“Step outdoors.
Inhale fresh oxygen,
deep and soulful
and the earth is yours.”
Copyright © 2010 Dianne Marie Andre
How to Prepare and Submit Data for Plant Diagnosis
September 23, 2010
For insect and disease diagnosis, yesterday’s article mentioned two referrals: California Pest Prevention Services and your local Master Gardeners Association. It’s important that you give as much information as possible when seeking their assistance. Below is an overview of what type of questions you can expect to answer.
The current form at the California Pest Prevention Services office asks for the following information:
- Plant distribution (limited, scattered or widespread)
- Plant parts affected, such as bark blossoms, seeds, tubers, etc. (seventeen choices given)
- Plant symptoms
Basic questions your local Master Gardeners may ask.
- Description of problem
- Name of problematic plant/tree*
- Watering method (how frequent and duration)
- Location (north, south, east, west)
- Applications of fertilizer, pesticides, amendments, etc.
- A description of the surrounding area of the plant/tree, i.e. neighboring vegetation, slopes, animals, drainage.
Further information that Master Gardeners may need could include, but are not limited to the following:
- Perennial, evergreen, annual or deciduous
- Age of plant/tree
- Number of plants affected with same problem
- Planted in the ground or a container (what type of container and duration)
- Sun/shade exposure (how many hours, morning or afternoon)
Of course, both organizations will need your name, location, and county. The environment, conditions, and care involving a plant are important factors in diagnosing a problem. So be ready to give as much information as possible.
As stated below, provide a good sample. The sample should be fresh, placed between two sheets of newspaper or paper towels in a baggie.
*If you don’t know the name, they can help identify the plant. Provide a good sample (leaf, stem, and flower) and a photo of the plant/tree.
Battle of the Scales
September 22, 2010
Several weeks ago, I noticed that the leaves on two “Stairway to Heaven Jacob’s Ladder” (Polemonium reptans) were sticky. Thinking aphids had infected them, I hosed both plants (above photo ) off after each watering. I did this for two or three weeks. It was only when the lower, underneath leaves turned yellow that a serious problem became clear.
Spreading the plants apart for a slower look, I saw hundreds of insects feasting on the stems and leaves. I took a sample to the Amador Master Gardener’s office and learned that the insect was scales. Scales are so small they are difficult to spot in the beginning. Still, if I had paid attention, looked deeper, taken more interest maybe the scales could have been controllable. Now, there’s a chance scales will infect neighboring potted plants.
Here’s what I found in my Pests of Landscape Trees and Shrubs book on scales:
“The newly hatched scale nymphs, called crawlers, emerge and walk along branches or are spread by the wind or inadvertently by people or animals. Scale crawlers are usually pale yellow to orange and about the size of the period. Within 1 to a few days, crawlers settle and insert their strawlike mouthparts to feed on plant juices. After settling, armored scales secrete a waxy covering and remain on the same plant part for the rest of their lives; nymphs of soft scale species can move a little, usually from foliage to bark before leaves drop in the fall.”
Considering how infested the plants were and that scales live on the plant(s) for a lifetime, and can easily spread, I pulled them out and placed them in a tightly sealed bag for the incinerator. Before doing this, I saved a sample to submit to the State of California Pest Prevention Services in Sacramento. Identifying what type of scale may help eliminate or control any future spread of this insect.
For information on how you can submit samples troubled with disease or insects to the California Pest Prevention Services, call 1-919-262-1100. Forms and submission information is not available online. However, their website http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps is worth viewing.
If you have an insect from the United States or Canada, and want it identified, you can upload images at http://bugguide.net. (If you misplace the web address, you can find it here, under Helpful Resources.) This is an amazing sight, from which the family can benefit.
Your local master gardeners can also help identify insects and disease, and offer possible solutions.
The Unexpected
September 21, 2010
I didn’t expect fog yesterday morning. The mist surprised me as I watched the reduced visibility across the land. Flirtation of heavy drizzle dampened the earth and the leaves beneath my shoes. Peaceful as it felt, I’m not ready for the movements of change.
“Farmer Fred” Hoffman
September 20, 2010
Finally, I met “Farmer Fred” Hoffman. Farmer Fred is a lifetime master gardener—a celebrity around these parts—who shares his colossal horticulture knowledge as host of the “KFBK Garden Show” on NewsTalk 1530 KFBK in Sacramento, California, Sunday mornings from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., followed by “Get Growing” on Talk 650 KSTE in Sacramento, 10 a.m. to Noon.
On the occasion when I met Farmer Fred, he was the guest speaker for a small group of Clements Garden Club members. It was a casual affair in the backyard of one of the members, only two miles from my house. Garbed in sunglasses and a Kellogg’s cap, Farmer Fred shared tips, and answered questions with zeal and a bit of humor. Here are some of his helpful gardening hints:
- Plants need water, air, fertilizer, and drainage.
- All plants growing in pots need drainage holes.
- Elevate pots so air can circulate. [Place trimmed scrap wood under pots.]
- Raised beds are a good solution for poor soil and other issues.
- Put gardens in an open area. Clear a 15-foot surrounding area. Voles won’t cross an open area for fear of predators.
- Fill raised bed with 50 percent garden blend/50 percent mushroom compost; both available at most gravel and rock businesses.
- Soil pH should be 6.2 to 7.3. Over 7 is very alkaline.
- Steer manure should be kept in a pile for six months before use.
- Never use lawn clippings treated with weed and feed in your vegetable beds for mulch.
- Row cover material is for winter vegetables. Most cool season vegetables don’t need protection from frost [but they do need protection from wind].
- Trees and shrubs do better when native soil is used doing planting or transplanting.
When I asked Farmer Fred about sunscald on pepper plants (Betty with question was for you.), he said he’s learned to live with it. “There’s nothing wrong with them.” Farmer Fred spaces his pepper plants 18 inches apart.
Farmer Fred also commented that voles are smart. They quickly learn how to avoid traps. “There’s really nothing you can do about them,” Fred said. “Voles are cyclical.” He wasn’t in favor of poisons because of secondary infection to pets and other animals.
Farmer Fred’s favorite cherry tomatoes include sweet million, sweet gold, and sun gold.
Yellow Flower
September 17, 2010
To my readers, a flower, and a wish for a wonderful weekend:
“Small as a dandelion, prettier than gold
Yellow flower you cause me to smile.
What’s your name?
No matter. Here in a photo, your image I share,
To those who love pretty yellow flowers . . .
Prettier than gold.”
Copyright © 2010 Dianne Marie Andre
Budding Garden Thoughts
September 16, 2010
“Favorite things:
gracious living,
family, friends,
and earth.”
Copyright © 2010 Dianne Marie Andre
September Readers’ Contest
September 15, 2010It’s contest time again. Starting today, September 15, same game, same rules, different prize: Lowe’s $10 Gift Card.
Here’s the rules and game plan:
- You must be a subscriber to play. It’s FREE!
- Simply post a comment. No restrictions on length. The person with the most comments by September 30 midnight is the winner.
- The winner will be notified by email. The winner’s first name and last initial will be announced on inandaroundthegarden.net.
Best of luck and happy commenting!
Note: In and Around the Garden and/or the author has the right to refuse publication of comment(s) unsuitable and/or to exclude them in the above contest. In and Around the Garden and/or the author also has the right to decide what comments are unsuitable. By playing the ‘September Readers’ Contest’, you agree to these terms.
Collecting Annual Seeds in Seven Easy Steps
September 14, 2010
As the season winds down and annuals fade away, it’s hard to imagine your garden beds empty of colorful flowers. Collecting seeds from favorite annuals is a sure-fire way to reproduce them for next year. It’s also an economical way to fill your beds with lots of flowers that you may not otherwise afford. Depending on the annual, one pod can hold hundreds of seeds.
Seed collection also allows you the proud experience of propagating annuals from your garden, preserving heirloom varieties, and creating unique holiday gifts.
Supply List:
- Annual flowers
- Garden shears or scissors
- Newspaper or wax paper
- Cardboard flats or trays for drying
- Space for drying
- Containers for storing seeds such as glass jars, small jewelry-size boxes, or envelopes
Collecting Steps:
- Collect pods when they have turned brown and died. Snip about an inch below the seed heads.
- Place pods in a box or a tray lined with newspaper or wax paper.
- Let pods dry completely in a cool, dry place for several days.
- Once the pods are completely dry, rub or shake the seeds onto the paper.
- Remove any dried foliage or husks.
- Carefully lift the paper, slightly roll it like a funnel, and slide the seeds into the container.
- Label and date the container and store in a cool dry place.
Tips:
- Choose pods from healthy annuals.
- If you need only a few seeds, paper plates or coffee filters work great as drying trays.
- Avoid using plastic containers for seed storage as they can sweat. If you’re short on storage space, envelopes use the least about of room.
Copyright © 2010 Dianne Marie Andre
Gardening with Critters
September 13, 2010It was the end of the day, just before the eggs are gathered and the hens secured for the night, when I began watering the potted plants around the outside of the house. Ralphie was with me, sniffing the bushes and the air. The faucet, and hose with an adjustable nozzle on the end is next to marigolds in a tall, wrought iron wall stand, so I water them first. Feeling the fall air against my back, I was in deep thought about fall annuals when a vole suddenly ran up the wall and under the fascia board. I quickly turned the nozzle to ‘jet’ to flush out the vole. For some reason, I thought I was fast enough to drop the hose (should he reappear), grab the nearby shovel, and whack him flat. I aimed the jet spray into the narrow crack along the length of the fascia board. Coming to the end of a small opening, he flew out and landed on the porch wall, several feet away.
That was when I thought, “Hey, voles don’t have wings. Bats do!”
Ralphie was at my side by then; his head tilted wondering why I was moving so fast. I put the hose down and ran for the camera. As I tried to get a good photo, some distance away (I need a better camera for long-range photography), the poor bat was desperately searching for a crack between the ceiling and the wall, for another safe haven. Once I clicked the camera, I let the bat alone, and watered the large ivy topiaries a couple of feet away. It takes a few minutes for the water to run out of the bottom of the pots, so I sat on the bench when out jumped a dozen tiny frogs. They congregated around my shoes—also looking for a safe haven. Not a bad idea.
I’m not afraid of frogs, voles, or bats. They’re harmless, especially the frogs who in their own way are adorable. I just don’t like to openly engage in the company of voles and bats. Gardening is more pleasurable when critters of certain types remain concealed underground, or tucked beneath a bush. They can live on my land, in the gardens and potted plants as long as they stay out-of-sight and leave my plants and me alone.
I’m grateful for the benefits critters bring to nature and the garden. Nevertheless, there is something edgy about gardening beside visible voles and bats. This isn’t a child’s storybook with talking animals. With the bat overhead, frogs at my feet, and a vole playing hide-and-seek, it was time to tend to the hens, and then call it a day. The watering could wait until morning.
Bats Facts:
- Bats are mammals. They have hair and are warm-blooded. Their pups are fed milk.
- Bats have only one or two young per year and often live 10 years or more.
- Their wings are made of thin layers of skin supported by bones like those in our arms and hands. The bones are long and thin, especially the hand and finger bones that support the end of the wing.
- Bats are beneficial to gardens. Their favorite foods include garden pests such as beetles, mosquitoes, caterpillars, gnats, moths, and midges. (They also eat fruit.)
- They consume 50 to 100 percent of their body weight each day.
- Bat waste material, called guano, is high in nitrogen, and is an excellent organic fertilizer.
Copyright © 2010 Dianne Marie Andre
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