Established plantings should be watered regularly around 2-3 times a week. If there is a drought then water 3 times a week. Water the plant material until the water has a continuous runoff to allow for a good soaking.
Prune rose hips to stimulate more flowering, if they are left on the flowering will decrease.
Pruning can be done so long as the plant material has flowered; consquently if the plants are pruned before they flower there will be fewer blooms.
Insect
When using any of the products listed below follow the manufactures directions and apply when temperatures are above 60 degrees to maximize effectiveness.
Most insects have finished feeding for the year and are in the adult stage and are dormant but will become active again in the fall for mating purposes. Applying insecticides for most pests is not cost effective; however you should be prepared for application in the fall.
Preventative:
Most species of lacebugs will be active within a few weeks. Hosts include azaleas, andromeda, rhododendron, and others. The eggs are on the undersides of leaves or in the shoots. If numbers were high last year, more than likely they will be this year as well.
Elongate hemlock scale is a tiny and elongated scale found attached to the undersides of hemlock needles. It is a very serious pest and should be treated when found. It can often be mized in with hemlock wooly adelgid on the same plant. Oil sprays like Bonide’s All Seasons Oil work well, especially during late May into mid June and when sprays are targeted to the needle undersides.
Active:
Warm season mites are active now and can be controlled by using Bonide’s All Seasons Oilto suppress their damage.
The European pine sawfly will be active within the next couple of weeks. Look for the female, which is “wasp-like,” laying her eggs within the needles of such host plants as mugo pine. Eggs appear as a row of blocky-shaped patches along the needles and are often found in clusters. Small infestations can be pruned away and destroyed. The larvae feed in the packed groups and can also be pruned away and destroyed. Larger populations can be treated with a spinosad product like Monterey Garden Insect Spray.
Gypsy Moth caterpillars have emerged from their eggs and are actively feeding. Treat this insect by unsing either a spinosad product like Monterey Garden Insect Spray or a b.t. product like Bonide’s Thuricide.
Eastern Tent Caterpillar’s hosts are mostly Malus (apple) or Prunus (cherry, plum). They produce a silken web in the crotches of tree stems. Treat with either a spinosad product like Monterey Garden Insect Spray or a b.t. product like Bonide’s Thuricide. Monitor your plant material because as the weather gets warmer this insect stops feeding and pesticide application may not be effective at this point.
Forest Tent Caterpillar’s common host plants include oaks, maples, birches, crabapples and many more. These do not produce a noticeable silken web and feed higher up in the tree. Treat with either a soinosad product like Monterey Garden Insect Spray or a b.t. product like Bonide’s Thuricide.
Use either Monterey Garden Insect Spray which is an organic product or Bonide’s All Seasons Oil Spray by Bonide to help with winter moth caterpillar infestations which are already feeding on many deciduous and fruit bearing trees.
Fall Cankerworm is active now and looks similar to the winter moth caterpillar and it feeds on similar plant material as well. Treat using the same products as winter moth and gypsy moths.
Bonide’s All Seasons Oilcan still be used to help control cool season mites which are active at this time, however as the temperatures begin to rise they will be taken over by the warm season mites.
Bonide’s All Seasons Oil can assist in the control of Hemlock wooly adelgid. This insect has been active all winter and will remain active until the weather begins to warm. At this stage in the weather the potential for the pest to begin laying eggs is likely, so continue to spray with oil and begin looking for a white cotton-like substance on the underside of the branches of hemlocks. If you see this substance spray with the Bonide’s All Seasons Oil to help with controlling this pest.
Disease
Rose black spot occurs as dark brown to black rounded spots on leaves and canes. Throughout the growing season repeated black spots infect the new foliage and canes during the wet periods. Eventually the leaves turn yellow and drop from the rose. Grow roses in an area where there is good air circulation and sunlight for rapid lea drying. Water the soil around the rose and try not to get the leaves wet, or water early in the day so the leaves can dry quickly. A Fungicide like Bonide’s Captain will help minimize the damage.
Collect and remove any leaves you missed in the fall clean up to help reduce over wintering inoculum that could re-infect the plant matieral in the spring such as:
Apple scab: The first symptoms are water soaked lesions on leaves that turn olive green to dark gray and develop a velvety appearance. Eventually infected leaves turn yellow and drop from the tree early. Bonide’s Infusecan help reduce the inoculum and assist in reviving the tree.
Dogwood anthracnose: The first symptom is leaf spots which are round to blotchy and have tan centers with reddish purple margins. During wet years multiple spots on leaves combine to form irregular, tan blotches or bright entire leaves. Bonide’s Infuse will assist in the reduction of infection for this disease.
Signs of powdery mildew should be present this month if they were’t last month. Be advised, powdery mildew does not permanently injure the plants and the disease is more aesthetically displeasing than damaging. Bonide’s Infuse should assist in the reduction of the disease but will not remedy the problem completely.
Flower/Vegetable Garden
Inspect your lilies for scarlet luly beetle which has a bright scarlet body and black legs. The larvae resemble slugs with swollen orange, brown, yellowish or even greenish bodies and black heads. If you see the larvae you can treat with one of the following, Safer’s Bio-Neem, Bonide’s Bon-Neem or Organica’s K-Neem (toxic to bees, however if applied correctly you can avoid bee injury). The neem oil based products kill larvae and repel the adults and are most effective when applied early in the insect life cycle.
Aphids have been active this month and can be treated with a spinosad product like Monterey Garden Insect Spray or neem oil based products which should be applied as needed due to the possibility or reinfestation.
Turf
Apply a fertilizer that is high in nitrogen, like Greenview Greenpower 2-way Weed & Feed 30-4-4, which also has an herbicide to help with suppressing broadleaf weeds like dandelions.
As the temperatures climb stop using turf fertilizers and primarily focus on watering efforts instead.
A proper watering cycle is one half inch twice (2) a week and one inch once (1) a week to help with deep rooting and to give the correct amount of water needed for growth. Use a Nelson sprinkler to assist in the proper watering cycle.
Bayer’s Grub Control is a product that can be applied once a year for continuous control of grubs.
For weeds that are present in the lawn use one of the following products; Espoma Earth-Tone 4n1 Weed Control, Bonide’s Weed Beater, Ortho Weed-B-Gone, or Bonide’s Crabgrass and Weed Control. When applying follow the manufacturer’s directions and usually but not in all cases, you can sow seeds one week after application.
Bayer Powerforce is a broad range insect control product, can be applied now, and is a great substitute for Diazinon.
Pond Care
Feed the fish with a Spring/Fall food like Tetra PondCare Spring & Autumn Floating Pond Sticks with low protein and high carbohydrates formulated for water temps from 42-70 degrees.
When the water temp is above 65 degrees it is safe to use Tetra PondCare Floating Pond Sticks with high protein formulated for during a time of rapid growth and high activity.
Hardy marginals and tropical marginals should be placed in the pond carefully and the water level should be just over the lip of the pot. If the plant is in deeper water it could rot and would not be beneficial to the pond.
Any new fish you add to your pond at this point should not be left in the bag and can be put right in the pond. The reason you would float the bag is for adjusting the fish to the ponds water temperature if it is drastically different.
