Controlling Fire Blight

A disease called fire blight has been widespread on susceptible varieties of apples and pears in home orchards this spring. In the landscape and ornamental trees such as Bradford pears as well as ornamental shrubs like flowering crabapple, hawthorn, roses, flowering quince, and pyracantha are also affected.

Fire blight usually shows up about this time of year in our area, however it’s been more common this season because of wet conditions and cooler temperatures over the past few weeks. This is a bacterial disease, it shows up on the tips of the branches of diseased trees and they have a “scorched” appearance like they were burned. Hence, we have the name “Fire Blight.”  Also, tips of infected branches are curved like a shepard's crook.

 In some cases, branch dieback is so severe that many homeowners become concerned about the survival of the tree. Death of a tree or shrub from fire blight is not common, but can occur from damage building up over several seasons.

 Unfortunately, for the homeowner with fire blight problems, there are few control procedures that can be carried out at this time of the season. Some control has been reported using a streptomycin antibiotic solution during the bloom time which prevents the bacteria from entering the branches through the flowers. However, at this late in the season, about the only control is pruning of diseased branches, and it is not recommend at this time of year unless fire blight damage is severe.
 

First, do not prune during rainy weather; second, all cuts must be made several inches below the point of visible infection. Third, pruning tools must be disinfected with each cut, and you may use a 10% household bleach solution by mixing 9 parts water to one part bleach. Make sure to rinse, dry and oil the pruners after use, because bleach is corrosive.

Other practices used in conjunction with pruning are to prevent cankers on large limbs and trunks by rubbing off water sprouts during the spring and summer. Also, avoid heavy nitrogen fertilization at any time during the season because it promotes succulent new growth that is susceptible to fire blight infection.

Holey Moley, Maybe Not

     I get lots of questions beginning in the spring about holes in the yard. Clients call in describing holes and want to know what caused them and how to get rid of the culprit.

   Following is a list of hole descriptions and the critter that made them:12 - 36 inches in diameter, thoroughly plowed three inches deep, in flowerbed: armadillo


6 - 10 inches in diameter, no mound, scattered in lawn: skunk or raccoon

6 - 10 inches in diameter, mound four inches high, near garden or barn: groundhog


2 inches in diameter, no mound, scattered in lawn: squirrel digging acorns

2 inches in diameter, small mound one inch high, under a shrub, log pile or concrete slab: chipmunk or rat

2 inches diameter, small mound, in lawn with markedly raised grass nearby: mole

1 inch diameter, no mound, next to hosta: vole
1 inch diameter, soil thinly scattered around hole, middle of the yard: cicada killer wasp

1 inch diameter, two inches high and made from balls of mud, near creek: crayfish

One-fourth inch diameter, mound two inches high & wide, several in middle of the lawn: ground bee

No hole, mound two inches high & wide, several in middle of the lawn: earthworm

    As well diggers might joke, their work involves lots of deep thinking! I am hopeful this table will help you solve landscape ‘hole’ puzzles without a great deal of thought. For answers on control of these varmints, call your local extension service office.

Carpenter Bees

They are out there harassing not only you and me, but they are also harassing the unpainted wood around your house. While these buzz -bombing rascals may look like bumble bees, they are actually carpenter bees, sometimes called wood bees.

 Carpenter bees are solitary nesters, although there may be several females nesting in the same basic area. The female chews holes into unpainted wood, sometimes into dead trees, and establishes nest compartments off of the main tunnel. She then lays an egg at the end of each nest compartment and packs nectar and pollen in over the top of the egg. After the egg hatches, the larvae eats the food then pupates, and late this summer they’ll hatch out. Now, the male carpenter bees hang around where there are females and act threatening and fly around you and buzz bomb you. Don’t worry! Males do not have stingers. 
The females are busy gather food and won’t bother you UNLESS you grab them or pick them up. The best solution is to paint the wood. If you cannot do that, then spray the entrance tunnels with sevin or permethrin.  A dust works better than a liquid, but leave the tunnel unplugged.  This fall you can fill the holes with wood putty and then paint over it or apply a wood stain so that the area won’t be so attractive next year.

Mississippi Medallion Plants 2011


   The Mississippi Medallion program was started in 1996 to To increase awareness of outstanding garden and landscape plant materials and to promote sales and production of ornamental plants in Mississippi.  Fifty-eight plants have been selected as Mississippi Medallion winners since then. For 2011, 3 plants are being featured.




SunPatiens



  'SunPatiens' are hybrid impatiens that thrive through the hottest parts of summer. Provided with adequate water, they will flower from spring until first frost.  There are 15 Sunpatiens selections that come on colors  include white, red, orange, coral, pink, blush, and magenta.  They have been solid preformers in trial gardens in Mississippi.

 



   'Aristotle' bell pepper very widely adapted green to red, blocky bell pepper with tremendous yield potential. Its extra large, dark green fruit and heavy sets have impressed growers everywhere. 'Aristotle’s' vigorous 20-24 in. plants offer good sun protection to the fruit and have intermediate resistance to bacterial leaf spot (races 1,2,3), potato virusY, and tobacco mosaic virus.

 



   Itea virginica, commonly known as Virginia Sweetspire is a native plant in Mississippi. This shrub has erect, densely branched stem when grown in full sun. The plant is evergreen most years in the coastal region and semi-evergreen to deciduous in northern Mississippi. The foliage is dark green and changes to a brilliant red fall color.  Flowers are produced on the previous year’s stems, prune after flowering. There are no serious pest or disease problems.  Virginia Sweetspire needs adequate moisture during dry periods inorder to grow well.

 

   Look for Mississippi Medallion plants at your local garden center.





Prime Pruning Time

Do not commit crapemurder!

    February is prime time for pruning time in Mississippi.  This spell of warm weather has ever gardener outside working in their yards.  Pruning shears are in a flurry of activity.

   But gardeners need to stop and slow done for a moment.  Why are they pruning and do they really need to be doing it?  Not every plant needs to be pruned every year!  Stop and look at the plant before you make any cuts.  Plan your cuts carefully.

   A properly pruned shrub is like a good haircut; hardly noticeable at first glance. Pruning cuts should be selective and hidden inside the plant where they will be covered by remaining leaves.

   The first step in pruning a shrub is to remove all dead, diseased, or damaged branches. Remove branches that cross or touch each other and those that are growing in the wrong direction.  This might be all that is needed.

   One of the main reasons people have to prune every year is that they planted the wrong plant for the space and it has over-gown the area.  In this situation all the branches are headed back or entire limbs are thinned out.

   In extreme situations the entire plant might need to be rejuvenated. In this case the plant is cut back to with 4 - 24 inches of the ground and encouraged to regrow.   As the plant grows back, some of the branches will need to be removed inorder to have a well-shaped plant.

   Another reason for pruning is to create a special-shaped plant or a topiary design.  We do not see lots of ornately-shaped plants in Mississippi, but they can be created if an ambitious gardener chooses to do so.

  The take-home lesson is to prune only if you need to or have to do it.  Otherwise relax and take time to enjoy this warm spell.