文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月17日
Succulents may be most commonly grown in containers. However, they’re ideal for outdoor rock gardens and sculptural gardens. They can even serve as ground cover in rocky or sandy soils. If you don’t have garden space, grow succulents vertically outdoors. Living wall planters can be made from old pallets, picture frames, fence slats or shutters. Below are some of the most popular succulents for growing outdoors.
Agave: Some people refer to Agave plants as “dinosaur plants”. They look like massive versions of the Aloe plant, except the Agave leaves are grayer. This standout succulent makes a fantastic focal point in any yard. Agave grows more quickly in the ground than in containers. It does best when you ignore it. It prefers rocky or sandy soil and isn’t picky about the soil’s pH. You don’t want to fertilize an Agave plant. If it gets too much nourishment, it will bloom. Although the flowers can be massive and beautiful, the plant dies after it blooms.
Watch Chain Plant (Crassula muscosa): This plant is referred to as a “Watch Chain” or “Zipper Plant” because of the way it creates intricate braid-like patterns as it grows. The small, green leaves are crowded around a narrow stem. This succulent is easy to grow. In fact, it can take over your garden if that’s what you want. It’s perfect for people who don’t want to spend a lot of time tending to their gardens.
Dasylirion: These stunning plants resemble a lion’s mane or palm tree. Many people are surprised to find out that the Dasylirion is a succulent. Dasylirion grows well in USDA plant hardiness zone 8 to 11. It develops into a bushy sphere up to 4 feet (1.2 m) in diameter. The spiny leaves grow out of a trunk that grows into a thick cylinder. You can keep the plant from looking too unkempt by stripping the lower leaves around the trunk.
Agave: Some people refer to Agave plants as “dinosaur plants”. They look like massive versions of the Aloe plant, except the Agave leaves are grayer. This standout succulent makes a fantastic focal point in any yard. Agave grows more quickly in the ground than in containers. It does best when you ignore it. It prefers rocky or sandy soil and isn’t picky about the soil’s pH. You don’t want to fertilize an Agave plant. If it gets too much nourishment, it will bloom. Although the flowers can be massive and beautiful, the plant dies after it blooms.
Watch Chain Plant (Crassula muscosa): This plant is referred to as a “Watch Chain” or “Zipper Plant” because of the way it creates intricate braid-like patterns as it grows. The small, green leaves are crowded around a narrow stem. This succulent is easy to grow. In fact, it can take over your garden if that’s what you want. It’s perfect for people who don’t want to spend a lot of time tending to their gardens.
Dasylirion: These stunning plants resemble a lion’s mane or palm tree. Many people are surprised to find out that the Dasylirion is a succulent. Dasylirion grows well in USDA plant hardiness zone 8 to 11. It develops into a bushy sphere up to 4 feet (1.2 m) in diameter. The spiny leaves grow out of a trunk that grows into a thick cylinder. You can keep the plant from looking too unkempt by stripping the lower leaves around the trunk.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月17日
Annual winter weeds germinate in the fall and winter and grow actively in spring. Gardeners are often surprised how quickly these weeds can seemingly pop up overnight in their yards and gardens, being unaware that they may have been growing slowly all winter long. After they flower in spring they die and disappear for the summer only to return in fall or winter when new seeds germinate.
Some of the more common annual winter weeds in the Midwest are henbit, deadnettle, common chickweed, annual bluegrass, wild mustards, prickly lettuce, Persian speedwell, horseweed, cheatgrass and rabbitfoot clover. Some people do not consider these plants as weeds, as some can also be used for food or have been used for medicinal purposes.
Deadnettle and Henbit
Deadnettle (Lamium purpureum) and henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) are often confused. These winter weeds are both in the mint family and have square stems with opposite leaves. Both plants have pink/purple flowers and can reach 16 inches high but more commonly reach only about 6 inches high in the Midwest. Henbit has circular or rounded leaves with rounded teeth on the leaf margin. Deadnettle has triangular shaped leaves and less deeply lobed than henbit and at times the upper leaves are purple or red. Both plants are decumbent in youth but more upright with age. Flowers appear in whorls in the leaf axis of upper leaves from March to May and are tube-like with 2 lips.
Common Chickweed
Common chickweed (Stellaria media) is a winter annual with a shallow fibrous root which grows in moist, cool shaded areas. The bright green leaves are about ½ inch long, smooth, pointed at the tip, and elliptic in shape. They have opposite branching, slender, creeping stems which root at the nodes. The white flowers of chickweed are ½ inch in diameter and star-shaped with five deeply notched petals. Flowering occurs from early spring to fall. Chickweed reproduces by seed and rooting at the nodes on prostrate stems. The fruit contains many seeds within a dry capsule which splits when mature, shaking out the seeds onto the soil. Seeds will germinate at any time of the year but particularly in spring and autumn. Seeds are dispersed in mud on footwear and tires as well as by animals. Chickweed is found in turfgrass as well as nursery, cultivated horticultural, and agricultural crops. It is a host of several damaging virus diseases of crop plants which can be carried in the chickweed seeds.
Annual Bluegrass
Annual bluegrass (Poa annua) is one of the most common weeds in the United States. It is a native of Europe. Golf courses consider it a particular problem. It is identified by its boat-shaped leaf tips which curve up like the bow of a boat. Annual bluegrass is upright growing (growing 3-12" high) and can be noticed by its pale green spring appearance. It can produce 100 seeds in 8 weeks. It germinates when the temperature falls below 70 degrees and throughout the winter. It usually dies in the summer.
Prickly Lettuce
Prickly lettuce (Lactuca serriola) is in the aster family. It can grow up to 5’ tall. Sometimes this winter weed can be a biennial. It has creamy yellow aster-like flowers. Butterfly larvae feed on this plant. Alternate leaves branch off the main stem. There is a prominent midvein on each leaf which contains a row of spines on the bottom surface. Several edible lettuces, such as crisphead, butterhead, cos, Romaine, loose leaf or bunching, and stem lettuce or celtuce were all derived from this species.
Persian speedwell
Persian speedwell (Veronica persica) is a winter annual with slender, weak stems that grow along the ground but turn up at the tips. In shaded areas it tends to grow more upright. The stems are covered with finely pointed, flattened hairs. The hairy leaf blades are oval to roundish with rounded teeth around the edges. The lower leaves are arranged oppositely and occur on petioles, but the upper leaves occur on the more erect flowering stems, are arranged alternately, and do not have petioles. The flowers occur singly on long, slender flower stalks which arise from the leaf axils. The small flowers are usually light blue in color with darker blue lines and a pale blue to white center. Prior to flowering, the speedwells are often misidentified as ground ivy, henbit, or purple deadnettle. However, ground ivy does not have hairy leaves and both henbit and purple deadnettle have leaves that are arranged oppositely along the flowering stem. Speedwell is primarily a weed of lawns, turfgrass, landscapes, nurseries, and winter small grains.
Horseweed
Horseweed or mare's tail (Conya canadensis) can grow to 6 1/2 ’ tall. A mature plant has alternate leaves that have no petiole. Young leaves are egg-shaped with toothed margins but mature leaves are 3-4 inches long, hairy, and oblanceolate in shape (broader and rounded at the apex, and tapering at the base.) Plant has a taproot. Small inconspicuous flower heads are at the top of the central stem. Flowers are about 1/4 inch in diameter, with white or slightly pink ray flowers. This is a composite flower and there are many tiny disk flowers in the flower head (like daisies and coneflowers). In the early stages, this plant resembles shepherd’s purse or Virginia pepperweed. The fruit (or seed) is a 1/16 inch long achene that does not split open when it is ripe. It tapers from the apex with many small bristles that aid in wind dispersal. This plant is susceptible to aster yellows.
Cheatgrass
Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) is a winter annual that has a fine feathery appearance, with slender light-green stems drooping at the tips where the seeds form. Seed spikelets and their bristles can be 2 inches long. Mature grass grows to 30 inches and turns first purple, and then brown, as it dries. Cheatgrass occurs throughout most of the United States and is on state noxious weed lists in 43 states. It grows on rangelands, pastures, prairies, fields, eroded sites and roadsides. Cheatgrass can alter ecosystems by maintaining dominance for years on sites where native vegetation has been eliminated or severely reduced due to grazing, cultivation, or fire. Moreover, it increases the frequency and timing of wildfires. At maturity the sharp-pointed bristly sections can injure wildlife species by working into the nose, ears, mouth, or eyes. Spikelets can also cling to clothing.
Rabbitfoot Clover
Rabbitfoot clover (Trifolium arvense) is in the pea family. This winter weed has a multi-branched growth habit and is 4-16 inches tall. It came from Eurasia and is naturalized now. Both stems and leaves are densely hairy. Leaves consist of 3 narrow leaflets with minute teeth-like projections at the tip. Flowers are small and pink to purple in color. They are clustered in grayish soft and silky cylinder-shaped heads. It flowers in the spring, and reproduces by seed. Rabbitfoot clover is found in the Southeast United States, west to Louisiana and north to Missouri. Rabbitfoot clover contributes nitrogen to the soil, as do other clovers, but it grows in unimproved sandy soils in semi-arid grasslands.
Bedstraw
Bedstraw (Galium aparine) is a winter annual with square stems and short, downward pointing hooks on the stem corners. The stems are weakly branched, prostrate on the ground or climbing on other plants producing a tangled mass. The rough hairy leaves grow in whorls of six to eight. The tiny white flowers have four-lobed pointed petals on long flower stalks. Bedstraw is found in moist shady areas, thickets, valleys, roadsides, waste ground, under trees, and clearings. The hooked spines of the stems, leaves and seeds cling to just about everything and are difficult to remove. The burr-like seeds are produced in pairs and are covered with hooked hairs. This clinging characteristic minimized matting when bedstraw was used as a mattress filling.
Shepherd's Purse and other mustards
Shepherd’s purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) is a winter annual with erect stems that grow 3 to 18 inches tall from a basal rosette quite similar to that of a dandelion. The rosette grows to be 4 to 8 inches in diameter. Shepherd’s purse has alternate leaves with the lower leaves more deeply lobed than the upper leaves. The flowers are small and white, appearing in clusters at the top of the stalk from early spring to early winter. Each flower has four petals and develops into a heart-shaped or triangular seedpod which, when the pod dries, splits in half releasing the mature seeds. The seedpods are supposed to resemble the purses of ancient shepherds. It does best in sunny, rich, disturbed soil, but it will also grow in partly shaded, extremely poor soils.. It can be found in flowerbeds, lawns, sidewalk cracks and along the edges of sidewalks and paths.
Integrated Pest Mangement Strategies
1. Encourage grass. Keep lawn areas thick and mulch flowerbeds to help prevent weed seeds from germinating.
2. Removal. Dig or pull the weeds in the winter or spring before they flower and set seed for the next year.
3. Good sanitation. Use good cultural and sanitation practices to prevent the spread of weeds. Small weed seeds can be spread by machines, clothing, pets, and by contaminated seed.
4. Use chemical herbicides. For established weeds the best time to apply herbicides is early spring when the weeds are actively growing but before they go to seed. Herbicides containing Dicamba and/or MCPA or MCPP are more effective than 2,4-D alone. After you have identified the weed you have, check product labels or resource materials to see which herbicides are most effective for that weed or combination of weeds. Use herbicides with caution around desirable plants that may be damaged. Read label directions and cautions carefully.
5. Use pre-emergent herbicide. To prevent germination of the seeds of these winter annuals, apply a pre-emergent herbicide, such as, Gallery in late summer or early fall before the weed seeds have germinated.
Some of the more common annual winter weeds in the Midwest are henbit, deadnettle, common chickweed, annual bluegrass, wild mustards, prickly lettuce, Persian speedwell, horseweed, cheatgrass and rabbitfoot clover. Some people do not consider these plants as weeds, as some can also be used for food or have been used for medicinal purposes.
Deadnettle and Henbit
Deadnettle (Lamium purpureum) and henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) are often confused. These winter weeds are both in the mint family and have square stems with opposite leaves. Both plants have pink/purple flowers and can reach 16 inches high but more commonly reach only about 6 inches high in the Midwest. Henbit has circular or rounded leaves with rounded teeth on the leaf margin. Deadnettle has triangular shaped leaves and less deeply lobed than henbit and at times the upper leaves are purple or red. Both plants are decumbent in youth but more upright with age. Flowers appear in whorls in the leaf axis of upper leaves from March to May and are tube-like with 2 lips.
Common Chickweed
Common chickweed (Stellaria media) is a winter annual with a shallow fibrous root which grows in moist, cool shaded areas. The bright green leaves are about ½ inch long, smooth, pointed at the tip, and elliptic in shape. They have opposite branching, slender, creeping stems which root at the nodes. The white flowers of chickweed are ½ inch in diameter and star-shaped with five deeply notched petals. Flowering occurs from early spring to fall. Chickweed reproduces by seed and rooting at the nodes on prostrate stems. The fruit contains many seeds within a dry capsule which splits when mature, shaking out the seeds onto the soil. Seeds will germinate at any time of the year but particularly in spring and autumn. Seeds are dispersed in mud on footwear and tires as well as by animals. Chickweed is found in turfgrass as well as nursery, cultivated horticultural, and agricultural crops. It is a host of several damaging virus diseases of crop plants which can be carried in the chickweed seeds.
Annual Bluegrass
Annual bluegrass (Poa annua) is one of the most common weeds in the United States. It is a native of Europe. Golf courses consider it a particular problem. It is identified by its boat-shaped leaf tips which curve up like the bow of a boat. Annual bluegrass is upright growing (growing 3-12" high) and can be noticed by its pale green spring appearance. It can produce 100 seeds in 8 weeks. It germinates when the temperature falls below 70 degrees and throughout the winter. It usually dies in the summer.
Prickly Lettuce
Prickly lettuce (Lactuca serriola) is in the aster family. It can grow up to 5’ tall. Sometimes this winter weed can be a biennial. It has creamy yellow aster-like flowers. Butterfly larvae feed on this plant. Alternate leaves branch off the main stem. There is a prominent midvein on each leaf which contains a row of spines on the bottom surface. Several edible lettuces, such as crisphead, butterhead, cos, Romaine, loose leaf or bunching, and stem lettuce or celtuce were all derived from this species.
Persian speedwell
Persian speedwell (Veronica persica) is a winter annual with slender, weak stems that grow along the ground but turn up at the tips. In shaded areas it tends to grow more upright. The stems are covered with finely pointed, flattened hairs. The hairy leaf blades are oval to roundish with rounded teeth around the edges. The lower leaves are arranged oppositely and occur on petioles, but the upper leaves occur on the more erect flowering stems, are arranged alternately, and do not have petioles. The flowers occur singly on long, slender flower stalks which arise from the leaf axils. The small flowers are usually light blue in color with darker blue lines and a pale blue to white center. Prior to flowering, the speedwells are often misidentified as ground ivy, henbit, or purple deadnettle. However, ground ivy does not have hairy leaves and both henbit and purple deadnettle have leaves that are arranged oppositely along the flowering stem. Speedwell is primarily a weed of lawns, turfgrass, landscapes, nurseries, and winter small grains.
Horseweed
Horseweed or mare's tail (Conya canadensis) can grow to 6 1/2 ’ tall. A mature plant has alternate leaves that have no petiole. Young leaves are egg-shaped with toothed margins but mature leaves are 3-4 inches long, hairy, and oblanceolate in shape (broader and rounded at the apex, and tapering at the base.) Plant has a taproot. Small inconspicuous flower heads are at the top of the central stem. Flowers are about 1/4 inch in diameter, with white or slightly pink ray flowers. This is a composite flower and there are many tiny disk flowers in the flower head (like daisies and coneflowers). In the early stages, this plant resembles shepherd’s purse or Virginia pepperweed. The fruit (or seed) is a 1/16 inch long achene that does not split open when it is ripe. It tapers from the apex with many small bristles that aid in wind dispersal. This plant is susceptible to aster yellows.
Cheatgrass
Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) is a winter annual that has a fine feathery appearance, with slender light-green stems drooping at the tips where the seeds form. Seed spikelets and their bristles can be 2 inches long. Mature grass grows to 30 inches and turns first purple, and then brown, as it dries. Cheatgrass occurs throughout most of the United States and is on state noxious weed lists in 43 states. It grows on rangelands, pastures, prairies, fields, eroded sites and roadsides. Cheatgrass can alter ecosystems by maintaining dominance for years on sites where native vegetation has been eliminated or severely reduced due to grazing, cultivation, or fire. Moreover, it increases the frequency and timing of wildfires. At maturity the sharp-pointed bristly sections can injure wildlife species by working into the nose, ears, mouth, or eyes. Spikelets can also cling to clothing.
Rabbitfoot Clover
Rabbitfoot clover (Trifolium arvense) is in the pea family. This winter weed has a multi-branched growth habit and is 4-16 inches tall. It came from Eurasia and is naturalized now. Both stems and leaves are densely hairy. Leaves consist of 3 narrow leaflets with minute teeth-like projections at the tip. Flowers are small and pink to purple in color. They are clustered in grayish soft and silky cylinder-shaped heads. It flowers in the spring, and reproduces by seed. Rabbitfoot clover is found in the Southeast United States, west to Louisiana and north to Missouri. Rabbitfoot clover contributes nitrogen to the soil, as do other clovers, but it grows in unimproved sandy soils in semi-arid grasslands.
Bedstraw
Bedstraw (Galium aparine) is a winter annual with square stems and short, downward pointing hooks on the stem corners. The stems are weakly branched, prostrate on the ground or climbing on other plants producing a tangled mass. The rough hairy leaves grow in whorls of six to eight. The tiny white flowers have four-lobed pointed petals on long flower stalks. Bedstraw is found in moist shady areas, thickets, valleys, roadsides, waste ground, under trees, and clearings. The hooked spines of the stems, leaves and seeds cling to just about everything and are difficult to remove. The burr-like seeds are produced in pairs and are covered with hooked hairs. This clinging characteristic minimized matting when bedstraw was used as a mattress filling.
Shepherd's Purse and other mustards
Shepherd’s purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) is a winter annual with erect stems that grow 3 to 18 inches tall from a basal rosette quite similar to that of a dandelion. The rosette grows to be 4 to 8 inches in diameter. Shepherd’s purse has alternate leaves with the lower leaves more deeply lobed than the upper leaves. The flowers are small and white, appearing in clusters at the top of the stalk from early spring to early winter. Each flower has four petals and develops into a heart-shaped or triangular seedpod which, when the pod dries, splits in half releasing the mature seeds. The seedpods are supposed to resemble the purses of ancient shepherds. It does best in sunny, rich, disturbed soil, but it will also grow in partly shaded, extremely poor soils.. It can be found in flowerbeds, lawns, sidewalk cracks and along the edges of sidewalks and paths.
Integrated Pest Mangement Strategies
1. Encourage grass. Keep lawn areas thick and mulch flowerbeds to help prevent weed seeds from germinating.
2. Removal. Dig or pull the weeds in the winter or spring before they flower and set seed for the next year.
3. Good sanitation. Use good cultural and sanitation practices to prevent the spread of weeds. Small weed seeds can be spread by machines, clothing, pets, and by contaminated seed.
4. Use chemical herbicides. For established weeds the best time to apply herbicides is early spring when the weeds are actively growing but before they go to seed. Herbicides containing Dicamba and/or MCPA or MCPP are more effective than 2,4-D alone. After you have identified the weed you have, check product labels or resource materials to see which herbicides are most effective for that weed or combination of weeds. Use herbicides with caution around desirable plants that may be damaged. Read label directions and cautions carefully.
5. Use pre-emergent herbicide. To prevent germination of the seeds of these winter annuals, apply a pre-emergent herbicide, such as, Gallery in late summer or early fall before the weed seeds have germinated.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月15日
One of the most dangerous insects known to man! Yellow jackets (Vespula spp.) are considered beneficial around home gardens at certain times of the year because they prey on insect pests such as caterpillars, spiders, flies and even mollusks. Unfortunately, by late summer when their populations peak, they often become problems around picnic tables, trash cans and hummingbird feeders.
Yellow jackets are more aggressive than other stinging insects, such as wasps, hornets or bees, and will vigorously defend their nests. Swarm attacks can occur when a nest opening is accidentally stepped on or hit with equipment. Ground vibrations from lawnmowers have also been known to trigger an attack, especially in late summer.
Life Cycle
Queen yellow jackets are the only member of a colony that will survive the winter. In the spring, she digs a cavity in the soil or enlarges an existing hole, constructs a nest and lays a dozen or so eggs. After 3-5 days young larvae hatch and are fed by the queen until they mature to workers and can forage for themselves. Eventually, the queen restricts her activity to producing eggs while the workers feed her and care for the larvae and pupae. During the summer, the nest grows until there are several layers of comb enclosed in a paper envelope. In late summer, newly developed males and queens leave the nest and begin mating. Males die shortly after mating, while females seek out suitable sites in which to overwinter.
Control
The best way to get rid of a yellow jacket nest is to spray Safer® Wasp & Hornet Killer directly into the opening. Do this at dusk or early morning when stinging insects are least active.
If you can’t find the nest, hang reusable or disposable traps around backyards and patios, trash cans and campsites to reduce pest numbers.
Designed to mimic an enemy nest, The Original Waspinator works by sending the message that the area is already inhabited. Stinging insects stay away!
Cover trash cans/bins and keep them clean so insects are not attracted. If recycling, rinse materials before putting them in the bin.
Store refuse containers well away from outdoor eating areas to reduce the number of encounters. Keep pet food indoors.
Seal cracks, crevices, vents, screens and other entry points to prevent access into homes or sheds.
Yellow jackets are more aggressive than other stinging insects, such as wasps, hornets or bees, and will vigorously defend their nests. Swarm attacks can occur when a nest opening is accidentally stepped on or hit with equipment. Ground vibrations from lawnmowers have also been known to trigger an attack, especially in late summer.
Life Cycle
Queen yellow jackets are the only member of a colony that will survive the winter. In the spring, she digs a cavity in the soil or enlarges an existing hole, constructs a nest and lays a dozen or so eggs. After 3-5 days young larvae hatch and are fed by the queen until they mature to workers and can forage for themselves. Eventually, the queen restricts her activity to producing eggs while the workers feed her and care for the larvae and pupae. During the summer, the nest grows until there are several layers of comb enclosed in a paper envelope. In late summer, newly developed males and queens leave the nest and begin mating. Males die shortly after mating, while females seek out suitable sites in which to overwinter.
Control
The best way to get rid of a yellow jacket nest is to spray Safer® Wasp & Hornet Killer directly into the opening. Do this at dusk or early morning when stinging insects are least active.
If you can’t find the nest, hang reusable or disposable traps around backyards and patios, trash cans and campsites to reduce pest numbers.
Designed to mimic an enemy nest, The Original Waspinator works by sending the message that the area is already inhabited. Stinging insects stay away!
Cover trash cans/bins and keep them clean so insects are not attracted. If recycling, rinse materials before putting them in the bin.
Store refuse containers well away from outdoor eating areas to reduce the number of encounters. Keep pet food indoors.
Seal cracks, crevices, vents, screens and other entry points to prevent access into homes or sheds.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月15日
Found on a wide range of plants (too many to mention), gray mold (Botrytis cinerea) is a fungal disease that travels quickly through gardens, especially during damp, cool to mild weather. Disease symptoms appear as grayish colored soft, mushy spots on leaves, stems, flowers and on produce. Spots may become covered with a coating of gray fungus spores, especially if humidity is high. Fruit or plants shrivel and rot and often develop black, stone-like sclerotia — a compact mass of hardened fungal filaments — under rotted parts.
Gray mold is often found near the soil surface or in the densest areas of the plant canopy. It develops on wilted flowers first, then spreads quickly to other parts of the plant. The disease may also occur in storage areas causing rotting of harvested fruits and vegetables.
Botrytis blight overwinters on plants, in or on the soil, and as sclerotia. Spores develop when conditions are optimal, and are moved by wind or splashing water onto blossoms or young leaves, where they germinate and enter the plant. Spores require cool temperatures (45-60 F.) and high humidity (93% and above) to germinate. Germinating spores rarely penetrate green, healthy tissue directly, but can enter through wounds on growing plants. Cuttings are particularly susceptible to infection.
Treatment
Prune or stake plants to improve air circulation between plants. Make sure to disinfect your pruning equipment (one part bleach to 4 parts water) after each cut.
If growing indoors use a small clip-on fan to improve air flow.
Keep the soil under plants clean and rake up any fallen debris.
Add a good amount of organic compost or mulch under plants. Mulches will prevent the fungal spores from splashing back up onto flowers and leaves.
Water in the early morning hours, or use a soaker hose, to give plants time to dry out during the day.
Do not compost infected plant leaves or stems, and thoroughly clean up garden areas in the fall to reduce over wintering sites for the fungal spores.
Copper-Soap fungicides will help by protecting plants from disease spores. Apply at the start of flowering and continue every 7-10 days until harvest. Fungicidal sprays are especially warranted when weather forecasts predict a long period of cool, wet weather.
Safely treat most fungal diseases, including Botrytis blight, with SERENADE Garden. This broad spectrum bio-fungicide uses a patented strain of Bacillus subtilis that is registered for organic use. Best of all, SERENADE is completely non-toxic to honey bees and beneficial insects.
Mycostop, a biological fungicide approved for organic use, has shown suppression of the disease. Direct spray (5 gm/ 50 liters of water) to susceptible leaves, flowers and fruits to point of run-off. Apply every 2-3 weeks, or as needed depending on disease pressure.
Green Cure Fungicide contains a patented formula of potassium bicarbonate — commonly used in food products — that kills many plant diseases on contact and provides up to 2 weeks of residual protection. At first sign of disease, mix 1-2 Tbsp/ gallon of water and apply to all exposed surfaces of the plant. For best protection, repeat at 1-2 week intervals until conditions are no longer favorable for disease development.
Gray mold is often found near the soil surface or in the densest areas of the plant canopy. It develops on wilted flowers first, then spreads quickly to other parts of the plant. The disease may also occur in storage areas causing rotting of harvested fruits and vegetables.
Botrytis blight overwinters on plants, in or on the soil, and as sclerotia. Spores develop when conditions are optimal, and are moved by wind or splashing water onto blossoms or young leaves, where they germinate and enter the plant. Spores require cool temperatures (45-60 F.) and high humidity (93% and above) to germinate. Germinating spores rarely penetrate green, healthy tissue directly, but can enter through wounds on growing plants. Cuttings are particularly susceptible to infection.
Treatment
Prune or stake plants to improve air circulation between plants. Make sure to disinfect your pruning equipment (one part bleach to 4 parts water) after each cut.
If growing indoors use a small clip-on fan to improve air flow.
Keep the soil under plants clean and rake up any fallen debris.
Add a good amount of organic compost or mulch under plants. Mulches will prevent the fungal spores from splashing back up onto flowers and leaves.
Water in the early morning hours, or use a soaker hose, to give plants time to dry out during the day.
Do not compost infected plant leaves or stems, and thoroughly clean up garden areas in the fall to reduce over wintering sites for the fungal spores.
Copper-Soap fungicides will help by protecting plants from disease spores. Apply at the start of flowering and continue every 7-10 days until harvest. Fungicidal sprays are especially warranted when weather forecasts predict a long period of cool, wet weather.
Safely treat most fungal diseases, including Botrytis blight, with SERENADE Garden. This broad spectrum bio-fungicide uses a patented strain of Bacillus subtilis that is registered for organic use. Best of all, SERENADE is completely non-toxic to honey bees and beneficial insects.
Mycostop, a biological fungicide approved for organic use, has shown suppression of the disease. Direct spray (5 gm/ 50 liters of water) to susceptible leaves, flowers and fruits to point of run-off. Apply every 2-3 weeks, or as needed depending on disease pressure.
Green Cure Fungicide contains a patented formula of potassium bicarbonate — commonly used in food products — that kills many plant diseases on contact and provides up to 2 weeks of residual protection. At first sign of disease, mix 1-2 Tbsp/ gallon of water and apply to all exposed surfaces of the plant. For best protection, repeat at 1-2 week intervals until conditions are no longer favorable for disease development.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月15日
Frequently found in backyard gardens and small farms, corn smut is caused by the fungus Ustilago zeae and can appear in the stalks, leaves, tassels or ears. Symptoms are most commonly noticed when the ears produce mushroom-like tumors or galls. These “swellings” begin as small, whitish-gray irregularities which expand and turn black as they fill with spores. Ear galls can grow to 4- to 5-inches in diameter and release thousands of spores as they rupture. These fungal spores are blown by the wind for considerable distances to infect new plants. Galls on leaves remain small and eventually become hard and dry.
Corn smut overwinters on garden debris and in the soil. It is carried by wind, rain and irrigation and does best in hot, dry weather. Spores may remain viable for 5- to 7-years. Wounds from various injuries, including cultivation and abrasion from blowing soil, provide points for the fungus to enter the plant.
Treatment
Choose the best resistant varieties, such as silver king, fantasia, brilliant and seneca sensation, when available.
In backyard gardens, collecting and destroying galls before the dark fungal spores are released is suggested. This will limit the number of available fungal spores and help break the disease-cycle.
Reduce infection points by avoiding injury of roots, stalks and leaves during cultivation.
Prevent damage from insects, such as corn borers, with Monterey® Garden Insect Spray or other organic insecticide.
Fungicides are NOT an effective control option since the disease is so widespread and can persist in the soil for years.
High nitrogen fertilizers may increase the severity of the disease — use a balanced organic fertilizer in the vegetable garden.
Remove and destroy all garden debris after harvest and practice crop rotation the following year.
Bag or burn infected plant parts — do NOT compost.
Corn smut overwinters on garden debris and in the soil. It is carried by wind, rain and irrigation and does best in hot, dry weather. Spores may remain viable for 5- to 7-years. Wounds from various injuries, including cultivation and abrasion from blowing soil, provide points for the fungus to enter the plant.
Treatment
Choose the best resistant varieties, such as silver king, fantasia, brilliant and seneca sensation, when available.
In backyard gardens, collecting and destroying galls before the dark fungal spores are released is suggested. This will limit the number of available fungal spores and help break the disease-cycle.
Reduce infection points by avoiding injury of roots, stalks and leaves during cultivation.
Prevent damage from insects, such as corn borers, with Monterey® Garden Insect Spray or other organic insecticide.
Fungicides are NOT an effective control option since the disease is so widespread and can persist in the soil for years.
High nitrogen fertilizers may increase the severity of the disease — use a balanced organic fertilizer in the vegetable garden.
Remove and destroy all garden debris after harvest and practice crop rotation the following year.
Bag or burn infected plant parts — do NOT compost.
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Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月15日
Affecting most brassica crops (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.), club root is a serious plant disease in North American home gardens. It is caused by the soil-borne fungus Plasmodiophora brassicae which infects susceptible plants through root hairs. Diseased roots become swollen, misshapen and deformed (clubbed) often cracking and rotting. As a result, plants have difficulty absorbing water and nutrients properly.
Plants often grow poorly and wilt during the heat of the day; plants often revive during cool nights. Outer leaves may turn yellow, purple or brown. Club root will reduce yields and can cause total crop failure.
Fungal spores can be spread by wind, water and garden tools. Disease development can occur over a wide range of conditions, but is favored by excessive moisture, low soil pH and soil temperatures between 64 and 77˚F. Spores can survive in the soil for as many as 10 years.
Treatment
Fungicides will NOT treat this soil-dwelling micro-organism.
Choose resistant cultivars when possible.
Try to prevent the occurrence of this disease by keeping a clean garden and rotating crops.
Keep in mind that the disease spores can persist in the soil for up to 20 years. If club root is present you may want to solarize the soil.*
Control susceptible weeds — mustard, radish, shepherd’s purse — that may be infected to reduce potential buildup of the disease.
Carefully remove infected plants and sterilize garden tools (one part bleach to 4 parts water) after use.
Raise your soil’s pH to a more alkaline 7.2 by mixing oyster shell or dolomite lime into your garden in the fall. Simple and affordable soil test kits are available to check pH often.
* To solarize your soil, you must leave a clear plastic tarp on the soil surface for 4-6 weeks during the hottest part of the year. Soil solarization will reduce or eliminate many soil inhabiting pests including nematodes, fungi, insects, weeds and weed seeds.
Plants often grow poorly and wilt during the heat of the day; plants often revive during cool nights. Outer leaves may turn yellow, purple or brown. Club root will reduce yields and can cause total crop failure.
Fungal spores can be spread by wind, water and garden tools. Disease development can occur over a wide range of conditions, but is favored by excessive moisture, low soil pH and soil temperatures between 64 and 77˚F. Spores can survive in the soil for as many as 10 years.
Treatment
Fungicides will NOT treat this soil-dwelling micro-organism.
Choose resistant cultivars when possible.
Try to prevent the occurrence of this disease by keeping a clean garden and rotating crops.
Keep in mind that the disease spores can persist in the soil for up to 20 years. If club root is present you may want to solarize the soil.*
Control susceptible weeds — mustard, radish, shepherd’s purse — that may be infected to reduce potential buildup of the disease.
Carefully remove infected plants and sterilize garden tools (one part bleach to 4 parts water) after use.
Raise your soil’s pH to a more alkaline 7.2 by mixing oyster shell or dolomite lime into your garden in the fall. Simple and affordable soil test kits are available to check pH often.
* To solarize your soil, you must leave a clear plastic tarp on the soil surface for 4-6 weeks during the hottest part of the year. Soil solarization will reduce or eliminate many soil inhabiting pests including nematodes, fungi, insects, weeds and weed seeds.
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Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月14日
Common in home gardens across North America, wireworms (up to 1-1/2 inch long) are tough slender worms with shiny skin and three pairs of legs just behind their head. They are yellow to brownish-red in color and feed entirely underground, attacking germinating seeds, roots, bulbs and tubers. Damaged plants soon wilt and die. If infestations are heavy, thin and patchy crops may appear in the garden and reseeding will most likely be necessary.
Note: Wireworms are the larval stage of click beetles. Approximately 1/2 inch long, these brown to black colored, bullet-shaped beetles are notable for their ability to click and right themselves when placed on their backs.
Life Cycle
Wireworm larvae and adults overwinter in the soil. In early spring female beetles emerge from the soil, mate and lay eggs underground. Hatching takes place in 2-4 weeks, and the young larvae begin working their way through the soil in search of food. Larvae feed underground for 2-6 years with most of their damage occurring in early spring when soil temperatures are cool. Pupation occurs in late summer and adult beetles emerge in the spring. One generation per year, the life-cycle requiring 1-6 years to complete.
Wireworm Control
Thorough cultivation of the top 6- to 8-inches of soil makes conditions unfavorable to the egg laying adults and exposes all stages of the pest to weather and natural enemies.
Potatoes make great wireworm traps. Cut a potato in half and run a stick through the middle. Bury the spud about one inch deep so that the stick stands vertically as a handle. Pull the traps out after a day or two and discard wireworms.
Crop rotation is especially important to the organic vegetable grower because it can help reduce many pest problems that lead to the use of pesticides.
Apply beneficial nematodes when planting to attack and destroy developing pests in the soil.
EcoSMART Organic Insect Killer can be used around home foundations, lawns and landscapes (ornamental and flower gardens). Apply 2-5 lbs over 1000 sq ft every 2-4 weeks or as needed.
Birds can consume large amounts of larvae. Encourage them by hanging houses and feeders near your garden.
Soil drenches containing the botanical insecticide pyrethrin are somewhat effective, but should only be used as a last resort.
Note: Wireworms are the larval stage of click beetles. Approximately 1/2 inch long, these brown to black colored, bullet-shaped beetles are notable for their ability to click and right themselves when placed on their backs.
Life Cycle
Wireworm larvae and adults overwinter in the soil. In early spring female beetles emerge from the soil, mate and lay eggs underground. Hatching takes place in 2-4 weeks, and the young larvae begin working their way through the soil in search of food. Larvae feed underground for 2-6 years with most of their damage occurring in early spring when soil temperatures are cool. Pupation occurs in late summer and adult beetles emerge in the spring. One generation per year, the life-cycle requiring 1-6 years to complete.
Wireworm Control
Thorough cultivation of the top 6- to 8-inches of soil makes conditions unfavorable to the egg laying adults and exposes all stages of the pest to weather and natural enemies.
Potatoes make great wireworm traps. Cut a potato in half and run a stick through the middle. Bury the spud about one inch deep so that the stick stands vertically as a handle. Pull the traps out after a day or two and discard wireworms.
Crop rotation is especially important to the organic vegetable grower because it can help reduce many pest problems that lead to the use of pesticides.
Apply beneficial nematodes when planting to attack and destroy developing pests in the soil.
EcoSMART Organic Insect Killer can be used around home foundations, lawns and landscapes (ornamental and flower gardens). Apply 2-5 lbs over 1000 sq ft every 2-4 weeks or as needed.
Birds can consume large amounts of larvae. Encourage them by hanging houses and feeders near your garden.
Soil drenches containing the botanical insecticide pyrethrin are somewhat effective, but should only be used as a last resort.
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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
Often found in home gardens and landscaped areas across the country, sowbugs (Porcellio scaber) and pillbugs (Armadillidium vulgare), also known as rolly pollies, feed primarily on decaying matter and are important in the decomposition process. However, if present in large numbers they have been known to feed on seedlings, new roots, lower leaves and fruits or vegetables laying directly on the soil. These small scavengers scurry when disturbed and are often found outside hiding under leaves, rocks, garden debris, mulch and other dark, damp areas. Occasionally they will enter homes as accidental invaders. Indoors they are simply a nuisance and cannot survive for more than a day or two without water. These insects do not bite or sting and cannot damage household structures.
Similar in appearance, sowbugs and pillbugs (3/4 inch long) are slow-moving oval-shaped crustaceans that more closely resemble crayfish, shrimp and lobster than insects. They vary from gray to brown to almost purple in color and have seven pairs of legs, elbowed antennae, and a segmented hard shell-like covering, similar to that of an armadillos. Sowbugs also have two tail-like structures on the rear end that pillbugs lack.
Note: Pillbugs are sometimes called “roly-polies” because they often roll up into a tight ball when disturbed.
Life Cycle
Both sowbugs and pillbugs mate throughout the year with most of the activity occurring in March and April. The female incubates her eggs in a fluid-filled pouch (marsupium) located on the underside of her body for 3-7 weeks. After hatching, the young nymphs (similar in appearance to adults, only smaller) remain in the pouch for up to two months until they can care for themselves. Nymphs molt, or shed their exoskeleton, at regular intervals and reach sexual maturity, usually within a year. As adults, they continue to molt about once every month. Females can produce broods of approximately 30-40 young that may live up to 3 years. There are one to two generations per year, depending on weather conditions.
Sowbug/ Pillbug Control
To get rid of rolly polly bugs reduce the habitat favored by these pests by eliminating garden debris, leaf piles, fallen fruit and weeds from all growing areas.
Use mulches that are coarse enough to let water pass through easily so the surface next to plants will not remain damp for long.
Improve air circulation around plants by providing trellises for vines and raising fruits, such as strawberries and melons, up off the ground.
Diatomaceous earth, made from the finely ground fossils of prehistoric fresh water diatoms (one-celled shells), is abrasive to crawling insects and can be used as a barrier to protect plants.
Apply Insect Killer Granules around foundations, lawns and landscaped areas to eliminate or repel all kinds of troublesome pests.
Scatter Monterey Ant Control, a safe and organic bait containing iron phosphate and spinosad, evenly over the soil around or near problem areas.
Apply fast-acting botanical insecticides as a soil drench if pest levels become intolerable.
Similar in appearance, sowbugs and pillbugs (3/4 inch long) are slow-moving oval-shaped crustaceans that more closely resemble crayfish, shrimp and lobster than insects. They vary from gray to brown to almost purple in color and have seven pairs of legs, elbowed antennae, and a segmented hard shell-like covering, similar to that of an armadillos. Sowbugs also have two tail-like structures on the rear end that pillbugs lack.
Note: Pillbugs are sometimes called “roly-polies” because they often roll up into a tight ball when disturbed.
Life Cycle
Both sowbugs and pillbugs mate throughout the year with most of the activity occurring in March and April. The female incubates her eggs in a fluid-filled pouch (marsupium) located on the underside of her body for 3-7 weeks. After hatching, the young nymphs (similar in appearance to adults, only smaller) remain in the pouch for up to two months until they can care for themselves. Nymphs molt, or shed their exoskeleton, at regular intervals and reach sexual maturity, usually within a year. As adults, they continue to molt about once every month. Females can produce broods of approximately 30-40 young that may live up to 3 years. There are one to two generations per year, depending on weather conditions.
Sowbug/ Pillbug Control
To get rid of rolly polly bugs reduce the habitat favored by these pests by eliminating garden debris, leaf piles, fallen fruit and weeds from all growing areas.
Use mulches that are coarse enough to let water pass through easily so the surface next to plants will not remain damp for long.
Improve air circulation around plants by providing trellises for vines and raising fruits, such as strawberries and melons, up off the ground.
Diatomaceous earth, made from the finely ground fossils of prehistoric fresh water diatoms (one-celled shells), is abrasive to crawling insects and can be used as a barrier to protect plants.
Apply Insect Killer Granules around foundations, lawns and landscaped areas to eliminate or repel all kinds of troublesome pests.
Scatter Monterey Ant Control, a safe and organic bait containing iron phosphate and spinosad, evenly over the soil around or near problem areas.
Apply fast-acting botanical insecticides as a soil drench if pest levels become intolerable.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月14日
Slugs and snails are some of the most troublesome pests found in home gardens, orchards and landscaped areas across North America. They thrive in damp, shady spots and can often be found along foundations, under rocks or in well mulched garden areas.
Most active at night, they feed on a variety of living plants as well as on decaying plant material. Pests chew large holes in foliage and may cause extensive damage to seedlings, tender, low-growing, leafy vegetables and ripening fruit such as strawberries, artichokes and tomatoes. Almost all garden vegetables, ornamental flowers, and some fruit trees, especially citrus are subject to attack.
Snails/Slugs are not true insects, but rather members of the mollusk phylum. As a result, they are closely related to snails in structure and biology except the snail has a shell and the slug does not. Both garden pests rely on their muscular foot to move and the secretion of mucous or slime on which they glide. This shiny slime trail often gives them away as it marks their travel.
Life Cycle
Several slug species overwinter in the soil as adults or nearly mature young. In spring and early summer large numbers of eggs are deposited (as many as 100 at a time) in soil cracks, underneath mulch or dead leaves and in other cool, moist protected areas. Eggs develop and hatch in 1-3 weeks, but may require as long as 12 weeks if conditions are less than perfect. Once hatched, the young mollusks remain close to the nest for several days until branching out in search of food. Development to maturity may take as little as 3 to 6 months or as long as a year or more depending on species.
Note: Slugs are hermaphrodites, which means that they each possess both male and female sexual organs and have the potential to lay eggs.
Snail and Slug Control
To get rid of snails and slugs remove garden debris, bricks, lumber piles and weeds from all growing areas and do not apply heavy layers of mulch around plants (1-3 inches is plenty).
Handpicking pests can make a sizable dent in the population and is most productive in the evening, two hours after sunset.
If handpicking is inconvenient, try trapping. Strips of cardboard, cabbage leaves, rocks or plywood all make excellent traps for daytime collecting.
Shallow pans of stale beer sunk into the soil can also be used. The yeast in the beer attracts these pests, which fall in and drown. For best results, replace beer every few days or after a rain.
Copper Tape and diatomaceous earth are popular barriers that prevent pests from reaching the leaves, fruits and flowers on which they feed.
Broadcast weather-resistant boric acid granules around flower gardens, ground covers and ornamentals to eliminate slugs and snails. Reapply every four weeks, as needed.
Sluggo is an organic bait, containing iron phosphate, that can be scattered on the lawn or on the soil around any vegetables, flowers, fruit trees or bushes to reduce pest numbers.
Most active at night, they feed on a variety of living plants as well as on decaying plant material. Pests chew large holes in foliage and may cause extensive damage to seedlings, tender, low-growing, leafy vegetables and ripening fruit such as strawberries, artichokes and tomatoes. Almost all garden vegetables, ornamental flowers, and some fruit trees, especially citrus are subject to attack.
Snails/Slugs are not true insects, but rather members of the mollusk phylum. As a result, they are closely related to snails in structure and biology except the snail has a shell and the slug does not. Both garden pests rely on their muscular foot to move and the secretion of mucous or slime on which they glide. This shiny slime trail often gives them away as it marks their travel.
Life Cycle
Several slug species overwinter in the soil as adults or nearly mature young. In spring and early summer large numbers of eggs are deposited (as many as 100 at a time) in soil cracks, underneath mulch or dead leaves and in other cool, moist protected areas. Eggs develop and hatch in 1-3 weeks, but may require as long as 12 weeks if conditions are less than perfect. Once hatched, the young mollusks remain close to the nest for several days until branching out in search of food. Development to maturity may take as little as 3 to 6 months or as long as a year or more depending on species.
Note: Slugs are hermaphrodites, which means that they each possess both male and female sexual organs and have the potential to lay eggs.
Snail and Slug Control
To get rid of snails and slugs remove garden debris, bricks, lumber piles and weeds from all growing areas and do not apply heavy layers of mulch around plants (1-3 inches is plenty).
Handpicking pests can make a sizable dent in the population and is most productive in the evening, two hours after sunset.
If handpicking is inconvenient, try trapping. Strips of cardboard, cabbage leaves, rocks or plywood all make excellent traps for daytime collecting.
Shallow pans of stale beer sunk into the soil can also be used. The yeast in the beer attracts these pests, which fall in and drown. For best results, replace beer every few days or after a rain.
Copper Tape and diatomaceous earth are popular barriers that prevent pests from reaching the leaves, fruits and flowers on which they feed.
Broadcast weather-resistant boric acid granules around flower gardens, ground covers and ornamentals to eliminate slugs and snails. Reapply every four weeks, as needed.
Sluggo is an organic bait, containing iron phosphate, that can be scattered on the lawn or on the soil around any vegetables, flowers, fruit trees or bushes to reduce pest numbers.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月14日
Many species of the root maggot exist in home gardens throughout North America. Particularly destructive to early season plantings, they feed underground on succulent roots and attack a large variety of vegetable crops including radish, cabbage, carrot, turnip and onions. Heavily infested roots are often riddles with tunnels and rotted. Affected plants lack vigor, may be stunted or yellowed and often wilt during the heat of the day. In some cases, maggots may even chew through taproots, causing plants to die.
Adults (1/5 inch long) are dark gray flies that look like the common housefly, only smaller. They lay their eggs in the soil at the base of host plants and are very good at detecting newly planted seed beds. Maggots (1/3 – 1/4 inch long) are small, yellowish white, legless larvae with tapered or pointed heads and a rear end that is blunt.
Note: Tunneling and feeding by this pest creates entry points for rot diseases such as black rot.
Life Cycle
Adults emerge in the spring or early summer from overwintering pupal cocoons in the soil. They soon mate and females begin depositing 50-200 small, white eggs in plant stems right at the soil line or in cracks in the soil near plant stems. Eggs hatch in a few days and the larvae burrow down into the soil to feed on small roots, root hairs, and germinating seeds. After feeding for 1-3 weeks, maggots begin to pupate in plant roots or the surrounding soil. There are several generations per year.
Root Maggot Control
Female flies are attracted for egg laying by the moisture emitted from newly planted seed rows. Cover seedbeds with floating row cover immediately after seeds are sown to prevent problems. Be sure the cover extends at least 6 inches on each side of the seed rows.
Apply small amounts of Diatomaceous Earth around seedling stems to deter egg laying by adults.
Yellow Sticky Traps placed around vegetable crops will capture many adult flies before they can mate and lay eggs.
Heavy paper collars or other sturdy material may be placed around the base of transplants to prevent egg laying around stems.
Applying beneficial nematodes in seed furrows or as a top dressing around plants can be effective in getting rid of the larvae.
Using a pyrethrin drench is also an effective option, but should only be considered as a last resort.
Roto-till under crop debris immediately after harvest to destroy overwintering sites.
Adults (1/5 inch long) are dark gray flies that look like the common housefly, only smaller. They lay their eggs in the soil at the base of host plants and are very good at detecting newly planted seed beds. Maggots (1/3 – 1/4 inch long) are small, yellowish white, legless larvae with tapered or pointed heads and a rear end that is blunt.
Note: Tunneling and feeding by this pest creates entry points for rot diseases such as black rot.
Life Cycle
Adults emerge in the spring or early summer from overwintering pupal cocoons in the soil. They soon mate and females begin depositing 50-200 small, white eggs in plant stems right at the soil line or in cracks in the soil near plant stems. Eggs hatch in a few days and the larvae burrow down into the soil to feed on small roots, root hairs, and germinating seeds. After feeding for 1-3 weeks, maggots begin to pupate in plant roots or the surrounding soil. There are several generations per year.
Root Maggot Control
Female flies are attracted for egg laying by the moisture emitted from newly planted seed rows. Cover seedbeds with floating row cover immediately after seeds are sown to prevent problems. Be sure the cover extends at least 6 inches on each side of the seed rows.
Apply small amounts of Diatomaceous Earth around seedling stems to deter egg laying by adults.
Yellow Sticky Traps placed around vegetable crops will capture many adult flies before they can mate and lay eggs.
Heavy paper collars or other sturdy material may be placed around the base of transplants to prevent egg laying around stems.
Applying beneficial nematodes in seed furrows or as a top dressing around plants can be effective in getting rid of the larvae.
Using a pyrethrin drench is also an effective option, but should only be considered as a last resort.
Roto-till under crop debris immediately after harvest to destroy overwintering sites.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月14日
Colorado potato beetles (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) are such a common pest in home gardens that they are often just called “potato bugs.” Both the adult and larval forms chew leaves and can completely defoliate an entire crop if potato beetle control methods are not implemented. Their feeding can greatly reduce yield and in some cases, may even kill plants. Alternate host plants include tomatoes, peppers and eggplant.
Adults (1/3 inch long) are rounded, yellowish-orange beetles with black stripes on their wings and black spots just behind the head. The plump larvae (1/8 to 1/2 inch long) are red with black head and legs, and become yellowish-red or orange with two rows of black spots on each side of the body.
Life Cycle
Overwintering beetles hibernate in the soil or garden debris, emerging in the spring. At this point, they do not have enough energy to fly and must walk in search of suitable host plants. Females lay orange-yellow eggs in clusters on the undersides of leaves. In 4-15 days (depending on temperature) hatching occurs, and the voracious larvae begin feeding on foliage for up to one month. When mature, they drop from the plant, enter the soil and pupate, emerging as adults 5-10 days later. There are 1 to 3 generations each year.
Potato Beetle Control
Plant resistant cultivars when possible.
In early morning, shake adults beetles from plants onto ground cloth and dump captured pests into soapy water.
To impede the movement of overwintering adults, mulch at least 2-3 inches deep with a layer of clean straw or hay as soon as plants emerge.
Protect plants with Harvest-Guard row cover through spring.
Beneficial insects, such as ladybugs, spined soldier bugs and lacewing, feed on eggs and the young larval stages.
Beneficial nematodes will attack the immature stages developing in the soil.
Diatomaceous earth contains no toxic poisons and works on contact. Dust lightly and evenly over vegetable crops wherever pest insects are found.
Surround WP (kaolin clay) forms a protective barrier film, which acts as a broad spectrum crop protectant for preventing damage from chewing pests.
Monterey Garden Insect Spray (Spinosad) is a highly effective bio-pesticide recommended for use against potato beetles. For best results, apply when young.
Azatrol EC contains azadirachtin, the key insecticidal ingredient found in neem oil. This concentrated spray is approved for organic use and offers multiple modes of action, making it virtually impossible for insect resistance to develop. Best of all, it’s non-toxic to honey bees and many other beneficial insects.
Spot treat with fast-acting organic pesticides if pest levels become intolerable.
After harvest pick up garden debris and turn the soil over around plants to disturb overwintering beetles.
Adults (1/3 inch long) are rounded, yellowish-orange beetles with black stripes on their wings and black spots just behind the head. The plump larvae (1/8 to 1/2 inch long) are red with black head and legs, and become yellowish-red or orange with two rows of black spots on each side of the body.
Life Cycle
Overwintering beetles hibernate in the soil or garden debris, emerging in the spring. At this point, they do not have enough energy to fly and must walk in search of suitable host plants. Females lay orange-yellow eggs in clusters on the undersides of leaves. In 4-15 days (depending on temperature) hatching occurs, and the voracious larvae begin feeding on foliage for up to one month. When mature, they drop from the plant, enter the soil and pupate, emerging as adults 5-10 days later. There are 1 to 3 generations each year.
Potato Beetle Control
Plant resistant cultivars when possible.
In early morning, shake adults beetles from plants onto ground cloth and dump captured pests into soapy water.
To impede the movement of overwintering adults, mulch at least 2-3 inches deep with a layer of clean straw or hay as soon as plants emerge.
Protect plants with Harvest-Guard row cover through spring.
Beneficial insects, such as ladybugs, spined soldier bugs and lacewing, feed on eggs and the young larval stages.
Beneficial nematodes will attack the immature stages developing in the soil.
Diatomaceous earth contains no toxic poisons and works on contact. Dust lightly and evenly over vegetable crops wherever pest insects are found.
Surround WP (kaolin clay) forms a protective barrier film, which acts as a broad spectrum crop protectant for preventing damage from chewing pests.
Monterey Garden Insect Spray (Spinosad) is a highly effective bio-pesticide recommended for use against potato beetles. For best results, apply when young.
Azatrol EC contains azadirachtin, the key insecticidal ingredient found in neem oil. This concentrated spray is approved for organic use and offers multiple modes of action, making it virtually impossible for insect resistance to develop. Best of all, it’s non-toxic to honey bees and many other beneficial insects.
Spot treat with fast-acting organic pesticides if pest levels become intolerable.
After harvest pick up garden debris and turn the soil over around plants to disturb overwintering beetles.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月14日
Found in greenhouses, home gardens and landscaped areas across the country, leafminers are the larval (maggot) stage of an insect family that feeds between the upper and lower surfaces of leaves. On heavily infested plants it is not uncommon to find 6 or more maggots per leaf. Although damage can restrict plant growth, resulting in reduced yields and loss of vigor, healthy plants can tolerate considerable injury. Host plants include beans, blackberries, cabbage, lettuce, peppers, and a variety of ornamental flowers, trees and shrubs.
Adults (1/10 inch long) are often black to gray flies with yellow stripes and clear wings. They are similar in appearance to small, hunched-back house flies and lay their eggs on the undersides of leaves. Larvae are worm-like maggots (1/3 inch) which are often pale yellow or green in color. They create winding tunnels that are clear, except for the trail of black fecal material (frass) left behind as they feed.
Note: In some cases, pathogenic fungi and bacteria may enter old mines left from eradicated insects. This can cause leaves to turn yellow and drop.
Life Cycle
Mature larvae overwinter in the soil under host plants. As temperatures warm in the spring larvae pass to the pupal stage and appear as young adults in late April. Mated females use their needle-like ovipositor to lay up to 250 eggs just under the surface of the leaf epidermis. Deposited eggs may appear as small raised spots on the leaf. Within 10 days hatching larvae tunnel through the mid-leaf tissue, feeding as they go and leaving tell-tale wavy lines that are visible on the surface. Larvae mature in 2-3 weeks, and when ready to pupate, leave the leaf and drop to the soil. Once on the ground, they dig 1-2 inches into the soil and pupate. Adults emerge within 15 days as adult flies. There are several generations per year.
Damage
Various types of leafminers attack various kinds of plants. They’re found on broadleaf trees, including elm, aspen, hawthorn, and poplar as well as shrubs and bushes, including lilacs. Damage can be limited in initial stages of infestations but increase as leafminer numbers multiply, and even minor infestations, while not killing a plant, will cripple its hardiness. Leafminers are a major cause of poor harvest numbers in home gardens as they weaken individual vegetable plants. They’re especially fond of spinach leaves and their tunneling severely decreases the attractiveness and value of the crop.
Leafminer Control
Natural, and organic control methods work best when fighting leafminer problems. That’s because they don’t harm the naturally occurring beneficial insect populations that largely keep the leafminer and other harmful pests under control. While pesticide use can encourage leafminer outbreaks, natural controls and beneficial insects prevent as well as cure these pest problems. Don’t wait until you spot leafminer tunnels in your plants’ leaves, especially if you’ve had problems with them in the past. Be prepared with the products you’ll need to prevent and destroy infestations. Then stay vigilant.
Monitor plant leaves closely. At the first sign of tunneling, squeeze the leaf at the tunnel between two fingers to crush any larvae. Done soon enough, this killing larvae can allow plants to survive minor outbreaks. Pick off and destroy badly infested leaves in small gardens.
The more healthy the plant, the less chance that leafminers will hurt it. Maintain plant health with organic fertilizers and proper watering to allow plants to outgrow and tolerate pest damage. Keep your soil alive by using compost and other soil amendments.
Use floating row covers (Harvest-Guard) to prevent fly stage from laying eggs on leaves.
The parasitic wasp Diglyphus isaea is a commercially available beneficial insect that will kill leafminer larva in the mine. The wasp is especially beneficial to indoor growers of ornamentals and vegetables.
Use yellow or blue sticky traps to catch egg laying adults. Cover soil under infested plants with plastic mulches to prevent larvae from reaching the ground and pupating.
Azatrol EC contains azadirachtin, the key insecticidal ingredient found in neem oil. This concentrated spray disrupts growth and development of pest insects and has repellent and anti-feedant properties. Best of all, it’s non-toxic to honey bees and many other beneficial insects.
Fast-acting 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.
Adults (1/10 inch long) are often black to gray flies with yellow stripes and clear wings. They are similar in appearance to small, hunched-back house flies and lay their eggs on the undersides of leaves. Larvae are worm-like maggots (1/3 inch) which are often pale yellow or green in color. They create winding tunnels that are clear, except for the trail of black fecal material (frass) left behind as they feed.
Note: In some cases, pathogenic fungi and bacteria may enter old mines left from eradicated insects. This can cause leaves to turn yellow and drop.
Life Cycle
Mature larvae overwinter in the soil under host plants. As temperatures warm in the spring larvae pass to the pupal stage and appear as young adults in late April. Mated females use their needle-like ovipositor to lay up to 250 eggs just under the surface of the leaf epidermis. Deposited eggs may appear as small raised spots on the leaf. Within 10 days hatching larvae tunnel through the mid-leaf tissue, feeding as they go and leaving tell-tale wavy lines that are visible on the surface. Larvae mature in 2-3 weeks, and when ready to pupate, leave the leaf and drop to the soil. Once on the ground, they dig 1-2 inches into the soil and pupate. Adults emerge within 15 days as adult flies. There are several generations per year.
Damage
Various types of leafminers attack various kinds of plants. They’re found on broadleaf trees, including elm, aspen, hawthorn, and poplar as well as shrubs and bushes, including lilacs. Damage can be limited in initial stages of infestations but increase as leafminer numbers multiply, and even minor infestations, while not killing a plant, will cripple its hardiness. Leafminers are a major cause of poor harvest numbers in home gardens as they weaken individual vegetable plants. They’re especially fond of spinach leaves and their tunneling severely decreases the attractiveness and value of the crop.
Leafminer Control
Natural, and organic control methods work best when fighting leafminer problems. That’s because they don’t harm the naturally occurring beneficial insect populations that largely keep the leafminer and other harmful pests under control. While pesticide use can encourage leafminer outbreaks, natural controls and beneficial insects prevent as well as cure these pest problems. Don’t wait until you spot leafminer tunnels in your plants’ leaves, especially if you’ve had problems with them in the past. Be prepared with the products you’ll need to prevent and destroy infestations. Then stay vigilant.
Monitor plant leaves closely. At the first sign of tunneling, squeeze the leaf at the tunnel between two fingers to crush any larvae. Done soon enough, this killing larvae can allow plants to survive minor outbreaks. Pick off and destroy badly infested leaves in small gardens.
The more healthy the plant, the less chance that leafminers will hurt it. Maintain plant health with organic fertilizers and proper watering to allow plants to outgrow and tolerate pest damage. Keep your soil alive by using compost and other soil amendments.
Use floating row covers (Harvest-Guard) to prevent fly stage from laying eggs on leaves.
The parasitic wasp Diglyphus isaea is a commercially available beneficial insect that will kill leafminer larva in the mine. The wasp is especially beneficial to indoor growers of ornamentals and vegetables.
Use yellow or blue sticky traps to catch egg laying adults. Cover soil under infested plants with plastic mulches to prevent larvae from reaching the ground and pupating.
Azatrol EC contains azadirachtin, the key insecticidal ingredient found in neem oil. This concentrated spray disrupts growth and development of pest insects and has repellent and anti-feedant properties. Best of all, it’s non-toxic to honey bees and many other beneficial insects.
Fast-acting 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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0
文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月14日
Many species of leafhoppers exist in home gardens throughout North America. Both adults and nymphs feed by puncturing the undersides of leaves and sucking out plant juices. Their toxic saliva causes spotting (white specks), yellowing, leaf curling, stunting and distortion of plants. They are also responsible for transmitting the organisms causing virus diseases in plants. Common host plants include beans, lettuce, beets, potato, grapes, roses and many others.
Leafhopper adults (1/4 inch long) are slender, wedge-shaped insects that fly or disperse rapidly when disturbed. Depending on species they may be green, brown or yellow in color and often have colorful markings. Nymphs do not have wings and are generally lighter in color than adults. Both adults and nymphs run sideways and are good jumpers.
Note: There are more leafhopper species worldwide than all species of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians combined.
Life Cycle
Adults overwinter in crop debris or non-cultivated areas adjacent to gardens. In late spring females deposit 1-6 eggs daily within the stems and larger veins of the leaves. Hatching occurs in 6-9 days, and the young nymphs molt 5 times before they become fully grown adults. White cast skins shed by the molting nymphs can often be found attached to the underside of damaged leaves. The period from egg to adult is about three weeks. Several overlapping generations may be completed during the growing season.
Leafhopper Control
Remove garden trash and other debris shortly after harvest to reduce over-wintering sites.
Floating row covers can be used as a physical barrier to keep leafhoppers from damaging plants.
Commercially available beneficial insects, such as ladybugs, lacewing and minute pirate bugs, are all voracious predators of both the egg and young larval stage.
Apply diatomaceous earth to plants and/or spot treat with insecticidal soap to keep pest populations under control. Thorough coverage of both upper and lower infested leaves is necessary for effective control.
If pest levels become intolerable, spot treat with potent, fast-acting organic insecticides as a last resort.
Leafhopper adults (1/4 inch long) are slender, wedge-shaped insects that fly or disperse rapidly when disturbed. Depending on species they may be green, brown or yellow in color and often have colorful markings. Nymphs do not have wings and are generally lighter in color than adults. Both adults and nymphs run sideways and are good jumpers.
Note: There are more leafhopper species worldwide than all species of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians combined.
Life Cycle
Adults overwinter in crop debris or non-cultivated areas adjacent to gardens. In late spring females deposit 1-6 eggs daily within the stems and larger veins of the leaves. Hatching occurs in 6-9 days, and the young nymphs molt 5 times before they become fully grown adults. White cast skins shed by the molting nymphs can often be found attached to the underside of damaged leaves. The period from egg to adult is about three weeks. Several overlapping generations may be completed during the growing season.
Leafhopper Control
Remove garden trash and other debris shortly after harvest to reduce over-wintering sites.
Floating row covers can be used as a physical barrier to keep leafhoppers from damaging plants.
Commercially available beneficial insects, such as ladybugs, lacewing and minute pirate bugs, are all voracious predators of both the egg and young larval stage.
Apply diatomaceous earth to plants and/or spot treat with insecticidal soap to keep pest populations under control. Thorough coverage of both upper and lower infested leaves is necessary for effective control.
If pest levels become intolerable, spot treat with potent, fast-acting organic insecticides as a last resort.
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0
文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月14日
Many species of flea beetles are found throughout the United States. They are small jumping insects (similar in appearance to fleas) commonly found in home gardens early in the growing season. A voracious pest, they will damage plants by chewing numerous small holes in the leaves, which make them look as if they have been peppered by fine buckshot. When populations are high, flea beetles can quickly defoliate and kill entire plants. They feed most on hot sunny days and attack a wide variety of plants including beans, cabbage, corn, eggplant, potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, lettuce and most seedlings.
Adults are small (1/10 inch long), shiny, dark brown or black beetles with large hind legs that allow them to jump when disturbed. Some species may have white or yellow stripes on their wing cases. Larvae are small, cream-colored worms (1/8 – 1/3 inch long). They live underground and feed on the roots and tubers of young plants as well as on germinating seeds.
Note: Flea beetles transmit viral and bacterial diseases.
Life Cycle
Adults overwinter in the soil or garden debris and become active in the spring, feeding on host plants as new growth appears. Tiny white eggs are laid on or in soil cracks around the base of plants. These hatch in about one week, and the slender white larvae feed on plant roots for approximately 2-3 weeks. Pupae usually remain in the soil for 7-9 days until adults emerge and the cycle is completed. There are one to four generations per year, depending on species and climate.
Flea Beetle Control
Remove garden trash and plow or roto-till under weeds to reduce overwintering sites.
Floating row covers are extremely effective when placed on seedlings and left in place until plants are old enough to tolerate beetle damage.
Place yellow sticky traps throughout garden rows every 15 to 30 feet to capture adults.
Beneficial nematodes applied to the soil will destroy the larval stage, reducing root feeding and helping to prevent the next generation of adults from emerging.
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!
Surround WP (kaolin clay) forms a protective barrier film, which acts as a broad spectrum crop protectant for preventing damage from insect pests.
Azatrol EC contains azadirachtin, the key insecticidal ingredient found in neem oil. This concentrated product is approved for organic use and offers multiple modes of action, making it virtually impossible for insect resistance to develop. Best of all, it’s non-toxic to honey bees and many other beneficial insects.
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.
Adults are small (1/10 inch long), shiny, dark brown or black beetles with large hind legs that allow them to jump when disturbed. Some species may have white or yellow stripes on their wing cases. Larvae are small, cream-colored worms (1/8 – 1/3 inch long). They live underground and feed on the roots and tubers of young plants as well as on germinating seeds.
Note: Flea beetles transmit viral and bacterial diseases.
Life Cycle
Adults overwinter in the soil or garden debris and become active in the spring, feeding on host plants as new growth appears. Tiny white eggs are laid on or in soil cracks around the base of plants. These hatch in about one week, and the slender white larvae feed on plant roots for approximately 2-3 weeks. Pupae usually remain in the soil for 7-9 days until adults emerge and the cycle is completed. There are one to four generations per year, depending on species and climate.
Flea Beetle Control
Remove garden trash and plow or roto-till under weeds to reduce overwintering sites.
Floating row covers are extremely effective when placed on seedlings and left in place until plants are old enough to tolerate beetle damage.
Place yellow sticky traps throughout garden rows every 15 to 30 feet to capture adults.
Beneficial nematodes applied to the soil will destroy the larval stage, reducing root feeding and helping to prevent the next generation of adults from emerging.
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!
Surround WP (kaolin clay) forms a protective barrier film, which acts as a broad spectrum crop protectant for preventing damage from insect pests.
Azatrol EC contains azadirachtin, the key insecticidal ingredient found in neem oil. This concentrated product is approved for organic use and offers multiple modes of action, making it virtually impossible for insect resistance to develop. Best of all, it’s non-toxic to honey bees and many other beneficial insects.
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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