Horticulture Hotline 06/20/24
By Bill Lamson-Scribner
Dry, dry, dry, and windy seems to be the way the summer weather is starting. No rain is one thing and when you combine that with wind, it definitely will let you know where your irrigation is missing. Most of the calls I have been getting are people that think they have some crazy fungus and all that they really need is some water. If you have brown areas, just take a shovel or spoon, and see if the ground is dry in that area. Water can be expensive; however, fungicides are much more costly, especially if not needed. Irrigation plus wind can often leave dry areas. Possum’s Wetting Agent with Biostimulants or Yucca Wetting Agent (organic) will help in these dry areas.
Indian Hawthorn (AKA Raphs) finished blooming and can be pruned as needed. Watch out for the leaf spot disease that attacks these plants. If your plant’s foliage is thinning and it has spots on its leaves, there is a good chance your plant is under attack. Propiconazole does a good job of keeping this fungus in check; however, this disease will always be out there so regular spraying is a must. Also, when spraying fungicides, it is important to switch chemical classes to avoid resistance. If they do not need pruning hold off, because pruning encourages new growth and the disease likes new growth.
If you are taking a vacation this summer and have St. Augustine grass, be sure to put out an insecticide to protect your lawn from ‘the nasty rascal, the chinch bug’. Chinch bugs can do serious damage in a very short period of time. They love and multiple greatly in hot, dry weather, so this year has been a very bountiful year for them. 07-00-14 Allectus, Wisdom, or Above and Below should help you manage this lawn terrorist.
As the temperature and humidity rises, St. Augustine grass will also get a leaf spot disease called gray leaf spot. Even though I usually try to avoid scientific names, I have to use this one because there are different leaf spot diseases that are controlled with different products. Look for the name Pyricularia grisea on the label to get control of this leaf spot. Several years ago, I picked up a customer from another store (and he still shops with us) because the other store was selling him a product that was labeled for the leaf spot (Helminthosporium spp) and after repeated applications the customer was not getting any control. The product was not labeled for the gray leaf spot (Pyricularia grisea) that the customer was trying to control in his clients St. Augustine grass. Some products that are labeled for this disease include Strobe G and T-Methyl.
Azaleas and camellias are getting ready to set their flower buds for next year, so it is very important to do any pruning on these plants right away. Even if you pruned them hard right after they bloomed, you can still do any touch up pruning to manage any growth that might have occurred since the last pruning. Watch out for lace bugs sucking on your azaleas and scale sucking on your camellias.
Any of the repeat blooming azaleas (Encore, Red Slipper) should be pruned right after they flower. If you prune fairly hard, you will likely lose some of the next flush of blooms; however, they should get back in sync fairly quickly, providing you multiple blooms.
The dry weather is making the ‘sucking’ bugs come into our watered landscapes. The woods are dry, so they are attacking our hydrated plants. Lace bugs, scale, aphids, mites (technically not an insect), and white flies seem to be particularly bad. In the ground, mole crickets (kill the babies now!) and moles like the easier tunnelling in our yards. Fleas are bad and roaches are trying to get a drink and get into the air-conditioned house!
Always read, understand, and follow product label. The product label is a Federal Law.
Bill Lamson-Scribner can be reached during the week at Possum’s Landscape and Pest Control Supply. Possum’s has three locations 481 Long Point Rd in Mt. Pleasant (971-9601), 3325 Business Circle in North Charleston (760-2600), or 606 Dupont Rd, in Charleston (766-1511). Bring your questions to a Possum’s location, or visit us at possumsupply.com. You can also call in your questions to “The Garden Clinic”, Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM, or listen to the replay of Saturday’s show, Sundays from 11:00 to noon on 1250 WTMA (The Big Talker). The Horticulture Hotline is available 24 / 7 at possumsupply.com.
