Washington County Cooperative Extension Service
HORTICULTURE June 2022
Container Gardening
Volume 18 Inside this issue:
Container Gardening
2
Concrete Mites
2
June To Do’s
3
Managing Corn Ear Worm
4
Managing Corn Ear Worm
5
Tropical Pitcher Plant
5
Wheelbarrow Series
6
Welcome Butterflies
7
Recipe Of The Month 8
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Not everyone has acreage or land where they can just dig in the soil. As long as you have a sunny spot, whether it be a balcony or parking lot, if you can get sunlight, you can grow flowers or vegetables in containers. It isn’t difficult. Just about any container will do, but the smaller the container, you will be more of a slave to it. Unless you work from home, are a stay at home parent, or retired, small containers do not make any sense. Don’t use anything smaller than half of a bourbon barrel, 24 inches in diameter, if you are going to grow tomato plants. The more soil you can give that plant, relative to its size, the less water and maintenance you will have to do. You can grow anything in a container, but remember, the larger the plant the more challenging it is. Lettuce, radishes and plants that don’t grow tall, and don’t require a lot of water, are very easy to grow in containers. There is no denying, plants in containers depend on you for everything. Generally, watering is a daily chore and if you let plants dry out and become stressed, you will limit how much they can produce. Being in containers, plants don’t have access to the nutrients in natural soil, which is usually a potting soil or soil mix. You have the commitment of feeding or fertilizing on a regular basis. Young people are very interested in horticulture right now. They usually live in apartments before owning a home, and that makes container gardening a perfect fit.
Container Gardening Containers can be of any size or shape. Container gardens are elevated and do not contain native soil. Raised beds require much less watering than container gardening. One of the most popular questions at extension offices concerning container gardening is about blossom end rot, which is associated with tomatoes, and is technically a calcium deficiency. Blossom end rot is actually the lack of consistent watering, making it hard to grow a full-sized tomato in a container without running into issues. Plant breeders have gotten around that by developing container-bred varieties which are much shorter plants. Dwarf tomato plants get about two feet tall and need only about a third of the water that a full-size tomato plant requires. There are a multitude of varieties of other vegetables that are bred for container gardening. Source: Jamie Dockery Horticulture Agent Fayette County.
Concrete Mites Make Their Annual Spring Return To Paved Surfaces Every spring, people notice the presence of little red bugs walking on pavements, sidewalks, stones, or some kind of masonry floor in patios or outdoor walls. These are not insects, but mites and are commonly called concrete mites, cement mites, or sidewalk mites. They can be easily observed with a naked eye and are approximately 1.5 mm in length (Figure 1). Given the abundance of this mite, I was surprised that there is not much information, and little is known about the biological aspects of this mite and other species in this group. In spring, these mites are typically found moving fast on concrete and stones during dry, warm days. Temperatures of paved surfaces can be high but these mites appear to be tolerant. People notice them due to their conspicuous red color. These bright red mites are members of the Erythraeidae family; erythr- is a word of Greek origin meaning red (e.g., erythrocytes: red blood cells in humans). These mites belong to the genus Balaustium. Some of the species in this group are known to Figure 1. Concrete mites are 1 to 1.5 mm in length. Space between lines in rulerbrown, is in millimeters (mm) (Photo: Raul Vil- be pollen feeders as well as generalist predators. Their abundance Figure 3: the Dark shrunken in spring precisely coincides with the high abundance of pollen lanueva, UK).develop and expand to cankers during this time of the year. girdle branches. (Photo: Nicole W Gauthier, UK)
In a publication by Yoders et al (2012), the authors reported that pollen consumption is done by all the stages of Balaustium sp.: the three-legged larva, the fourth legged deutonymphs, and adults; however, feeding by larval instars may be more important as the presence of microarthropods or honeydew in plants is scarce. In addition, the same study showed that these mites did not show preference for different types of pollen. Aggregation of these mites can occur when they feed on pollen in anthers (Figure 2), prey, or honeydew.
Figure 2: Rapid shoot death from fire blight may result in a ‘shepherd’s crook’ appearance. (Photo: Nicole W Gauthier, UK)
Figure 2. Concrete mites aggregate around a plant residue that may contain pollen (Photo: Raul Villanueva, UK)
June To Do’s *Apply approximately one tablespoon of Ammonium nitrate one foot from the base of each tomato in late June. This will force some new growth and give you more late tomatoes while the first ones are ripening. *If you want sweet corn later in the season make additional plantings in June.
*Vegetables gardens as well as flower beds need approximately one inch of water per week. *Tomatoes and peppers are less likely to get diseases early on if you apply a mulch before soil gets a chance to splash onto their leaves.
tal that will hold water and release it when plants need it.
inch. To help conserve moisture and keep the soil loose apply a couple inches of good organic mulch. Straw works great!
*June is also a good time to fertilize annuals again especially if they are starting to turn yellow from the bot- *Cut back spring blooming bulb folitom up. age when it turns yellow. Don’t do it *Spring blooming before it turns yellow or you will reclematis should be duce next seasons bloom. pruned immediately after flowering in June. Summer and fall blooming clematis should be pruned in March before new growth occurs. *If you would like to attract hummingbirds plant beebalm, lobelia, cleome, columbine, four o'clock, impatiens, petunias, and trumpet vine.
*Begin a fungicide program for tomatoes. Mancozeb, maneb, and daconil give good protection against most tomato diseases. Copper based fungicides will give some control for those wanting to remain organic.
*Feeding hummingbirds with feeders will likely increase your numbers. Wash the feeder weekly if the sugar water is gone or not. Rinse it with 10% bleach and rinse thoroughly.
mer and maybe twice a day for really pot bound large plants. If you haven’t planted your containers yet mix a cup or so of a moisture holding crys-
*Sweet potatoes are heat loving and prefer loose well drained soil with weekly water requirements of an
*Let your grass grow longer during *Mulch works just as well for vegeta- dry spells. This will ble gardens as it does for ornamen- help shade the ground tals! and conserve moisture *If you haven’t mulched flower beds in the plant. go ahead and do so. Mulch will *If you haven’t planted greatly reduce the time it takes for your sweet potatoes soil to dry out. yet you still have plenty of time. A large *Keep an eye on container plants, local greenhouse has a they will need watering usually at least once a day in the heat of sum- lot of slips for sale.
*Remember to water your compost pile and turn it regularly. If it dries out it won’t “cook” properly and you won’t have a good finished product. *Don’t be surprised if your tree fruits drop some of their load. This is normal and aptly called “June Drop”. The trees are just managing their crop load. *Spray fruit crops periodically with a multi-purpose fruit spray for insects and diseases. Most homeowners don’t need perfect fruit but biting into a wormy apply isn’t pleasant. *Some berry crops such as blackberry and raspberry will ripen or start to ripen this month so keep an eye out for birds. They can clean your plants relatively quickly. Bird netting is your best bet for deterrence.
Managing Corn Earworm In Sweet Corn Sweet corn is our most widely grown vegetable in Kentucky based on acreage. Locally-grown sweet corn is very popular and in some ways, the first local sweet corn of the year signals the start of summer. While many people look forward to sweet corn, no one likes to find corn earworm in their ear. Corn earworm is our most difficult and common sweet corn insect pest in Kentucky. Corn earworm is the caterpillar that feeds on the kernels at the tip of the ear. Husks leaves hide earworm and its damage until they are peeled away. More often than not, only a single corn earworm is found on a damaged ear as the larger caterpillars are cannibalistic on smaller ones. While backyard gardeners may not mind cutting off the tips of damaged ears, earworms can ruin the reputation of a commercial producer.
Figure 1. A corn earworm moth, note the dark spot near the center of the fore wing. Photo: Ric Bessin, UKY
Corn earworm can overwinter locally in the soil and winter weather conditions can impact survival of these. The moths will also migrate in large numbers into the Midwest from southern regions, but these migrants usually arrive later in the summer relative to local populations. Winters with less prolonged bitter cold, and ground freezing past winter mean that local populations likely have higher survival. But late-planted sweet corn, that tassels in mid-August or later, is always at higher risk to corn earworm infestation due to the southern immigrant moths. One strategy to avoid corn earworm is to plant early.
Corn earworm is attracted to volatiles produced by fresh silks. When the silks emerge, the female moths are attracted to silks for egg laying. As the silks dry, they become less attractive to the Figure 2. Fresh silks attract moths for egg laying. Photo: Ric moths. It is important for producers to monitor and know when Bessin, UKY the field begins to silk. It is recommended to begin spraying for earworms when 80 to 90% of the silks have emerged. Growers will need to reapply sprays on a 3 to 7 day interval based on corn earworm pheromone trap catches. There are Bt sweet corn hybrids that are available that provide varying levels of earworm protection. There are three different groups of Bt sweet corn based on the Bt toxins they express, Attribute I, Performance series, and
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Managing Corn Earworm In Sweet Corn Attribute II. These provide varying levels of protection with Attribute I often sustaining the highest level of damage and Attribute II displaying the highest level of protection. Even when using Bt sweet corn hybrids, producers still need to monitor for earworm and manage them as needed, these are not standalone tactics and may require additional insecticide inputs. Producers using Bt sweet corn must also abide by resistance management plans and destroy stalks within 30 days of the final harvest. When spraying for corn earworm management, timing and coverage are important. Producers should target the middle third Figure 3. Earworms are generally restricted to the tip of the ear. of the plant as the ear is the only part needing protection. A Photo: Ric Bessin, UKY boom sprayer with drop nozzles can properly place insecticides in this target zone. Two nozzles on each side of the row directing spray from above and below the ear can provide excellent coverage. There have been some resistance concerns with pyrethroid insecticides, IRAC group 3 mode of action, particularly during the heat of the summer when this class may not be as active due to high temperature. There are other modes of action that are available including IRAC groups 1A, 5, and 28. See ID-36 for a listing of recommended corn earworm insecticides.
Tropical Pitcher Plant “Alata” (Nepenthes alata) One of the most popular carnivorous species in cultivation, Tropical Pitcher Plant ‘Alata’ is known for its large, red pitchers that grow off the tips of the leaves and attract insects and people alike. The pitchers are filled with secretions that attract, and will also digest, insects that land on the slippery little covers and fall into the pitchers. Make sure the pitchers always have a little fluid in the bottom. If the plant has been recently moved so the natural secretions drain out, fill each pitcher with about 1” of distilled water. Grow in partial sun to bright shade with good humidity and air ventilation. ‘Alata’ is being sold in a 6” hanging basket with pitchers fully developed. https://www.logees.com/tropical-pitcher-plantalata-nepenthes-alata-1842.html
Gardeners Wheelbarrow Series 2022 Fill This Registration Out and Keep One For Your Records Circle if you will be attending the Morning or Evening Sessions If Applicable And Total At The Bottom
Attention!!! If An AM Or PM Session Doesn’t Have At Least 5 To Register For That Session It Will Be Canceled Via One Call Feb 17th
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Plant Champions For 2022
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Feb 24th
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Must Sow Annuals
$10.00
Mar 10th
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Heirloom Vegetable Varieties
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Mar 17th
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Bountiful Blueberries
$20.00
Mar 24th
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June Bearing Raspberries
$15.00
Mar 31st
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Heavenly Heucheras
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Hardy Hibiscus
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Apr 21st
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Horticulture How To Growing Corn For Meal
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Apr 28th
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Herbs And Their Uses
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May 12th
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Flowering Shrubs For All Landscape
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Hens And Chicks
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The Queens of Flowering Vines: Clematis
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Horticulture How To Native Plants For Pollinators
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Weed Control and ID In The Landscape
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Growing Great Greens In The Fall
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Horticulture How To Leaf Casting
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Horticulture How To Seed And Plant Swap
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Growing Japanese Iris In Kentucky
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Welcome Butterflies To Your Garden Light as air, bright as stained glass or creamy as angel wings, butterflies and moths do the important work of pollinating our plants while bringing joy to our gardens. They don’t require a lot from us human caregivers — only a few host plants for the babies, a few nectar plants for the adults, a little water or moist soil, a flat rock for sunning, and they’re happy critters.
Viceroy
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Red Spotted Purple Red Admiral
The best flowers to plant for adult butterflies are nectar-rich classics. Hybrid plants, while beautiful, are often sterile or don’t provide the largesse of nectar butterflies need. Plant sun-loving, brightly colored plants of all heights to attract the greatest diversity of butterflies and moths to your yard. Perennial plants such as coneflowers, asters, catmint and liatris are good choices. Some annuals that will attract butterflies and bees are lantana, sweet alyssum, sunflowers, zinnias and snapdragons. Most salvias, either annual or perennial, are pollinator magnets. Night flying moths are especially attracted to white flowers, so moonflower vines, white impatiens and nicotiana are good annuals to plant. Different butterflies are attracted to plantings of various heights. For instance, tiger swallowtails are attracted to the tall Joe Pye weed and New England aster blossoms. Least skippers enjoy low-growing plants like lavender, dianthus and low-growing asters such as Stokes’ aster. Shrubs like viburnum, sweetspire and elderberry are also good options to attract a variety of species.
You will also need to plant some host plants as nurseries for the insects. If you intermingle host plants with nectar plants, you will improve your chances of seeing generations of butterflies in your garden. Milkweed is preferred by Monarch butterflies, because feeding on the plant as caterpillars builds up the toxins in their bodies that make them unpalatable to their enemies. The Eastern tailed-blue butterfly likes to lay its eggs on sweet peas. The hackberry tree is a host tree to many species of butterfly caterpillars. Larvae of the black swallowtail butterfly frequent garden plants of parsley, carrot, dill and fennel—with practice their stripped caterpillars are easy to spot.
Butterflies are cold-blooded and need warmth in the morning. Placing a flat rock in a sunny spot near your flowers can give them the energy they need for a day of foraging. And leaving them a shallow pan of water filled with pebbles or sand or soil will provide them with the water and minerals they need to be healthy. Above all, do not use pesticides in your garden. Most pesticides can harm or kill butterflies and moths, as well as other important pollinators. Even organic pesticides such as neem oil or insect soap can kill them or cause disruptions in their mating or feeding behaviors. The best way to control harmful insects in your garden is to plant for diversity and let nature take care of the problem for you.
Washington County Cooperative Extension Service 245 Corporate Drive Springfield KY, 40069 Office 859-336-7741 Fax 859-336-7445 Email dennis.morgeson@uky.edu
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Recipe of The Month Ingredients
Directions
