文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月18日
The genus Matucana belongs to the family of Cactaceae and is a native of Peru, particularly of the Andean city of Matucana, from which it takes its name. The genus includes about 20 species currently spread throughout South America. The plants grow in the highlands of the Andes at above 2500 m of altitude. Sturdy, robust, the Matucana are quite popular among collectors for its ease of cultivation.
Matucana is characterized by bright green plants, sized small and medium, both globular and cylindrical, with numerous ribs segmented into dense spines and tubercles. The bloom is apical and flowers, usually appearing in late spring or summer, are elongated and tubular. They hatch at night and lasts from 2 to 4 days, offering a wide variety of colors, from white to red, yellow and bright orange.
Growing Conditions and General Care
All species are sensitive to moisture. Watering should therefore be limited to the growing season and should be made only when the substrate is completely dry. It must be suspended during the winter. Since they tend to lose their roots in cold and wet, these plants must be kept warm even in winter. A temperature not under 50°F (10°C) is suitable. Some species, for natural adaptation, can resist at temperatures below 32°F (0°C).
If the plants are in the vegetative stage and optimal environmental conditions (a low moisture content with substantial temperature swing between day and night is appreciated), the growth is quite fast and you can get blooms already after 2-3 years after birth.
Matucana must be grown in a very porous and draining soil. It can be composed largely by sand, lapilli and gravel. To encourage the development of a dense network of spine, the quality of the nutrients in the substrate is very important. The soil must be rich in potassium, poor in nitrogen. Since the roots are very delicate and subject to rot, the soil should be kept as dry as possible: do not forget that in their natural environment these plants grow in steep and inaccessible places.
Matucana like dry, fresh and light air. A direct exposure to sunlight is appropriated, but too high temperatures (above 90°F/32°C), very different from those of their original environment, may damage them. In these cases it is best to filter the sun’s rays or prefer a bright area anyway, but at least partially shaded.
Propagation
Propagation is easy by seed, sowing should preferably be done in the spring.
Matucana is characterized by bright green plants, sized small and medium, both globular and cylindrical, with numerous ribs segmented into dense spines and tubercles. The bloom is apical and flowers, usually appearing in late spring or summer, are elongated and tubular. They hatch at night and lasts from 2 to 4 days, offering a wide variety of colors, from white to red, yellow and bright orange.
Growing Conditions and General Care
All species are sensitive to moisture. Watering should therefore be limited to the growing season and should be made only when the substrate is completely dry. It must be suspended during the winter. Since they tend to lose their roots in cold and wet, these plants must be kept warm even in winter. A temperature not under 50°F (10°C) is suitable. Some species, for natural adaptation, can resist at temperatures below 32°F (0°C).
If the plants are in the vegetative stage and optimal environmental conditions (a low moisture content with substantial temperature swing between day and night is appreciated), the growth is quite fast and you can get blooms already after 2-3 years after birth.
Matucana must be grown in a very porous and draining soil. It can be composed largely by sand, lapilli and gravel. To encourage the development of a dense network of spine, the quality of the nutrients in the substrate is very important. The soil must be rich in potassium, poor in nitrogen. Since the roots are very delicate and subject to rot, the soil should be kept as dry as possible: do not forget that in their natural environment these plants grow in steep and inaccessible places.
Matucana like dry, fresh and light air. A direct exposure to sunlight is appropriated, but too high temperatures (above 90°F/32°C), very different from those of their original environment, may damage them. In these cases it is best to filter the sun’s rays or prefer a bright area anyway, but at least partially shaded.
Propagation
Propagation is easy by seed, sowing should preferably be done in the spring.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月18日
Succulents are a popular gardening trend that won’t be dying anytime soon. Enthusiasts love their geometric forms and exquisite, often intricate patterns and details. No longer viewed as just a desert or house plant, succulents can grow and actually thrive in various climates, depending on the type of succulent. In regions affected by drought, they are a smart, drought-tolerant alternative to thirsty lawns and other water-guzzling plants.
With very little effort, succulents can look so good. But they still require attention. Discover how to not only keep them alive, but get them to thrive.
1. Don’t Overwater Them
You love your succulents so much, you want to water them every other day to make them grow plump and lush. But what you’ll get is a soft, shriveled, squishy mess. Overwatering is a bigger problem for succulents than underwatering. Roots can rot. If it’s too late, look for healthy tissue, take some cuttings, and allow the cut end to callus (seal itself) and then replant it. Get rid of the soil in which the oversaturated succulent was in.
2. Don’t Neglect Them
Succulents and cacti: those are the desert-like plants that don’t need to be watered, like, ever—right? Wrong. Their watering needs are minimal, but they still need it to survive. If you live in a region that doesn’t get much rain, water succulents regularly during their periods of active growth. This would be spring through fall.
Container plants can be watered about once a week. Occasionally, let the hose drench the pot until water flows out, to remove built-up salts from the soil.
3. Group Plants with Similar Water Needs
In other words, don’t plant succulents next to super-fussy perennials that require rich soil and frequent watering. Ideally, you want to have a drought-tolerant, low-water area in your garden, a moderate water area, and so on. It just makes things easier for you and your plants will be happier.
4. The Right Soil
Cactus and succulent-mix soil is available by the bag at nurseries and home centers. While it’s useful for container plants, especially those that will be used as houseplants, it’s not always practical or necessary for succulents planted in the garden. Learn more about the type of soil that’s in your yard, and add amendments to make it fast-draining and on the dryer side.
While some succulents are so forgiving and will grow almost anywhere, even in clay, it’s best to give them optimal growing conditions for healthy roots and beautiful plants.
5. Shed Some Light
Most succulents need a mix of sunlight and shade to grow healthy. One extreme or the other is not going to result in a beautiful, happy plant. Learn about your particular succulent’s light requirements, and find the best place in your yard or space in which it plant it.
A hint: the color of the plant is a tip-off to its light needs. For example, shade-loving succulents are usually in hues of yellow and green. Sun lovers are more reddish and orange.
6. Protect from Frost
Succulents go dormant during the winter months, when they don’t need to be watered. In fact, watering them during dormant season can make their roots more susceptible to rot, and kill them. What they really like is a cool and dry climate.
If your area is experiencing lots of rain, and your succulents are in pots, move them under eaves to avoid over-saturation, or bring them inside.
Frost is another matter. Pay attention to freeze warnings. Cover with a cloth or plant under a tree, which protects succulents during the winter and summer.
7. Put Them in the Ground
Some people think that succulents are houseplants, and when they are grown outdoors, must be relegated to containers and pots. While they look great in a well-designed container arrangement, succulents, just like any other plant, love to be planted in garden beds where they can be fruitful and multiply. In warmer regions that don’t experience freezing temperatures during the winter, succulents will do just fine growing in the ground or raised beds.
Some are so forgiving of soil conditions that they can grow almost anywhere that has at least some soil to which they can attach their roots.
8. Allow to Callus Before Transplanting
Succulents are one of the easiest plants to propagate: just take a snippet, some leaves, a stem, offset, or “baby” and plop into the soil or another pot. But before you do, allow the stem to callus-over for a few days to prevent rot. This can be done by either placing cuttings or a paper towel and leaving them for up to five days, or putting them in a container or other place where you will remember to replant them.
9. Get Rid of Harmful Insects
One thing is certain: your succulent or cacti is not looking good. Symptoms include: buds that won’t open, distorted growth, cotton-like attachments to roots, tiny insects on new growth, paprika-like dots on leaves, brown bumps on stems, collapsed outer leaves, holes in leaves.
The culprit? Insects. Some gardeners believe that hardy succulents and cacti are resistant to insects–not so. Consult a master gardener site online or get one of the books about succulents and cacti to help you identify the symptom, insect, and solution.
10. Protect from Disease
One sign of disease in succulents is an orangeish, cancerous-like growth near or on the stem. It has probably become infected by a microscopic mite. To treat: remove the infected tissue and put the succulent in a separate container until new, healthy growth appears. To prevent spreading to other plants, remember to clean your tools after using them on infected succulents.
With very little effort, succulents can look so good. But they still require attention. Discover how to not only keep them alive, but get them to thrive.
1. Don’t Overwater Them
You love your succulents so much, you want to water them every other day to make them grow plump and lush. But what you’ll get is a soft, shriveled, squishy mess. Overwatering is a bigger problem for succulents than underwatering. Roots can rot. If it’s too late, look for healthy tissue, take some cuttings, and allow the cut end to callus (seal itself) and then replant it. Get rid of the soil in which the oversaturated succulent was in.
2. Don’t Neglect Them
Succulents and cacti: those are the desert-like plants that don’t need to be watered, like, ever—right? Wrong. Their watering needs are minimal, but they still need it to survive. If you live in a region that doesn’t get much rain, water succulents regularly during their periods of active growth. This would be spring through fall.
Container plants can be watered about once a week. Occasionally, let the hose drench the pot until water flows out, to remove built-up salts from the soil.
3. Group Plants with Similar Water Needs
In other words, don’t plant succulents next to super-fussy perennials that require rich soil and frequent watering. Ideally, you want to have a drought-tolerant, low-water area in your garden, a moderate water area, and so on. It just makes things easier for you and your plants will be happier.
4. The Right Soil
Cactus and succulent-mix soil is available by the bag at nurseries and home centers. While it’s useful for container plants, especially those that will be used as houseplants, it’s not always practical or necessary for succulents planted in the garden. Learn more about the type of soil that’s in your yard, and add amendments to make it fast-draining and on the dryer side.
While some succulents are so forgiving and will grow almost anywhere, even in clay, it’s best to give them optimal growing conditions for healthy roots and beautiful plants.
5. Shed Some Light
Most succulents need a mix of sunlight and shade to grow healthy. One extreme or the other is not going to result in a beautiful, happy plant. Learn about your particular succulent’s light requirements, and find the best place in your yard or space in which it plant it.
A hint: the color of the plant is a tip-off to its light needs. For example, shade-loving succulents are usually in hues of yellow and green. Sun lovers are more reddish and orange.
6. Protect from Frost
Succulents go dormant during the winter months, when they don’t need to be watered. In fact, watering them during dormant season can make their roots more susceptible to rot, and kill them. What they really like is a cool and dry climate.
If your area is experiencing lots of rain, and your succulents are in pots, move them under eaves to avoid over-saturation, or bring them inside.
Frost is another matter. Pay attention to freeze warnings. Cover with a cloth or plant under a tree, which protects succulents during the winter and summer.
7. Put Them in the Ground
Some people think that succulents are houseplants, and when they are grown outdoors, must be relegated to containers and pots. While they look great in a well-designed container arrangement, succulents, just like any other plant, love to be planted in garden beds where they can be fruitful and multiply. In warmer regions that don’t experience freezing temperatures during the winter, succulents will do just fine growing in the ground or raised beds.
Some are so forgiving of soil conditions that they can grow almost anywhere that has at least some soil to which they can attach their roots.
8. Allow to Callus Before Transplanting
Succulents are one of the easiest plants to propagate: just take a snippet, some leaves, a stem, offset, or “baby” and plop into the soil or another pot. But before you do, allow the stem to callus-over for a few days to prevent rot. This can be done by either placing cuttings or a paper towel and leaving them for up to five days, or putting them in a container or other place where you will remember to replant them.
9. Get Rid of Harmful Insects
One thing is certain: your succulent or cacti is not looking good. Symptoms include: buds that won’t open, distorted growth, cotton-like attachments to roots, tiny insects on new growth, paprika-like dots on leaves, brown bumps on stems, collapsed outer leaves, holes in leaves.
The culprit? Insects. Some gardeners believe that hardy succulents and cacti are resistant to insects–not so. Consult a master gardener site online or get one of the books about succulents and cacti to help you identify the symptom, insect, and solution.
10. Protect from Disease
One sign of disease in succulents is an orangeish, cancerous-like growth near or on the stem. It has probably become infected by a microscopic mite. To treat: remove the infected tissue and put the succulent in a separate container until new, healthy growth appears. To prevent spreading to other plants, remember to clean your tools after using them on infected succulents.
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2
文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月18日
Conifer sawflies are a unique group of defoliating insects. The various species (see "Pine Sawfly – Species") are distributed throughout the area where their preferred hosts grow. The larvae are hostspecific and feed on old and current year foliage at some point in their development. Some species have one generation per year with defoliation occurring in the spring and others produce three or more generations with defoliation occurring on into fall. Fall defoliation has a greater impact on trees and it is for this reason that sawflies having multiple generations are considered more devastating.
Sawfly adults resemble large houseflies but are actually primitive broad-waisted wasps. While true flies have one pair of wings, the sawfly has two pairs of wings. The females are equipped with an ovipositor that is serrated, which enables them to saw little slits in the needles where eggs are laid, thus the name "sawflies".
Defoliation by sawflies is sporadic, occurring in localized or region-wide outbreaks lasting one or more years. Growth loss the year following a severe defoliation (greater than 75%) can average over 50% and mortality increases due to secondary invasion by bark beetles and pine sawyers.
European pine sawfly is the most common sawfly in Missouri.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
Sawfly larvae have the curious habit of raising their heads and tails in a threatening manner when disturbed. Overwintering eggs that have been deposited in the needles can be easily located after a heavy frost turns the egg-laying scar yellow. (See "Pine Sawfly – Species" for a detailed description of larvae.)
Life Cycle - European Pine Sawfly
In August to September, the adult European pine sawflies emerge from their cocoons to mate and lay eggs. Female sawflies emit a sex pheromone that helps the male locate females for mating purposes. Using her saw-like ovipositor to cut through the tough outer skin of the needle, the female sawfly deposits overwintering eggs in slits she makes in the needles. Each female may lay six to eight eggs in each of 10 to 12 needles, but this will vary by sawfly species. European pine sawflies overwinter in the egg stage.
The eggs hatch in April through May and the larvae may feed until mid-June. The larvae feed in groups or colonies, often with three or four larvae feeding on a single needle. Being small and having small mouth parts, they merely rasp off the epidermal cells from the needles, which removes the protective barrier against desiccation. Thus, needles become twisted and brown as they dry out and die. Dead needles are easily detectable when contrasted against the green or surrounding "healthy" needles. As the larvae grow, they remain together and feed from the tip of a needle to the base. The larvae feed on older foliage and move from branch to branch as they strip the needles. Mature larvae drop to the ground and spin tough, brown cocoons in the duff. A few larvae may pupate on the tree.
The above life cycle is for the European pine sawfly that only has one generation per year. The life cycle of those with more than one generation per year may vary slightly as some may overwinter in the ground in the pupae stage. Climate and latitude have a great bearing on the number of generations per year.
Integrated Pest Management Strategies
1. Maintain plant vigor. Dry weather and poor soil conditions encourage damage by sawflies, therefore, water during times of drought. Keep plants vigorous with a fertilizing program.
2. Natural controls. Several parasites have been introduced to control this pest. Native birds feed on the larvae. Rodents often eat the pupae in the soil. These agents are usually not adequate in urban settings.
3. Mechanical control —egg removal. If the needles containing overwintered eggs can be found before they hatch, they can be pulled off the plant and destroyed. Do not simply throw on the ground since young could still hatch from the eggs.
4. Mechanical control. Colonies of larvae can be easily removed by clipping off the infested branch. Place these branches in a plastic bag and destroy. Colonies can also be knocked off by sharply striking the infested branch. Crush the larvae or knock into a pail of soapy water. If few colonies are present, they can be controlled using these methods, but large infestations are better controlled by general spraying.
5.Insecticide. Several horticultural oils and insecticidal soaps are labeled for control of sawflies on ornamentals. These usually work well when the sawfly larvae are small, and thorough coverage of the colony can be achieved. Pesticides registered for use include acephate (Orthene), azadirachtin (Bio-Neem, Margosan-O), or carbaryl (Sevin).
Sawfly adults resemble large houseflies but are actually primitive broad-waisted wasps. While true flies have one pair of wings, the sawfly has two pairs of wings. The females are equipped with an ovipositor that is serrated, which enables them to saw little slits in the needles where eggs are laid, thus the name "sawflies".
Defoliation by sawflies is sporadic, occurring in localized or region-wide outbreaks lasting one or more years. Growth loss the year following a severe defoliation (greater than 75%) can average over 50% and mortality increases due to secondary invasion by bark beetles and pine sawyers.
European pine sawfly is the most common sawfly in Missouri.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
Sawfly larvae have the curious habit of raising their heads and tails in a threatening manner when disturbed. Overwintering eggs that have been deposited in the needles can be easily located after a heavy frost turns the egg-laying scar yellow. (See "Pine Sawfly – Species" for a detailed description of larvae.)
Life Cycle - European Pine Sawfly
In August to September, the adult European pine sawflies emerge from their cocoons to mate and lay eggs. Female sawflies emit a sex pheromone that helps the male locate females for mating purposes. Using her saw-like ovipositor to cut through the tough outer skin of the needle, the female sawfly deposits overwintering eggs in slits she makes in the needles. Each female may lay six to eight eggs in each of 10 to 12 needles, but this will vary by sawfly species. European pine sawflies overwinter in the egg stage.
The eggs hatch in April through May and the larvae may feed until mid-June. The larvae feed in groups or colonies, often with three or four larvae feeding on a single needle. Being small and having small mouth parts, they merely rasp off the epidermal cells from the needles, which removes the protective barrier against desiccation. Thus, needles become twisted and brown as they dry out and die. Dead needles are easily detectable when contrasted against the green or surrounding "healthy" needles. As the larvae grow, they remain together and feed from the tip of a needle to the base. The larvae feed on older foliage and move from branch to branch as they strip the needles. Mature larvae drop to the ground and spin tough, brown cocoons in the duff. A few larvae may pupate on the tree.
The above life cycle is for the European pine sawfly that only has one generation per year. The life cycle of those with more than one generation per year may vary slightly as some may overwinter in the ground in the pupae stage. Climate and latitude have a great bearing on the number of generations per year.
Integrated Pest Management Strategies
1. Maintain plant vigor. Dry weather and poor soil conditions encourage damage by sawflies, therefore, water during times of drought. Keep plants vigorous with a fertilizing program.
2. Natural controls. Several parasites have been introduced to control this pest. Native birds feed on the larvae. Rodents often eat the pupae in the soil. These agents are usually not adequate in urban settings.
3. Mechanical control —egg removal. If the needles containing overwintered eggs can be found before they hatch, they can be pulled off the plant and destroyed. Do not simply throw on the ground since young could still hatch from the eggs.
4. Mechanical control. Colonies of larvae can be easily removed by clipping off the infested branch. Place these branches in a plastic bag and destroy. Colonies can also be knocked off by sharply striking the infested branch. Crush the larvae or knock into a pail of soapy water. If few colonies are present, they can be controlled using these methods, but large infestations are better controlled by general spraying.
5.Insecticide. Several horticultural oils and insecticidal soaps are labeled for control of sawflies on ornamentals. These usually work well when the sawfly larvae are small, and thorough coverage of the colony can be achieved. Pesticides registered for use include acephate (Orthene), azadirachtin (Bio-Neem, Margosan-O), or carbaryl (Sevin).
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0
文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月17日
Succulents don’t always fare well when exposed to the hot sun day in and day out. In nature, succulents often grow under or near a shrub or tree where they receive bright light but not constant direct sunlight. Don’t automatically plant your succulent smack-dab in the middle of the garden, where it receives endless hours of direct sunlight, especially during the summer. Instead, carefully select its growing location where your succulent will receive enough sunlight, but not too much.
1. Determine how much direct sunlight your succulent should receive each day. Consider whether your succulent plant requires only 4 hours of direct sunlight a day, which is the case with most succulents. Plan to provide succulents with afternoon shade in areas that are scorched by hot summer sun.
2. Plant your succulent on the east side of a building, tree or another structure that is exposed to morning sun if your plant should be protected from the afternoon sun. Plant it under a tree, if desired, that receives filtered sunlight throughout the day during the summer, which also protects it from the afternoon sun. Alternatively, plant your succulent in a sunnier location, such as on the west or south side of your home, if your climate is mild during the summer and is not afflicted with hot, scorching summer days.
3. Examine your succulent 2 to 4 weeks after planting and several times during the summer. Notice whether it is indented, or has a tan, yellow or red color on the side that faces the most sun, both of which indicate that your plant is receiving too much direct sunlight. Determine whether your succulent is not growing well, which could mean that it needs more sunlight, especially if you are providing it with proper water and fertilizer.
4. Transplant your succulent to a sunnier spot, or prune nearby trees and shrubs to increase sunlight exposure, if necessary. Alternatively, transplant your succulent to a shadier site, or plant a shrub or other plants near it to provide more shade if your plant is getting too much sunlight.
Tip
Keep your succulent in a container for the first growing season so you can easily move it around until you find the best location.
Slowly acclimate your succulent to its new growing location before planting it, especially if it was previously an indoor plant. Place it in the sun for 2 hours a day for 1 or 2 days. Increase the amount of time it spends in direct sunlight by one-half hour every day until it is exposed to the same amount of sunlight as it will get in its new location.
Sketch your landscape and mark possible planting locations. Take a day to examine and record the amount of sunlight each area gets and what time of day.
1. Determine how much direct sunlight your succulent should receive each day. Consider whether your succulent plant requires only 4 hours of direct sunlight a day, which is the case with most succulents. Plan to provide succulents with afternoon shade in areas that are scorched by hot summer sun.
2. Plant your succulent on the east side of a building, tree or another structure that is exposed to morning sun if your plant should be protected from the afternoon sun. Plant it under a tree, if desired, that receives filtered sunlight throughout the day during the summer, which also protects it from the afternoon sun. Alternatively, plant your succulent in a sunnier location, such as on the west or south side of your home, if your climate is mild during the summer and is not afflicted with hot, scorching summer days.
3. Examine your succulent 2 to 4 weeks after planting and several times during the summer. Notice whether it is indented, or has a tan, yellow or red color on the side that faces the most sun, both of which indicate that your plant is receiving too much direct sunlight. Determine whether your succulent is not growing well, which could mean that it needs more sunlight, especially if you are providing it with proper water and fertilizer.
4. Transplant your succulent to a sunnier spot, or prune nearby trees and shrubs to increase sunlight exposure, if necessary. Alternatively, transplant your succulent to a shadier site, or plant a shrub or other plants near it to provide more shade if your plant is getting too much sunlight.
Tip
Keep your succulent in a container for the first growing season so you can easily move it around until you find the best location.
Slowly acclimate your succulent to its new growing location before planting it, especially if it was previously an indoor plant. Place it in the sun for 2 hours a day for 1 or 2 days. Increase the amount of time it spends in direct sunlight by one-half hour every day until it is exposed to the same amount of sunlight as it will get in its new location.
Sketch your landscape and mark possible planting locations. Take a day to examine and record the amount of sunlight each area gets and what time of day.
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1
文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月17日
Succulents are the perfect plant for forgetful and sometimes neglectful gardeners. They don’t require much care and are easy to grow inside as well as out. They come in a variety of colors and textures and look lovely potted or landscaped.
Succulents are a diverse group of plants that come in many colors and shapes. There are over 20,000 varieties with kinds suited for all growing conditions. They store water in their leaves which tend to be thick and plump, although some have thinner leaves. They often grow in dry climates without much humidity. They do need to be watered, but can stand periods of drought instead pulling water that is stored in the leaves. They do not do well in wet conditions as their roots will start to rot if sitting in water for too long. Succulents often prefer warm weather can will not survive freezing temperatures. The stored water in the leaves will freeze and destroy the plant. Some species, however, can survive a freezing winter.
The most common types of succulents that you’ll be able to find are Agave, Yucca, Aloe, cacti, Sedum, Sempervivum, Echeveria, Euphorbia, and even some orchids.
Succulent Care
As with all plants the four things to consider when caring for succulents are light, water, soil, and temperature.
Light
Both indoor and outdoor succulents generally need at least 3 hours of direct sun daily. Morning sunlight would be preferable as the afternoon sun can be too harsh. Some succulents that receive too much sun may be damaged and look sunburned with scars on their leaves or a washed out color. Especially in hot climates where the sun is the most direct be sure to keep your succulents in areas with filtered sunlight.
Alternatively, succulents that don’t receive enough sun may begin to grow or reach toward the sun. The plants may begin to grow tall with the leaves more spaced out. Succulents that are colored may also turn green if not receiving enough light.
Water
Succulents are made to grow in arid climates and as a result do not need much water. They instead store their water in their leaves or stems. When watering your succulents be sure the soil is dry before you water. Soak the soil around the plant and don’t water again until the soil is completely dry. If the roots stay wet for long periods of time they may begin to rot causing the plant to rot. You will be able to tell this is occurring because the leaves will turn black and mushy and may start to grow mold. Generally, most succulents need to be watered only once a week. This will vary depending on your climate and soil conditions. If you are unsure how often to water your succulents it is better to underwater rather than overwater.
Soil
Well-draining soil is vital for succulents. This is important as too much moisture will cause the plant to rot. Unlike typical plants, succulent roots don’t absorb water through direct contact, but instead they get their water from the air. That is why well-draining soil is important. If you grow your succulents in pots, but sure the pot has drainage holes.
When planting succulents look for cactus mix potting soil. This mix is designed to drain better than regular potting soil. If you are unable to find cactus mix you can make your own by mixing 1 part stone pebbles, 1 part wood mulch, and 1 part clay pebbles. The stone pebbles don’t absorb water and create pockets in the mix for the water to drain. The mulch and clay absorb moisture and slowly releases it allowing the roots to receive water.
Temperature
Most succulents are able to tolerate a large range of temperatures if they get the right amount of sun and water. However, the more delicate succulents should not be kept in temperatures above 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius) or below freezing. These are the types with really thick leaves. The extreme heat will cause them to droop when the soil gets too hot and dry and below freezing will freeze the water in their leaves.
Propagating
One of the excellent qualities of succulents is their ability to propagate easily. You can often start a new plant from leaf or a plant cutting. Some types of succulents propagate better from a cutting rather than a leaf. The succulents with the thick, fleshy leaves are best suited to leaf propagation.
The best way to remove a leaf for propagation is to gently twist the leaf from the stem. You’ll want the entire leaf so nothing should be left on the stem. For succulents that propagate best from cuttings use sharp scissors or pruning shears and cut off a stem right above a leaf. This can be either the top of the succulent, or a new shoot.
After removing the leaf or cutting you’ll want the end to dry out and scab over a bit before planting. If you plant it freshly cut it may absorb too much moisture. Depending on your climate and humidity this may take 1 to 3 days. The leaf or cutting may shrivel slightly. You’ll want to plant it before it dries out too much.
When the end of the cutting is dry it is time to plant it. The leaf does not need to be planted and instead should be laid on top of soil. Mist the cutting or leaf with water whenever the soil is dry. You do not need to soak the soil. The leaves will begin to grow tiny roots within 4 to 6 weeks. When you begin to see roots cover them with soil so they don’t dry out. Propagating new plants from leaves and cuttings is not a quick process as it may take up to a year for the new plant to be fully grown.
Identifying
Often times when you buy a succulent at the store it may not be labeled. Or it will be labeled simply as “succulent” or “succulent variety”. This can be frustrating as different succulent have different growth requirements. There are many avenues you can take to help you identify your plant. The first may be to simply ask the seller. If they are unsure you may be able to identify your succulent with a photo using an online forum.
The more difficult way to identify your succulent is to look at the characteristics of the plant such as leaf shape and growing habits.
Leaf shape
Succulents come in many shapes, sizes, and colors. The leaf shapes of succulent can vary greatly among the different kinds. Leaves are generally long and spikey or small and circular. Succulents that have long spikey leaves include Aloe vera, Agave, and Gasteria. Within the spikey-leaved category the leaves may be grass-like or fleshy. The succulents with circular leaves are rose-shaped, called rosette forming succulents. Rosette-forming, circular leaved succulents include Aeonium, Echeveria, and Graptopeltum.
Rosette type
Succulents that grow in the rosette-form feature close clusters of leaves that radiate from the center as a flower would. These leaves may be pointed or round, fleshy or grass-like. Jobivarva succulents feature rounded leaves and hen-and-chick feature pointed leaves.
Configuration
Some succulents grow in long stalks and others grow close to the ground and spread out. Succulents may change in configuration as they mature so waiting until they have aged may help in making an identification.
Plant size
The size of the plant may help you identify the plant as well as determine where it should be grown. Smaller plants, those that are just a couple inches tall and wide, may be best suited indoors. Larger plants may be best to grow outside.
Flower shape and color
Flowers are one of the easiest ways to identify a plant. If your succulent blooms pay attention to the shape, size, color, and even the time of year that it blooms. The Christmas Cactus, for example, blooms only once a year, in midwinter.
Indoor Succulents
Succulents are a popular choice for houseplants because they don’t require a lot of maintenance. A Jade Plant is a classic choice and is easy to grow. Aloe vera is also popular and can be used to treat sunburns or wounds. Burro’s Tail is a pretty plant that can add some interest to your interior. It has overlapping leaves which can reach up to 3 feet (90 cm) in length and hang over the flower pot.
Christmas Cactus and Thanksgiving Cactus are succulents that bloom during the holidays and offer some color during the time of year when it can be hard to find. Keep this succulent outside in a sheltered area in the summer and fall. Bring it indoors when the overnight temperatures begin to drop into the 40s. Fertilize the plant three times during the summer and keep it drier in the winter than in the spring and summer.
One of the easiest houseplants to keep is the Snake Plant. It gets its name from the shape of its leaves. This is an indestructible houseplant that strives on neglect. It grows upright and can fit into many locations in the home. There are also many varieties, some that are variegated in color, to offer many options.
Outdoor Succulents
The most common succulents you’ll find to grow outside are Yucca, Prickly Pear Cactus, and Agave. These plants are great for landscaping and can be used alone or for all of the landscape. Yucca and Agave are hardy for most of the United States.
Hen-and-chick are a type of Sempervivum and get their name from the mother plant, or the hen, that produces cluster of offsets, the chicks. They are an easy plant to grow in the sunny part of the yard. They are low-growing and are also a good choice for a houseplant. When keeping it as a houseplant be sure to let the soil dry out completely between watering.
Sedum, sometimes called Stonecrop, are a great succulent to use as groundcover as most types are low-growing. Some varieties are taller and look best in the middle of the garden. They grow well in a normal garden, but do best in drier conditions. They also grow well in full-sun or partial sun.
Planting Succulents
When planting succulents in your garden one thing you should pay attention to is the soil. If your soil is not naturally well draining you will need to mix in some sand or gravel to help the drainage. No succulents can tolerate standing water so well-drained soil is key.
To help landscape the succulents consider adding a rock garden. This is a great way to achieve a natural looking succulent garden. Rock gardens feature various sizes of rocks and help mimic many of succulents native habits helping the landscaped succulents look more natural. You can also plant the succulents in groups to help them look purposeful and avoid planting in rows which can create the effect of soldiers in a row.
Succulents are a diverse group of plants that come in many colors and shapes. There are over 20,000 varieties with kinds suited for all growing conditions. They store water in their leaves which tend to be thick and plump, although some have thinner leaves. They often grow in dry climates without much humidity. They do need to be watered, but can stand periods of drought instead pulling water that is stored in the leaves. They do not do well in wet conditions as their roots will start to rot if sitting in water for too long. Succulents often prefer warm weather can will not survive freezing temperatures. The stored water in the leaves will freeze and destroy the plant. Some species, however, can survive a freezing winter.
The most common types of succulents that you’ll be able to find are Agave, Yucca, Aloe, cacti, Sedum, Sempervivum, Echeveria, Euphorbia, and even some orchids.
Succulent Care
As with all plants the four things to consider when caring for succulents are light, water, soil, and temperature.
Light
Both indoor and outdoor succulents generally need at least 3 hours of direct sun daily. Morning sunlight would be preferable as the afternoon sun can be too harsh. Some succulents that receive too much sun may be damaged and look sunburned with scars on their leaves or a washed out color. Especially in hot climates where the sun is the most direct be sure to keep your succulents in areas with filtered sunlight.
Alternatively, succulents that don’t receive enough sun may begin to grow or reach toward the sun. The plants may begin to grow tall with the leaves more spaced out. Succulents that are colored may also turn green if not receiving enough light.
Water
Succulents are made to grow in arid climates and as a result do not need much water. They instead store their water in their leaves or stems. When watering your succulents be sure the soil is dry before you water. Soak the soil around the plant and don’t water again until the soil is completely dry. If the roots stay wet for long periods of time they may begin to rot causing the plant to rot. You will be able to tell this is occurring because the leaves will turn black and mushy and may start to grow mold. Generally, most succulents need to be watered only once a week. This will vary depending on your climate and soil conditions. If you are unsure how often to water your succulents it is better to underwater rather than overwater.
Soil
Well-draining soil is vital for succulents. This is important as too much moisture will cause the plant to rot. Unlike typical plants, succulent roots don’t absorb water through direct contact, but instead they get their water from the air. That is why well-draining soil is important. If you grow your succulents in pots, but sure the pot has drainage holes.
When planting succulents look for cactus mix potting soil. This mix is designed to drain better than regular potting soil. If you are unable to find cactus mix you can make your own by mixing 1 part stone pebbles, 1 part wood mulch, and 1 part clay pebbles. The stone pebbles don’t absorb water and create pockets in the mix for the water to drain. The mulch and clay absorb moisture and slowly releases it allowing the roots to receive water.
Temperature
Most succulents are able to tolerate a large range of temperatures if they get the right amount of sun and water. However, the more delicate succulents should not be kept in temperatures above 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius) or below freezing. These are the types with really thick leaves. The extreme heat will cause them to droop when the soil gets too hot and dry and below freezing will freeze the water in their leaves.
Propagating
One of the excellent qualities of succulents is their ability to propagate easily. You can often start a new plant from leaf or a plant cutting. Some types of succulents propagate better from a cutting rather than a leaf. The succulents with the thick, fleshy leaves are best suited to leaf propagation.
The best way to remove a leaf for propagation is to gently twist the leaf from the stem. You’ll want the entire leaf so nothing should be left on the stem. For succulents that propagate best from cuttings use sharp scissors or pruning shears and cut off a stem right above a leaf. This can be either the top of the succulent, or a new shoot.
After removing the leaf or cutting you’ll want the end to dry out and scab over a bit before planting. If you plant it freshly cut it may absorb too much moisture. Depending on your climate and humidity this may take 1 to 3 days. The leaf or cutting may shrivel slightly. You’ll want to plant it before it dries out too much.
When the end of the cutting is dry it is time to plant it. The leaf does not need to be planted and instead should be laid on top of soil. Mist the cutting or leaf with water whenever the soil is dry. You do not need to soak the soil. The leaves will begin to grow tiny roots within 4 to 6 weeks. When you begin to see roots cover them with soil so they don’t dry out. Propagating new plants from leaves and cuttings is not a quick process as it may take up to a year for the new plant to be fully grown.
Identifying
Often times when you buy a succulent at the store it may not be labeled. Or it will be labeled simply as “succulent” or “succulent variety”. This can be frustrating as different succulent have different growth requirements. There are many avenues you can take to help you identify your plant. The first may be to simply ask the seller. If they are unsure you may be able to identify your succulent with a photo using an online forum.
The more difficult way to identify your succulent is to look at the characteristics of the plant such as leaf shape and growing habits.
Leaf shape
Succulents come in many shapes, sizes, and colors. The leaf shapes of succulent can vary greatly among the different kinds. Leaves are generally long and spikey or small and circular. Succulents that have long spikey leaves include Aloe vera, Agave, and Gasteria. Within the spikey-leaved category the leaves may be grass-like or fleshy. The succulents with circular leaves are rose-shaped, called rosette forming succulents. Rosette-forming, circular leaved succulents include Aeonium, Echeveria, and Graptopeltum.
Rosette type
Succulents that grow in the rosette-form feature close clusters of leaves that radiate from the center as a flower would. These leaves may be pointed or round, fleshy or grass-like. Jobivarva succulents feature rounded leaves and hen-and-chick feature pointed leaves.
Configuration
Some succulents grow in long stalks and others grow close to the ground and spread out. Succulents may change in configuration as they mature so waiting until they have aged may help in making an identification.
Plant size
The size of the plant may help you identify the plant as well as determine where it should be grown. Smaller plants, those that are just a couple inches tall and wide, may be best suited indoors. Larger plants may be best to grow outside.
Flower shape and color
Flowers are one of the easiest ways to identify a plant. If your succulent blooms pay attention to the shape, size, color, and even the time of year that it blooms. The Christmas Cactus, for example, blooms only once a year, in midwinter.
Indoor Succulents
Succulents are a popular choice for houseplants because they don’t require a lot of maintenance. A Jade Plant is a classic choice and is easy to grow. Aloe vera is also popular and can be used to treat sunburns or wounds. Burro’s Tail is a pretty plant that can add some interest to your interior. It has overlapping leaves which can reach up to 3 feet (90 cm) in length and hang over the flower pot.
Christmas Cactus and Thanksgiving Cactus are succulents that bloom during the holidays and offer some color during the time of year when it can be hard to find. Keep this succulent outside in a sheltered area in the summer and fall. Bring it indoors when the overnight temperatures begin to drop into the 40s. Fertilize the plant three times during the summer and keep it drier in the winter than in the spring and summer.
One of the easiest houseplants to keep is the Snake Plant. It gets its name from the shape of its leaves. This is an indestructible houseplant that strives on neglect. It grows upright and can fit into many locations in the home. There are also many varieties, some that are variegated in color, to offer many options.
Outdoor Succulents
The most common succulents you’ll find to grow outside are Yucca, Prickly Pear Cactus, and Agave. These plants are great for landscaping and can be used alone or for all of the landscape. Yucca and Agave are hardy for most of the United States.
Hen-and-chick are a type of Sempervivum and get their name from the mother plant, or the hen, that produces cluster of offsets, the chicks. They are an easy plant to grow in the sunny part of the yard. They are low-growing and are also a good choice for a houseplant. When keeping it as a houseplant be sure to let the soil dry out completely between watering.
Sedum, sometimes called Stonecrop, are a great succulent to use as groundcover as most types are low-growing. Some varieties are taller and look best in the middle of the garden. They grow well in a normal garden, but do best in drier conditions. They also grow well in full-sun or partial sun.
Planting Succulents
When planting succulents in your garden one thing you should pay attention to is the soil. If your soil is not naturally well draining you will need to mix in some sand or gravel to help the drainage. No succulents can tolerate standing water so well-drained soil is key.
To help landscape the succulents consider adding a rock garden. This is a great way to achieve a natural looking succulent garden. Rock gardens feature various sizes of rocks and help mimic many of succulents native habits helping the landscaped succulents look more natural. You can also plant the succulents in groups to help them look purposeful and avoid planting in rows which can create the effect of soldiers in a row.
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Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月17日
Even though petite, glass-enclosed gardens are fashionable, succulents don’t grow well in terrariums. Terrariums can become too humid for succulents. When these plants are exposed to too much moisture, they can become mushy and die. Below are some tips for making the most of a terrarium garden.
Choose a terrarium with ample circulation and plenty of drainage. Your plants won’t thrive if they’re soggy. Don’t overcrowd the area. Less is more when it comes to growing succulents in terrariums. The roots of the succulents should be completely covered by the soil. You won’t have to water the plants often. When you do, spray the dirt with a mister. Tiny versions of succulents look great next to miniature accessories.
Kids love to plant, arrange and care for fairy gardens. You won’t have to worry about them damaging these sturdy plants. Make sure that choose soft plants that won’t pinch or poke the children.
Choose a terrarium with ample circulation and plenty of drainage. Your plants won’t thrive if they’re soggy. Don’t overcrowd the area. Less is more when it comes to growing succulents in terrariums. The roots of the succulents should be completely covered by the soil. You won’t have to water the plants often. When you do, spray the dirt with a mister. Tiny versions of succulents look great next to miniature accessories.
Kids love to plant, arrange and care for fairy gardens. You won’t have to worry about them damaging these sturdy plants. Make sure that choose soft plants that won’t pinch or poke the children.
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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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Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月17日
Succulents may have color in their outer flesh. Some varieties grow flowers that bloom separately from the plump, juicy “leaves”. We’ll talk about those later in the article. Below, you can read about succulents that have colorful foliage.
Red Pencil Plant (Euphorbia tirucalli ‘Rosea’): This plant has long, finger-like branches and resembles undersea coral. It can look as though its appendages are on fire as they transform from green to magenta to yellow. The height of this plant creates interest in a container garden. It grows upward instead of branching out horizontally, which can look impressive in a tight space.
Golden Toothed Aloe (Aloe nobilis): You might be familiar with the green Aloe plant. This fiery variety has dark green leaves with sharp white teeth on the edges. The leaves turn burnt orange and red under bright sunlight. In the summer, reddish-orange flowers extend on long stems. Hummingbirds love these vibrant blooms.
Royanum Hens and Chicks (Sempervivum tectorum ‘Royanum’): This plant fills up as it grows offsets in the spring. It propagates itself and looks great in bunches. It forms a mat in your container or garden. The leaves are lime green, but the tips of this variety vary from dark burgundy to chocolate. This plant sends up star-shaped flowers. After it blooms, it dies. However, the offsets carry on the life cycle.
Paddle Plant (Kalanchoe luciae) The nicknames for this succulent are as colorful as its leaves. It has been referred to as flipping flapjacks and desert cabbage. The leaves are huge, round and smooth. They grow red in the sun and become more vibrant as winter comes.
Morning Light Echeveria (Echeveria ‘Morning Light’): This succulent looks like a lotus blossom. However, the leaves, not the flowers, make up the lovely pattern with their delicate pastels. The hue is subtle. It changes from light bluish-violet toward the core to pretty pink at the tips of the leaves. This one is easy to grow. It likes indirect light. Unlike some other succulents, this plant does require nutrient-rich soil.
Red Pencil Plant (Euphorbia tirucalli ‘Rosea’): This plant has long, finger-like branches and resembles undersea coral. It can look as though its appendages are on fire as they transform from green to magenta to yellow. The height of this plant creates interest in a container garden. It grows upward instead of branching out horizontally, which can look impressive in a tight space.
Golden Toothed Aloe (Aloe nobilis): You might be familiar with the green Aloe plant. This fiery variety has dark green leaves with sharp white teeth on the edges. The leaves turn burnt orange and red under bright sunlight. In the summer, reddish-orange flowers extend on long stems. Hummingbirds love these vibrant blooms.
Royanum Hens and Chicks (Sempervivum tectorum ‘Royanum’): This plant fills up as it grows offsets in the spring. It propagates itself and looks great in bunches. It forms a mat in your container or garden. The leaves are lime green, but the tips of this variety vary from dark burgundy to chocolate. This plant sends up star-shaped flowers. After it blooms, it dies. However, the offsets carry on the life cycle.
Paddle Plant (Kalanchoe luciae) The nicknames for this succulent are as colorful as its leaves. It has been referred to as flipping flapjacks and desert cabbage. The leaves are huge, round and smooth. They grow red in the sun and become more vibrant as winter comes.
Morning Light Echeveria (Echeveria ‘Morning Light’): This succulent looks like a lotus blossom. However, the leaves, not the flowers, make up the lovely pattern with their delicate pastels. The hue is subtle. It changes from light bluish-violet toward the core to pretty pink at the tips of the leaves. This one is easy to grow. It likes indirect light. Unlike some other succulents, this plant does require nutrient-rich soil.
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Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月17日
Maihuenia is a genus largely accepted as containing two species which are quite distinct from other cactus. The plants in this genus are so different that they have been classified as the sole genus in the subfamily Maihuenioideae.
These plants grow as mats which hug the ground and are made up of segmented short-rounded stems. The stems feature typically 3 spines per areole and also have small rounded leaves which do not fall off as they do in Opuntias. The flowers come from the ends of the stems and are shades of yellow from near-white to orange. Club-shaped fruits are fleshy and contain bracts.
The natural habitat of this species is in the region known as Patagonia in the southern parts of Argentina and Chile at elevations of 8,000 feet (2450 m) elevation. In this harsh environment, these cacti commonly endure frost and are starting to become sought by cold-hardy cactus growers in North America.
Growing Condition and General Care
Maihuenia is an easy-to-grow plant. It can survive outside in the garden in the sunny rockery on a sheltered place, but only if it’s protected with a sheet of glass during the wintertime. It is also very good for a large pot which can be stored inside an unheated greenhouse or on a balcony, somewhat protected from moisture during the winter, but is probably safest to grow it in the Alpine House or in a raised bed inside an unheated greenhouse all year around, with lots of ventilation. They should not be kept hot in summer as they are from high elevations.
During the growing season it’s good to enrich the soil using a fertilizer rich in potassium and phosphorous, but poor in nitrogen.
For a balanced development, it is best to place it in a position where it is exposed at least a few hours of direct sunlight.
Water these plants only from time to time if grown outdoors, but it should be watered abundantly if grown in a pot or in the greenhouse, during the summer.
The spring weather, with a high temperature swing between the day and night hours, and pretty frequent rains, can favor the development of fungus diseases, which should be treated with a systemic fungicide. Repot it every 2 to 3 years.
These plants grow as mats which hug the ground and are made up of segmented short-rounded stems. The stems feature typically 3 spines per areole and also have small rounded leaves which do not fall off as they do in Opuntias. The flowers come from the ends of the stems and are shades of yellow from near-white to orange. Club-shaped fruits are fleshy and contain bracts.
The natural habitat of this species is in the region known as Patagonia in the southern parts of Argentina and Chile at elevations of 8,000 feet (2450 m) elevation. In this harsh environment, these cacti commonly endure frost and are starting to become sought by cold-hardy cactus growers in North America.
Growing Condition and General Care
Maihuenia is an easy-to-grow plant. It can survive outside in the garden in the sunny rockery on a sheltered place, but only if it’s protected with a sheet of glass during the wintertime. It is also very good for a large pot which can be stored inside an unheated greenhouse or on a balcony, somewhat protected from moisture during the winter, but is probably safest to grow it in the Alpine House or in a raised bed inside an unheated greenhouse all year around, with lots of ventilation. They should not be kept hot in summer as they are from high elevations.
During the growing season it’s good to enrich the soil using a fertilizer rich in potassium and phosphorous, but poor in nitrogen.
For a balanced development, it is best to place it in a position where it is exposed at least a few hours of direct sunlight.
Water these plants only from time to time if grown outdoors, but it should be watered abundantly if grown in a pot or in the greenhouse, during the summer.
The spring weather, with a high temperature swing between the day and night hours, and pretty frequent rains, can favor the development of fungus diseases, which should be treated with a systemic fungicide. Repot it every 2 to 3 years.
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Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月17日
Dodder is an annual seed-bearing parasitic vine in the dodder family (formerly placed in the morning-glory family). Its thin, thread-like, yellow or orange stems grow rapidly entwining and covering their host plants. Cuscate is the most common genus and is found throughout the US and Canada. Of the 50 species that occur, most are found in tropical and warm-temperate areas but some species also occur in cooler areas including St. Louis where they can grow from seed each year and infest herbaceous and small woody plants. Since seeds can be difficult to separate from some agricultural crops dodder has been spread widely through agriculture.
Life Cycle
Dodder seeds germinate in soil and can live on their own for 5 to 10 days until they are about a foot tall. If they have not found a suitable host by this time the seedlings will die. Seedlings that find a suitable host twine around the plant and insert haustoria (modified adventitious roots) into the tender stem. The haustoria penetrate and tap the plant's vascular system for water, minerals and nutrients. Plants are weakly photosynthetic, but most produce very little food on their own. They rely upon their host plant for survival. As the vine taps the host plant its connection to the soil is severed. Small, white, bell-shaped flowers form in late summer and early fall and can produce copious amounts of seed. Plants are annual and are killed by frost. Plants regrow from seed each year.
Integrated Pest Management Strategies
1. Remove the plants. As soon as the thin vining stems of dodder are observed they should be gathered and removed before seed is set. Removal of the host plant is usually recommended. Complete eradication from the host plant is usually not possible.
2. Scout for and remove new seedlings as they appear. Monitor areas previously infested with dodder closely and pull young seedling before they attach themselves to new plants and certainly before they set seed. Seeds can survive in the soil for more than 20 years.
3. Treat with an herbicide. Dodder and the host plant can be killed by treating with glyphosate, a non-selective herbicide. As a follow-up measure to kill germinating seeds, treat soil with a preemergent herbicide such as Dacthal before seeds germinate in spring.
Organic Strategies
Strategies 1 and 2 are strictly organic approaches.
Life Cycle
Dodder seeds germinate in soil and can live on their own for 5 to 10 days until they are about a foot tall. If they have not found a suitable host by this time the seedlings will die. Seedlings that find a suitable host twine around the plant and insert haustoria (modified adventitious roots) into the tender stem. The haustoria penetrate and tap the plant's vascular system for water, minerals and nutrients. Plants are weakly photosynthetic, but most produce very little food on their own. They rely upon their host plant for survival. As the vine taps the host plant its connection to the soil is severed. Small, white, bell-shaped flowers form in late summer and early fall and can produce copious amounts of seed. Plants are annual and are killed by frost. Plants regrow from seed each year.
Integrated Pest Management Strategies
1. Remove the plants. As soon as the thin vining stems of dodder are observed they should be gathered and removed before seed is set. Removal of the host plant is usually recommended. Complete eradication from the host plant is usually not possible.
2. Scout for and remove new seedlings as they appear. Monitor areas previously infested with dodder closely and pull young seedling before they attach themselves to new plants and certainly before they set seed. Seeds can survive in the soil for more than 20 years.
3. Treat with an herbicide. Dodder and the host plant can be killed by treating with glyphosate, a non-selective herbicide. As a follow-up measure to kill germinating seeds, treat soil with a preemergent herbicide such as Dacthal before seeds germinate in spring.
Organic Strategies
Strategies 1 and 2 are strictly organic approaches.
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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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Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月17日
A weed is a plant that is not valued where it is growing and is usually of vigorous growth, especially one that tends to overgrow or choke out more desirable plants. Summer annual weeds emerge in the spring or early summer, grow during the summer, produce seed in mid to late summer, and are killed by frost in the fall. Following are some of the more common summer annual weeds for the St. Louis area. General control measures are listed at the end of this article.
GRASSES
Barnyardgrass
Barnyardgrass (Echinochloa crus-galli) is a summer annual grass that germinates from seeds from late winter or early spring throughout the summer. The stems are usually erect, thick, without hairs, often branched at the lower nodes, and may be tinted red to maroon at the base. The stems may reach 5 feet in height. The smooth, hairless leaves are rolled in the bud and contain neither ligules nor auricles. The dark green leaves, which range from 4 to 20 inches in length, have a distinct white midvein range. The seed head is green to reddish purple, with conspicuous, short stiff bristles or barbed spikelets. The roots are fibrous. Under close mowing, the broad, compressed purple sheaths of barnyardgrass lie flat on the ground and spread in a semicircular pattern. Barnyardgrass is found in moist soils, especially soils high in nutrients.
Crabgrass
Crabgrass, large and smooth (Digitaria sanguinalis, Digitaria ischaemum) are pale green summer annuals that has a prostrate or ascending growth habit. The two main species of crabgrass that occur in Missouri are smooth and large. Smooth crabgrass may be distinguished from large crabgrass by the absence of hairs on the leaves and sheath. Also smooth crabgrass does not root at the nodes like large crabgrass. Both species have a long, jagged membranous ligule and have no auricles. Crabgrass forms dense, unsightly patches that smother desirable turf grasses. Germination occurs when soil temperatures consistently reach 55 degrees F and is generally killed at the first frost. A crabgrass plant which needs warm soils and sunlight can produce 150,000 seeds. The seed head is composed of 2-6 branches (spikes) at the top of the stems forming 2 rows along the spike.
To control early in the season, use a pre-emergent herbicide as soon as soil temperatures reach 55 degrees F for a period of four days about the time forsythia blooms. A pre-emergent herbicide is recommended even if some crabgrass plants have germinated. There will still be crabgrass seed in the soil and the herbicide can prevent further infestation. Do not aerate after a pre-emergent herbicide application. For crabgrass control after germination, use a post-emergent selective grass herbicide.
Fall Panicum
Fall panicum (Panicum dichotomiflorum) is known as smooth witchgrass. It has a zigzag appearance as the buds turn out at the nodes. It has a very rounded stem, grows to 7’ and there is a purple tinge to its inflorescence. Sometimes it is confused with Johnson grass or barnyard grass, but fall panicum has a hairy ligule. Also its first true leaf has hairs on the underside of the blade, Johnson grass and barnyard grass do not.
Witchgrass
Panicum capillare is known as witchgrass or tickle grass. Culms are erect or spreading at the base. They are hollow, and pubescent at the nodes. They grow from 8 to 28” inches tall. The inflorescence is often ½ the length of the entire plant. It is purplish at maturity. It is softly hairy and the seeds are 1/16 of an inch. The head breaks off easily and rolls away in the wind, like a tumbleweed.
Goosegrass
Goosegrass (Elusine indica) is a prostrate-growing summer annual weed that grows in a clump. The leaves are distinctly folded in the bud and may be smooth or have a few sparse hairs at the base of the leaf. Goosegrass can be identified by the whitish stems at the base that are extremely compressed and flattened. The ligule is toothed and membranous with a cut in the center. There are no auricles. Goosegrass seed heads contain 3-7 spikes that form at the tip of the stalk. The seeds are attached in a zipper appearance on the spike. Goosegrass germinates about two weeks later than smooth crabgrass. Goosegrass can tolerate heavy traffic, dry compacted soils and low mowing heights.
Sandbur
Sandbur (Cenchrus longispinus) is a low-growing summer annual weed which is found in dense spreading patches most commonly in sandy soils. It roots at the nodes on the stems if they touch the ground. The leaves are folded in the bud, ¼ inch wide, and tapering to a point. The ligule is a short fringe of hairs and the auricles are absent. The seed head is a single spike with 6 to 20 rounded burs which contain 2 seeds in each bur. Sandbur seeds catch on clothing and animal fur and the barbed burs can easily pierce the skin and cause injury to livestock and people. Plants growing low to the ground can still produce burs. After a frost, entire plants become straw-colored, but stems with burs can persist through the winter. Seed dispersal occurs by animals, farm equipment, tires and in contaminated hay. Water is also important for seed dispersal, as burs float and may be carried for miles in irrigations ditches and other waterways.
Yellow Foxtail
Yellow foxtail (Setaria glauca) is a summer annual found especially in the Midwest and Eastern parts of the United States. It germinates when soil temperatures reach 65 degrees. Leaves are rolled in the bud. The ligule is a fringe of hairs. Auricles are absent. The collar is narrow and continuous. The blade contains hairs near the ligule. It has an upright growth pattern. The seed head is a bushy spike which resembles the tail of a fox.
BROADLEAFS
Black Medic
Black medic (Medicago lupulina) is a summer annual that can act as a perennial. The leaf is similar to other legumes, but the center leaflet is on a separate petiole. The flower is a compressed cluster of bright yellow flowers in the shape of a globular spike on short branches. The seed pod turns black at maturity. It will produce seeds at normal mowing heights. It can be confused with lespedeza (Kummerowia striata) unless it is blooming. Lespedeza has a bright blue flower.
Carpetweed
Carpetweed (Mollugo verticillata) is a summer annual with smooth prostrate branching stems forming circular mats. It is light green in color, the leaves are lanceolate in shape, widest in the middle and narrow at tip and base. Leaves form whorls containing 3-8 leaves. The flowers are white, have 5 petals, and form clusters of 2-5 flowers. Flowers are formed in the leaf axils. It spreads by seed, and is found throughout North America. Carpetweed germinates much later than other summer weeds. It grows quickly, especially in thin turf. Mowing misses it. It prefers rich moist soils, but it can establish itself in dry, sandy soil.
Lambsquarter
Lambsquarter (Chenopodium album) is an erect growing summer annual that may appear highly branched in a mowed setting. The immature leaves appear to be covered with a white mealy substance, especially on the underside of the leaf. The first pair of leaves are opposite, and subsequent leaves are alternate along the stems. Leaf margins vary, but usually are irregularly lobed. The root of lambsquarter is a short, branched taproot. The flowers are found in small green clusters and lack petals. The clusters of flowers form in terminal spikes. Lambsquarter spreads by black seeds that germinate in the late spring to early summer. Each plant produces thousands of tiny seeds that may remain viable for years. When lambsquarter is abundant, it is reported to cause hay fever symptoms.
Mallow
Mallow (Hibiscus trionum) is a summer annual-- it is also called “flower of an hour”. There is a winter annual mallow, it is usually called the common mallow. H. trionum is grown in Europe as an ornamental. It is upright 10-18”. It is covered with hairs. The leaves are deeply cleft with 3-5 coarsely toothed lobes on long petioles. The lower stems and petioles are red to purple in color. It has a fibrous root system with a weak taproot. It has a showy flower. It is light sulfur-yellow in color with a deep red to purple center. It does last 2-3 hours then the petals drop. It spreads by seed. The seed can be dormant for 50 years. It is found throughout the U.S. Mallow can infest nurseries, orchards, roadsides, cultivated fields and open areas. It tolerates drought, alkaline soil, and gravelly soils.
Pigweed
Pigweed is actually toxic to pigs and cows. This summer annual has alternate leaves. There are 10 pigweeds (Amaranthus) identified through the corn belt area: redroot, smooth, rough pigweed, Powell, tumble, prostrate, spiny, tall, sandhill and another one. The difference is in the flower. The leaves are alternate, the seeds (1/25”) are shiny, round and flat. The plant can reach 2-4’ for the smaller ones and up to 61/2’ for the larger ones.
Prostrate knotweed
Prostrate knotweed (Polygonum aviculare) is a summer annual which resembles a grass with long, dark leaves as the seedling emerges. Later, it forms a flat mat up to 2 to 3 feet in diameter on slender wiry stems that emerge from a tap root. There are papery sheath or ocrea at each node that give the stems a knotted or swollen appearance. The alternate leaves are small and narrowly oval, dull and bluish green, and 1 ¼ inches long by 1/3 inch wide. The flowers are small pink to white and form in clusters in the leaf axis. Knotweed is found in compacted, infertile soil or thin turf in the sun. Smartweed is a close relative of knotweed, but it has a purple ocrea encircling the stem. Spotted spurge may be confused with knotweed, but the spurges do not have an ocrea and emit a milky sap when cut, unlike prostrate knotweed.
Puncturevine
Puncturevine (Tribulus terrestris) is a summer annual weed with multiple stems prostrate along the ground. Stems may be up to five feet long originating from a taproot. Leaves are compound pinnate with four to eight pairs of hairy leaflets. Each leaflet is less than ½ inch long. The small yellow flowers have five petals and are about 1/3 inch wide. The flowers, which consist of 5 petals, produce hard, spiny, five-lobed fruit. Bloom is in late spring and early summer. At maturity the fruit breaks into tack-like structures each containing 2 to 4 seeds. Seed nutlets disperse by adhering to tires, shoes and clothing of people, fur, feathers, and feet of animals. These burs can injure people and animals and can damage bike and car tires. Foliage is toxic to livestock, especially sheep, when consumed in quantity. The fruit is used medicinally in India.
Purslane
Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is a prostrate mat-forming summer annual that can reach up to 24 inches long. It has multi-branched red stems that root at the nodes wherever they contact the soil surface. The smooth, thick, fleshy leaves are usually alternate and are often clustered near the ends of the branches. The entire plant is very succulent and resembles a jade plant. Purslane is common to disturbed soil, new seedlings, sidewalk crevices and mulched planting beds. It prefers high light and warm conditions. This plant reproduces by seeds that are formed in a capsule with a lid that flips open in the spring. Solitary yellow flowers with 5 petals will only open with sunny conditions from May to September. Purslane’s use as a medicinal herb to treat dysentery, headache, and stomach ache dates back 2000 years. It was also used as a salad green by the Australian aborigines, by the Chinese, French, Italians, and the English.
Ragweed
Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisifolia) is a summer annual that produces pollen. One weed equals 1 billion grains of pollen, 100 million tons of pollen are produced per year. It grows up to 5’ tall. Opposite leaves are egg-shaped in outline and once or twice compound (pinnatified), they are hairy on their upper surface and margin. Leaves can be up to 6” long, The erect stems have long rough hairs. The fruit is an achene, which resembles a queen’s crown. It has a shallow taproot. There is a giant ragweed (Ambrosia tridida) which grows up to 14’ high. No animal eats ragweed.
Spurge
Prostrate spurge (Euphorbia supine) and spotted spurge (Euphorbia maculate) are summer annual weeds. Spotted spurge has a more erect growth habit than prostrate spurge. Prostrate spurge forms dense mats with its stems radiating out from a shallow taproot. Both species have similar leaves, which are small and oblong with an irregular maroon to purple spot in their center. However, the leaves of spotted spurge are slightly larger than those of prostrate spurge. Both spurges have leaves that grow opposite on the stem, but spotted spurge has fewer leaves per stem. When the leaves of both spurges are broken or injured they emit a milky white sap (similar to dandelion). Prostrate spurge roots at the nodes, but spotted spurge does not. Both spurges reproduce from seed. The flower of spotted spurge is small and green in color. Prostrate spurge has inconspicuous small, pinkish white flowers in the leaf axils.
Vervain
Vervain (Verbena officinalis) is known as the herb of enchantment. It is used medically in 30 complaints. Supposedly vervain staunched the wounds of Christ on the Mount of Calvary. It has a slightly bitter taste and it has no scent. Vervain is rarely perennial, the leaves are numerous, opposite, lanceolate to ovate ½ to 3” long. It is pinnately toothed, it can have 3 lobes, with the center lobe larger than the others. The leaves are hairy on both surfaces. The flower is a dense terminal spike 1-8” long, usually ascending. The flower is blue or purple with 5 lobes, the tiny flowers are almost hidden by conspicuous hairy bracts.
Integrated Pest Management Strategies for Summer Annual Weeds
1. Use good cultural practices to prevent the spread of summer annual weeds. Maintain a dense actively growing turf through proper mowing, fertilizing and watering practices. Most lawns should be cut at least 2 inches or higher. Watering deeply (4-6 inches) just before the turf begins to wilt is a sound approach. Frequent light watering promotes weak turf with shallow roots which are more susceptible to insect and disease attacks as well as weed invasion. Complete soil testing is the key to proper liming and fertilization. Cultural practices for the control of summer annual weeds are aimed at shading and crowding the young weed seedlings by producing a dense sod.
2. Dig up the weeds.
3. Coring and traffic control reduce compaction and encourage desirable turfgrass growth. Mulch flower beds to control weeds.
4. Use chemical herbicides. Use a post-emergent herbicide when the weed is young, usually three to four leaf stage. It is best to control summer annual weeds in late spring or early summer when they are young. They are easier to control at that time and both warm season and cool season turfgrasses have a greater chance to recover the areas previously occupied by weeds. There are also some pre-emergent herbicides available which form a chemical barrier in the soil and prevent the weeds from emerging. Check herbicide labels to verify that the herbicide you have chosen is effective in controlling your problem weed and when and how to apply.
GRASSES
Barnyardgrass
Barnyardgrass (Echinochloa crus-galli) is a summer annual grass that germinates from seeds from late winter or early spring throughout the summer. The stems are usually erect, thick, without hairs, often branched at the lower nodes, and may be tinted red to maroon at the base. The stems may reach 5 feet in height. The smooth, hairless leaves are rolled in the bud and contain neither ligules nor auricles. The dark green leaves, which range from 4 to 20 inches in length, have a distinct white midvein range. The seed head is green to reddish purple, with conspicuous, short stiff bristles or barbed spikelets. The roots are fibrous. Under close mowing, the broad, compressed purple sheaths of barnyardgrass lie flat on the ground and spread in a semicircular pattern. Barnyardgrass is found in moist soils, especially soils high in nutrients.
Crabgrass
Crabgrass, large and smooth (Digitaria sanguinalis, Digitaria ischaemum) are pale green summer annuals that has a prostrate or ascending growth habit. The two main species of crabgrass that occur in Missouri are smooth and large. Smooth crabgrass may be distinguished from large crabgrass by the absence of hairs on the leaves and sheath. Also smooth crabgrass does not root at the nodes like large crabgrass. Both species have a long, jagged membranous ligule and have no auricles. Crabgrass forms dense, unsightly patches that smother desirable turf grasses. Germination occurs when soil temperatures consistently reach 55 degrees F and is generally killed at the first frost. A crabgrass plant which needs warm soils and sunlight can produce 150,000 seeds. The seed head is composed of 2-6 branches (spikes) at the top of the stems forming 2 rows along the spike.
To control early in the season, use a pre-emergent herbicide as soon as soil temperatures reach 55 degrees F for a period of four days about the time forsythia blooms. A pre-emergent herbicide is recommended even if some crabgrass plants have germinated. There will still be crabgrass seed in the soil and the herbicide can prevent further infestation. Do not aerate after a pre-emergent herbicide application. For crabgrass control after germination, use a post-emergent selective grass herbicide.
Fall Panicum
Fall panicum (Panicum dichotomiflorum) is known as smooth witchgrass. It has a zigzag appearance as the buds turn out at the nodes. It has a very rounded stem, grows to 7’ and there is a purple tinge to its inflorescence. Sometimes it is confused with Johnson grass or barnyard grass, but fall panicum has a hairy ligule. Also its first true leaf has hairs on the underside of the blade, Johnson grass and barnyard grass do not.
Witchgrass
Panicum capillare is known as witchgrass or tickle grass. Culms are erect or spreading at the base. They are hollow, and pubescent at the nodes. They grow from 8 to 28” inches tall. The inflorescence is often ½ the length of the entire plant. It is purplish at maturity. It is softly hairy and the seeds are 1/16 of an inch. The head breaks off easily and rolls away in the wind, like a tumbleweed.
Goosegrass
Goosegrass (Elusine indica) is a prostrate-growing summer annual weed that grows in a clump. The leaves are distinctly folded in the bud and may be smooth or have a few sparse hairs at the base of the leaf. Goosegrass can be identified by the whitish stems at the base that are extremely compressed and flattened. The ligule is toothed and membranous with a cut in the center. There are no auricles. Goosegrass seed heads contain 3-7 spikes that form at the tip of the stalk. The seeds are attached in a zipper appearance on the spike. Goosegrass germinates about two weeks later than smooth crabgrass. Goosegrass can tolerate heavy traffic, dry compacted soils and low mowing heights.
Sandbur
Sandbur (Cenchrus longispinus) is a low-growing summer annual weed which is found in dense spreading patches most commonly in sandy soils. It roots at the nodes on the stems if they touch the ground. The leaves are folded in the bud, ¼ inch wide, and tapering to a point. The ligule is a short fringe of hairs and the auricles are absent. The seed head is a single spike with 6 to 20 rounded burs which contain 2 seeds in each bur. Sandbur seeds catch on clothing and animal fur and the barbed burs can easily pierce the skin and cause injury to livestock and people. Plants growing low to the ground can still produce burs. After a frost, entire plants become straw-colored, but stems with burs can persist through the winter. Seed dispersal occurs by animals, farm equipment, tires and in contaminated hay. Water is also important for seed dispersal, as burs float and may be carried for miles in irrigations ditches and other waterways.
Yellow Foxtail
Yellow foxtail (Setaria glauca) is a summer annual found especially in the Midwest and Eastern parts of the United States. It germinates when soil temperatures reach 65 degrees. Leaves are rolled in the bud. The ligule is a fringe of hairs. Auricles are absent. The collar is narrow and continuous. The blade contains hairs near the ligule. It has an upright growth pattern. The seed head is a bushy spike which resembles the tail of a fox.
BROADLEAFS
Black Medic
Black medic (Medicago lupulina) is a summer annual that can act as a perennial. The leaf is similar to other legumes, but the center leaflet is on a separate petiole. The flower is a compressed cluster of bright yellow flowers in the shape of a globular spike on short branches. The seed pod turns black at maturity. It will produce seeds at normal mowing heights. It can be confused with lespedeza (Kummerowia striata) unless it is blooming. Lespedeza has a bright blue flower.
Carpetweed
Carpetweed (Mollugo verticillata) is a summer annual with smooth prostrate branching stems forming circular mats. It is light green in color, the leaves are lanceolate in shape, widest in the middle and narrow at tip and base. Leaves form whorls containing 3-8 leaves. The flowers are white, have 5 petals, and form clusters of 2-5 flowers. Flowers are formed in the leaf axils. It spreads by seed, and is found throughout North America. Carpetweed germinates much later than other summer weeds. It grows quickly, especially in thin turf. Mowing misses it. It prefers rich moist soils, but it can establish itself in dry, sandy soil.
Lambsquarter
Lambsquarter (Chenopodium album) is an erect growing summer annual that may appear highly branched in a mowed setting. The immature leaves appear to be covered with a white mealy substance, especially on the underside of the leaf. The first pair of leaves are opposite, and subsequent leaves are alternate along the stems. Leaf margins vary, but usually are irregularly lobed. The root of lambsquarter is a short, branched taproot. The flowers are found in small green clusters and lack petals. The clusters of flowers form in terminal spikes. Lambsquarter spreads by black seeds that germinate in the late spring to early summer. Each plant produces thousands of tiny seeds that may remain viable for years. When lambsquarter is abundant, it is reported to cause hay fever symptoms.
Mallow
Mallow (Hibiscus trionum) is a summer annual-- it is also called “flower of an hour”. There is a winter annual mallow, it is usually called the common mallow. H. trionum is grown in Europe as an ornamental. It is upright 10-18”. It is covered with hairs. The leaves are deeply cleft with 3-5 coarsely toothed lobes on long petioles. The lower stems and petioles are red to purple in color. It has a fibrous root system with a weak taproot. It has a showy flower. It is light sulfur-yellow in color with a deep red to purple center. It does last 2-3 hours then the petals drop. It spreads by seed. The seed can be dormant for 50 years. It is found throughout the U.S. Mallow can infest nurseries, orchards, roadsides, cultivated fields and open areas. It tolerates drought, alkaline soil, and gravelly soils.
Pigweed
Pigweed is actually toxic to pigs and cows. This summer annual has alternate leaves. There are 10 pigweeds (Amaranthus) identified through the corn belt area: redroot, smooth, rough pigweed, Powell, tumble, prostrate, spiny, tall, sandhill and another one. The difference is in the flower. The leaves are alternate, the seeds (1/25”) are shiny, round and flat. The plant can reach 2-4’ for the smaller ones and up to 61/2’ for the larger ones.
Prostrate knotweed
Prostrate knotweed (Polygonum aviculare) is a summer annual which resembles a grass with long, dark leaves as the seedling emerges. Later, it forms a flat mat up to 2 to 3 feet in diameter on slender wiry stems that emerge from a tap root. There are papery sheath or ocrea at each node that give the stems a knotted or swollen appearance. The alternate leaves are small and narrowly oval, dull and bluish green, and 1 ¼ inches long by 1/3 inch wide. The flowers are small pink to white and form in clusters in the leaf axis. Knotweed is found in compacted, infertile soil or thin turf in the sun. Smartweed is a close relative of knotweed, but it has a purple ocrea encircling the stem. Spotted spurge may be confused with knotweed, but the spurges do not have an ocrea and emit a milky sap when cut, unlike prostrate knotweed.
Puncturevine
Puncturevine (Tribulus terrestris) is a summer annual weed with multiple stems prostrate along the ground. Stems may be up to five feet long originating from a taproot. Leaves are compound pinnate with four to eight pairs of hairy leaflets. Each leaflet is less than ½ inch long. The small yellow flowers have five petals and are about 1/3 inch wide. The flowers, which consist of 5 petals, produce hard, spiny, five-lobed fruit. Bloom is in late spring and early summer. At maturity the fruit breaks into tack-like structures each containing 2 to 4 seeds. Seed nutlets disperse by adhering to tires, shoes and clothing of people, fur, feathers, and feet of animals. These burs can injure people and animals and can damage bike and car tires. Foliage is toxic to livestock, especially sheep, when consumed in quantity. The fruit is used medicinally in India.
Purslane
Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is a prostrate mat-forming summer annual that can reach up to 24 inches long. It has multi-branched red stems that root at the nodes wherever they contact the soil surface. The smooth, thick, fleshy leaves are usually alternate and are often clustered near the ends of the branches. The entire plant is very succulent and resembles a jade plant. Purslane is common to disturbed soil, new seedlings, sidewalk crevices and mulched planting beds. It prefers high light and warm conditions. This plant reproduces by seeds that are formed in a capsule with a lid that flips open in the spring. Solitary yellow flowers with 5 petals will only open with sunny conditions from May to September. Purslane’s use as a medicinal herb to treat dysentery, headache, and stomach ache dates back 2000 years. It was also used as a salad green by the Australian aborigines, by the Chinese, French, Italians, and the English.
Ragweed
Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisifolia) is a summer annual that produces pollen. One weed equals 1 billion grains of pollen, 100 million tons of pollen are produced per year. It grows up to 5’ tall. Opposite leaves are egg-shaped in outline and once or twice compound (pinnatified), they are hairy on their upper surface and margin. Leaves can be up to 6” long, The erect stems have long rough hairs. The fruit is an achene, which resembles a queen’s crown. It has a shallow taproot. There is a giant ragweed (Ambrosia tridida) which grows up to 14’ high. No animal eats ragweed.
Spurge
Prostrate spurge (Euphorbia supine) and spotted spurge (Euphorbia maculate) are summer annual weeds. Spotted spurge has a more erect growth habit than prostrate spurge. Prostrate spurge forms dense mats with its stems radiating out from a shallow taproot. Both species have similar leaves, which are small and oblong with an irregular maroon to purple spot in their center. However, the leaves of spotted spurge are slightly larger than those of prostrate spurge. Both spurges have leaves that grow opposite on the stem, but spotted spurge has fewer leaves per stem. When the leaves of both spurges are broken or injured they emit a milky white sap (similar to dandelion). Prostrate spurge roots at the nodes, but spotted spurge does not. Both spurges reproduce from seed. The flower of spotted spurge is small and green in color. Prostrate spurge has inconspicuous small, pinkish white flowers in the leaf axils.
Vervain
Vervain (Verbena officinalis) is known as the herb of enchantment. It is used medically in 30 complaints. Supposedly vervain staunched the wounds of Christ on the Mount of Calvary. It has a slightly bitter taste and it has no scent. Vervain is rarely perennial, the leaves are numerous, opposite, lanceolate to ovate ½ to 3” long. It is pinnately toothed, it can have 3 lobes, with the center lobe larger than the others. The leaves are hairy on both surfaces. The flower is a dense terminal spike 1-8” long, usually ascending. The flower is blue or purple with 5 lobes, the tiny flowers are almost hidden by conspicuous hairy bracts.
Integrated Pest Management Strategies for Summer Annual Weeds
1. Use good cultural practices to prevent the spread of summer annual weeds. Maintain a dense actively growing turf through proper mowing, fertilizing and watering practices. Most lawns should be cut at least 2 inches or higher. Watering deeply (4-6 inches) just before the turf begins to wilt is a sound approach. Frequent light watering promotes weak turf with shallow roots which are more susceptible to insect and disease attacks as well as weed invasion. Complete soil testing is the key to proper liming and fertilization. Cultural practices for the control of summer annual weeds are aimed at shading and crowding the young weed seedlings by producing a dense sod.
2. Dig up the weeds.
3. Coring and traffic control reduce compaction and encourage desirable turfgrass growth. Mulch flower beds to control weeds.
4. Use chemical herbicides. Use a post-emergent herbicide when the weed is young, usually three to four leaf stage. It is best to control summer annual weeds in late spring or early summer when they are young. They are easier to control at that time and both warm season and cool season turfgrasses have a greater chance to recover the areas previously occupied by weeds. There are also some pre-emergent herbicides available which form a chemical barrier in the soil and prevent the weeds from emerging. Check herbicide labels to verify that the herbicide you have chosen is effective in controlling your problem weed and when and how to apply.
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Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月14日
Look for
Seedlings germinate and begin to grow well until whole trays rapidly collapse and die. Damping off can also cause trays of seeds to fail to germinate.
Plants affected
Young seedlings of annual bedding and vegetables are the most commonly affected, but damping off can be a problem on a wide range of plants.
About
Damping off is caused by a variety of different soil borne fungi including Pythium, Rhizoctonia and Phytophthora.
Once plants have been affected, Botrytis (Grey mould) often also attacks.
Plants are more likely to succumb if they are under stress.
Stress can be caused by high temperature, high humidity and waterlogging.
Treatment
Good hygiene is important in combating damping off. Wash and disinfect pots and trays after use and use fresh compost.
Dispose of pots, trays and compost where damping off has been a problem.
High humidity around plants can increase the likelihood of damping off. Keep greenhouses well ventilated and sow seeds thinly to avoid overcrowding.
The fungi can infect plants through their water. Make sure all rainwater-butts have sealed lids to prevent leaves and debris entering them and introducing fungi to the water.
Seedlings germinate and begin to grow well until whole trays rapidly collapse and die. Damping off can also cause trays of seeds to fail to germinate.
Plants affected
Young seedlings of annual bedding and vegetables are the most commonly affected, but damping off can be a problem on a wide range of plants.
About
Damping off is caused by a variety of different soil borne fungi including Pythium, Rhizoctonia and Phytophthora.
Once plants have been affected, Botrytis (Grey mould) often also attacks.
Plants are more likely to succumb if they are under stress.
Stress can be caused by high temperature, high humidity and waterlogging.
Treatment
Good hygiene is important in combating damping off. Wash and disinfect pots and trays after use and use fresh compost.
Dispose of pots, trays and compost where damping off has been a problem.
High humidity around plants can increase the likelihood of damping off. Keep greenhouses well ventilated and sow seeds thinly to avoid overcrowding.
The fungi can infect plants through their water. Make sure all rainwater-butts have sealed lids to prevent leaves and debris entering them and introducing fungi to the water.
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