The following information for each month of the year has been edited and
summarized from articles in the Garden Clippings Horticultural Newsletter,
issued by the Cooperative Extension Service of the University of Massachusetts.
These newsletters were published in the 1989-1990 timeframe and were
discontinued when the state cut back and closed several Extension Service
locations. However, the information in them still applies in most cases.
January is the month to:
1. Order your vegetable seeds for spring planting.
2. Prune old, neglected, apple trees. The pruning must be moderated
and be spread over two to three years to avoid excessive new growth
or injury to old limbs by sudden over-exposure to sunlight.
3. Repot house plants. This is a good time to repot pot-bound plants.
You can tell this when the roots protrude out the drainage hole, it
produces little or no new growth, or it dries out quickly after
frequent watering.
PEST of the Month
The INDIAN MEAL MOTH
Like something from a horror movie, our first introduction to this pest
is often the sight of small, white, worm-like larvae dangling on silken
threads from the kitchen ceiling!
The adult form of this insect is obviously a moth, a small one with a wing
span of about 3/4 of an inch. The most distinguishing trait identifying
this moth from other moths is the color of its wings. The front part of
the wing is white, while the outer portion is dark in color. When the
wings are folded, it looks almost like a white band separates the head
from the dark, outer section of the wings.
Indian Meal Moths lay their eggs in flour, cereals, dried fruit, pet food
grains, and other grain products. Within a few days, the eggs hatch into
dull white larvae which feed for several weeks. During the feeding process
the larvae spin silken webs, noticeable on entangled food products.
When they have had their fill, they migrate to a ceiling where they spin
their brown, silken cocoons. From these emerge the mature adults. Life
cycle from egg to adult moth takes about 6 to 8 weeks.
If you discover Indian meal moth infestations, examine all food products
mentioned above and discard any which are affected. Uninfested foods
should be stored in glass jars or other tightly sealed containers. Then
vacuum kitchen cupboards where the food was stored and follow by thorough
washing with soap and water.
PS. MVGC note: Freezing kills the eggs. Putting flour, cereals etc.
into the freezer for 24 hours before storing in cupboards will help.
March is the month to:
1. Have your soil tested. Collect separate samples from your vegetable
garden and lawns.
2. Sow seeds indoors: cole crops, lettuce, onions, and flowers.
3. Prune grapes, blueberries, raspberries and fruit trees.
4. Plant peas, spinach, and Swiss chard outdoors when the soil is
workable.
5. Attend the New England Spring Flower Show!
6. Transplant trees and shrubs if the soil is not frozen or wet.
7. Patch lawn bare spots. This known as frost crack seeding.
Scatter seed over areas in early AM on a day when the soil
is frozen. The thawing and refreezing will automatically
cause good soil/seed contact and germinating seeds would
fill in the bare spots before the weeds. Remember to spread
seed a little heavier, since germination will not be as good.
8. Avoid walking on lawns (except to patch-#4 above). The high
water content this time of year will result in soil compaction.
9. Force spring shrubs-forsythia etc. indoors
10. Prune deciduous trees
11. Remember to prune flowering shrubs-AFTER they finish flowering,
not now!
12. Dormant oil spray-when plants are DORMANT. Oil suffocates the
overwintering insects with minimal plant damage. Read instructions
carefully-it should not be used on certain plants-maples, junipers,
to name a few.
13. Cut back stems of Jackmani clemitis and dead wood on roses.
14. Avoid removing winter mulches and plant protection too early. Frost
heaving as the ground thaws will be prevented by the mulch.
15. Prune broken branches of trees damaged during the winter storms.
16. Have power equipment (mowers, rototillers, trimmers) serviced and
ready for the new growing season.
MARCH Pests of the Month:
EASTERN TENT CATERPILLER
Egg masses of this pest are grey-green in color, have a stryofoam-like
texture, and encircle the smaller twigs of crabapples, cherry, and
related hosts. Some control may be achieved by pruning and destroying
infested twigs.
GYPSY MOTH
It is a good time time to scout favored hosts (oak trees) for presence
of the egg masses. The oval shaped, fuzzy egg masses are typically
buff colored, but may look bleached following winter exposure to
sunlight. Size of the egg masses can be used as an indicator of the
status of gypsy moth populations. Numerous small masses (1/2 inch long)
indicate a declining population, while growing or static populations may
have fewer but larger egg masses of 1.5 inches or longer. Small pin
holes on the surface of the egg masses indicate parasitism by wasps.
An old method of control was to apply creasote to the egg masses to
suffocate them and prevent them from hatching. Just scraping the egg
masses off the tree does not prevent them from hatching; they will hatch
on the ground.
MARCH Disease of the Month: SNOW MOLD
Rake away snow mold that may appear on grass that has languished under
heavy piles of snow. Usually gray snow mold will kill only the grass
blades. Pink snow mold may kill the whole plant. If this happens,
seed over any dead patches in the lawn. Next year, be sure to mow
your grass until it stops growing in the fall!
April is the month to:
1. Check for signs of new growth in your strawberry bed
and pull back mulch.
2. Seed peas, spinach, carrots, lettuce, and other early crops
directly in the soil.
3. Start melon and squash seeds in individual pots
near the end of the month.
4. Start tomatoes and peppers inside early in the month.
5. Lift and divide chrysanthemums as soon as new growth appears.
6. Trim back hemlocks before new growth starts.
7. DO NOT prune spring flowering shrubs until AFTER they bloom.
8. Look for signs of winter injury when pruning roses: dead, darkened,
shriveled wood at the cane tips. Cut back to a healthy bud.
9. Maintain the soil PH at 6.0 to 7.0 in both the lawn
and vegetable garden.
10. Plant a tree for Arbor Day, the last Friday in April.
11. Complete spring cleaning -- once the ground has defrosted,
remove winter mulches.
12. Apply dormant oil spray to fruit trees to kill overwintering
insect populations.
13. Fertilize raspberries in early April before new canes start growth.
APRIL IS LAWN CARE MONTH!
1. "Grubby" Lawns not treated last August to control Japanese Beetles
may have grub populations reduced by applying recommended pesticides
later in the month as the grubs come up to feed on turf roots. Turf
torn up by skunks and raccoons is usually an indication of a high
grub population.
2. Crabgrass controls applied at forsythia blooming time on sunny turf
areas will markedly reduce potential for this annual grass pest.
Best control is a thick healthy grass!
3. Limestone applied to lawns this month is carried into soil rapidly by
April showers. Most Massachusetts turf requires 50 lbs/1000 sq. ft.
every three years.
Some of the environmental and other benefits of the living carpet:
+ Adds beauty to our surroundings.
+ Prevents soil erosion from wind and rain.
+ Recycles the water naturally by transferring it from the soil
to the air by transpirations and evaporation. This also
reduces the ground level air temperature, thus turf has
a cooling effect.
+ Serves as a filter for rain and irrigation water, cleansing
it as it moves through the soil, organic matter, and
the turf root system.
+ Improves the air we breathe by intercepting and absorbing
impurities and by using up Carbon Dioxide while
returning oxygen.
+ Produces large amounts of soil organic matter. Soils high
in organic matter host a wide range of soil micro-
organisms which create a dynamic biological community.
The complex of organisms and their actions helps to
recycle fertilizers and pesticides.
+ Muffles and absorbs sound.
+ Provides safe, clean playing surfaces for sports and other
family and leisure activities.
PEST OF THE MONTH
From the COOPERATIVE EXTENSION (UMass) Horticulture Newsletter, April 1989:
The Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Adelges tsugae) was unknown in the northeastern
US prior to 1985. Since then severe infestations have developed in several
parts of Connecticut, killing large ares of hemlock trees. It appears that
this insect will severely impact all of Connecticut's hemlocks and is
spreading throughout New England and Eastern Canada.
The most obvious evidence of infestation is conspicuous cottony egg sacs
which resemble the tip of a cotton swab and are present along the young
hemlock twigs during most of the year.
The adelgid feeds mainly on the young branches and does so by piercing the
bark and sucking the tree's sap. This retards or prevents the development
of the tree and causes the needles to turn color and drop prematurely.
Eventually this kills the infested branches and, ultimately, the whole tree.
Until recently, little was known about the biology and life cycle of this
pest. It is now known that the adult females deposit eggs into spherical
woolly ovisacs of about 50 eggs each for about 16 weeks starting in the
middle of February. In the middle of April, these eggs hatch into crawlers.
These individual crawlers are active for one or two days, and can be blown
by the wind. During the 4 weeks following the hatch, the nymph develops
through four instars before becoming an adult. There is actually a winger
adult and wingless form with slightly different life cycles.
The insect can be controlled using several pesticides which are relatively
safe in the environment. Control is only feasible in ornamental settings
where trees are accessible. Dormant oil sprays used in April and mid-May
applications of diazinon will provide excellent control.
May is the month to:
1. Prune spring flowering shrubs IMMEDIATELY after bloom.
2. Wait until after Memorial Day to plant warm season plants
such as tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants.
3. Fertilize your lawn later this month. Research has shown that
the best months to fertilize are May, Sept, and Nov. Use a
fertilizer with NPK in the ratio of 3-1-2.
4. Watch for birch leafminer in the middle of the month. Tan-colored
blotches indicate their presence. Lindane is one pesticide that
can be used.
BRUCKMAN's tip: CYGON painted around the tree about 2 feet from
ground is systemic and will be absorbed into the tree sap and leaves.
MVGC note-I did this to all my birches 4 years ago and have not had
the problem since and have no need to repeat application.
5. Honeybees are extremely susceptible to insecticide sprays. Never
spray fruit trees while they are in bloom. Best time of day to
spray is early morning or late evening when the bees are less active.
6. Deadhead spring flowers, but don't remove the leaves. They are
needed to produce food for next year's blossoms.
7. Fertilize trees and shrubs.
8. Cole crops, lettuce, potato, and onion sets may be planted now,
if you haven't done so already.
10. DO NOT work WET garden soil, this will do more harm than good.
Wait till it crumbles when squeezed in your hand, not sticking
together in one mass.
11. Treat for onion and cabbage maggots. Adult flies usually lay eggs
the first week of May, depending upon the temperature. Use Diazinon
as a wettable powder according to the label instructions. Maggots
will eat the roots and kill the cole plants.
PESTS OF THE MONTH
WHITE PINE WEEVIL
The White Pine Weevil attacks the leaders of pines, Norway Spruce, and
Douglas Fir. In early April, adult weevils emerge from ground litter
and make their way by crawling or flying to the leaders of host trees.
After mating, the female excavates a hole in the bark and deposits her
eggs. The resulting larvae feed on the inner bark, killing the leader.
Shoots emerging in the current year droop over, forming the familiar
crook shape. At this time look for these snout beetles gathered on
the shoots in mating pairs. It is necessary to control these before
the female lays her eggs, otherwise the only management is the removal
of infested terminal leaders before summer.
WHITE GRUB
White grubs are the larvae of Japanese beetles, Asiatic garden beetles,
European chagers, June beetles, and other hard-shelled beetles in the
family Scarabaeidae. They primarily feed on the roots of turf grass.
The European chager may also do some serious damage to the fine roots
of woody ornamentals.
White grubs exist at various soil depths through the winter, but move
closer to the soil surface this month to feed. Use a shovel to cut
3 sides of a square in the turf about 6 inches on a side and about
4 inches deep. Flip the sod back on the fourth uncut side and use
a hand trowel to dislodge soil. The cream colored grubs will be very
visible. Remove all from the sample area and count them. Take a
number of samples in the lawn and then average the number of grubs
found per sample and convert to number per square feet (this is will
be 4 times what you have averaged if you do a 6" by 6" sample!).
If you have 5-10 per square foot, you should be treating the lawn.
June is the month to:
1. Thin heavy-setting fruit trees.
2. Pick your own strawberries or visit a local farm to enjoy the harvest.
3. Mulch around vegetable plants.
4. Remove spent blooms to encourage more flowers on annuals and perennials.
Also do this on rhododendrons.
5. Thin or transplant extra seedlings to avoid overcrowding.
6. Pinch chrysanthemum plants to encourage branching. Continue this up
until the 2nd week in July and then let the flower buds form.
7. Fertilize rose buses.
8. Check andromeda for lacewing damage. This is noticeable with the
stippling effect on the leaves. Malathion is one control method.
9. Check bluegrass lawns for billbugs and consider control methods.
They are small black beetles with elongated snouts.
HAVE YOU HEARD???
There is a new strain of Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) for those of us
plagued by the dreaded Potato Beetle. This new strain of BT is
marketed under the name of M-One.
From the Mass Cooperative Extension Horticultural Newsletter, 1990:
What is Catnip?
Although the names catnip and catmint are often used interchangeably,
they actually describe two different varieties of Nepeta, a perennial
ground cover and a relative of peppermint and spearmint. Both catnip
and catmint bloom in early summer and are equally attractive to cats.
Nepeta cataria, or catnip, grows 2-3 feet high and has downy grey-green
leaves and small lavender or white flowers at the branch tips.
Nepeta faassenii (or mussinii), or catmint, forms soft undulating mounds
to 2 feet high and displays loose, half-inch-long spikes of lavender-blue
flowers.
The stems of both are square (mint family trait), the leaves are
spade-shaped and toothed and covered with fine hairs, as is the stem.
70% of the essential oil of catnip is comprised of a very special chemical
called nepatalactone. It is this that attracts cats of all shapes and
sizes from the domestic cat to the mighty tiger and lions. Not all cats
enjoy catnip. To some it is an energizing zesty treat, which others get
happily "high" on it, while Siamese cats are generally unimpressed with it.
Kittens under 3 months also ignore it. In general 1/3 of cats don't
respond, 1/3 are partial responders and 1/3 are total responders.
(How many cats did they survey to get these results?)
Cats respond by smelling it, not by ingesting it; however, chewing it
releases the odor. It is nonaddictive and the "high" lasts from 5-20
minutes. After exposure the cat is unable to respond to it for about
an hour. It causes a lowering of the cat's inhibitions and is often
useful to give to cats in stress since it makes them relax.
How often to give it to a cat? Well, a boredom factor can set in, as well
as a loss of sensitivity. About every other week is just about right!!!
From Garden Clippings (Cooperative Extension Service-UMass), June 1991:
GYPSY MOTH FUNGUS HOLDS IN NORTHEAST
Researchers have been following the activity of a fungus called Entomophaga
maimaiga that destroyed large numbers of gypsy moth caterpillars in 1989.
This fungus is one of 14 biological control organisms in the Northeast now
established agains the gypsy moth. Twelve species of imported parasitic
and predatory insects, as well as a virus disease and this fungus, are
important in controlling widespread outbreaks of gypsy moths. Vertebrates
such as the white footed mouse and birds are predators of the insect. They
eat all stages: caterpillar, pupa and moth.
Study of the fungus indicates there may be a link between abundant rainful
in May and a high incidence of the fungus in the caterpillar population.
In both '89 and '90, May was a rainy month. Not so with May 1991. It is
too soon to know what the results will be this year.
What causes moss on a lawn??
Moss is caused by poor drainage that keeps the areas damp, by poor aeration
due to a hard compacted soil, and by a lack of fertility. It doesn't always
indicate an acid soil.
Taken from extension service newsletter (1990):
PEST OF THE MONTH
June Drop, common in New England orchards, occurs when a number of small
green fruit drop from the trees for no apparent reason, causing an
inexperienced fruit grower some alarm.
In fact, some June Drop is a natural thinning process because most trees
produce more fruit than they can mature. Another cause, however, may be
that the small fruits harbor the larvae of either the European apple
sawfly or the plum curculio. These two insects are serious pests of
the apple, and the plum curculio attacks most tree fruits commonly
grown in New England.
Evidence that a dropped apple harbors a sawfly larva is a small entry hole
next to a deposit of sawdust-like frass, a deposit left as the larva tunnels
into the fruit. The plum curculio makes a crescent-shaped cut when it lays
its eggs, leaving a noticeable scar on the dropped fruit of peach, plum,
cherry, apple, and pear trees.
A non-toxic method of intervening in the life cycle of these two pests
is to pick up all drops promptly. They should not be allowed to overwinter
and reemerge the following spring to begin a new generation of pests.
October is the month to:
1. Continue to water ornamentals.
2. Keep raking leaves and placing them in compost pile.
3. WAIT to apply mulch to perennial beds. Should be applied ONLY after
the SOIL temperature reaches 32 degrees! Usually around Thanksgiving.
4. Lime gardens and lawns.
5. Check houseplants that you summered OUTSIDE for insects. (I always
bring in a good case of whitefly on my hibiscus).
6. Continue mowing lawn (it also picks up leaves). A 2" height is good
for winter since it won't mat down.
7. Finish planting spring bulbs!
FRUIT TREES- Rake and remove leaves and fallen fruit from under your
fruit trees to help prevent disease problems next year. Clip
grass very short around base of trees, and put mouse guards in
place, especially on younger trees. Place a cylinder of 1/4 inch
wire mesh around and close to, but not touching trunk of tree.
(I leave these wire cages on all year to protect from lawn mower
damage as well).
PINE TREES - Do not be alarmed (as I was the first year I had pines),
if the inner needles of evergreens (especially pines) turn yellow and
then fall off. This is natural. Each year evergreens grow a new set
of needles in the spring and drop off their oldest set in the fall.
GARLIC
Successful growing of Garlic is related to the time of planting more
than any other factor. Planting garlic in October is ideal. The bulbs
will develop strong root systems and allow plants a head start in the
spring. When the days get long in late spring, garlic will respond by
producing new bulbs. Bulbs from the grocery store are not suitable.
I have done this with garlic and shallots again this year. Prior years
have brought excellent results. I mulch them in November when I mulch
perennials to help them to continue root growth. I uncover in spring
when I uncover my herbs such as chive and Egyptian onion.
