Show Questions' - June 16, 2011

1. We have swarms of carpenter ants?
a. This is the time of year for carpenter ants to move into the houses. Especially these queens. You’ll see them, they are large and black, the queens are, and usually wingless. They are looking for some place to set up a nest. Preceding this swarming activity where the queens are released and they’re mated, the males swarm first. And they tend to look—they’re black and they have  golden wings and they look more wasp-like and they’re much smaller than the queens. So they come out first then when the queens come out from different nests then, then they have their swarming and mating activities and the queens drop off their wings and look for some place to set up a nest. So, those places in and around the home that tend to get moisture leakage are favored for nest production or development. So keep an eye out on that. Don't worry so much about carpenter ant nests in trees unless the trees are really close to the home.

2. What is the best time to control clover in turf and with what?
a. I'm assuming it's a white clover is probably the most common one in turf. And right now is actually not the ideal time to do that. We should wait until I think after Labor Day or when fall comes around. It's a cool season perennial, so fall control, like most of our turf weeds is the best time to control those. So plan ahead a little bit. But I wouldn't do anything right now.

3. A rhubarb question. We have spots, orangish, but not bright, on kind of a lower leaves and the leaves may turn yellow. Seeing any rusts or anything on rhubarb this year?
a. There are a couple of fungal leaf spot diseases in rhubarb. There is an anthracnose and then there’s also ascochyta. So, what I would probably do would be, if you have some really heavily infested leaves I might just remove those from the garden. Usually this disease isn't bad enough that you need to actually resort to a fungicide application. So, I would probably just remove the leaves would be the best way to go.

4. From Mead; we have a viewer who planted a redbud in 2000. The bark is peeling; kind of wondering if that is going to hurt the tree; it’s on the southwest third of the tree up two to three feet.
a. Redbud is a tree we call an understory tree because it kind of likes to grow underneath larger shade trees, so it does a little better in the shade. Being this is on southwest side of the trunk I'm guessing it's a sun scald injury and you know, at this point there is not a lot they can do about it. Don't cover it up, you know don’t try to put any wound dressing on it. Just kind of let it be and if the tree continues to look healthy the foliage puts on new growth maybe in the long run it will be okay.

5. This is from Humphrey they have peach trees. They’re seeing rosin or sap bubbles coming out of the peaches. What to do and what is it? So do we have an insect in there blowing bubbles or do we have rot?
a. We have an oriental fruit moth that gets in peaches. First generation normally attacks the terminals and so you see a little bit of wilt in terminals with some oozing there. If you have seen that, then I could move on and safely say that there is a possibility that the developing fruit is being attacked by either the late comers or the first generation of moths or the second generation of moths producing caterpillars that would bore into the fruit itself. So that’s a possibility as well. Once they are in there, not much you can do about it. They usually bore straight down to the pit area so they are keeping some of that flesh reserved for you if you care to cut around it. You know, but, otherwise that is something that needs to be taken care of early in the season and it's too late for that now. Now you might have another suggestion?

6. This is a actually viewer who sent images that unfortunately we didn't get them scanned in yet, but the question is about lilacs. Has a number of lilacs and it seems as though the foliage gets smaller and distorted.
a. Around the base of the plants in the fall people will try to control weeds and a lot of times they’ll think that “The leaves are off I can spray glyphosate or RoundUp around the base and be okay.” But if the stems have green bark or any kind of live tissue on them, come next spring the plant can still absorb some of that glyphosate or it’s absorbed in the fall yet. And when it tries to leaf out in the spring you can get damage from a herbicide. We talked about that and we’ve seen that before. I think that's actually what that is. Just be really careful. I mean, the herbicides like glyphosate are great tools, but we do have to kind of watch what we're doing around the bushes and foliage that we have.

7. This is a viewer in Kearney, Sarah. Several trees have been planted. They did plant a flowering plum, sounds like a purple leaf one of the purple leaf varieties. They’re saying that they are seeing dead branches in the tree now. Not real consistently, but they’re wondering if that is a disease of some sort, is there something they could do about that?
a. Well unfortunately, the purple leaf plum, there’s a lot of things that could go wrong with them. It could be a fungal canker. They do have a lot of trouble with that and then of course, as we mentioned with the seracaucus anytime the canker girddles the stem then anything from that point out will die. And the only thing you can do is just to prune out those stems that are dead back to healthy tissue. And then hope that the tree can go ahead and grow out from there. There could also be some borer issues with some of the plums. I don’t know, Jim, if you want to comment on that? If you see a lot of oozing at the base close to the ground that’s peach tree borer. Anything at the branch junctions, that oozing, wounds, that would be lesser peach tree borer. So, again it's late for that. Actually, they’re active now in depositing eggs. So, something positive, that's right, something could be done for peach tree borer now. We're kind of mid-way between the two kinds. So at least to minimize any more reinfestation of it.

8. This is a Fremont viewer that has the annual lobelia, probably the really bright blue one, and they are wondering if there is a trick to growing this plant.
a. Lobelia does tend to like a cool climate. I haven't had any luck with it. I’ve tried to grow it. And it blooms best with a little bit of sun, but in Nebraska then it's a little bit too hot. If they have a location where they can have some shade the east side, some shade, maybe they'll have luck. Keep it moist, but it is a challenging one to grow with the heat of Nebraska.

9. We had an email that came in earlier this week and a call from Minden, Iowa, about how to control that marmorated stinkbug.
a. Well, if you do see Brown Marmorated Stinkbug then there may be some issues to locally control it. Definitely spread the word if you think you’ve found a suspect. But just like any other stinkbug that would be in the garden setting, orchard, whatever, setting you have to choose the appropriate insecticide to control them and they’re more easily controlled as nymphs, as real young nymphs, than they are as adults. Does that ring familiar, like squash bug is similar? So, in the gardens you're limited to your permetherin, and your carbaril and a few other ready to use sprays that have different insecticides in ‘em. In ornamentals and trees and shrubs you’re gonna be able to use something like the Temple Cyclutherin, bifenthrin you can use in addition to those other insecticides. So in orchard situations use orchard products. The main thing is, be out there looking because right now it would be the adults out maybe real early nymphs. If they’re out they will cluster on the roots and feed together somewhat. And so hit ‘em with your carbaril, permethrin, because that would be all that would be allowed in an orchard setting. Interesting pest, such a wide host range in the United States; back in Asia where they come from, just a minor pest in some orchard settings.

10. A viewer who sent a picture of something she actually found growing in the block foundations in an old garage in Council Bluffs. She wonders what it is and what to do to get rid of it. We had an interesting debate about this.
a. Yeah, grasses are sometimes difficult to correctly id just from a photo. A lot of times we need to look at the ligual and where the leaf meets the stem of the plant to really kind of discern that. But we talked about it and we think it either Zoysia grass or Bermuda grass. And unfortunately, the only way to remove that with a herbicide is to use RoundUp on that at a fairly heavy rate and then reseed into that area. So, there is really no selective control to take that out of a turf or an undesirable area.

11. We have a couple of tomato questions. Curling foliage, not thrifty. It’s multiple tomatoes and slightly different locations. Pinched back and the new growth also started to curl and malform. They actually have had some sampling done and they think it's a virus maybe or crown rot of some sort in the soil. So the question is: could that be possible? Is it overwater, underwater, some combination thereof and if it is a crown rot how can they get rid of that. If it’s not can they go back in and not expect to have the same thing happen. They want tomatoes.
a. I don't think it's a crown rot, Kim, I thinking it's a herbicide drift situation. Because if they are not seeing any leaf spots any identifiable spots on the foliage and the leaves are not turning yellow, and they look healthy aside from the leaves being distorted or misshapen or cupped under then I really think you’ve got herbicide drift going on. And I know I was checking out my tomatoes, Kim, the last couple of nights I’ve got herbicide damage on my tomatoes and I have not sprayed anything in my yard all season long. It’s drifting in from some neighbor's lawn near me or possibly a farm field near where I live. And it’s very common this time of year. And so typically tomatoes can grow out of that kind of damage. Now, depending on how much dosage they got, they may be stunted a little bit and they may lose some flowers may be aborted, but eventually they will grow out of it and they will start to set new fruits. There is really not a lot than just general good care you can do at this point.

12. From Hastings, how do we keep cats out of the garden?
a. I know some people sit out there and wait and give them a shot or spray of water to irritate them, but you have to be there all the time to do that, so that doesn’t always work. If Dennis was here he sometimes recommends using sharp rocks, landscape rocks of some sort, they don't like to walk on it as well. It’s not the ideal mulch, we like the organic mulch, but if the cats are a real issue then they could try that as well.

13. A viewer in Lincoln says they have crabapples and something is really annihilating the foliage. Anything they can do about that?
a. I think it probably will pass. We have canker worms that frequently will get on crabapples and cause raggy holes. That’s the only one I can think of. Now, sometimes we have these beetles at nighttime that also feed on foliage. So defoliation--it would have to be rather extreme even though it’s a little bit raggy. It would have to be rather extreme to affect the health of the crabapples so it’s probably pretty much over with.

14. Lowell you have a fan, but they want to know where you got that sprayer.
a. I built it myself actually. For weed science plot spraying we try to build things out of aluminum to keep ‘em light and a quarter inch aluminum pipe and just some nozzles and nozzle bodies, that’s all it takes.

15. We have a viewer in Friend who has cucumbers with brown spots on the foliage and then the foliage drops. They’re wondering about particular diseases showing up on cucumbers right now.
a. There are several leaf spot diseases that can affect cucumber. So, what you’re going to need to do is get started with a fungicide spray program on those plants and I would use a copper type fungicide which is pretty safe in the vegetable garden. It is even considered organic in that type of production system. So, start spraying the plants get ‘em well covered you’ll probably need to repeat those application about every ten to fourteen days to keep your plants protected so that disease will kind of stop its advance.

16. A viewer who sent us an image from a newly reseeded pasture in the Gibbon area. They were thinking it was the endangered Hayden’s Penstamen, sent photos of the plants. We had some quite a discussion and looked in the weed book and I think we have a different conclusion, potentially.
a. It is not the Blowout Penstamen or Hayden’s Penstamen even though that would be blooming now. It has more of a lavender flower and these flowers are kind of a deep purple. And the flower would be larger. And the foliage is different. The foliage on Blowout Penstamen would be quite large. Well, at first glance a concern would be if it might be what we call Lambert Crazy Weed. Lowell, if you want to talk about that a little bit. In a pasture that would not be a good thing. If it is Lambert Crazy Weed, you’d probably want to get rid of it because it actually is one of those plants that can be toxic to the livestock so if you have a relatively large infestation do something to control that. Otherwise, just kind of an interesting plant.

17. We have two or three questions about Dwarf Alberta Spruce. They’re beginning to brown a bit. They are showing browning spots. So, issues with spider mites, issues with winter burn.
a. If the browning tends to be on the cooler sides of the plantings, that could be spruce Spider Mites. Of course, check by whacking some branches over a piece of paper and see if you can see their greenish bodies panicking and running across the paper. Spruce Spider Mite populations have collapsed by early July, but you're left with a lot of mess, dirty mess and desiccation, further desiccation from their feeding. So, if it's spotty mostly on the lower and say north side, cooler sides, of the plantings possibly, and then uniformly. . . ? If it is on the sunnier or windier part of the plant then there could be some winter desiccation still even just starting to show up. I would think we would have seen it a little bit earlier, but it’s not impossible to see some of that now. Especially if it is growing in a open hot location or near—if there is white rock as mulch or if it’s near a white house and there’s some reflection that would increase the chance of desiccation.

18. We have a viewer that has lots of low growing shrubs in front of their town homes. They’re also getting bindweed and Creeping Jenny in the shrubs. They want to know what they can do about that without also damaging the shrubs.
a. One thing you can do is, try to find the source of the plant and maybe just use a hoe to break it off. To just initially get rid of the foliage. Another possibility that it might be is honey vine milkweed that’s really coming up and starting to emerge and that’s one of those that really gets over bushes. We often talk about the cotton glove over a rubber glove type of method. And just touch or paint the foliage because a lot of those or the bind weed and honey vine milkweed are both perennials getting a herbicide to translocate into the roots is important for long-term control.

19. Sarah I will let you start with this one. This is a Seward viewer that has flowering Almond about 5 to 8-years-old a nice hedge half a block long. Started leafing out and about half of it died. Any pathology canker, winter injury?
a. Well the plants in the Prunus genus do have a lot of problems that can affect them. There are several fungal cankers that can cause that. At the base of the dead section I would look to see if the bark is discolored or if it is cracked in certain sections or sometimes the canker can be a little sunken compared to healthy tissue. If you're seeing that kind of thing, it could be a disease issue. That would be the thing I would look for first.

20. Kelly, we had a viewer who sent an image that we didn't have, we didn't put up, but they think it was a serviceberry we think they are right. The question is whether it is poisonous.
a. No. Serviceberry is not poisonous. The common name is Juneberry. This time of the year they should have nice red fruits or green now and they will soon be red though. Those are very edible.

21. A viewer in Columbus has grubs or cutworms in the turf. They want to know when to treat and with what.
a. Well, the grubs still may be left over from earlier this spring, the last generation. We haven't had our mass chafer beetles emerge yet at the lights at night. Be looking for that. About that time you could apply imidacloprid or chlorantraniloprole found in GrubEX if you need to. Either one for controlling white grubs. Cut worms don't usually aren't significant enough to want any treatment so I think that is just a precaution.

22. Lowell this is a question about spray drift. The drift is from an alfalfa field into some native plants. They did use Glyphosate and they had damage in a number of Aster species sorts of things; silphium, dahlia, cone flowers, those kinds of things in the Aster family. Is there anything they can do to aid the plants or are we going to expect continued damage on those and death?
a. Since there was cupping, it is probably growth regulator---2,4-D type of thing. Unfortunately, there is not a lot that they can do other than to keep the area well watered. Just try to maintain the healthy plants and what is going to happen is going to happen, at this point and time. The perennials will probably grow back next year and I would guess in most drift scenarios perennials are okay. But the annuals, it just depends upon the dose that they got and if it was a very light dose, they may grow back and put on seed; if it was a fairly heavy dose, then they may just sit where they are for the rest of the year.

23. Sarah we've talked about spruce and we had a viewer send in an image of something I believe we talked about. She has done some treatment for bagworms--spraying Permethrin for bagworms. She is spraying yearly for bagworms late May early June, Jim. But, I think  what she is thinking is bagworms, Sarah thinks is not.
a. No, this is not related to bagworms. This is actually another expression of the disease I talked about in the beginning which is Cytospora blight. This is the phase when the young new growth has been infected and killed fairly quickly, but the needle is still attached and bent over and formed kind of a shepherds crook if you look closely at the tips. So, as we said earlier, it is kind of past the ideal time for spring to control this. Since we're in a rainy period right now it might not hurt to put another application of a fungicide on and you can use something like Daconil would be fine. But the damage on that tree seemed to be minimal so, I think those little dead tips are just going to fall off and you will have new growth coming out next year. I think this particular tree will be fine without any difficulty.

24. Kelly we have a viewer with a 30-year-old maple, the root system is becoming maple-ike. And then, no turf under there. They want to know whether they should put topsoil over it and fill so they can have turf.
a. A common question. But do not put topsoil over those roots because that can actually lead to the death of the tree. Just don't try to grow anything there. The ideal thing to do would be to just put down a good 2 to 3-inch layer like wood chip mulch, something that will blend in with the rest of the landscape. It's just a characteristic of the tree and that's what you enjoy--the shade. Appreciate the shade. But I would not try to grow turf grass there. I would think Lowell would probably agree. Sometimes people who really object to that appearance we suggest doing some shrubs or perennials around the edges so they can't see it.

25. A butterfly bush in Omaha: the leaves appear to be chewed from the outside to the inside and from the center of the shrub to the top. But it is generally healthy. Are we seeing spider mites already in butterfly bush?
a. Check for spider mites; they tend to pick up spider mites. Check the undersides for webbing, otherwise come out in nighttime and take a look. There is a possibility of variegated cut worms and caterpillars seizing that opportunity at night to be doing that chewing. I think some application of a pesticide is perfectly appropriate to apply before evening. Use Carbaryl or Permethrin. Check first and then use something.

26. Lowell, I’m going to give you a quick question right before our close. Since you're a crop guy--what is the best way to control yellow nutsedge in a vegetable garden between the sweet corn rows?
a. In sweet corn, there is a product called Permit; it is the exact same active ingredient as Sedge Hammer. The same ingredient we use on our lawns you can use on sweet corn to control yellow nutsedge.

Lightning Round:

Kelly

1. Can asparagus be transplanted?
a. In the fall is best.
2. Does this person need a filter system for a rain barrel if draining an asphalt roof into it?
a. It depends on what they are using the water for. But basically no, unless you're planning to drink it which most people will not drink water out of a rain barrel and should not.
3. Is it okay to move poinsettias outside?
a. Yes, just do it gradually.
4. Is there a good flowering tree for North Platte---magnolia not being one?
a. Magnolia is not one I would look at. Crabapples, some of the flowering pear, Japanese tree lilac can get fairly tall, but they are blooming now and they are pretty.
5. Should the old spent flower stalks on iris be pruned out after they flower?
a. Yes, just the flowering stalk, leave the foliage.
6. Linden tree appears to be drying. The foliage is drying, watered with the lawn sprinkler.
a. Maybe not deep enough watering.

Sarah

1. This viewer thinks they have rust showing up on roses. What would that be and what to do?
a. There is a rust that affects roses; you would want to use your combination product, fungicide-insecticide for roses and spray for that.
2. Lots of leaf spots particularly on variegated redtwig dogwood this year.
a. A lot of problems with leaf spots. You need to start the fungicide applications as they are leafing out early in the spring. If you have missed that time frame, you're out of luck.
3. This is a viewer growing under lights. The seedlings have disappeared.
a. It's probably a damping off. It is a root and crown rot that can kill the seedlings.
4. Yellow pears yellowing and showing spots before they drop.
a. I'm not sure on that one. I will pass.
5. Mildew on beebalm.
a. Sometimes they can be susceptible to mildew if too dry. Water can help resist that more.

Lowell

1. A viewer in Nebraska wonders whether using white vinegar or boiling water will kill weeds in rock mulch in an ornamental bed effective?
a. Boiling water, if it was really hot, would burn the foliage, but the answer is no. If they are looking for the acid in the vinegar to kill off the foliage, it’s too weak.
2. A Lincoln viewer is wondering when do we treat for nutsedge?
a. Right now is the right time. In the next 7 days or so at the longest day of the year.
3. We had a viewer that left their pool cover on the turf for one day when it hit 90 degrees now they have an 18-foot dead circle. Any hope?
a. I would say just give it a little time see if it comes back. There is not really anything they can do with that right now. If they wanted to reseed, wait until the fall--that's the best time.
4. There is a ditch weed that looks like dill with white flowers what is it?
a. It is probably poison hemlock. We have talked about that a lot this year. Really prevalent.

Jim

1. A viewer in Kearney has tiny black ants all over the kitchen.
a. Keep the bait traps fresh and that will poison them.
2. Tick control in a 47-acre pasture without spraying.
a. Keep the grasses down. Any rough foliage and the like because where the animals are located is where the ticks are going to be.
3. Are we seeing sawfly damage still and, if so, on what species?
a. Probably finished on the Mugo Pine but on the Ponderosa Pine we have sawfly right now this time of year. They do the same thing: bunches up on the terminal foliage--this time it's the emergent foliage--and causes the defoliation. Carbaryl gets them.
4. What about spraying for bagworms yet and if so with what?
a. You still could; there are a number of choices. You can use BT, your garden type insecticides. Get it on now while they are still small.