The Garden Column: Things to do in Early August
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
By Juergen Jaenicke, MG
(Courtesy Cornell Cooperative Extension)
1. Don’t prune or fertilize trees or shrubs now; otherwise unnecessary late growth will be promoted. The new growth will not be hardy this winter.
2. Iron deficiency may be a problem on azaleas and other Ericaceous plants. This shows up as yellowish leaves with green veins. Apply iron chelates to fight this problem.
3. Continue watering lawns thoroughly once a week during dry periods.
4. Remember not to spray herbicides on the lawn during the present hot temperatures (over 75 degrees) This will keep ornamentals from being damaged.
5. Constantly be alert for chinch bugs. Sod webworms are also continuing to damage your lawn.
6. Fusarium and verticillium wilt may be present on tomato plants. Use a resistant variety next year.
7. Continue to apply an all-purpose fruit spray to peaches every two weeks, until three weeks before harvest. If brown rot is a problem, continue spraying until two or three days before harvesting them. Use a fungicide such as captan or copper.
8. Spray grapes for black rot with captan, copper or mancozeb.
9. Cut out raspberry and blackberry canes that have already fruited.
10. Lacebug can still be a problem through September on Andromeda and azaleas. For effective control; spray the leaf undersides with carbaryl, malethion or insecticidal soap.
11. Aphids that are sucking juices from maple and weeping willow leaves are dropping honeydew. The leaves will have a mottled appearance. Spray when you see it. (Malathion, acephate, insecticidal soap or oil). Do not apply insecticidal soap to Japanese maples. Do not apply acephate to sugar or red maples. Bagworm larvae are actively feeding now, but spraying to control them is only effective in June .. On small plants, hand pick them, put into a bag and destroy them.
(Courtesy Cornell Cooperative Extension)
1. Don’t prune or fertilize trees or shrubs now; otherwise unnecessary late growth will be promoted. The new growth will not be hardy this winter.
2. Iron deficiency may be a problem on azaleas and other Ericaceous plants. This shows up as yellowish leaves with green veins. Apply iron chelates to fight this problem.
3. Continue watering lawns thoroughly once a week during dry periods.
4. Remember not to spray herbicides on the lawn during the present hot temperatures (over 75 degrees) This will keep ornamentals from being damaged.
5. Constantly be alert for chinch bugs. Sod webworms are also continuing to damage your lawn.
6. Fusarium and verticillium wilt may be present on tomato plants. Use a resistant variety next year.
7. Continue to apply an all-purpose fruit spray to peaches every two weeks, until three weeks before harvest. If brown rot is a problem, continue spraying until two or three days before harvesting them. Use a fungicide such as captan or copper.
8. Spray grapes for black rot with captan, copper or mancozeb.
9. Cut out raspberry and blackberry canes that have already fruited.
10. Lacebug can still be a problem through September on Andromeda and azaleas. For effective control; spray the leaf undersides with carbaryl, malethion or insecticidal soap.
11. Aphids that are sucking juices from maple and weeping willow leaves are dropping honeydew. The leaves will have a mottled appearance. Spray when you see it. (Malathion, acephate, insecticidal soap or oil). Do not apply insecticidal soap to Japanese maples. Do not apply acephate to sugar or red maples. Bagworm larvae are actively feeding now, but spraying to control them is only effective in June .. On small plants, hand pick them, put into a bag and destroy them.