KSRE Wildlife Management.
K-State Research and Extension Horticulture Newsletter |
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May is Gardening for Wildlife month and we have a wonderful resource available through K-State Extension Wildlife Management. Find research-based information for gardening with wildlife by creating habitats to meet their needs. Check out the podcast “Fins, Fur and Feathers” hosted by Extension specialists, Drew Ricketts and Joe Gerken, YouTube guides and more at: KSRE Wildlife Management.
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Who says play is only for children? In this month’s Mental Health Monday, we are bringing play into the garden. Miniature gardens can be artistic and certainly creative outlets to promote play and improve life satisfaction. Read more for ideas to get started with your own miniature garden. KSRE: Playing in the Garden Is it safe to garden in an area that was previously flooded? One major problem with gardens that have been flooded is the potential damage to the soil structure. When the soil becomes flooded water fills in the air spaces depriving plant roots of necessary oxygen. An additional concern is the risk of soil compaction further restricting oxygen to the roots. The longer the flood conditions last the more likely damage will occur. Typically, if water recedes within 24 hours the impact on plant health is minimal. However, contaminants in the flood waters may make consumption of exposed vegetables unsafe. Here are some considerations but follow US Food and Drug Administration guidelines when deciding the safety of growing edible plants in flooded areas. If crops have not been planted determine if there is a better location to establish a garden where flooding is not a concern. Consider planting a cover crop instead to begin repairing the soil and protecting it from exposure to further compaction. Do not plant when soils are still saturated to prevent damage to the structure caused by digging, tilling and even foot traffic. For established gardens where flooding occurs, leafy green crops and any fruit that is present should be disposed of due to the risk of contamination. Late season crops that develop after floodwaters have receded may be safe to eat, but the grower must evaluate the potential contaminants of the water. With young crops it may be best to replant if symptoms of stress such as stunted growth and discoloration appear. It’s about that time…Warm-season veggie planting dates arrive in May! Here’s the garden calendar with information you need to know.
May Garden Calendar Most of our warm-season vegetables can be planted in early May, however, winter squash and pumpkins should be delayed until mid to late June. The first generation of squash bugs is active in July. Delaying the planting date for squash will result in younger plants that can escape this round of squash bug damage. Plants will need protection from the second generation of squash bugs which is present in August. To read more about squash bugs visit our KSRE publication: Squash Bugs We may sound like a broken record but success in the landscape begins with good cultural care. For fruit trees this means clean up debris, proper pruning, minimize weeds, plant in the right location and provide supplemental water as needed. Even with the best cultural care there are times where spray treatments are necessary, but healthy trees are better able to stand up to the stress from diseases and pests. At this time of year, you can do all the cultural care right and still have problems with disease and pests on fruit trees. Starting a spray schedule in April and May is often necessary to prevent problems such as cedar apple rust. The fungicide you use will change from spring into summer and organic options are available. Here is a sample spray schedule for apple trees:
Adding an insecticide to the fungicide spray will help prevent against coddling moth. See the insecticide options below along with the maximum number of applications allowed per year.
Never spray while trees are in bloom, or you risk harming the bees whether using an organic or synthetic product. Always read the label and ensure the product you choose is labeled for fruit and follow the directions carefully. Choosing the right plant is always a great prevention against disease. Whenever selecting new plants look for disease-resistant cultivars. This is true for fruit trees as well. Here is our KSRE publication for preventing disease in apple trees (Pests on Fruiting Apples). Here is our KSRE publication for preventing disease in stone fruit (MF3430 Spray Guide for Growing Stone Fruit at Home). Lawns should typically be fertilized when they are actively growing. Cool-season grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue and perennial ryegrass benefit from being fertilized in fall and late spring. The fall application is important as it helps the turf build up food reserves enabling it to green up earlier in the spring. Cool-season grasses usually have a flush of growth in mid-spring using up much of the stored energy. By applying fertilizer shortly after this growth, the turf is able to replenish the depleted nutrients ensuring the plants are strong heading into the stress of summer. A slow-release nitrogen fertilizer is best for the May application. Liquid or dry fertilizer are fine, though dry tends to be easier for homeowners to apply. Warm-season grasses such as bermudagrass, buffalograss and zoysiagrass should be fertilized in late spring and/or summer. (https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/mf2324.pdf)
Mid to late June is typically the best time to treat for bagworms but if you had bagworms last year, you’re likely antsy to prevent their return. If you have found empty bags on trees and shrubs in your landscape, it is likely you will have bagworms this year as well. Treatments for bagworms should not be done until most or all of the larvae have hatched. For now, if you see young bagworms, you can manually remove and destroy them as treatments will be largely ineffective right now. In spring some trees send up growth, known as suckers, from the base of the tree or roots. Suckers can develop several inches to several feet from the trunk of the tree and can be an indication the tree is under stress. However, some species are just more prone to sucker growth regardless of the health of the tree. Not only are suckers unattractive but they waste energy the tree can use for healthy growth, so removal is recommended. Use pruners to clip suckers at the base where they are attached to the main tree. If the cut is not made at the point of origin and a stub is left intact it will likely cause branching and exacerbate the problem. If there are minimal suckers present, removal can be delayed until early summer when regrowth is less likely. Herbicides should NOT be used to treat suckers. |
AuthorsCynthia Domenghini runs the Horticulture Response Center in the Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources at Kansas State University. Other contributors include K-State Extension Specialists. Archives
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