Another Boring Insect?- Iris Borers

Iris borer damage begins in the foliage and may be evident now. Most of the time, the damage is to rhizomes discovered when people dig them to transplant during the summer. The moths emerge in late summer to mate and lay eggs on the oldest, roughest, dead and bleached iris leaves or on plants nearby. The eggs hatch the following spring. The tiny caterpillars first feed on the new foliage and sometimes cause the margins of the leaves to be ragged. The holes caused by the young caterpillars bleed causing deposits of sap on the leaves. The caterpillars then mine in the leaves for a time before working downward toward the rhizomes. The caterpillars are about half grown by the time they reach the rhizome. There they feed on the edge or on the underside of the rhizome, sometimes boring inside. Often a single caterpillar may completely the insides of a rhizome before moving to another. The mature caterpillars are pale yellow/pink to pink in color with brown heads.

To control the iris borer, it is important to remove all old iris leaves and other plant rubbish from the beds in early spring before new growth emerges. If the borers are discovered later in thehttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif spring, it may be possible to crush the caterpillars with the thumb and finger inside the leaf. By holding the injured leaf so that the sun shines on the far side, the silhouette of the small caterpillar should be easily visible through the leaf. John Weidhaas at Virginia Tech University has determined that Sevin and malathion give good control of the iris borer when these pesticides are applied early while the caterpillars are feeding on the outside of the leaves. (It may be late for this, now.) For more information and treatment suggestions, see Ornamental and Turf Insect Note No. 46 at Iris Borer

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Pest to Monitor: Flower Thrips-

The eastern flower thrips, Frankliniella tritici, feeds mainly on flowers and fortunately is not known to vector any virus. Because of their tiny size, flower thrips are carried over large areas by wind systems. Flower thrips are found throughout North Carolina with peak migration early to mid June. They have been found on dozens of hosts. Control of flower thrips is difficult because of constant migration from weeds, grass, flowers and trees. They are also known to make a mild, but noticeable "nip" to the skin.

The first step in management is to eliminate as many weeds in the area as possible, or keep them mowed so they do not flower. To protect flowers, homeowners might use products such as neem or Mavrik. Pyrethrin insecticides might be used before blossoms open to protect pollinators. The commercial industry should rotate chemicals to reduce concern of resistance. They might use products such as Conserve, Pedestal, Azatin (or Ornazin) and BotaniGard. Monitoring for thrips with yellow sticky cards can also help detect populations as they are increasing, allowing controls to be started before substantial plant damage. Note from Dr. Stephen Bambara

For more information on flower thrips, see Ornamental and Turf Insect Note No. 21 at Thrips


For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Tarheel Gardening

A new website is coming our way that will help consumers make choices in locating plants. Green Industry Professionals across North Carolina will soon have an exciting new promotional tool. Tarheel Gardening is a website designed to inform consumers about the many benefits of plants and planting North Carolina grown trees, shrubs, flowers, annuals, perennials, and turfgrass. Consumers will be able to find information about local retail nurseries, garden centers, landscapers, irrigation contractors, landscape architects, and other Green Industry Professionals.
The following link will take you to more information: Tarheel Gardening

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Point of Sale Materials Available

The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services as part of an ongoing efforts to assist you in promoting North Carolina ornamental plants to consumers, has produced a series of promotional materials for use by North Carolina Garden Centers and retail nurseries These items include pot stakes, 5” x 7” price cards, and 18’ x 24’ full color coroplast signs. All these materials promote North Carolina Grown plant material using the “Got to be NC” and “Our Best Grown Just for You” themes. These items are free, in limited quantities, to any North Carolina retail nursery or garden center. For more information contact John Snipes, 919-733-7887, , Bill Glenn, 828-253-1691,, or John Aydlett, 252-331-4773 ..

In the Division of Marketing, we will be developing other means as well to highlight the quality and diversity of trees, shrubs, flowers, turfgrass, and Christmas trees that are grown in this state. We welcome your comments and suggestions regarding how we can best serve you and help expand your business.




For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Slugging it Out

Slugs can be a problem in greenhouses and some gardens. Adult slugs are soft, slimy, slender animals more closely related to clams and octopi than insects. Slugs have stalked eyes and two small feelers. Some species grow to three or more inches long. They use rasping mouthparts to scrape away vegetable material. This may leave ragged shaped holes in leaves of tender plants. Slugs are active at night and during cloudy, warm weather. During bright warm days, slugs usually hide under boards, stones, debris or tunnel into the soil.

Slug populations can be reduced by keeping raw composting materials away from the garden, "trapping" and destroying slugs under rocks or boards, or destroying them at night. Be careful not to over mulch where the mulch never dries. There are a few chemicals listed for slug treatment, but read the label carefully to determine if they are suitable in your garden or around pets. A saucer of beer is often suggested as a trap, but most experts feel that beer is better used as intended.

For more information on slugs and snails, see Ornamental and Turf Insect Note No. 22 at
Slugs
From Dr. Steven Bambara

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Ticks on the Prowl

It's summer... it's hot..... it's North Carolina. That means ticks are
abundant in many areas and there is an equally abundant concern
about tick-borne illnesses. In North Carolina, we had more the 466
confirmed cases of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and at least 14
confirmed cases of Lyme Disease (these statistics include Jan-Oct
of 2006).

What we also know is that there are no magic fixes to tick problems
but there are measures (both chemical and non-chemical) that people can use to reduce tick infestations around their property and to protect themselves and their family. Check the following article to view more information: Ticks on the Prowl





For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Drought Conditions May Warrant Another Crop Disaster Declaration

Farmers including Nursery, Sod, and Flower producers, are asked to begin assessing crop damage due to the prolonged drought conditions. Please begin reporting these losses or any association crop damage to your local Farm Service Agency. In Henderson and Transylvania Counties NC, your contact is Kelly Springs. He can be reached at 693-1406. In Buncombe County the contact is Christopher West. His number is 828-254-0916.

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Special Announcement from NCSU College of Agriculture and LIfe Sciences

Many folk in the agricultural community have expressed concern over legislation that would transfer research stations from NCDA& CS to NC State University. The following attached letter from Dean Johnny Wynne describes the position of the University and the College:

Information Regarding Research Stations

This information is provided only to help readers formulate their own opinions regarding this issue.

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Biodiesel Education Workshop- Asheville, June 22

NC Urban Forest Council is sponsoring a “Biodiesel Education Workshop” that will cover:
1. Brief history of the diesel engine and how the inventor, Diesel, had envisioned communities able to supply their own fuel. 2. Evolution of the biofuels movement throughout the last century to today. 3. Biodiesel basics. 4. Environmental benefits and engine benefits.

We have applied for ISA CEU’s for this workshop.

DATE: June 22, 2007 from 9am- 12noon.
PLACE: City of Asheville Public Works Building, 161 S. Charlotte St., Asheville.
COST: Free for members/ $5 for non-members

To register online go to www.ncufc.org or send a check to:
NCUFC, PO Box 25852, Winston-Salem, NC 27114-5852. Call 336-774-0215 with questions.

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

June Edition of Commercial Hort News Now Available On-line

News for the Green Industry in western North Carolina. To view this newsletter go to:
http://buncombe.ces.ncsu.edu/index.php?page=site then click on 'Commercial Hort News'


For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Green Tips Newsletter Now Available

The monthly Green Tips Newsletter is now on online. You may reach it by going to this link:
http://henderson.ces.ncsu.edu/content/GreenTips
or by the GreenTips Link to the right.

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Weather Update

Gov. Mike Easley has expanded water conservation directives to state agencies in 17 counties in Western North Carolina, including Henderson County, that are in an extreme or severe drought. Transylvania County was already in the directive.

Easley directed all state agencies stop non-essential water use and asked businesses and residents across the state to voluntarily cut back their use by about 10 percent.

Easley also repeated the importance of state and local governments continuing to conserve water because drought conditions are worsening.

"I have expanded my direction to state agencies to an additional five of the hardest-hit counties to stop using water for anything that is not related to public health and safety, as water supplies become limited in those counties," Easley said. "We are just starting the summer recreational season when demand for water increases for everything from home gardening to neighborhood pools. It is critical that all North Carolinians limit all non-essential uses of water and observe any water restrictions that are ordered by local authorities."

http://www.governor.state.nc.us/News_FullStory.asp?id=3919

Please use any measures you can to recycle or save water.  While some relief appears to be in site, most extended forecasts do not show major rain events.

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Ambrosia Beetles Still Active?

The Catawba County Extension Center sent pictures of ambrosia beetles taken last week and earlier on fig and ornamental persimmon. Perhaps the unusual spring temperature fluctuations affected beetle activity. Preventive bark sprays are the only treatment against these beetles that mostly attack small diameter trees of certain groups with smooth bark. Many trees grow out and survive. For additional information, see Ornamental and Turf Insect Note No. 111 (http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/O&T/trees/note111/note111.html) and Ornamental and Turf Insect Note No. 122 (http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/O&T/trees/note122/note122.html).


For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Early Bagworm Treatment

If you had problems with bagworms last season, now is the time to inspect for the tiny bags and treat, if necessary. They should be large enough to see by now without having done damage. Practice your observational skills. Early treatment avoids defoliation and is more effective against early instar caterpillars. This is especially true if you use Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.) products. If you only have a few bagworms, handpicking them always works well. For more information on bagworms, see Ornamental and Turf Insect Note No. 81 on the web at http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/O&T/trees/ort081e/ort081e.htm.



For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Severe Drought Conditions Prevail

Most of Western NC is being impacted by drought conditions. It has become so dry that the governor has issued a request that 12 western counties stop non-essential water use. See attached:

http://www.governor.state.nc.us/News_FullStory.asp?id=3919

Landscapers should reduce mowing and pruning operations during this time to conserve on water as well as cutting off all irrigation systems on established turf, trees, and shrubs.  Encourage to use of drip systems in areas with color or newly planted ornamentals to reduce the use of water where possible.

Nurseries and Greenhouse operations may need to consider utilizing shade in some areas to minimize water loss.  Watering should be done earlier in the day to avoid evaporation loss.  Any and all measures that can be taken to conserve water should be considered.  Establish a triage system that priortizes water use to those plants that are most vulnerable to the drought conditions.

Continue to monitor the situation on your own site as you may be getting passing showers that others in the surrounding area are not.

We will try to keep you updated as the situation continues to develop.

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.