Grasshoppers

Yesterday, I got two calls before 9:30 am concerning the over-abundance of grasshoppers. One was concerned about the sheer numbers of them, the other was concerned about their feeding on her vegetables and flowers.

I've noticed quite a few myself when walking outside in the grass, through the blackberries, or around the barns. I asked the entomologist at UK if there had been other calls like mine in the state and he said no.

If you believe grasshoppers are becoming a pest, especially in your garden, there are synthetic chemical sprays that will help control them in your vegetable garden and flower beds. However, for just being a nuisance, sprays will only win you a battle or 2 -- you won't win the war.

Here's another link on grasshoppers from UK.

Bark Lice City!

Bark lice -- I have gotten numerous calls on this, probably 5 or 6. If I get 5 or 6 calls, you can probably multiply that by 100 to get the real story of how much of this is out there this year.

Bark lice are black bugs that congregate together on the bark of trees. They move as a group and form black blotches on the bark. Not because of the damage they do but because they themselves form the black blotches.

They are not parasites of the tree nor are they something you need to treat for. Why they seem to be more prolific this year is anyone's guess.

Here's a link to Kentucky Pest News featuring an article on bark lice.

Late Blight Hitting Early

Late blight, the awful disease that reared its ugly head last summer late, has been confirmed in multiple counties in Kentucky this year. It's been found on both potatoes and tomatoes. The closest county so far is Marion Co.

In response to this, it is extremely important to keep up on fungicide sprays. You must take a preventative approach with this one. Some of our other diseases we can take a wait and see attitude (sort of), but it's critical to be preventative with late blight.

Listed below are some of the labeled products for late blight control for home gardeners:

• Fixed copper

• Daconil or Fung-onil (active ingredient is chlorothalonil)

• Mancozeb

These should be applied regularly, and the user should refer to the product label for rates, PHI, and safety precautions. These products, as mentioned earlier, will not function well if pressure is high or if disease is present before spray programs are started.

Listed below are cultural controls that can prevent or delay the fungus (information from OAK blog:

• Grow potatoes and tomatoes in areas with good air circulation and well-drained soils. The fungus only infects wet tissue.
• Use certified seed potatoes and resistant varieties, where possible. The fungus can survive in potato seed pieces, but is not spread by tomato seeds.
• Separate plantings of potato and tomato in space and time.
• Promote air circulation to keep leaves dry. Plant in wide rows, oriented with prevailing winds. Stake and prune tomatoes. Control weeds.
• Hill potatoes with high hills to protect tubers from infection.
• Water the soil, not the leaves, to prevent leaf wetness.
• Avoid over-supplying nitrogen. Lush growth is more susceptible to late blight. Scout regularly. Destroy infected plant tissue and plants surrounding infected spots.
• Let potato vines die back completely before harvest. Do not harvest tomatoes when foliage is wet.
• Destroy culled tomatoes and potatoes. Store potatoes and tomatoes from diseased fields separately from those from uninfected fields.

If you suspect late blight, please let me know so we can get it sent to the lab for confirmation.

Knockout Roses -- Yes They Can Have Problems!

Here at the Pulaski Co Extension office we have about 5 pink single Knockout roses and 5 double Knockouts planted. Last year I saw this problem and stupidly did not remove the plants. This year, the problem is here again!




This is called rose rosette virus. It is incurable and terminal. It's best to remove affected plants to protect others from getting the virus. It is transferred via mites.

Sorry plants, but y'all are outta our garden!

I've Gone And Done It

Well, like I didn't have enough to do -- I went and did it anyway. I am now the proud mama of 2 hives of honeybees.


These are called 'nucs' which are small, ready-made hives sort of. Inside these temporary homes, there are 5 frames with a laying queen, plenty of workers and drones, with comb and brood. They were ready for a permanent home, which are these hive bodies you see below.



I'm one of the 15 or so new beekeepers in Pulaski Co this year. I'm excited/anxious about the whole thing. But we have a strong group of beekeepers in Pulaski Co who are going to help all the new beekeepers out during their first year.

Now, if my bee suit wasn't a size too big....

What's NOT to Like Here....

Look at this tree and tell me one good reason NOT to plant it.

Just some facts first:

• It will not grow into power lines.
• It has survived the drought of 2007 and 08 with no supplemental water
• It has fantastic white, fragrant blooms
• It has close to no disease or insect problems
• It is a native plant
• Michael Dirr states that '...I would like to make a case for this as the national shrub for even dogwood does not carry itself with such refinement, dignity, and class when in flower' -- WOW!

This plant is....White Fringetree aka Old-man's beard. Scientific name is Chionanthus virginicus. Don't be like everyone else. Go get one of these -- and plant it.

The Great Flood of 2010

We're living through it. And your gardens (and maybe basements) had to withstand the deluge. Thank goodness, we didn't have a BUNCH of vegetables out yet. However, here's a bit of advice, gleaned from Rosie Lerner, Extension Consumer Horticulturist from Purdue University:

For those who have actually had a chance to put in early cool-season crops, the issue of food safety from the garden is best handled with caution. Clearly, if floodwaters are contaminated with raw sewage, it is risky to eat the produce. Crops that can be washed thoroughly, peeled and/or boiled should pose minimal risks. However, crops that are eaten uncooked, especially leafy crops such as spinach and lettuce, will be more risky for consumption since it is so difficult to remove all of the contamination with just plain rinsing.

Newly planted seeds and transplants may not survive even short-term flooding, and seeds may have washed away. Resist the urge to replant immediately; give the soil a chance to dry out first. Working wet soil will have long-lasting effects of soil compaction.

As for landscape trees and shrubs, it is difficult to say what the long-term effect of being underwater will be. When soils are completely flooded, oxygen is prevented from reaching the root system. Certainly, some trees are more tolerant of waterlogged conditions, but the longer the lack of aeration, the greater the chance of root death. The general thought is that most landscape plants can survive being submerged for about a week or so. However, extended lack of aeration to the roots will result in root die-back, with the above-ground symptoms appearing as leaf yellowing, droopy foliage, leaf drop and, eventually, branch die-back. Waterlogged root systems are also more susceptible to attack by root-rot organisms. In areas of severe flooding, concerns for plant health also include soil erosion and deposits of additional soil and silt. Both can damage the root system.

In addition to the obvious damage to plants, there are more long-term effects to soils, which have been flooded for extended periods. Soil microorganisms that require oxygen may be killed and those that survive without oxygen take over, which in turn affects availability of nutrients for plant use. The soil structure itself may be physically harmed due to compaction of soil particles.

There isn't much you can do other than wait for drier weather to prevail and allow water to drain. As more favorable conditions return, watch for signs of die-back, but don't be too hasty to cut limbs. Branches that have lost leaves aren't necessarily dead; even though leaves may drop, there may be buds that will be able to re-leaf yet this summer. Live stems and buds will have some green tissue visible. Remove only those limbs that are physically damaged or obviously dead. A light fertilization may be helpful to replace nutrients that were lost and to encourage re-growth.

We may not know the full effect of flooding until long after the water recedes. And then, of course, a lot will depend on what future stresses the weather may bring upon our landscapes.