Kent County Demonstration Garden Open House

The Kent County Demonstration Gardens will be open to the public on Wednesday August 12
from 6-8 pm. They are located at the Delaware State University's Smyrna Outreach and Research Center on Smyrna Leipsic Rd. Come and get some ideas for your garden

Pine Cones or Bag Worms???

I have a beautiful line of 12 Golden Tipped Leyland Cypress trees. In May of last year, one of these trees looked like it was producing pine cones. Did I have a hybrid variety that could do this? Not a chance - this tree had bag worms and so did one arborvitae 30 feet away! Bag worms prefer to feed on evergreens such as arborvitae, red cedar, juniper spruce, pine and my cypress. But they can also been found on other trees and shrubs.

The Adult male caterpillar will become a small brown moth with clear wings when it is ready to mate. A female is wingless with useless legs, feeding but remains in her bag. Mating occurs during August and September when males fly in search of the females, after which, living only 1 or 2 days longer. Females can deposit 500 to 1,000 eggs in her bag living 4 to 9 days after. This completes the adult seasonal life cycle. The eggs remain inactive throughout the winter in this now old bag and hatch around June 1 in Delaware depending on the temperature.

What about the bags? When the tiny larvae (about 1 centimeter), emerge and crawl about the tree, it begins spinning silk like threads enabling them to drop to other parts of the tree. Wind can transfer them to neighboring trees or plants consequently new outbreaks appear throughout the neighborhood. As they begin feeding, the silk threads will encase the body creating the protective bag and pieces of plant tissue stick to the bag. Therefore in a pine or cypress tree they appear to have a pine cone appearance. In a maple tree the appearance will be completely different. When full grown, these bags will measure 1 to 2 inches in length, ½ inch across the top and narrowing to a point at the bottom. While feeding the bags are in continual motion as if the wind were causing them to move. Bag worms are easily detected during the winter months when bags stand out in

contrast to the darker foliage of evergreens or against a lighter background if leaves have dropped off of trees.

Hand picking the bags or cutting them off with scissors is recommended being sure to inspect the interior of the tree for hidden cases. Use a can or jar with a lid for disposal. The best time for this is, AS SOON AS YOU SEE THEM! Nature helps when the winter temperature is very cold and may kill the eggs. Birds and certain types of wasps that live off other insect larva will help reduce the population. If infestation or bags are discovered during June through August when the worms are feeding or too numerous to hand pick the most effective control would be to use an insecticidal spray. Choosing the right product by for treatment is very important so read the labels of products.

I consider myself lucky to discover bag worms at the time eggs were just hatching and the trees had suffered little damage from the year before. After removing all the bags I could find the recommended chemical spray was applied. Now a year later my cypress trees are beautiful and healthy but I will keep looking! Call (730.4000) or better yet, visit our County Extension for the recommend chemical treatment. The office is located in the Paradee building on Route 113 in the Delaware Transportation complex and has numerous fact sheets to learn how to manage lawn and garden problems.

Marilyn McFarlin

Delaware Cooperative Extension Master Gardener

Colombine Leaf Miner

Example of leaf miner damage on columbine in my garden. Many plants, including edible leaves, are attacked by them. Leaf miners are the larvae of various beetles, flies, moths and sawflies. The adults lay their eggs on the leaf and the larvae burrow into the leaf and tunnel through it feeding as it travels and leaving behind a transparent trail.

Control - remove affected leaves and discard in the trash, do not compost. In early spring before adults lay eggs, plant can be sprayed with insecticide. Read the label on the bottle and follow instructions.

Sharon Cohee, Kent Master Gardener

Gardening Calender

Third Week of July:

• Remove faded blossoms on annuals and perennials.
• Stake tall perennials.
• Check tomatoes for late blight and fruit for horn worms. Treat with a product labeled for this. Hand pick horn worms and destroy them.
• Water shrubs and trees planted this year if necessary.
• Control weeds in vegetable and flower gardens.
• Harvest vine-ripened fruits.
• Harvest and hang herbs.
• Visit the Delaware State Fair Master Gardener Booth.

The Final Week of July:

• Continue efforts to control Japanese beetles and other garden pests.
• Divide bearded iris when clumps are too large.
• Stake perennials.
• Continue watering trees and plants as necessary in dry weather. Conserve water by using soaker hoses or trickle irrigation.
• Harvest home-grown produce.
• Harvest and hang herbs before they go to bloom. Tie in little bunches and hang in a well ventilated, warm space for drying. Store in airtight containers for future use.

Kent Summer Workshops

Growing your own herbs and vegetables can be fun, rewarding and challenging. Planting, caring for and harvesting your crops provides a sense of accomplishment. It aids good nutrition and helps a family to better stretch their income. These free summer Master Gardener Workshops continue to provide valuable information and tips for both

new and experienced gardeners. Come learn, share and enjoy!

Ask The Gardener

Wednesday, June 3, 2009 6:30 pm at the Paradee Center

Panel of Master Gardeners: Marian Brewington, Charles Overmiller,

George Brewington, Tom Dix, John Pugh & Maggie Moor-Orth

We have gathered a group of Master Gardeners to answer your gardening questions. They will help you with flowers, shrubs, trees, lawns and vegetables. Come with your questions and concerns as the planting season begins.

Bugs in The Garden

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

6:30 pm at the Paradee Center

Presenter: Todd Hohberger

Learn to identify beneficial bugs, the insects that frequent your garden and lawn. Methods will be discussed to keep plant damage to a minimum while keeping crops safe with as little impact on the environment as possible.

Clever Composting For Healthy Soils

Thursday, July 9, 2009 6:30 pm

at the SORC Garden Presenter: Carolyn Donahoe

Join our Master Gardener in the garden to see a demonstration on how to set up for easy composting. Learn how to improve the soil you have (sand, silt or clay) by adding homemade compost.

Help: The Zucchini & Tomatoes are Taking Over the Garden

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

6:30 pm at the Paradee Center

Presenter: Kathleen Splane

This workshop will give you tools and resources to can, freeze and dry the abundant harvest from your garden.

Participants will take home plenty of recipes to turn their extra veggies into dishes to share. Also learn how you can

share your abundant crops with the local food banks.

Don't Let That Rain Water Escape-Catch It!

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

1:00 pm at the Paradee Center

Presenter: Paul Myers

Discover the importance of catching and conserving rain water to use on your plants. Learn how to make your own handy rain barrel to hold collected water until needed to water your garden.

Photographing Your Garden

Wednesday, August 19, 2009 6:00 pm

at the SORC Garden Presenter: Dr. Kathleen Berhalter

Learn to capture moments in your garden from an art prospective.Look at color, space and detail. Bring your own digital camera and discover wonderful scenic treasures in the garden.

Growing a Lawn From Seed

Wednesday August 26,2009

at the Modern Maturity Center Presenter: Tom DIx

Learn the simple steps involved to grow your lawn from seed. Information discussed will be how to prepare the soil for planting, seed planting and care after planting. Lawn diseases will not be discussed.

Iris Care

I am, sadly, near the end of my great iris show. It is important that the flower stalk be cut right down to the rhizome. Their beds should be weeded now, as it was impossible to do so while the iris were blooming; the flower stems are too brittle and easily break. Delaware has had an exceptionally wet spring. To keep the rhizomes from rotting, all of the dead leaves must be cleaned out and the rhizomes exposed to the sun and air. I do not cut back the remaining fan leaves as I like their architectural interest in my garden. Iris should not be divided or moved until they are dormant, after the 4th of July. Their window of dormancy is from 6 weeks following bloom until about the end of August.

BTW there were some preschoolers field-tripping in the Sussex Demo Garden last week. I happened to be there working on the containers and so enjoyed talking with a 4 year old who was very pleased to have dirty hands from planting a marigold. ..........
Mary Sue

Cedar Apple Rust

This is a picture of my 25 foot Eastern Red Cedar that has cedar-apple rust. The fungus requires two host, over winters on galls, and causes the woody tissue to swell into galls on the cedar tree. My tree had eleven visible galls. The significant amount of rain and warm temperatures forced the galls to expand and burst into orange tendrils which at a distance I thought were gorgeous. But seeing the tendrils up close, I quickly changed my mind. While I do not know of any apple trees (the other host) in my community, my MG training tells me that there could be one as close as half a mile from my home. Now what to do? Eliminating one of the host is the recommended prevention. That is not an option. A fungicide is not recommended for the Eastern Red Cedar so I have removed each goal. The galls should have been removed before the tendrils burst open spreading the spores. Hopefully, next year I won’t be sharing this same information! Does anyone think the apples I left in my habitat for the rabbits could be responsible for the cedar-apple rust?

submitted by Cece Sussex MG in Ocean View