文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年08月30日
Ash yellows is a devastating disease of ash trees and related plants. It can infect lilacs as well. Find out how to recognize the disease and what you can do to prevent it in this article.
What is Ash Yellows?
Ash yellows is a newly discovered plant disease, first detected in the 1980’s. It probably existed long before that, but wasn’t detected because the symptoms are so similar to those of other plant diseases. In many cases, you won’t be able to get a firm diagnosis without laboratory tests. A tiny, mycoplasma-like organism that we call the ash yellows phytoplasma causes the infection. A disease that infects members of the ash (Fraxinus) family, ash yellows only exists in North America. The symptoms are similar to those of environmental stress and opportunistic fungi. Although we see it most often in white and green ash trees, several other species of ash can also become infected.
Symptoms of Ash Yellows
Ash yellows doesn’t discriminate about location. We find it in commercial woodlots, natural forests, home landscapes and urban plantings. Dieback may be rapid or very slow. Although it may be several years before the tree deteriorates to the point where it is unsightly or a danger to your landscaping and buildings, it’s best to remove it promptly to prevent the spread of disease. Replace it with trees that aren’t members of the ash family. It may be as long as three years after infection before the symptoms of ash yellows appear. An infected tree usually grows at about half the rate of a healthy tree. Leaves may be smaller, thinner, and pale in color. Infected trees often produce tufts of twigs or branches, called witches’ brooms.
There is no effective ash yellows disease treatment. The disease is spread from plant to plant by insects. The best course of action if you have a tree with ash yellows is to remove the tree to prevent the spread to other trees. Does this mean that you have to give up ash trees and lilacs in the landscape? If you know there is a problem with ash yellows in the area, don’t plant ash trees. You can plant lilacs as long as you choose common lilacs. Common lilacs and hybrids of common lilacs are known to resist ash tree yellows.
What is Ash Yellows?
Ash yellows is a newly discovered plant disease, first detected in the 1980’s. It probably existed long before that, but wasn’t detected because the symptoms are so similar to those of other plant diseases. In many cases, you won’t be able to get a firm diagnosis without laboratory tests. A tiny, mycoplasma-like organism that we call the ash yellows phytoplasma causes the infection. A disease that infects members of the ash (Fraxinus) family, ash yellows only exists in North America. The symptoms are similar to those of environmental stress and opportunistic fungi. Although we see it most often in white and green ash trees, several other species of ash can also become infected.
Symptoms of Ash Yellows
Ash yellows doesn’t discriminate about location. We find it in commercial woodlots, natural forests, home landscapes and urban plantings. Dieback may be rapid or very slow. Although it may be several years before the tree deteriorates to the point where it is unsightly or a danger to your landscaping and buildings, it’s best to remove it promptly to prevent the spread of disease. Replace it with trees that aren’t members of the ash family. It may be as long as three years after infection before the symptoms of ash yellows appear. An infected tree usually grows at about half the rate of a healthy tree. Leaves may be smaller, thinner, and pale in color. Infected trees often produce tufts of twigs or branches, called witches’ brooms.
There is no effective ash yellows disease treatment. The disease is spread from plant to plant by insects. The best course of action if you have a tree with ash yellows is to remove the tree to prevent the spread to other trees. Does this mean that you have to give up ash trees and lilacs in the landscape? If you know there is a problem with ash yellows in the area, don’t plant ash trees. You can plant lilacs as long as you choose common lilacs. Common lilacs and hybrids of common lilacs are known to resist ash tree yellows.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年08月06日
BOTANICAL NAME: Syringa
PLANT TYPE: Shrub
SUN EXPOSURE: Full SunPart Sun
SOIL TYPE: Any
SOIL PH: Neutral to Slightly Alkaline
FLOWER COLOR: BluePinkPurpleRedWhiteYellow
BLOOM TIME: SpringSummer
SPECIAL FEATURES: Attracts Butterflies
Lilacs do come in seven colors, but most are familiar with the common lilac, Syringa vulgaris, which blooms in the northern states for 2 weeks in late May. However, there are early-, mid-, and late-season lilacs, which, when grown together, ensure a steady bloom for at least 6 weeks.
Lilacs are hardy, easy to grow, and low maintenance. They can grow from 5 to 15 feet tall, depending on the variety. The fragrant flowers are good for cutting and attractive to butterflies.
PLANTING
Grow lilacs in fertile, humus-rich, well-drained, neutral to alkaline soil (at a pH near 7.0). If your soil is in poor condition, add compost to enrich. Learn more about soil amendments and preparing soil for planting.
Select a site where your lilac will get full sun—at least 6 hours. If lilacs don’t get enough sun, they will not bloom well.
Make sure the site drains well. Lilacs don’t like wet feet and will not bloom with too much water.
Plant in either spring or fall, although the latter is preferred.
If you’re lucky, a friend will give you a sucker, or offshoot, of the root system of one of his plants. Your sucker will look pathetic at first but just dig a hole, backfill it with soil, and stick the sucker in. Then water and wait. In 4 or 5 years, you’ll be rewarded with huge, fragrant blossoms.
Transplanting lilacs from a nursery is also easy. If it’s container-grown, spread out the roots as you settle the plant into the ground; if it’s balled or burlapped, gently remove the covering and any rope before planting. Set the plant 2 or 3 inches deeper than it grew in the nursery, and work topsoil in around the roots. Water in. Then fill in the hole with more topsoil.
Space multiple lilac bushes 5 to 15 feet apart, depending on the variety.
CARE
Each spring, apply a layer of compost under the plant, followed by mulch to retain moisture and control weeds.
Water during the summer if rainfall is less than 1 inch per week.
Lilacs won’t bloom if they’re overfertilized. They can handle a handful of 10-10-10 in late winter, but no more.
After your lilac bush has finished blooming, spread some lime and well-rotted manure around the base. Trim the bush to shape it, and remove suckers at the same time.
Pruning Lilacs
Lilacs bloom on old wood, so it’s critical to prune in the spring right after they bloom. If you prune later in the summer, you may be removing the wood. Here’s a tip: If your lilac flower clusters are getting smaller, time to prune!
Every year after bloom, remove any dead wood. Prune out the oldest canes (down to the ground). Remove the small suckers. Cut back weak branches to a strong shoot. Cut back tall canes to eye height.
If your lilac is old and in really bad shape, remove one-third of the oldest canes (down to the ground) in year one, half of the remaining old wood in year two, and the rest of the old wood in year three. Another option for old lilacs is to chop the whole thing back to about 6 or 8 inches high. It sounds drastic, but lilacs are very hardy. The downside to this option is that it takes a few years to grow back. The upside is less work and more reward, as the lilac will grow back bursting with blooms.
It must be recognized that severe pruning results in the loss of blooms for one to three years. For these reasons, a wise pruning program aims to avoid severe and drastic cuts by giving the bushes annual attention.
PESTS/DISEASES
Prone to attack by slugs and snails.
Powdery white mildew may appear after a summer of hot, humid weather. It may be unsightly, but it does no harm. Ignore it.
PLANT TYPE: Shrub
SUN EXPOSURE: Full SunPart Sun
SOIL TYPE: Any
SOIL PH: Neutral to Slightly Alkaline
FLOWER COLOR: BluePinkPurpleRedWhiteYellow
BLOOM TIME: SpringSummer
SPECIAL FEATURES: Attracts Butterflies
Lilacs do come in seven colors, but most are familiar with the common lilac, Syringa vulgaris, which blooms in the northern states for 2 weeks in late May. However, there are early-, mid-, and late-season lilacs, which, when grown together, ensure a steady bloom for at least 6 weeks.
Lilacs are hardy, easy to grow, and low maintenance. They can grow from 5 to 15 feet tall, depending on the variety. The fragrant flowers are good for cutting and attractive to butterflies.
PLANTING
Grow lilacs in fertile, humus-rich, well-drained, neutral to alkaline soil (at a pH near 7.0). If your soil is in poor condition, add compost to enrich. Learn more about soil amendments and preparing soil for planting.
Select a site where your lilac will get full sun—at least 6 hours. If lilacs don’t get enough sun, they will not bloom well.
Make sure the site drains well. Lilacs don’t like wet feet and will not bloom with too much water.
Plant in either spring or fall, although the latter is preferred.
If you’re lucky, a friend will give you a sucker, or offshoot, of the root system of one of his plants. Your sucker will look pathetic at first but just dig a hole, backfill it with soil, and stick the sucker in. Then water and wait. In 4 or 5 years, you’ll be rewarded with huge, fragrant blossoms.
Transplanting lilacs from a nursery is also easy. If it’s container-grown, spread out the roots as you settle the plant into the ground; if it’s balled or burlapped, gently remove the covering and any rope before planting. Set the plant 2 or 3 inches deeper than it grew in the nursery, and work topsoil in around the roots. Water in. Then fill in the hole with more topsoil.
Space multiple lilac bushes 5 to 15 feet apart, depending on the variety.
CARE
Each spring, apply a layer of compost under the plant, followed by mulch to retain moisture and control weeds.
Water during the summer if rainfall is less than 1 inch per week.
Lilacs won’t bloom if they’re overfertilized. They can handle a handful of 10-10-10 in late winter, but no more.
After your lilac bush has finished blooming, spread some lime and well-rotted manure around the base. Trim the bush to shape it, and remove suckers at the same time.
Pruning Lilacs
Lilacs bloom on old wood, so it’s critical to prune in the spring right after they bloom. If you prune later in the summer, you may be removing the wood. Here’s a tip: If your lilac flower clusters are getting smaller, time to prune!
Every year after bloom, remove any dead wood. Prune out the oldest canes (down to the ground). Remove the small suckers. Cut back weak branches to a strong shoot. Cut back tall canes to eye height.
If your lilac is old and in really bad shape, remove one-third of the oldest canes (down to the ground) in year one, half of the remaining old wood in year two, and the rest of the old wood in year three. Another option for old lilacs is to chop the whole thing back to about 6 or 8 inches high. It sounds drastic, but lilacs are very hardy. The downside to this option is that it takes a few years to grow back. The upside is less work and more reward, as the lilac will grow back bursting with blooms.
It must be recognized that severe pruning results in the loss of blooms for one to three years. For these reasons, a wise pruning program aims to avoid severe and drastic cuts by giving the bushes annual attention.
PESTS/DISEASES
Prone to attack by slugs and snails.
Powdery white mildew may appear after a summer of hot, humid weather. It may be unsightly, but it does no harm. Ignore it.
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文章
Joss
2017年02月20日
The crocus delights us in early spring as it dares to peek through the snow and lift its face to the sun. Soon after follow tulips, narcissus, iris, lilacs… all perennials that welcome spring with vibrant color and fragrance. Perennial plants bloom at different times during the growing season and delight you with variety in color and size from earliest spring to late autumn. However, many perennials like those mentioned, bloom only for a few short weeks and then disappear from the landscape until the following year.
Annual #plants provide a garden with continuous bloom and color throughout the summer. The “mission” of an annual is to produce seed. Seeds sprout, foliage grows, flowers bloom and then the plant goes to seed. When the annual completes its mission, the entire plant – flower, foliage, and root system, dies.
Some annuals have a very short life span and depending upon when they are planted, may reseed and go through two or more growing cycles per season. Other annual plants grow continuously from spring planting until the first frost of autumn.
Since annual plants die completely at season end, they need to be replaced yearly. Depending on the cultivar, annual seeds can be planted directly into a garden or sprouted indoors for transplanting when weather conditions and soil temperatures are right for growth.
Annual transplants are also available each spring at gardening centers and many are sold in inexpensive flats that contain four or more plants. Annual plants can often be closely grouped to fill in barren areas of your landscape whereas perennials often need space to multiply and/or to grow to maturity.
Although some perennial plants are more expensive to purchase than annuals, in the long run you may find them less expensive since they last for longer than a single growing season. You can also purchase groups of assorted perennial bulbs in very inexpensive packs.
Perennial foliage and flowers also die at the end of a growing season, but contrary to annuals, the root systems of perennial plants live over winter and resprout with new growth each spring.
Another advantage of perennial plants is that although flowers and foliage die back, the branches of perennial shrubs offer some visual appeal to a winter landscape.
Perennial plants may take more than one season to reach full maturity. Because perennials propagate from root structures, many types of perennials also need to be divided after three or four seasons to reduce crowding and maintain their vigor.
Although all perennial plants are able to resprout for multiple seasons, perennials are divided into to categories of hardy perennials or tender perennials according to the temperature zone in which they are grown.
Hardy perennials are those that can be left in the ground to return the following season. Except for occasional division and/or pruning, hardy perennial plants need little care once established.
Bulbs like tulips and daffodils are among the easiest plants to grow and excellent choices for a beginning gardener. Tender perennials need your help to survive the winter. Some can over winter when covered with a layer of mulch or otherwise protected from the elements with gardening appurtenances such as rose cones. Some tender perennials need to be lifted and stored indoors over winter.
So the question remains, do you need annual plants or perennials? Each type of plant is ripe with “pros” and short on “cons” if you love flowers. The best solution is to experiment by planting some of each to get a summer full of color, variety, and pure gardening enjoyment!
Annual #plants provide a garden with continuous bloom and color throughout the summer. The “mission” of an annual is to produce seed. Seeds sprout, foliage grows, flowers bloom and then the plant goes to seed. When the annual completes its mission, the entire plant – flower, foliage, and root system, dies.
Some annuals have a very short life span and depending upon when they are planted, may reseed and go through two or more growing cycles per season. Other annual plants grow continuously from spring planting until the first frost of autumn.
Since annual plants die completely at season end, they need to be replaced yearly. Depending on the cultivar, annual seeds can be planted directly into a garden or sprouted indoors for transplanting when weather conditions and soil temperatures are right for growth.
Annual transplants are also available each spring at gardening centers and many are sold in inexpensive flats that contain four or more plants. Annual plants can often be closely grouped to fill in barren areas of your landscape whereas perennials often need space to multiply and/or to grow to maturity.
Although some perennial plants are more expensive to purchase than annuals, in the long run you may find them less expensive since they last for longer than a single growing season. You can also purchase groups of assorted perennial bulbs in very inexpensive packs.
Perennial foliage and flowers also die at the end of a growing season, but contrary to annuals, the root systems of perennial plants live over winter and resprout with new growth each spring.
Another advantage of perennial plants is that although flowers and foliage die back, the branches of perennial shrubs offer some visual appeal to a winter landscape.
Perennial plants may take more than one season to reach full maturity. Because perennials propagate from root structures, many types of perennials also need to be divided after three or four seasons to reduce crowding and maintain their vigor.
Although all perennial plants are able to resprout for multiple seasons, perennials are divided into to categories of hardy perennials or tender perennials according to the temperature zone in which they are grown.
Hardy perennials are those that can be left in the ground to return the following season. Except for occasional division and/or pruning, hardy perennial plants need little care once established.
Bulbs like tulips and daffodils are among the easiest plants to grow and excellent choices for a beginning gardener. Tender perennials need your help to survive the winter. Some can over winter when covered with a layer of mulch or otherwise protected from the elements with gardening appurtenances such as rose cones. Some tender perennials need to be lifted and stored indoors over winter.
So the question remains, do you need annual plants or perennials? Each type of plant is ripe with “pros” and short on “cons” if you love flowers. The best solution is to experiment by planting some of each to get a summer full of color, variety, and pure gardening enjoyment!
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