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| Black vine weevils will be out soon Nurseries that have had a problem with black vine weevil (view photos) in the past should begin to watch rhododendrons, yews, azalea and other favorite food plants for evidence of spring feeding. Watch for semi-circles chewed into the sides of leaves, and make your first Talstar application soon after you find the new feeding damage. Make a second application two weeks later. For black vine weevil, it is critical to control adults in June before they lay eggs. Once the eggs are in the soil, sprays are not very effective. |
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| Updates on emerald ash borer treatments
24C Registration of Merit to allows treatment of more trees per acre for emerald ash borer The original label for Merit 2F allows for up to five 24-inch dbh trees or ten 12-inch dbh trees to be treated per acre with a basal soil drench of basal soil injection. In some cases in Michigan, homeowners or businesses have more than ten 12-inch dbh ash trees per acre. The 24C allows the use up to 0.8 lb ai/A. This will allow tree care professionals to treat more trees per acre. Soil drenchs or soil injection for emerald ash borer Soil drenches or soil injections of imidacloprid (Merit and Bayer Tree and Shrub Insect Control) for emerald ash borer should be made at the base of the trunk, not out to the drip-line. The label for Merit instructs arborists to make soil injections for emerald ash borer within two feet of the tree trunk, and the label for Bayer Tree and Shrub Insect Control tells homeowners to drench in a ring around the base of the tree. Our research tests support the use of imidacloprid basal injections or drenches to save ash trees from emerald borer. However, I have now seen several sites where ash trees treated for three years with soil injections of Merit are now dying. In every case, the soil injections were made out to the drip-line of the tree instead of at the base of the tree. If you are using an imidacloprid drench or soil injection, make sure it is done at the base of the tree. Drenches and soil injections will still be effective if they are done in late May or early June. |
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| Aphids: where do they come from and what should we do about them? A few nurseries have reported some problems with aphids on a variety of plants, and some homeowners have already reported aphids, too. Most everybody has seen aphids on roses, peppers or some type of plant. The small (1-2 mm long), soft bodied, green to yellow or black, insects with twin “tail pipes”, usually come in colonies of 10 or more on leaves, stems or shoots of plants. (View photos) One thing you can be certain of is that there is a kind of aphid capable of feeding on every type of landscape plant. Some of them have complex life cycles, where they feed on tree leaves in the spring, then on the roots of a different type of plant during the summer. Aphids have the advantage of bearing live young, which is unusual for insects. This helps them reproduce very quickly. At an average temperature of 80°F, an aphid can complete one generation in seven to ten days. With each female bearing 40 or more young, you can see how quickly populations can build-up, appearing almost like magic. Fortunately, we have excellent natural enemies for aphids: parasitic wasps that lay their eggs inside of aphids, ladybird beetles, lacewings, damsel bugs and many others. These predators and parasites keep aphids in check. They are so effective, that under natural conditions we rarely see any problems with aphids. When we see aphid problems on plants, it is usually because an insecticide was applied for some other pest problem, causing a secondary outbreak in aphids weeks or months later. Long-term management of aphids is simple: avoid using broad spectrum insecticides like pyrethroids, carbamates or organophosphate insecticides. This will allow the natural enemies to return and keep the aphids under control. Restoring natural enemy activity after an insecticide application could take a year or longer. Meanwhile, you may want to use a 1 percent solution of insecticidal soap, or a strong stream of water to dislodge the aphids. Short-term management of aphids, or the treadmill approach is to spray a pyrethroid insecticide like Talstar, Tempo, DeltaGard, Scimitar, Astro or Asana. This will eliminate the aphid problem for four to eight weeks. After that time, the aphids may come back very quickly, requiring another spray. Many of the products available for homeowners to use in the lawn and garden contain a pyrethroid insecticide. Nurseries and homeowners also have the option of using a systemic nicotinoid insecticide for aphid control. Homeowners can purchase a product containing imidacloprid (Bayer Tree and Shrub Insect Control, and others), while nurseries can purchase Discus, Celero or Flagship to drench around the base of infested plants. The insecticide is absorbed through the roots and should suppress aphids for eight to 12 weeks. Also, you should not see as much of a rebound in aphids after that time, because the systemic nicotinoid insecticides are not as harmful to natural enemies. |
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| Bugs to watch for now Eastern tent caterpillars are feeding on wild cherries, ornamental Prunus spp. and a few crabapples. The caterpillars are over an inch long now in southern Michigan, and their tents have grown to 12 inches-wide or more. (View photo) On pine trees, especially Mugho pine, watch for patches of missing needles, and the green caterpillar-like sawflies eating them. This is the first sign of European pine sawfly. The sawflies are about done feeding in southern Michigan. We had a report from Bob Bricault (Extension horticulture educator in Washtenaw County) this week about Euonymus webworm on spindle trees (Euonymus europea). These webworms will completely devour spindle trees, turning them into a giant tent of silk. Spindle trees are becoming rare now, mainly due to this insect, but if you have one, look for webworms now and be prepared to spray. (View photo) Also, watch for the occasional euonymus webworm damage to burning bush. Finally, I hate to say it, but we are fast approaching the emergence of mosquitoes in southern and central Michigan. Start packing the bug-spray for picnics and other outings, so you don’t get caught by surprise. |
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| Life cycle and management of Fletcher scale on Taxus and Arborvitae Fletcher scale overwinters as young scales on the twigs and leaves. The small scales (less than 1/8 inch long) are difficult to see until they begin feeding in May, and in a matter of a few weeks double their size. Eggs are produced under female scales in early June. All the live scale insects found in early to mid-June will contain eggs as only females are known. Eggs will begin to hatch and young penny-shaped, clear crawlers emerge from under female scales in mid- to late June. The nearly invisible crawlers soon settle on the needles or green stems and begin feeding. They grow larger in July and early August. By late August and early September, some females may again produce eggs. In Ottawa County, Michigan, the proportion of scales that go through a second generation in the fall varies from 10 to 100 percent. The second generation of crawlers hatches in September. (view photos) The best management strategy for Fletcher scale is natural control. This is what happens in the urban landscape after yews are planted. Predatory insects and parasites keep the scale population to such a low level that they are rarely seen. Some nurseries do not spray anything for Fletcher scale, and have been very successful in growing clean plants. However, when going from insecticide management to natural control, it is likely that you will see an initial outbreak of Fletcher scale that may last one to three years before predators and parasites provide adequate control. Also, natural control may not be as effective in large, clean fields as it is in small weedy fields because predators like ground beetle, rove beetles and ants tend to be more abundant where there is abundant ground cover and a diversity of plants. If insecticides are necessary, foliar sprays are most effective when sprayed soon after most of the crawlers have emerged in mid- to late June. Crawler emergence can be monitored by finding 10-20 female scales each week, lifting them up and examining the eggs underneath. When most of the eggs have hatched into crawlers, it is a good time to spray then or within the next two weeks. In recent testing, the most effective foliar sprays have been Dursban, Sevin, Supracide, Orthene, Flagship, Tristar, Safari and Discus. The goal of a good foliar spray is to get a thorough insecticide coating on the foliage and twigs. This is best done with spray nozzles that produce fine droplets. Avoid spraying fine droplets when the wind is above 5 mph. Large volume sprays of 100 gal per acre or more put most of the spray on the ground. Remember, fine droplets have a much higher concentration of pesticide (often 100 times more concentrated than large droplets) when you are applying the same amount per acre. If the pesticide label gives the rate in amount per 100 gallons, figure out the amount per acre rate based on 200 gallons per acre, then adjust the per acre rate to your spray volume. Optimum timing in an average year is a single spray in late June for the first generation, and another spray in late August or early September for the second generation. Several products that are absorbed by plant roots and move systemically through the plant can also be used as a soil-directed spray. Marathon or Discus can be sprayed in late May, to give the plants time to take-up the insecticide and be in the leaves by late June. Safari and Flagship are taken up more rapidly, and should be applied in early to mid-June. All of the systemic products must have an inch of rain or irrigation to wet the soil enough to allow root absorption. They will not work on the soil surface. Another alternative is to lightly disc following application to cover the insecticide and protect it from photodecomposition and volatility. Successful management depends are good scouting. Every field should be scouted for Fletcher scale in early June and mid-August to determine which fields need to be sprayed. |
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| Periodical cicada brood XIII coming this year to Illinois and the southwest corner of Michigan Recently, many media stories have come out about brood XIII of the periodical cicada. Unfortunately, the media stories do not always give accurate information about where to expect the cicadas. Brood XIII, like most of the periodical cicadas, have a 17-year life cycle. 2007 is the next scheduled appearance of this brood. In the last emergence of brood XIII, cicadas were abundant in some woodlots in northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin, eastern Iowa, the northern edge of Indiana and in two or three counties in southwest Michigan (see Figure of distribution). The only places in Michigan that are likely to see cicada activity this year are in Berrien, Cass and St. Joseph counties, although a few isolated hot spots may be found in adjoining counties. The cicadas are harmless, other than the high-pitched siren-like whining that they make. The only concern is the twig damage that occurs when the females use their saw-like ovipositor to insert eggs inside of twigs. In heavy infestations, some trees can lose an entire outer layer of small branches to this injury. Valuable trees, especially young ones, can be protected with an insecticide spray in early June to prevent oviposition damage. (View photos) |
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| Azure agapanthus, queen of the show West Michigan is not exactly the South African oasis that the genus Agapanthus requires to grow. Yet, what makes this plant so appealing that it is gradually making its way out of Victorian garden parlors and into our back yard? Could it be that the exotic, azure inflorescence conjures up images of Cleopatra reclining under a canopy while dipping her toes into the Nile? Well, I guess that’s stretching it. Otter’s urban garden may not be a true hardiness test because of her unique microclimate conditions. “At some point, you have to get beyond what magazine articles say,” she exclaimed. Even though this beautiful perennial is listed as hardiness zone 7. She encourages other gardeners to try setting out Agapanthus in areas you know in your yard that are somewhat sheltered. For instance, in our back yard, the best spot would be over the septic tank. The soil never freezes there. Agapanthus love well drained, humus-rich soil and do great in a mixed container. Fertilizer should be applied in the spring as the foliage emerges, and keeping plants well watered will simulate their native setting. Otter said they did just as well for her in part-shade as full sun. Lily of the Nile freely hybridizes, providing growers with a host of choices in various shades of blue to white, as well as bloom heights. Shorter varieties such as ‘Peter Pan’ and ‘Lilliput’ bloom profusely and can be used in containers or as a border plant. Agapanthus ‘Midnight Blue,’ is known to be very elegant. Agapanthus has attractive, strap-like leaves that are shiny like an Amaryllis. A variegated variety and a few miniatures are also available. Lily of the Nile, frequently listed as a Zone 7 plant, has not been widely available to gardeners who don’t want to search every mail-order catalog available. With the trend toward plants of a more tropical nature, Agapanthus is likely to become more available at garden centers in the future. Blue Du-os Because of the mild climate, English gardeners see Agapanthus flourishing. Pairing them with spring blooming bulbs, such as Allium cristophii and ornamental grasses that peak later in the season, gives a long season of interest. The long bloom time is very accommodating for a wide variety of mixed perennial border plants and is beautifully paired with the golden foliage of Hakonechloa or ‘Marmalade’ Heuchera. Container grown Agapanthus can be overwintered in an above-freezing garage, inside the home or greenhouse for winter. They tend to take up the whole pot and then some. Mine is happily sitting on the bathroom windowsill and to my surprise, bloomed white on a three foot stalk in February. Water and fertilizer should be used sparingly during these low-sunlight months, as would most houseplants. |
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| Going native with Michigan trees The topic of planting native trees in the landscape generates considerable, and often passionate, discussion. For today, we’ll leave aside the native versus exotic debate and consider some of the other reasons to select Michigan natives for the landscape. Connection to Michigan heritage Michigan has a fascinating natural history. Climatic conditions, the churning of soils through glaciation, and fire have produced a mosaic of vegetation types and unique ecological assemblages throughout Michigan. Incorporating natives into landscape designs provides a linkage with this rich natural heritage. Increased species diversity Whether species are native or exotic, diversifying the mix of species in our urban and community forests helps to reduce the risk of catastrophic tree loss. Michigan natives are great landscape trees Although some natives, such as silver maple or black locust, are dubious choices for landscape or street tree planting, there are many Michigan natives that are outstanding landscape trees. Here are just a few examples. Hornbeam (Carpinus carliniana) is a small to medium sized tree that is native to cool moist understory sites. This is a small tree with a big character. Another common name is musclewood, which refers to the muscled appearance of its trunk. It produces a nice display of yellow to red fall color. Kentucky coffee tree (Gymnocladus dioicus) is becoming an increasing popular choice as a landscape tree. In fact, in some locations demand may outpace supply. This is an interesting medium-sized tree. Once established, coffee tree is considered drought hardy and relatively salt tolerant, making it a common choice to fill the void left by ashes. Its bi-pinnatetly compound leaf makes it botanically interesting. Yellow fall color adds to its ornamental appeal. Oaks as a group The oaks may be considered the forgotten landscape trees, but they should not be overlooked. Once established, oaks are dependable landscape trees. There are a number of oaks that are native to Michigan. The ones listed here are not especially noteworthy in terms of fall color, but they are durable trees that are good growers once established. Acorns produced from oaks also make them good choices as trees that are useful for wildlife Bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) is the ultimate “tough tree for tough places.” Bur oak is extremely drought hardy and can handle adverse sites. Swamp white oak (Q. bicolor), as the common name implies, can handle heavier soils and poor drainage better than most oaks. Aside from lacking fall color, this tree probably comes the closest to filling the role of ash in urban and community forests. Chinkapin oak (Q. muhlenbergii ) is another overlooked but reliable tree. Chinkapin oak is part of the chestnut oak group meaning it has leaves with serrated margins, similar to chestnut. It is adapted to alkaline soils and has better fall color than bur or swamp white oak. Maples Michigan has several native maples that make outstanding landscape trees. Maples, however, provide a good example for the “look around rule” for diversity – before you select a tree, look around to see how widespread it is already. Many of our communities are already very heavy into maples. Red maple (Acer rubrum) is an outstanding landscape tree. Easy to grow. Tolerates wet and acidic soils. Outstanding fall color. Numerous named cultivars are available and trees produced from seed are available from nurseries specializing in native plants. Striped maple (A. pennsylvanicum) and Mountain maple (A. spicatum) are small trees or large shrubs that are best adapted to moist, cool sites. Both have rough textured leaves with good fall color; striped maple turning bight yellow, mountain maple turning a mottled orange. Hophornbean or Ironwood (Ostrya virginiana) is a small understory tree. It is noteworthy for its fruit, which resemble clusters of hops. Ostrya is regarded as difficult to transplant but easy to maintain once established. Michigan is home to dozens of native trees that connect us to Michigan’s natural heritage, enhance our landscapes, and improve the diversity of our urban and community forests. This list is just a brief introduction to some of Michigan natives that are useful in the landscape. Note: Thanks to Dr. Bob Schutzki for sharing his insights on outstanding Michigan natives. |
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| Scouting for weeds: Mouseear chickweed Mouseear chickweed: Cerastium fontanum ssp. vulgare (Hartman) Greuter & Burdet (View Photos) Life cycle: Patch-forming perennial. Leaves: Opposite, dark green, oval to spatula-shaped leaves with pointed tips and smooth margins are densely hairy and stalkless. Stems: Prostrate, spreading stems are capable of rooting at the nodes to form dense patches. Stems are slender and very finely hairy with swollen nodes. Flowers and fruit: Small, white flowers have five petals. Each petal is notched deeply to resemble a pair of petals. Green, hairy sepals surround petals.Fruit are slightly curved, cylinder-shaped capsules that contain many tiny, brown seeds. Reproduction: Seeds and creeping stems. |
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| Scouting for weeds: Redstem filaree Redstem filaree: Erodium cicutarium (L.) L’Hér. ex Ait. (View photos) Life cycle: Prostrate, fernlike winter annual or biennial. Leaves: Leaves are hairy and compound with deeply cut leaflets that give a featherlike or fernlike appearance. Leaves initially develop from a dense basal rosette and stem leaves are opposite and sparse. Leaves usually have a grayish tinge. Stems: Hairy, semierect stems arise from a prostrate, basal rosette. Flowers and fruit: Pink or purple flowers with five petals are found clustered at the ends of long stalks. Fruit are long, beaklike capsules with five sections; each section contains a seed with a spirally twisted, corkscrew tail at maturity. Reproduction: Seeds. |
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| Scouting for pests: Slugs Slugs are worm-like, legless organisms that are often referred to as snails without shells (View photo). They vary in length from 1 to 15 cm when full grown, depending on the species. Slugs prefer to reside in moist areas and are active at night. They leave a silvery slime trail, which is most noticeable on sunny days. Slugs vary in color from black, brown, lavender, purple and white to yellow. Several have brown specks or mottled areas. Management Remove any hiding places including plant debris, weeds, rocks and wood lying on the soil surface. Avoid overwatering herbaceous perennials to minimize creating moist habitats ideal for slug breeding. Commercial molluscicides can be applied in the evening. It is important to irrigate the area before application. |
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| Pesticide residue testing Won’t you be my neighbor? Last summer, a Montcalm County resident noticed several of his mature trees showing signs of decline. As the summer progressed, so did the injury on his maple, ash, oak, cottonwood and white pine trees. This resident had an ongoing dispute with his neighbor and was convinced this person was killing his trees. Besides the obvious chlorosis, distortion and browning of the leaves followed by defoliation, there was a spot at the base of each tree that was barren of grass and weeds for several months. I suggested we analyze soil collected near the base of these trees for the presence of residual contaminants capable of causing the observed injury. Unfortunately for the trees, tebuthiuron was detected in the soil at 2.3 ppm. (view photos) Tebuthiuron (Spike) is a soil-applied herbicide for woody plant control in fencerows, utility right-of-ways, pipelines, pastures, rangelands and other non-cropland areas. Tebuthiuron controls unwanted trees, shrubs and vines after sufficient rainfall has occurred to move the product into the root zone. How to send a sample for pesticide residue testing In addition to diagnosing plant pathogens, nematodes and insect-related pests, all plant samples submitted to MSU Diagnostic Services – the multi-disciplinary plant health and pest diagnostic facility on campus – are visually inspected for pesticide injury. If warranted, samples can be tested for the presence of pesticide residue using appropriate analytical instruments and techniques. We urge that clients interested in pesticide residue testing contact the laboratory before collecting and submitting samples. Samples should be collected immediately if pesticide injury is suspected. Collect samples according to visual pesticide expression, as some herbicides affect new plant growth, while others may only affect older growth. Collect enough plant tissue to fill a quart-size plastic bag; collect enough soil to fill a pint-size plastic bag. In general, samples should be frozen immediately and kept frozen until arrival at the laboratory. Plant samples are visually inspected for pesticide injury for $20. Samples can be tested for pesticide residue on an individual basis or, if available, in multi-pesticide screens. Fees may vary depending upon number of samples, clientele location and numerous other special circumstances. Fees for individual pesticide residue screens are generally $90, $100 and $125 in water, tissue and soil, respectively. Fees for multi-pesticide residue screens are generally $125, $150 and $175 in water, tissue and soil, respectively. Questions regarding pesticide injury or pesticide residue testing should be directed to Steven Gower by phone at 517-432-9693 or by email at sgower@msu.edu. |
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| Turfgrass tips for surviving summer I don’t think anyone knows what a typical summer weather pattern in Michigan really means anymore, but if there’s anything that can be guaranteed it’s that the weather will be unpredictable. No doubt there will be hot spells, dry spells, downpours, and at some point we’ll wonder if it’s ever going to rain again. So how do you help prepare the turf for the wild ride it’s about to enter? Fertilization Avoid heavy nitrogen fertilizer applications as summer gets rolling. Typically, the Memorial Day weekend is the trigger for making a fertilizer application that will help the turf grow throughout the summer months. Search for fertilizers that have some slow release nitrogen in their analysis. Look for terms such as slow release, slow acting, delayed release or natural organic. All of these terms will indicate that the nitrogen will be released at a slower rate than a water soluble nitrogen source such as urea. High nitrogen fertilization applications using water soluble nitrogen sources at this time of year will likely favor top-growth over root growth and won’t help the turf through the summer stress period. Irrigation Based on personal observations, I have concluded that the majority of home lawns in Michigan are not irrigated. There are certain neighborhoods in every city that have many homes that have in-ground irrigation systems where the lawns are irrigated throughout the summer, but overall most people let Mother Nature take care of their irrigation needs. If you’re not concerned about having a green lawn and rains are lacking, the turf will turn a lovely shade of brown and enter dormancy. Dormancy can be thought of as the turf in a resting state, it will turn brown and cease growing, but will remain viable and resume growth when moisture becomes available. The cool season turfgrasses in Michigan can typically survive from five to eight weeks under dry conditions before substantial death occurs. Even if you choose not to irrigate throughout the summer, if the weather turns hot and there is no rain for five to six weeks, I would recommend applying between 0.5 and 1.0 inch of water to ensure turf survival. This is what I call a “mercy irrigation.” If you desire a green lawn throughout the summer, there are two irrigation schemes that can be followed. The first is the traditional irrigation schedule of deep and infrequent applications in order to discourage shallow turfgrass rooting, flush salts from the soil profile and reduce weed competition. For those without in-ground irrigation systems, this is most likely the irrigation schedule you’ll follow. Apply between 0.5 to 1.0 inches of water weekly, depending on precipitation and temperature. Depending on your soil type, applying this amount of water at one time may be feasible or may lead to lakes in your back yard. If you have a clay soil, split this application up over several intervals during the day or over a couple days. If you choose to irrigate your lawn to maintain a green, actively growing turf you need to consider many factors to devise a scheme that works for your lawn. Is the lawn shady or sunny; is the soil type clay or sand; is the turfgrass Kentucky bluegrass or tall fescue; does your community have watering restrictions? All of these factors need to be considered before mapping out your strategy. Here at MSU, we’ve been advocating for several years now to think outside the box and apply irrigation on a more frequent basis than the typically recommended weekly Saturday morning soaking of 1-1.5 inches of water. The light, frequent application scheme has proven to provide excellent quality turf. However, as mentioned above, in some areas irrigating every day may not be allowed by law, so in that case you obviously need to do some tweaking. In those situations, consider watering every other day or maybe every third day – you’ll have to experiment with amounts applied. What about timing? Generally, avoid irrigating in the early evening hours as this results in the turf remaining moist, damp, and subject to disease activity over the entire night time. If possible, irrigate in the early morning hours. We have also seen benefit from doing very light irrigation (0.1 inch or less) applications during the early afternoon to reduce heat stress. This is particularly effective when trying to alleviate the symptoms associated with the disease necrotic ring spot. I don’t believe there is one simple irrigation recommendation that is going to work for everyone’s lawn. The key to irrigating successfully is to understand the site, measure your expectations and recognize your limitations, whether it’s watering restrictions or maybe the lack of an irrigation system. Mowing and heat tracks Make sure to stay on top of your mowing this spring to avoid scalping the turf and thereby stressing the turf. Mow at the high end of the optimal mowing height range for the turf. For Kentucky bluegrass, mow at 3 inches. Higher mowing heights will help the turf develop a deeper root system. Every summer you can see damage from mowers or vehicles driving through drought or heat stressed turf. (view photo) The damage occurs when the turf is close to wilting or suffering from heat stress. In June 2006, I observed wide spread heat track damage on landscape turf throughout many areas of suburban Detroit. The only sure fire way to avoid heat track damage would be to keep all equipment off the turf during heat or drought stress periods, especially between the hours of 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM. Of course, this is a huge problem for large mowing operations that operate from early morning to evening. If you can’t avoid mowing during this time, apply a light dose of irrigation to cool the turf prior to any mowing. |
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| Chlorothatlonil label update After doing a quick Google search to confirm that I wasn't imaging things - the chlorothatlonil label/use for residential lawns was pulled in 2004. From what I understand, the label was pulled for residential lawns/home lawns. Other uses in the home landscape, excluding lawns, are still allowed. There are several sources of information, but I found this link from the University of Kentucky to be helpful. See page three of the newsletter at: www.uky.edu/Ag/kpn/pdf/kpn_1098.pdf |
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| Insect update Watch for Douglas fir needle midge We caught our first Douglas-fir needle midge adults in our emergence traps this past week in the Cadillac area. Douglas-fir needle midge overwinters as larvae in soil under infested trees. Needle midge adults emerge in the spring and live only a couple of days, just long enough to mate and lay eggs. The orange eggs are deposited in expanding buds and on elongating needles. Larvae hatching from the eggs immediately bore into the needle, causing elongating needles to form a gall around the larvae. One or more white maggots can be found inside affected needles during the summer. Time your insecticide application within a week of your first trap catch. Spruce spider mites Spruce spider mites are often a problem on fir and spruce trees, but populations can build up on nearly all Christmas tree species. We have found mite activity on Fraser and balsam fir. Growers should keep an eye out for the dark mites or their webbing, especially if you had damage from mites last year. Scout the oldest foliage, near the stem of the tree – that’s where the mite populations build up first. Rap foliage over white paper or cardboard on a clipboard. If mites are there, you should see them moving on the paper. An ovidicide/miticide like Savey is a good choice. Savey controls mite eggs and immature stages of mites. Savey also does not harm beneficial insects and predatory mites. Pine needle scale Applying insecticides at the proper time is a key element in controlling pine needle scale. Pine needle scale is most vulnerable to insecticides during the crawler stage. Although crawlers are tiny, they are readily visible on the needles, especially if you use a hand lens or magnifying glass. The ideal time to apply an insecticide spray is after nearly all the pine needle scale eggs have hatched and most crawlers have reached the hyaline stage. At this point, the young crawlers are exposed on the needles and have not yet started to produce the hard, white armor. Spring generation eggs hatch in May or early June at roughly 300 GDD50. Usually, eggs hatch within about a week and most crawlers should be in the hyaline stage by 400 to 500 GDD50 (southern Michigan). Balsam twig aphid The characteristic curling of the new growth caused by balsam twig aphid is showing up on balsam fir trees. (view image) Insecticide treatments from this time onward will likely do little to prevent damage; aphids are well protected within the shoots. The good news is that needles will continue to elongate for several weeks. By late summer, much of that damage will be outgrown. One thing you can do for yourself is to make a little map of your field that shows where the trees with the most aphid damage are this year. Then next spring, you will know where to focus your scouting and management activities. Pine shoot beetle –get ready If you are in the Pine Shoot Beetle Compliance Program and need to apply a cover spray for pine shoot beetle, get ready, especially if you are in southern Michigan. The best time to spray will be right around 450-500 growing degree days base 50. At this point, the beetles are more or less starting to tunnel into shoots in synchrony. In contrast, if you wait until later in the summer, some beetles will be deep inside the shoot, some beetles will be dispersing; some will be beginning tunnels and so forth. Chlorpyrifos (Lorsban 4 E, Whirlwind, Warhawk), cyfluthrin (Baythroid), bifenthrin (Talstar) are labeled. Eastern spruce gall adelgid The pineapple-shaped, green to purple galls are now visible at the bases of new shoots of white, Black Hills or Norway spruce. (view image) With small populations, you can clip off and destroy the green galls now before they turn brown and open in late July. If you have an unacceptable amount of damage, your next control window is this fall. Fertilizer damage Each year, I get called out to look at trees that have suddenly died. Sometimes in digging up the tree, we find that it was caused by poor planting. Recently, I looked at trees that had dead branches or the tree had completely died. Looking closely at the trees, we found piles of fertilizer directly next to the tree. Fertilizing a tree can improve growth and quality of the tree, but if it not placed properly can cause damage to the tree. (view image) High fertilizer concentrations can cause damage to branches or roots. Fertilizer should be applied evenly around the drip line of the tree and not closer than a foot from the trunk. This sprayer application technology for small acreage producers workshop is on June 14, 2007, 6:00 PM 9:30 PM at theNorthwest Horticultural Research Station (6686 Center Rd., Traverse City, MI). The program is geared to all who use spray equipment for small area spraying. It focuses on the various backpack sprayer designs, adaptations and their calibration. Nursery, greenhouse, floral, vegetable, fruit and other small acreage producers will be able to review and work with various backpack sprayer designs, see pressure regulation demonstration, assess nozzle types and accessories and participate in calibrating the various sprayers. This program is aimed toward anyone spraying small areas (organic or non-organic) who is interested in ensuring they are making the application according to the label rate and getting optimum coverage using backpack other small area spray equipment. Here is a link to the registration form for this workshop. (view PDF) |
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| Gypsy moth spray window dates Growers should note that the spray window open date for Zone 5 - all other compounds, has been set as May 27. The accompanying chart shows actual and projected open/close dates for application of the two groups of pesticides used for regulatory treatment of gypsy moth in nursery stock and Christmas trees. Always monitor development around your farm as local conditions can affect gypsy moth development. Table 1. Gypsy moth spray window dates
** Projections are based on 30 year historical degree day data. |
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| Weather news The cool front that brought some needed rainfall to many areas of the state Thursday, evening May 24 into Friday morning, will stall just to the south of the state before returning north as a warm front on Saturday. This front will likely linger in the region into next week, setting the stage for an extended period of relatively cool and unsettled weather. Showers and thunderstorms are likely across most areas of the state Saturday into Saturday night, with a continuing chance for showers on Sunday. Monday (Memorial Day) and Tuesday of next week are expected to be cool and dry. A weather system approaching from the west will bring yet another chance for rainfall Wednesday and Thursday. High temperatures will fall back to a range from the upper 50's north to the upper 70's south during the holiday weekend. Low temperatures will range from the mid and upper 30's in the far north to the mid 50's south. There will be the possibility for some scattered frost in interior sections of Upper Michigan Saturday and Monday mornings. Further ahead, medium range forecast guidance suggests the formation of a ridging feature across western sections of the United States with weak northwesterly flow across Michigan. The official NOAA 6‑10 day outlook for May 30-June 3 and May 30-June 5 calls for above normal temperatures statewide, with precipitation forecast to range from near normal levels across southeastern sections of the Lower Peninsula to below normal levels elsewhere. The 8-14 day outlook for June 1-7 calls for near normal temperatures statewide and for precipitation to range from below normal levels in southwestern sections of the state to near normal in the northeast. As has been the case recently, forecaster confidence in these outlooks is considered lower than normal for the season given inconsistency in some of the forecast guidance. |
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