red buckeye trees are relatively easy to care for, medium sized trees or shrubs that produce showy red flowers in the spring. They are a great choice for large, easy decoration along borders. Keep reading to learn more about red buckeye tree care and red buckeye tree growth.
Red Buckeye Tree Growth
What is a red buckeye tree? Red buckeye trees (Aesculus pavia) are North American natives from southern Missouri. They grow in USDA zones 4 through 8. For several weeks in the spring the trees produce bright red panicles of tube-shaped flowers. The flowers have no real scent, but they are striking in color and very attractive to hummingbirds.
Once the flowers fade, they are replaced by dry, round, orange fruits. These fruits are toxic to both animals and humans. Keep this in mind when choosing a planting location. The trees produce a lot of fruit, and when it drops it can be a nuisance to clean up and a real danger to pets and children. Red buckeye trees are deciduous, but their leaves aren’t showy in the fall. They barely change color and drop relatively early.
Red Buckeye Tree Care
Planting a red buckeye tree is relatively easy. The trees can be grown very successfully from seed and should bloom within three years. Red buckeye tree growth is best in rich soil that is well drained but moist. The trees do not handle drought well. They will grow in both shade and sun, but they’ll stay smaller and won’t fill out as nicely in the shade. In sun, the trees tend to grow between 15 and 20 feet in height, though they will sometimes reach as high as 35 feet.
Red Buckeye Tree Growth
What is a red buckeye tree? Red buckeye trees (Aesculus pavia) are North American natives from southern Missouri. They grow in USDA zones 4 through 8. For several weeks in the spring the trees produce bright red panicles of tube-shaped flowers. The flowers have no real scent, but they are striking in color and very attractive to hummingbirds.
Once the flowers fade, they are replaced by dry, round, orange fruits. These fruits are toxic to both animals and humans. Keep this in mind when choosing a planting location. The trees produce a lot of fruit, and when it drops it can be a nuisance to clean up and a real danger to pets and children. Red buckeye trees are deciduous, but their leaves aren’t showy in the fall. They barely change color and drop relatively early.
Red Buckeye Tree Care
Planting a red buckeye tree is relatively easy. The trees can be grown very successfully from seed and should bloom within three years. Red buckeye tree growth is best in rich soil that is well drained but moist. The trees do not handle drought well. They will grow in both shade and sun, but they’ll stay smaller and won’t fill out as nicely in the shade. In sun, the trees tend to grow between 15 and 20 feet in height, though they will sometimes reach as high as 35 feet.
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