Yellow Necked Caterpillar

My final pest of the week is the yellow necked caterpillar. Birch, pin oak, crabapple and service berry are typically affected by this insect pest in our area.

Yellow necked caterpillar eggs hatched a few weeks ago. Small larvae (pictured above) often feed unnoticed until they gain size; then damage can be extensive. Larva feed as a group for about six weeks before they drop to the ground for winter. By the time these caterpillars are typically noticed, the feeding stage is mostly completed. Larger caterpillars are pictured below.

Defoliation late in the season does little to harm the tree; however, the insect can be spot sprayed with plant protection products if found in the early stages. Contact a tree company, like Ryan Lawn & Tree, for assistance.

Locust Borer

Today's insect pest is one you may not physically see very often in its larval stage. One of our ISA Certified Arborists brought this into the office, so I took a picture to share with you. This is a locust borer. (Locust borers are a type of longhorned beetle.) The larval stage tunnels in the wood of black locust trees (and any cultivars). You can see the tunnels created in the wood by the larva as it feeds. (This is a cross-section of a branch removed from a globe locust).

This larva is almost mature; it should pupate soon. If it was still inside the tree, it would emerge as an adult beetle. Adults are black with yellow stripes. They feed on pollen (specifically goldenrod pollen). Females then deposit eggs in the bark of the tree. The eggs hatch and the new larva bore into the inner wood to spend the winter. In the spring, the larva will bore further into the tree and the cycle will repeat itself.

An expert tree company, like Ryan Lawn & Tree, can protect your locusts by applying plant protection products to prevent the new larva from entering susceptible trees before the winter season.

Spider Mites

I've decided to devote this week to landscape pests. The pest that I've chosen for today is the spider mite. Mites feed on many plants; the most affected plants in our area are burning bush, spruce and junipers.

Mites damage plants by sucking out plant juices with their piercing, sucking mouth parts. They often feed on the underside of the leaf, protected from direct sunlight. You can recognize mite damage by looking for stippling (pictured above). Stippling is the lighter green speckles that result from chlorophyll being sucked out of the leaf.

If infestations become too heavy, the entire plant may become bleached (above) and premature leaf drop may occur. Regular monitoring of susceptible plants can prevent this damage from occurring. If you need assistance controlling spider mites, give a tree company (like Ryan Lawn & Tree) a call.

Fall Webworm

Now is the time that we are seeing a lot of fall webworm on trees in our area. We are seeing the second generation of webworms; the first generation was small and unnoticed. Unlike tent caterpillars, webworms eat inside their webs. As food is consumed, they enlarge their nest. I snapped this picture (above) of webworm on crabapple. If you open the nest, you will see the webworm larvae (pictured below).

Since damage occurs so late in the season, control is optional. High populations can completely defoliate host plants, but plants typically recover. In some cases, host plants can become stressed leading to other problems if webworms are not controlled.

The easiest method of control is to remove and destroy infested portions of branches while webs are small. If you want to control populations of webworms using plant protection products, apply them when webs are small (before much foliage has been destroyed). A tree company (like Ryan Lawn and Tree) can assist you with chemical control if necessary.

Bagworm Update

You may think I am obsessed with bagworms. I'll be honest - maybe you are right. I've known about them for some time, but I've never paid much attention to them during the season (I've only seen the bags that they overwinter in). That was until this year. I'm totally fascinated with them!

I was walking with my family yesterday and we walked by the large cedar near my house that is infested with bagworms. The bagworms are getting quite large now; most people notice them on their landscape plants at this size. It has been fun to observe these insects in action with my kids. I snapped this picture yesterday. Look closely at the picture above - you can see the bagworm emerged from it's bag while it is feeding on the foliage.

My husband removed the bag from one of them. In case you were wondering what the insect looks like without the protective bag, I thought to share this picture.

If you need help controlling bagworms on your property, contact a tree company (like Ryan Lawn & Tree) for assistance.

KSU Research Center

Yesterday, I took a tour of the KSU Turfgrass Research & Extension Center. We were on site for a meeting, and the researchers were kind enough to guide us through some of the field trials.

In addition to turf (grass) field trials, they also do floriculture field trials. I took several pictures that I will share with you over the coming weeks.

If you would like to visit the center, they are having an open house tomorrow. You can learn more about the open house here.

To start you off, here is a Zinnia--Benary's Giant Wine--that was growing as part of the full sun annual field trials.

Severe Pruning...4 Months Later

This is what the spirea looks like today. I couldn't remember which shrub I took a picture of, so I included pictures of two spirea that were both rejuvenation pruned. You can see that one has grown more than the other, but they are both healthy and thriving.

Severe Shrub Pruning

This spring, my husband pruned the spirea in our front bed drastically. This is what it looked like when he was finished:

See those tiny, short branches sticking up? That is what our spirea looked like immediately after pruning.

Rejuvenation pruning (the official name for this practice) can help large, unruly shrubs get back in shape. Shrubs that have grown together, or have simply outgrown their space, may benefit from drastic pruning.

Not all shrubs respond well to this type of pruning, be sure to research your specific situation before taking the plunge and pruning your shrubs to almost nothing.

Fresh Cut Flowers

I purchased this bouquet from a local supermarket yesterday. They are from Pendleton's Country Market, a family farm growing vegetables, bedding plants, and cut flowers. Imagine growing these flowers in your own back yard. What a treat to be able to snip a few flowers for your dining room table.

Attached to the bouquet, was this fun little note:
"The night sky has been lighting up with weather related storms this week, but we're also in the middle of lightening bug mating season. Each night our yard is full of the flashing lights they produce to attract a mate..."

I remember catching "fireflies" as a child growing up in the country. What a treat to grow up outside the city!

Purple Coneflower

My purple coneflower are really blooming now. They are in the same bed as the rudbeckia that I wrote about yesterday. They are in an area that is in more sun. I got these (can you guess?) from someone who was cleaning out their garden. I can't wait until they grow a little more and provide even more color. They are a nice backdrop behind my daylilies.

This drought-resistant perennial flower has undergone breeding and now comes in colors other than pink-ish purple. You can find them in white, as well as shades of yellow and orange. Like my rudbeckia, I will deadhead them until fall to encourage continued blooming. Then I will leave any spent blooms for the finches to feed on. The gold finches love them!

Black-eyed Susans

For those of you who are faithful followers of this blog, you have probably figured out that I have gotten the majority of the plants in my yard from other people who are cleaning out their gardens. The same is true for my rudbeckia. I am not sure what cultivar they are. I can tell you that the neighborhood rabbit likes them in the early spring. They have finally started to bloom, so I snapped this picture to share with you. They should bloom for the rest of the summer.

I think the yellow flower color is a nice addition to my back landscape bed. These are planted on the edge of the bed below my redbud tree (out of direct sum, but still in a bright location). The only maintenance that I do to them during the year is to remove the spent blooms. Once we reach fall, I'll leave them in tacts to provide winter interest and food for the finches that visit.

Golden St. John's Wort

I've always thought the flower of golden St. Johns wort (Hypericum frondosum 'Sunburst') was really neat. (I snapped the picture above to share for those of you who are unfamiliar with the plant). The color is to bright and cheery and the stamens make it unusual. The flowers cover the plant for the majority of the summer and are a nice contrast to its bluish-green foliage.
In winter, the exfoliating bark provides interest. I've noticed bumble bees are very attracted to my plants in the front landscape beds where I have them planted.

I was doing a little research about this plant before I wrote about it. I've learned that they are native to the southeastern United States. I also found it surprising that they have an average life expectancy of 4-6 years. I'd still recommend them!

Blanket Flower

This is another picture that I snapped in Minnesota. My grandma has this perennial in her garden. It is called Blanket Flower (Gaillardia aristata). I think it is very colorful and I am considering adding it to my garden here in Kansas.

Blanket flower are very hardy and adaptable. They are also drought tolerant and reach about 18-24" tall. Consider adding them to a sunny spot in need of color!

Crown Vetch and Erosion

Tara wrote about erosion and the important role that turf grass plays in preventing erosion from occurring. Read her blog post by clicking here.

I went up to Minnesota over the holiday weekend and snapped a few pictures from the gardens at my grandparent's farm. I snapped this picture of crown vetch. This plant is sometimes used as an ornamental (like in this case), but more often you will see it along road sides for erosion control.

Although the plant is native to the Mediterranean, it has become naturalized throughout the United States. If you see pinkish-purple flowers blooming along the roadside during June, July or August, you are most likely enjoying this perennial flower.

There are some reports of it becoming invasive. Have you had any experience growing this perennial? If so, share your story!

Aloe Vera

Original Photo Here

Today I was researching plants with good fall color. I came across the autumn crocus. It is actually a member of the lily family and grows from a corm. They leaf out in the summer and bloom in the fall. They have pretty purple flowers. The plants are poisonous, which may be why they aren't used very much in landscapes. They plant material is used to make medicines to treat gout, however.

Reading about the plant's medicinal properties reminded me of the aloe vera plant that we had in our house growing up. I would always break off a piece to treat a burn from the oven, stove, or, more likely, the curling iron. (No straightener then. Not in vogue.)

The gooey, sticky plant was just the thing to soothe a burn. I have to get one for my current home, I think. Sure, you can buy a plastic bottle full of the stuff, but is that as fun as breaking off a piece of the real, live plant, pressing it on your skin, and being one with nature? I didn't think so.

Dull Mower Blades = Torn Grass Blades

My post on brown patch required me to get up close and personal with my grass for the first time in a long time (okay, ever). After identifying lesions on the leaves, I noticed what I thought was damage to the tip of the blade from a dull mower blade.

I just assumed my husband never sharpened the blade. (I mean, if I didn't see him do it, did it really happen?)

Turns out, I was mistaken. Tom sharpened the blade last fall, and though it may be about due for another sharpening, it was not near dull enough to produce what the experts label "torn" grass. Turns out, what I thought was a "torn" blade was actually what grass looks like when mowed with a sharp mower blade.

A blade of grass from my lawn. The top of the leaf blade is actually in the lower left corner of the picture. Normal.

Torn grass blades from a dull mower blade. Note the dramatic difference.
Photo from K-State

Grass and Erosion

Resulting erosion of exposed soil (after grass failed to thrive).

Because RYAN is a lawn and tree care company, we often test new grass varieties at our office. These test plots help us determine which turfgrasses will do the best in our area (and they provide a nice "patchwork" quality to the lawn, that, besides making me smile, illustrates how different grass varieties in home lawns detract from uniform color and texture).

Today, I noticed some test plots that didn't turn out as anticipated. (Read--all of the grass died.) Due to the failure of the grass (I'm not even sure what was planted), I got the opportunity to take a picture of the resulting soil erosion.

Many people don't realize that turfgrass is great for erosion control. Had our experimental grass taken root, this erosion likely would not have happened.

*Please excuse the yellow tint of the soil in the pictures above. I changed the white balance of the camera and this is what happened.

**I could have taken another picture, with a better white balance, but the ground was wet and soggy and I didn't want to get muddy.

Sweet Pea Dilemma

Photo from Flickr

I received this question from Jodie:

"My husband inherited his parents home and before she passed away, my mother in law planted sweet peas. Now I have these little beauties all over...including in my lawn! I want to transplant them to a different area but I am unsure how to do this. Do I use the seeds they cast off and if so, do I soak them before planting? Or can I transplant the flower itself and if so what is the best time of year to do this?"

Sweet peas present many challenges in my area (Zone 5/6). It sounds from Jodie's narrative that she does not have this problem, as the plants are thriving in her lawn!

Sweet peas do not like to be transplanted, so I suggest collecting the seeds instead of trying to move the plants. (You can always try to dig up the plants and move them--make sure you dig around the plant, and try to keep as much of the root as possible. Then replant them where you want them. I just want you all to be aware that there is a strong chance the transplanted plants will not thrive.)

Once you have collected your seeds, hang on to them. If you have mild winters where you live, you can plant them in the fall. Most gardeners will need to hold on to them until early spring, though. Sweet peas bloom when temperatures are cool--no higher than 65F.

Before you plant, soak the seeds for 24 hours to speed germination, and lengthen the 'blooming' window. Some gardeners will also clip the seed with a pair of finger nail clippers. (The idea is to speed up germination as much as possible to take advantage of the narrow weather window in which the plants bloom.)

As soon as the ground is workable, plant the seeds in a spot that gets morning sun and afternoon shade. In my area, the bloom time for sweet peas only lasts a few weeks (it just gets too hot too fast).

Do you have more tips for Jodie? Leave a comment below.

Jodie, feel free to check in with pictures of this project later. We would love to hear how it goes!

Deadheading Roses

My roses need some deadheading! I started this project at the beginning of the week so I can encourage more blooms. If you need to deadhead your roses, look for the first set of 5 leaves beneath the spent bloom to make your cut. (You may need to look down the cane a little ways to find a set of 5 leaves. There are often a few sets of 3 leaves right below the bloom.) Cut at a 45 degree angle slightly above the set of 5 leaves using a bypass pruner. If cane boring insects are a problem, seal the cut with elmer's glue.

I didn't get this project finished. I remember I had some trouble with these roses earlier in the year and thought cane boring insects may be to blame. I think I will get some elmer's glue to seal the pruning cuts before I continue!

Bagworms are Growing

If you follow this blog at all, you will remember I've written about bagworms before. (Read my post from when they first hatched here.)

I was walking by a cedar a few weeks ago where I had seen the bags hanging from last year's infestation of bagworms, so I stopped for a closer look. Sure enough, I saw little bagworms all over it. I took a piece of the plant home with me so I could take a picture (above).

I've never actually seen the actual bagworm insect, so I gently squeezed on one of the bags. If you look closely at the bagworm inside the red circle above, you can see the insect sticking out of it. I'm totally fascinated. I'll keep monitoring the tree and the bags as they grow. If I get another picture as the insects mature, I'll share it!

Growing Apple Seeds!

I like to snack on apple with cheese. Yesterday at work I sliced up my apple for a snack. I was so amazed at what I found that I had to snap this picture. Look closely at the seeds - they have germinated! I couldn't believe my eyes. I've never seen apple seeds (or any seeds for that matter) that have germinated (or started to grow) while still inside the fruit. I would think the fruit would contain a chemical to inhibit (or prevent) germination. The apple was still yummy, so it didn't affect the taste of the apple.

Have you ever seen seeds that have germinated while still inside their fruit? If so, please share your story. I think it's very interesting!