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Allium Leaf Miner
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Date Posted: Sun, May 28 - 8:55 pm
- I think I might have allium leaf miner in a few of my overwintered leeks. I took pictures, video and saved a sample in a ziplock bag containing the reddish brown egg. I’m not particularly worried about the crop but wasn’t sure if I should contact you since it’s a relatively new invasive pest. It seemed like covering and exclusion measures will be my best bet going forward. Thanks!
- I'm sorry to hear your leeks have been hit by the allium leaf miner. There are a few prevention techniques to consider going forward. 1. Solarization. The garden bed can be covered with clear plastic for four weeks over the summer, being sure to bury the edges so heat is trapped. Solarization will kill allium leaf miner pupae, decrease soil pathogens, and increase beneficial microbes. 2. Rotation Planting. Refrain from planting members of the allium family in the same bed for one year or longer since the pupae will overwinter in the bed. 3. Cover crops. Consider planting members of the cabbage family in the bed prior to planting allium. The sulfur produced by the cabbage crops will transfer to your allium making them more pungent and less desirable to the fly. Another benefit is that brassica plants decrease the amount of nitrogen available in the soil which is beneficial as flies are more drawn to high levels of nitrogen in plants. 4. As you have already mentioned, row covers. Cover the plants at planting time in the fall (September/October) and remove for the winter. Plants will need to be covered again for the spring (March/April) before overwintering pupae emerge. Since the allium leaf miner is very small, it's important to be sure the edges of your covers are pinned down well or buried. Thank you for reporting this finding so the spread of allium leaf miner can be monitored and best of luck with your future plants!
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Pests
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Date Posted: Wed, Apr 26 - 4:28 pm
- Hello. Poison ivy has started filling one of the beds in the front of my house, and it is coming up with the azalea bushes along the side back fence. Is there a reliable company that can remove this for me? Thank you for any advice that you can provide!
- Hello there, Poison ivy seems to be everywhere. However, there are some plants that look a bit like poison ivy. Virginia creeper is one of them and is not toxic, so it could be pulled or dug up easily. The are a couple others, Your best bet is to take good photos and go to the Help Desk that is manned by the Master Gardeners at your local library. Contact the library and find out what day and time the Help Desk session is held. Once you have a definite ID, then you can proceed with an appropriate method. I don't have any removal companies to recommend. You could also try one of the homemade sprays for killing the vine but, again, you need to know what you are dealing with first. Best of luck.
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Ticks
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Date Posted: Fri, Nov 04 - 8:46 pm
- I just moved into a house in North Chesterfield which has tons of trees - and therefore tons of dead leaves, needles and pine cones. I have read a lot of articles recommending to leave the dead leaves in place over winter to help beneficial insects, birds etc., but I'm worried about the potential of leaf litter giving safe haven to ticks as well. I haven't seen deer around at all, but we do get lots of squirrels, mice and birds. - To rake or not to rake?
- Hello there, Oh, what a good question. I wish I had a simple answer. The reality is that ticks are pretty much everywhere. I've known them to show up in small urban yards and, of course, in wooded areas. They're found in parks in densely populated NYC as well as beaches. So just about every environment you can imagine. I know that cleaning up leaf litter is often touted as a deterrent. It may be, but I suspect there would still be some ticks left behind. I would opt for leaving the leaves where they fall and accommodating the good bugs. There are precautions to take when working in brushy, leafy areas. Wear light clothing, a hat, tuck your shirt into your pants and tuck your pant legs into your socks. And give yourself a good look over when your done working. Keeping the area you want to spend time in or socialize in away from the wilder part of the garden is also helpful, if possible. You could keep a trimmed lawn and garden beds where you congregate and let the wilder parts of your garden take care of themselves. Here is a publication from VA Tech that you may find helpful--https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/2906/2906-1396/2906-1396.html. You will have to make your own choice regarding the leaves. Start with figuring out the pros and cons of raking/not raking, that may help guide your decision. Good luck and enjoy your new home.
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Trumpet Vine eradication
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Date Posted: Fri, Oct 14 - 12:59 am
- What is the best way to get rid of trumpet vine. It’s all over my yard
- Hello there, As you probably know trumpet vine has several ways of spreading. I haven't had any personal experience at killing trumpet vines but I do know they require a lot of work to keep them under control. I don't know what methods you may have already tried so I'll pass along the ones I've come across. They all require a certain amount of vigilance. You'll also want to take care if there are other desirable plants nearby. You may want to consider moving them to a safe location while you try to eradicate the vine. If the plant isn't too large, dig it up. This means cutting the vine, or vines, back to a stump and removing what is a rather large root system. You will most likely miss a root or 2 so it is important to keep an eye out for any new plants sprouting from remaining roots. As soon as you see a new plant sprout--dig it out. Another method I've heard of is using boiling water on the root system. Again you would need to cut back the vines to a stump and then pour boiling water over the the rather large root system. You will have to repeat this process maybe once a week until you see some progress. And again, you will most likely miss some roots, so if you see new growth either dig it up or use more boiling water. Even if you use an herbicide you will still have to watch for new growth and re-apply. So while an herbicide might seem like an easier way to go you will still have to be vigilant and be ready to re-apply. The key here is getting rid of as much of the plant and roots as possible and then being sure to watch for any new growth in your garden and digging or boiling out that new growth. If you wait for all the leaves to drop it will be easier to trace the growth back to its origins and see where there might be ground contact. It will take some time and patience but I think you'll see results! Best of luck!
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Vegetable pests
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Date Posted: Fri, Oct 07 - 9:01 pm
- Pole Beans: I planted (for the first time) some cold hardy plants at the end of summer. My pole beans grew in strong, but are now being decimated -- the leaves are bubbly and stems are severed. Some leaves have been chewed. I have been out there multiple times at various points in the day and I can't see anything. I put some sticky yellow bug catchers out there and it caught some tiny little flies and a small Beatle, but something else is still killing my vegetable. Vine Borer - Squash - Yes I had them and they killed my zucchini and spaghetti squash. I hear they overwinter. I planted several other squash plants after the annihilation of my squash (before I found out they stick around). They got 50% -- the others survived only because I covered the stem with foil to prevent the critters from entering. But, how do I extinguish them? Last question: I had two tomato issues. 1. some look like Chinese paper lanterns, with nothing inside of them, just a fragile green shell of a tomato. 2. Lots of blooms, lots of pollinators visiting, no tomatoes. You are probably thinking 'just give up gardening' - but I'm hoping to learn, so I can do better next year. Thank you. Julie
- Dear Julie, You've had a tough summer! Actually, the summer was pretty hard on many living things. I'm going to start with your tomato question first. I'm wondering what type of tomato you planted? I've never come across an issue like this so I have to wonder about the seed or transplant you used. It sounds like it's a tomatillo, rather than tomato. In regard to the non-fruiting issue, I have to wonder about when you planted the tomato, did you plant so that tomatoes would have enough time to mature? Some tomatoes require a longer time to mature and fruit. There are varieties like Early Girl which may be a better bet for you if you're planting a little later or you simply want an earlier crop when planted at the appropriate time. Those are my best guesses. Squash vine borers are tough to deal with. Organic controls for squash vine borers include growing resistant varieties-butternut or the italian heirloom summer squash-tromboncino (a vigorous vining variety), crop rotation is critical, using row covers, passive traps, and surgical removal. The beans may be affected by mexican bean beetles. It's hard to say and I'm not sure why the leaves are bubbled, could be a blight? I'm attaching a document from the VA Tech extension website. There is a good summary of tips on vegetable gardening. I think you will find it useful-- https://ext.vt.edu/lawn-garden/home-vegetables.html You seem like a very observant and dedicated gardener, those are the best qualities for good results. Do not give up!! Best of luck!
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Pests
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Date Posted: Sat, Jul 23 - 4:51 pm
- What's wrong with my tomatoes? I've been gardening for years, but have never seen this issue with tomatoes before. This is my first time gardening in Hanover, VA. I believe the space has been used for gardening before. I didn't do a soil test. The only soil amendment has been bloodmeal. All of my tomatoes, regardless of size, look fine while green, but as they ripen, they appear to have white spots underneath the skin. When I cut them open, they all have a sort of white pithiness throughout the outer flesh just under the skin. The flavor is okay but the skins are tough and crunchy, and it's consistent throughout the 6 varieties I've planted. I haven't seen any issues with the foliage. I'm really stumped on this one but I am wondering if this is a new-to-me disease or an outcome of inconsistent watering (due to some unforeseen circumstances, they're largely surviving on what falls from the sky plus one weekly watering). I saw a few earlier in the season that have blossom end rot, but these ones don't have decay at the blossom end. Any thoughts? Thanks for your insights!
- Hello there, this does sound discouraging!! I have to admit that I have never had this issue but I did a little research and found some resources that may help you. The first website is from Texas A&M. It's useful because it shows pictures of ripe fruit in trouble and identifies the problem. I'm making a guess that Cloudy Spot might be your issue. Of course, I must emphasize that this is a guess, having never seen the problem you describe firsthand. Cloudy Spot indicates stink bug infestation--https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/vegetable/problem-solvers/tomato-problem-solver/ripe-fruit/. If that's right, the VA Tech website has a video on how to trap the culprit--https://vtx.vt.edu/articles/2019/10/Stink_bug_Media_Advisory2019.html, I like this solution because there is no chemical insecticide involved. The trap in the video was created to trap the bugs in homes but can easily be used in the garden as well. If my guess is wrong, you have another option. VA Tech has a plant disease clinic where samples can be tested and identified. Because Richmond City does not currently have an extension agent due to a staffing vacancy, you can contact the Chesterfield office and get the details on submitting samples. There is a $35 fee as well as paperwork that must be submitted with the sample(s). You can contact them at this email address-- Chesterfield MG Help Desk: vce@chesterfield.gov. Best of luck sorting this out!!
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Ambrosia beetles-Dogwoods
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Date Posted: Tue, Oct 05 - 4:24 pm
- Ambrosia beetles-dogwoods
- Hello again, I have a few questions about your trees. I'm wondering how they were diagnosed. Did you see the frass tubes (kind of looks like tooth picks) on the trunk? Was there blue staining in the sapwood when they were removed? You may also have seen 'sawdust' at the base from the process of tunneling in the entry holes. Those would be definite indicators of the beetle. Generally, they attack trees under stress, such as drought or lack of appropriate amounts of scheduled watering. The pests may have been in the trees when you purchased them from the nursery. If so, the guarantee from the nursery may cover your loss. Assuming the reason your trees failed was due to ambrosia beetle and not another pest or disease, the arborist I consulted said that planting in the same location would be fine. I don't believe they have created any trees to be resistant to the ambrosia beetle. That being said, I think the chief thing is to provide the best cultural environment for the trees to survive. Well-draining soil is key along with proper placement and watering until the trees are established. Without knowing the exact environment you are planting in it would be difficult to recommend a particular tree. Look online for a list of native trees for this area and then consider the location you have and whether or not that tree would be a good fit. Consider the amount of light, moisture, available space for mature height, etc. Sorry those dogwoods didn't make it. Best of luck with your next choice.
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Ambrosia beetle-Dogwoods
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Date Posted: Sun, Oct 03 - 5:27 pm
- Last year I put in 4 dogwoods trees but ambrosia beetles appeared in April/May and the trees all died. Is there any type of native tree that is resistant to them? The trees were removed in June but are the beetles still in the soil? I'm afraid to put in any new trees now.
- Hello there, thank you for your question. It will take a little longer to answer because I'm reaching out to an arborist for assistance. Thanks for your patience!
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Schip laurel
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Date Posted: Mon, Sep 13 - 6:48 pm
- This is a response to the question about Schip laurel. Assuming poor drainage isn't the issue, you can drop off a sample at the Henrico Cooperative Extension off at 8600 Dixon Powers Drive. This is how the agent described the sample material to submit. 'We need what we call the good, bad and ugly. We don’t want just a dead portion. We want the sample to include the transition from bad to good.' You could also check out this link below from the University of Md. that lists several problems that might occur with a Schip laurel planting. https://marylandgrows.umd.edu/2019/01/07/qa-whats-wrong-with-my-cherry-laurel-shrubs/ Good luck!
- Answer is in the preceding question format.
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Worms/Caterpillars in Grow Bags w/Vegetable Plants
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Date Posted: Wed, Aug 18 - 2:00 pm
- Like many in the midwest, I have started a victory garden of sorts over the past few months, mostly in large grow bags on a pallet on my deck. This morning I noticed that the grow bag containing my romaine lettuce was full of either some very freaky worms or caterpillars, and while the worms seemed to be contained to the romaine bag, I worry for my adjacent chard, collard greens, and tomato bags. After a quick google search, I discovered two options that I was interested in: bacillus thuringiensis or diatomaceous earth, but I would like to know what option would be the most efficient in terms of use of product and frequency of applications and also the most environmentally friendly. If there is a better option than those two, I would be happy to learn also. Thank you!
- Good afternoon! Thank you for your question. My first thought when I read your question is that the solution certainly depends on the type of worm or caterpillar-like creature in your grow bag. If you have common earthworms or red wigglers, I’d say leave them alone as they are beneficial to the quality of the soil and will benefit the overall health of your plants. But it sounds like you may have something different which could ultimately harm your plant. If, for example, you have cutworms (which resemble caterpillar) and/or leaf miner larvae in your soil, you want to remove these. First, I would separate the infested grow bag from your other grow bags which contain your other vegetables. I would then pick off the visible worms/caterpillars with your fingers and submerge them in a container of warm soapy water. Although the products you mention may be effective at killing the catepillar-like creature you have, they do have harmful attributes. They may be considered organic but they still have low levels of toxic ingredients to bees. I would use an insecticidal soap solution such as neem oil or simply mix 3 tablespoons of dish soap to 1 gallon of water and pour into your infected soil. Apply this process weekly. And if you see any of these caterpillars on the plant leaves, pick them off and spray the neem oil/soap solution directly onto the plant - repeat the process weekly. And of course keep a close eye on your other grow bags with your other vegetables for any similar signs. Good luck with your garden, and wishing you a strong yield!