This is the Q&A for the Yard and Garden show for September 10, 2021. Yard and Garden Live is a call-in radio show I do on KUTT 99.5 FM from 10-11:30 am. It can also be found on kutt995.com for online listening. If you missed a show or just want to read through the questions, I have written them all in my blog and will continue to do so throughout the season. This is the first of 2 fall shows which will conclude on September 17.
Guest Hosts: Kait Chapman, Extension Educator and Urban Entomologist from Lancaster County Extension & Steve Karloff, District Forester with the Nebraska Forest Service
- The first caller of the show asked about his barn. He has noticed there is sawdust developing around the walls and what looks like borer holes in the studs. What is it and will it be a continual issue to deal with?
A. There is a chance that this is either from carpenter bees or carpenter ants. The carpenter bees will have much larger holes than the carpenter ants. From the discussion, he has holes that are about the size of a pencil so this damage would be from carpenter bees. The best management is to go out and spray some sevin into the holes, the dust can work better in this instance. After a few days go out and plug the holes because empty nests left behind will be re-inhabited by more bees. This will be a continual problem to watch for.
2. A caller is growing Brussels sprouts and something is eating the leaves. What is it and how can it be managed?
A. It is likely a cabbage looper or cabbageworms. Spraying with sevin or eight will control them. Be sure to follow the label instructions when applying and the PHI, pre-harvest interval, to know how long to wait after applying before harvesting.
3. This caller planted morning glory plants and they haven’t bloomed yet. Why won’t his plants grow? He has them planted in a good location next to his deck.
A. The call was lost before more questions could be asked, but if they are in too much shade that could affect the ability of the plant to bloom. Also, if the deck is right into a heavily fertilized lawn, that could cause problems with high nitrogen. It will cause the plants to grow great but not produce flowers, which is what it sounded like his problem was.
He was also curious about managing daddy-long-legs in his farm building.
A. Controlling daddy-long-legs shouldn’t be necessary because they are not harmful to us. You can vacuum those that are seen if too many are present, but pesticides shouldn’t be necessary for this critter.
4. A caller is growing sweet potatoes that have developed 1 bad-looking potato in each hill. All the rest are fine. What is causing this and how can it be controlled? She sent photos to help out.
A. It looks like a disease called black rot on the potatoes. There really is no need to treat for it this late in the season. It would be best to rotate the potatoes to a new location in the garden next year and avoid locations where morning glories were in the garden, planted or wild plants. Do not use the damaged potatoes as seed stock for next year.
5. This caller has a pine tree in his line of trees that is turning brown. Will this move to the other trees in the line? He isn’t sure which pine tree he has, but it is a long-needled pine.
A. This could be one of many different diseases that affect pine trees, all of which can be spread to other trees in the row. There is a needle blight and a tip blight that are both spread quite easily. The time for spraying the trees is in the spring, not right now.
6. This caller is planting grass in a location. What advice can you give to help get the stand established?
A. The window for seeding is quickly closing. The later the seeding is in September, the higher the chance is that it will be damaged from frost. Typically, we recommend seeding from late August through mid-September, so she still has a little time. She wants to control weeds in the area first which will push her seeding back farther into the month. Using glyphosate products such as Roundup can be used prior to seeding, follow the label recommendations on how long to wait after applying prior to seeding. Most would be a week or less for glyphosate. Be sure to not use the extended control or other Roundup products with additional pesticides in them. After spraying and seeding, use a stiff-tine rake to get good seed to soil contact for best growth. Keep the new seed moist until it germinates, this wouldn’t be a lot of water, but more often short bursts of irrigation.
After I mentioned it getting late for planting, she asked if that will affect her planting perennial plants?
A. No, those are plants not seedlings developed. As long as the plants get in prior to frost with a good mulch layer, they will be fine. Newly seeded turfgrass will be injured by an early frost because the new grass plants wouldn’t be fully hardened off to cold temperatures if it hits too early. Perennial plants would be fine.
7. The last caller of the day wants to know when to spray weeds in his lawn?
A. Wait until it cools off more for the fall so that the pesticide doesn’t move to non-target plants in the heat we are still experiencing. It is best applied in temperatures below 80-85 degrees. Also, once the temperatures start cooling off more, the weeds will push more of their reserves into their roots and will take the herbicide down easier. I usually recommend 2 applications in the fall for a better kill of the weeds. I like to go with the end of September or early October and again 2-4 weeks later or in mid-October. If you space them out with 2 weeks between, you can get a third application at the end of October. As long as the daytime temperatures are above 50 degrees, the weeds are still green, and the ground is not frozen, the pesticides will still be effective. 2,4-D products will work best.
*Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by Nebraska Extension or bias against those not mentioned.
NEW THIS YEAR: If you would like to hear the full recording of this show, Listen to the Podcast found at: https://yardandgarden.buzzsprout.com
Plants and Pests with Nicole 