* New Garden Insect Book: Now available from Princeton University Press is a new book by Dr. Whitney Cranshaw, Entomology Specialist at Colorado State University. The book is titled “Garden Insects of North America” with the subtitle “The Ultimate Guide to Backyard Bugs.” The book can be ordered from Princeton U Press by calling 800-777-4726 (8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. EST) or by using the toll-free fax number 800-999-1958 (but you’ll need an order form). You can access a sample chapter online at www.pup.princeton.edu.
*Tree Watering Guidelines: Cheyenne Urban Forestry (www.cheyennetrees.com) has put out an excellent brochure titled “Basic Tree Care for Wyoming.” In it are some guidelines for watering trees in our state.
Ţ Minimum water amounts are 10 gallons per 1 inch of tree trunk diameter.
Ţ Check soil moisture to determine if watering is needed – dig down 4 to 6 inches at the tree’s drip line and get a small clump of soil in your hand from that depth. If the soil falls apart, water is probably needed. Alternatively, “if you can easily push a screwdriver into the soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches, then the soil is probably wet enough.”
Ţ Minimum watering frequency: 5 to 7 days if temperatures are over 80 and it is windy and dry (no precipitation) – 7 to 14 days if it’s cooler. Deep and infrequent irrigation is usually best.
Ţ Remember winter watering, particularly for evergreens – if there is no snow cover, temperatures are warm (over about 40), and the soil is not frozen, get out the hose and water at least monthly.
* From Scott Schell - Ant Control Products to Replace Diazinon
Some of the reduced-risk insecticides (active ingredients) that can be recommended for homeowner use for ant control are: abamectin, hydramethylnon, and cyfluthrin. These active ingredients can be found in a variety of products such as: Maxforce, Advance, Amdro, Bayer Advanced Garden and a host of other brands. Ant control products with carbaryl as the active ingredient can also be commonly found. If the label is followed, carbaryl is safe but there are some reports of ant resistance and it is slightly higher risk than the other active ingredients.
I would recommend the ant bait formulations to control problems in lawn, gardens, and indoors rather than spray products. Bait reduces the amount of insecticide needed and has less non-target impacts and is generally safer for the general public to handle.
Active Ingredient Profiles can be found at the following websites:
http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/extoxnet/24d-captan/abamectin-ext.html
http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/extoxnet/haloxyfop-methylparathion/hydramethylnon-ext.html
http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/extoxnet/carbaryl-dicrotophos/cyfluthrin-ext.html
http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/extoxnet/carbaryl-dicrotophos/carbaryl-ext.html
The products that contain abamectin and hydramethylnon are slower acting, which for ant control is a good thing. A slow acting product will be carried into the colony and will be fed to the queen and brood which will eliminate it. A fast acting product, such as cyfluthrin, will quickly eliminate foraging ants but may not effect the queen who will produce more foragers for the colony. As with all products, please advise your clients to read and follow the label of whatever product they choose to ensure safe and effective results.
Scott P. Schell, M.S.
Assistant Extension Entomologist
(307) 766-2508 FAX 766-5025
www.wygisc.uwyo.edu/grasshopper/
* References Horticulturists Should Have: Here is a list of excellent references that are highly recommended for problem solving.
Ţ Sunset Western Garden Problem Solver, Sunset Books, Inc., Menlo Park, California,1998, ISBN 0-376-06131-6, 800-526-5111 or www.sunsetbooks.com
Ţ Sunset Western Garden Book, Sunset Books, Inc., Menlo Park, California, 2001, ISBN 0-376-03874-8, 800-526-5111 or www.sunsetbooks.com
Ţ Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, Michael A. Dirr, Stipes Publishing, Champaign, Illinois, 1998, ISBN 0-87563-795-7
Ţ Insects and Diseases of Woody Plants of the Central Rockies, Bulletin 506A, Colorado State University Cooperative Extension, Fort Collins, Colorado, 877-692-9358, www.ext.colostate.edu
*In the Panter Back Yard and Zoo: Where do fish go when they die? We lost a couple, including one red crab, but they were nowhere to be found in the tank! They’re not on the floor, not in the water, not in the filter…somebody scavenges them, we guess! Hermit crabs are doing well, we also guess, because they don’t come out and play very often. Henry the Madagascar hissing cockroach (he’s a perfect pet – never fusses to go outside, eats only occasionally, and keeps his tank very clean) is still thrilling visitors (ha!).
The yard and gardens are in peak form right now, probably due to our cool, moist weather the last few weeks. Even the tomatoes are flowering and fruiting! The snow peas, after sending up leaf after leaf after leaf, have finally started flowering – maybe we’ll have some peas to eat before Halloween….The carrots aren’t faring so well, because the person who sowed the seeds (said person does not have a name) either washed them all to the sides of the planter or sowed them very unevenly. They all ended up around the edges of the 8’ x 1.5’planter. We’ve harvested some broccoli and cilantro already, as well as chives, tarragon, and rosemary. Yum.
New plants put in this spring included:
Edible annuals: Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary), ‘Premium Crop’ broccoli, ‘Ruby Perfection’ cabbage, ‘Early Girl’ and ‘Celebrity’ tomatoes, and snow peas (variety ???).
Ornamental annuals: Lobelia ‘Regatta Saphire’, Lantana ‘Lavender Trailing’ and ‘New Gold’, Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubum’ (pennisetum grass – annual here, perennial warmer climates), Pelargonium x hortorum ‘Evening Glow’ and ‘Patriot Watermelon’ (geraniums), Vinca major (vinca vine), Zinnia ‘Profusion White’, Verbena ‘Serenity Mix’, ‘Imagination’, and ‘Toronto Wine’, Petunia x hybrida ‘Easy Wave White’ and ‘Avalanche White’, Dusty Miller ‘Silver Dust’, Limonium ‘Excellent Mix’ (statice), Helichrysum ‘Bright Bikinis Mix’ (strawflower), and Lavatera ‘Novella Pink’ (mallow).
Perennials: Euonymus fortunei ‘Kewensis’ (wintercreeper), Penstemon ‘Firebird’, and Convallaria majalis (lily-of-the-valley).
Phalaenopsis and Dendrobium orchids are still blooming! And now the hoya vine and the Epidendrum orchid have gotten into the act.
Our gardens were selected this year for the Laramie Garden Club garden tour in mid-July. We’re putting together a list of all the plant material; we’ll make the list available to all as soon as it’s done.
*Upcoming Events:
-Ohio Florists Association Short Course, July 10-14, 2004, Columbus, Ohio. Contact: www.ofa.org.
-American Society for Horticultural Science Annual Conference, July 17-20, 2004, Austin, Texas. Contact: www.ashs.org.
-Turfgrass Producers International Summer Convention and Field Days, July 27-30, 2004, Harrisburg/Hershey, Pennsylvania. Contact: TPI at 800-405-8873 or web site www.turfgrasssod.org.
-ISA-2004: Bridging Technologies for Trees of Tomorrow, August 7-11, 2004, David Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Contact: www.isa-arbor.com.
-2004 Farwest Show, August 26-28, 2004, Portland, Oregon. Contact www.farwestshow.com or 800-342-6401.
-Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers National Conference and Trade Show, November 2-5, 2004, Doubletree Hotel, Orlando, Florida. Contact: ASCFG at ascfg@oberlin.net or visit www.ascfg.org.
-Rocky Mountain Regional Turfgrass Association Conference and Trade Show, December 7-9, 2004, Holiday Inn – DIA (I-70 and Chambers Road), Denver, Colorado. Contact: RMRTA at 303-770-2220 or web site www.rmrta.org.
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Glen Whipple, Director, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071.
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Where brand names are used, no endorsement is implied.
Karen L. Panter, Ph.D.
Extension Horticulture Specialist
Department of Plant Sciences
University of Wyoming