Hort Update for the week of 9/13/06
1. Ground Beetles are usually black and elongate; often found under mulch, rocks or firewood. They may find their way indoors and create concerns. As predators, ground beetles are beneficial insects and are best protected. They are not harmful to plants, people, pets or buildings. To reduce their numbers indoors, remove objects where beetles can hide such as leaf piles, old boards, rotting logs, stone piles, firewood piles, etc. near home entrances. Caulk and screen potential entry ways into homes.
Internet Resources: http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2102.html
Beetle Images: http://entomology.unl.edu/images/beneficials/beetles/bene_beetles.htm
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2. Ligyrus relictus Beetles are black scarab beetles about ¾” long and about ½” wide. Numerous beetles were found in a few lawns in Platte and Colfax counties. These beetles feed on organic matter. They are not a turf pest. They are congregating to mate and overwinter and are attracted to lights.
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3. Stem Rust appears as an orangish-yellow powder (spores) on grass blades in late summer. The turf may develop a yellow or brown appearance. Rust typically develops on lawns and other turf areas with very slow growth. Fall lawn care, including fertilization and correct irrigation, along with cooler fall weather promotes turfgrass growth and rust usually disappears. Fungicide controls are rarely suggested on home lawns.
Note for Sports Turf: If stem rust occurs on sports fields, the fungal spores can present problems for allergy/asthma sufferers. Control of stem rust is recommended on sports turfs using a combination of turf management and timely fungicide applications.
Internet Resource: http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/turf/rustlawn.html
Sports Turf Internet Resource: http://hcs.osu.edu/sportsturf/notes/detail.lasso?id=1094
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
4. Summer Patch symptoms are one to two foot, tan colored, circular or serpentine shaped patches. Tufts of healthy green grass may remain in the center and is known as frog-eye. Numerous patches may cause large blighted areas of turf. This is a root disease. No leaf lesions or leaf spots will occur. Infected plants have a dark brown crown and root rot. Control includes proper lawn care practices, overseeding with resistant cultivars, and fungicide applications made in April and May when fungi are infecting roots. Factors which favor the disease are a thick thatch layer, poorly drained and compacted soil, frequent light irrigation, low mowing height, sloped sites exposed to heat, and the use of poorly adapted grass cultivars.
Internet Resource: http://nu-distance.unl.edu/homer/disease/Hort/Turf/TuSumPtch.html
Information on resistant cultivars may be found at: http://www.ntep.org/reports/kb00/kb00_06-10/kb00_06-10.htm
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5. Nimblewill is a warm season perennial grass. It goes dormant from mid fall through mid to late spring. In lawns, nimblewill forms dense patches, often a foot or more in diameter. When it goes dormant, the brownish patches may be confused for disease or insect damage. It has fibrous roots, making the plants easy to pull, and wiry stems that root at the nodes. Leaves are blue-green blades up to 2 inches long. Maintaining a dense, healthy lawn through proper turf selection, establishment, and maintenance is the recommended non-chemical control. Currently, there are no selective herbicides for nimblewill. Glyphosate, a nonselective herbicide, can be applied to green, actively growing weeds from late spring through early autumn. Applications of glyphosate to nimblewill when dormant will not provide control. A new product that selectively controls nimblewill is set to be released in 2008.
Internet Resource: http://www.purdue.edu/dp/envirosoft/lawn/src/pest/perennial.htm
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
6. Puncturevine is a warm season, mat-forming annual weed with an extensive root system. The fruit is a cluster of 5 spiny burrs capable of puncturing bike tires and more. Texas sandbur is one common name. In lawns, control by hand pulling, ideally before fruit production and with an application of the premergent herbicide, pendimethalin, in late May.
Internet Resource: http://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/trbte.htm or
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/WEEDS/puncturevine.html
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
7. Mushrooms growing in lawns or mulched beds are fruiting bodies of fungi growing on decomposing organic matter, such as thatch, an old tree root, or organic mulch. Most mushrooms are harmless to turf; unless they are one of the fairy ring mushrooms. They disappear when the organic matter decomposes or conditions are less conducive to mushroom production. Remove mushrooms to reduce the risk of children eating them. Some types are poisonous.
Internet Resource: http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/dp_hfrr/extensn/problems/mushrooms.htm
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8. Fall webworms appear as large, unsightly webbed nests in fruit, ornamental and shade trees from Iate summer through fall. The nests are filled with caterpillars, dead leaves, frass and worm excrement. While unsightly, they are fairly harmless to trees at this time of year. Mechanical removal of the nests or the application of insecticides when the nests are small will reduce their numbers.
Internet Resources: http://countywebapp.unl.edu/counties/dodge/newsitems/Hort%20News%202005/hort%20news%20050804 or
http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/hfrr/extensn/problems/fallwebw.htm
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9. Bagworms cause defoliation of evergreen plants like spruce and juniper. Small, brown bags made of webbed together needles are found on stems. It is important to cut open the bags now. If the larvae have pupated, it is too late to apply an insecticide this season. Bacillus thuriengiensis or most general use insecticides with carbaryl or permethrins work if applied at hatching (late May into June) or prior to larvae pupating. Pick off and destroy bags at this time of year.
Internet Resource: http://ianrnews.unl.edu/static/0607200.shtml or http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/
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10. Lacebugs cause shade tree leaves to discolor and turn yellowish or whitish. On close inspection, the leaves appear stippled and tiny lacebugs or specks of their shiny black excrement may be found on leaf undersides. Lacebugs are sap feeders. Damage this late in the season is more unsightly than harmful to trees.
Internet Resource: http://www.dakota.unl.edu/newsitems/news040805153332 or
http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgarden/ygbriefs/e452lacebug.html
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11. Soldier beetles are ½ inch long, elongate, yellowish orange beetles, usually with two black spots near the base of the wing covers. They can become abundant at this time of year and create unnecessary concern. They are predators and feed on other insects such as caterpillars, aphids, and soft-bodied insects. As they lie in wait for prey on flowers they may feed on nectar and pollen but they do not damage plants. Since soldier beetles are beneficial and harmless it is unnecessary to control them.
Internet Resource: http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/iiin/soldier.html
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12. Brown Rot of Peach & Pear Fruit is causing almost mature fruit to develop light brown spots that enlarge rapidly and fruit may be completely rotted within a day or two. Fungal spores produced on blighted blossoms, twig cankers, or nearby wild plums infect maturing fruit. Rotting fruit develops a dusty brown appearance and the fruit shrivels to form a “mummy” that may remain attached to the tree or drop to the ground. The fungus overwinters primarily in these mummies in the tree or on the ground. Sanitation, removing and destroying mummies, is important to reducing future fruit rot. Fruit tree sprays containing fungicides are applied during spring bloom.
Internet Resource: http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/path-ext/factSheets/Peach/Brown%20Rot%20of%20Peach.asp
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13. Emerald Ash Borer Alert- While Emerald Ash Borer HAS NOT YET been found in Nebraska, it has been found west of Chicago. We need to be on the watch for the movement of this pest into Nebraska, especially via firewood brought in by campers. Ash tree symptoms include trees dieing from the top back, suckering at the base and 1/8” diameter, D-shaped emergence holes in the tree trunk and larger branches. Familiarize yourself with emerald ash borer and watch for them.
Internet Resource: http://www.emeraldashborer.info/
| Current Problems: | Major Symptom: |
Lawns |
|
| 1. Ground beetles | Long, narrow black beetles in lawns, buildings, on sidewalks |
| 2. Ligyrus relictus beetles | Black scarab beetles, about ¾” long by ½” wide, may be in lawns |
| 3. Stem rust | Orangish-yellow powder (fungal spores) on grass blades, mowers, shoes |
| 4. Summer Patch | Circular, tan-colored patches; may have a tuft of green in the centers |
| 5. Dormant nimblewill | Circular, matted, brown patches in otherwise healthy turf |
| 6. Puncturevine | Prostrate succulent weed with 4-thorned bur |
| 7. Mushrooms | Mushrooms growing in lawns and mulched beds |
| Trees & Shrubs | |
| 8. Fall webworm | Fairly large, unsightly webs filled with worms in deciduous trees |
| 9. Bagworm | Defoliation of evergreens and small brown bags attached to stems |
| 10. Lacebugs | Discoloration of the leaves of hackberry, sycamore, oak, etc. |
| Vegetables/Fruits/Ornamentals | |
| 11. Soldier beetles | Orangish beetles with two black spots; often found on flowers |
| 12. Peach & pear brown rot | Full sized fruit turn brown and soft on trees |
| Potential Problem To Watch For: | |
| 13. Emerald ash borer | Ash trees die from the top down and sucker at the base |
1. Ground Beetles are usually black and elongate; often found under mulch, rocks or firewood. They may find their way indoors and create concerns. As predators, ground beetles are beneficial insects and are best protected. They are not harmful to plants, people, pets or buildings. To reduce their numbers indoors, remove objects where beetles can hide such as leaf piles, old boards, rotting logs, stone piles, firewood piles, etc. near home entrances. Caulk and screen potential entry ways into homes.
Internet Resources: http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2102.html
Beetle Images: http://entomology.unl.edu/images/beneficials/beetles/bene_beetles.htm
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
2. Ligyrus relictus Beetles are black scarab beetles about ¾” long and about ½” wide. Numerous beetles were found in a few lawns in Platte and Colfax counties. These beetles feed on organic matter. They are not a turf pest. They are congregating to mate and overwinter and are attracted to lights.
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
3. Stem Rust appears as an orangish-yellow powder (spores) on grass blades in late summer. The turf may develop a yellow or brown appearance. Rust typically develops on lawns and other turf areas with very slow growth. Fall lawn care, including fertilization and correct irrigation, along with cooler fall weather promotes turfgrass growth and rust usually disappears. Fungicide controls are rarely suggested on home lawns.
Note for Sports Turf: If stem rust occurs on sports fields, the fungal spores can present problems for allergy/asthma sufferers. Control of stem rust is recommended on sports turfs using a combination of turf management and timely fungicide applications.
Internet Resource: http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/turf/rustlawn.html
Sports Turf Internet Resource: http://hcs.osu.edu/sportsturf/notes/detail.lasso?id=1094
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
4. Summer Patch symptoms are one to two foot, tan colored, circular or serpentine shaped patches. Tufts of healthy green grass may remain in the center and is known as frog-eye. Numerous patches may cause large blighted areas of turf. This is a root disease. No leaf lesions or leaf spots will occur. Infected plants have a dark brown crown and root rot. Control includes proper lawn care practices, overseeding with resistant cultivars, and fungicide applications made in April and May when fungi are infecting roots. Factors which favor the disease are a thick thatch layer, poorly drained and compacted soil, frequent light irrigation, low mowing height, sloped sites exposed to heat, and the use of poorly adapted grass cultivars.
Internet Resource: http://nu-distance.unl.edu/homer/disease/Hort/Turf/TuSumPtch.html
Information on resistant cultivars may be found at: http://www.ntep.org/reports/kb00/kb00_06-10/kb00_06-10.htm
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
5. Nimblewill is a warm season perennial grass. It goes dormant from mid fall through mid to late spring. In lawns, nimblewill forms dense patches, often a foot or more in diameter. When it goes dormant, the brownish patches may be confused for disease or insect damage. It has fibrous roots, making the plants easy to pull, and wiry stems that root at the nodes. Leaves are blue-green blades up to 2 inches long. Maintaining a dense, healthy lawn through proper turf selection, establishment, and maintenance is the recommended non-chemical control. Currently, there are no selective herbicides for nimblewill. Glyphosate, a nonselective herbicide, can be applied to green, actively growing weeds from late spring through early autumn. Applications of glyphosate to nimblewill when dormant will not provide control. A new product that selectively controls nimblewill is set to be released in 2008.
Internet Resource: http://www.purdue.edu/dp/envirosoft/lawn/src/pest/perennial.htm
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
6. Puncturevine is a warm season, mat-forming annual weed with an extensive root system. The fruit is a cluster of 5 spiny burrs capable of puncturing bike tires and more. Texas sandbur is one common name. In lawns, control by hand pulling, ideally before fruit production and with an application of the premergent herbicide, pendimethalin, in late May.
Internet Resource: http://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/trbte.htm or
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/WEEDS/puncturevine.html
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
7. Mushrooms growing in lawns or mulched beds are fruiting bodies of fungi growing on decomposing organic matter, such as thatch, an old tree root, or organic mulch. Most mushrooms are harmless to turf; unless they are one of the fairy ring mushrooms. They disappear when the organic matter decomposes or conditions are less conducive to mushroom production. Remove mushrooms to reduce the risk of children eating them. Some types are poisonous.
Internet Resource: http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/dp_hfrr/extensn/problems/mushrooms.htm
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
8. Fall webworms appear as large, unsightly webbed nests in fruit, ornamental and shade trees from Iate summer through fall. The nests are filled with caterpillars, dead leaves, frass and worm excrement. While unsightly, they are fairly harmless to trees at this time of year. Mechanical removal of the nests or the application of insecticides when the nests are small will reduce their numbers.
Internet Resources: http://countywebapp.unl.edu/counties/dodge/newsitems/Hort%20News%202005/hort%20news%20050804 or
http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/hfrr/extensn/problems/fallwebw.htm
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
9. Bagworms cause defoliation of evergreen plants like spruce and juniper. Small, brown bags made of webbed together needles are found on stems. It is important to cut open the bags now. If the larvae have pupated, it is too late to apply an insecticide this season. Bacillus thuriengiensis or most general use insecticides with carbaryl or permethrins work if applied at hatching (late May into June) or prior to larvae pupating. Pick off and destroy bags at this time of year.
Internet Resource: http://ianrnews.unl.edu/static/0607200.shtml or http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
10. Lacebugs cause shade tree leaves to discolor and turn yellowish or whitish. On close inspection, the leaves appear stippled and tiny lacebugs or specks of their shiny black excrement may be found on leaf undersides. Lacebugs are sap feeders. Damage this late in the season is more unsightly than harmful to trees.
Internet Resource: http://www.dakota.unl.edu/newsitems/news040805153332 or
http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgarden/ygbriefs/e452lacebug.html
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
11. Soldier beetles are ½ inch long, elongate, yellowish orange beetles, usually with two black spots near the base of the wing covers. They can become abundant at this time of year and create unnecessary concern. They are predators and feed on other insects such as caterpillars, aphids, and soft-bodied insects. As they lie in wait for prey on flowers they may feed on nectar and pollen but they do not damage plants. Since soldier beetles are beneficial and harmless it is unnecessary to control them.
Internet Resource: http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/iiin/soldier.html
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
12. Brown Rot of Peach & Pear Fruit is causing almost mature fruit to develop light brown spots that enlarge rapidly and fruit may be completely rotted within a day or two. Fungal spores produced on blighted blossoms, twig cankers, or nearby wild plums infect maturing fruit. Rotting fruit develops a dusty brown appearance and the fruit shrivels to form a “mummy” that may remain attached to the tree or drop to the ground. The fungus overwinters primarily in these mummies in the tree or on the ground. Sanitation, removing and destroying mummies, is important to reducing future fruit rot. Fruit tree sprays containing fungicides are applied during spring bloom.
Internet Resource: http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/path-ext/factSheets/Peach/Brown%20Rot%20of%20Peach.asp
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
13. Emerald Ash Borer Alert- While Emerald Ash Borer HAS NOT YET been found in Nebraska, it has been found west of Chicago. We need to be on the watch for the movement of this pest into Nebraska, especially via firewood brought in by campers. Ash tree symptoms include trees dieing from the top back, suckering at the base and 1/8” diameter, D-shaped emergence holes in the tree trunk and larger branches. Familiarize yourself with emerald ash borer and watch for them.
Internet Resource: http://www.emeraldashborer.info/
