Cyndi Wyskiewicz Extension Horticulture

Agent City of Portsmouth

Virginia Cooperative Extension

Herbaceous Plants

Herbaceous plants are plants that do not develop hard, woody stems that persist from year to year.

Grown for flowers and foliage.

Add color to the garden, and can be used as cut flowers.

Annuals

Complete life cycle in one growing season. Grow- Flower produce seed.

Must be set out as plants or sown from seed every year.

Sturdy, relatively cheap, easy to grow, some will self seed.

Old flower heads may need to be removed to keep plants blooming.

Examples:

Marigolds

Zinnias

Snapdragons

Impatiens

Alyssum

Annuals

Advantages Versatile -Sturdy

Inexpensive

Many new and improved varieties are introduced yearly.

Easy to grow.

Produce instant color

Bloom for most of the growing season.

Disadvantages Must be set out every year-

more effort and expense

Deadheaded- removing old flower heads.

Look bad toward the end of the season.

Annual Uses

Can experiment with color, height texture and form.

Easy to fix mistakes.

Great for filling in spaces in perennial gardens.

Cover spring bulbs holes.

Fill containers window boxes- hanging baskets.

Culture and Maintenance of Annuals

Select good seed-can be saved from year to year.

Start seeds indoors /greenhouse- select loose, sterile media.

Cover with plastic until it germinates. When seeds germinate- remove plastic. Put under lights. Thin out when plants develop two true leaves.

Culture and Maintenance of Annuals

Can sow seeds directly on soil.

Set out transplants- small plants- 3 packs

If transplants coming from indoors- harden off.

Gradually give more light and cooler temps.

After last frost date- plant outside-dig hole

and set plant in planting hole and put back soil.

Irrigate and fertilize.

Self-Seeding Annuals

Sunflowers Helianthus

Tobacco Flower Nicotiana grandiflora

N. sylvestris

Cosmos Cosmos

Spider Flower Cleome hasslerana

Annual Poppies Papaver somniferum, etc.

Verbena varieties Verbena ‘Tapien Pink’

Verbena bonariensis

Tender Salvias- Salvia uliginosa, S. leucantha

Larkspur Delphinium ajacus

Biennials Complete life cycle in two growing seasons.

The first growing season they produce leaves, usually a rosette.

Second season, preceded by a cold period, they produce flowers, set seed and die.

Sow seeds in midsummer to produce plants that develop in the fall, forcing the plant to bloom the next year.

Examples

Foxglove

Hollyhock

Dame’s-rocket

Forget-me-not

Money plant (Lunaria annua)

Perennials

Plants that live year after year.

Herbaceous perennials are plants with stems, leaves and flowers that die back to the ground each winter.

Every spring, new plant tops arise from the roots, which persist.

Short bloom time. Combine with annuals, biennials and bulbs for continuous color.

Not necessarily maintenance-free. Many must be deadheaded, divided and transplanted.

Perennials

Advantages

Do not have to be set out every year.

With careful planning- a flower bed can provide continuous color.

Can be divided into many plants.

Disadvantages

Limited bloom time-2-3 weeks.

Pruning required.

Maintenance required to keep them looking good.

Transplanting required every three years or so..

Self-Seeding Perennials Ladybells Adenophora lilifolia, A. confusa Dwarf Bleeding Heart Dicentra eximia Perennial Foxglove Digitalis lutea, D. ambigua Yellow Bleeding Heart Corydalis lutea Red Valerian Centranthus ruber Bachelor’s-button Centaurea montana Columbine Aquilegia Balloon Flower Platycodon grandiflorus Cranesbill Geranium Geranium sanguineum Pink Evening Primrose Oenothera speciosa ‘Rosea’ Purple Coneflower Echinacea purpureum Rose Campion Lychnis coronaria

• Do have woody stems

Butterfly Bush (Buddleia)

Blue Mist Shrub (Caryopteris)

Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’

Russian Sage (Perovskia)

Lavender

Montauk Daisy (Nipponanthemum nipponicum)

Helianthemum

Perennial Sub Shrubs

Site Selection Sun exposure Full sun 6-8 Hours a day Part sun 4-6 hours Shade - less than 4 hours per day Intensity of sunlight varies throughout the day.

Other factors

Slope of the site Soil type Soil pH Wind Microclimates

Soil Preparation Annuals, bulbs and perennials need to be planted in well prepared

beds, as they will be there for many years.

Begin soil preparation the fall, before you plan to plant the garden.

HAVE THE SOIL TESTED.

Add lime in the fall if needed.

Lime can take up to 6 months to adjust the pH of a soil.

Add soil amendments: lime,

rock phosphate, greensand, compost.

Passive bed preparation.

Right Plant Right Place

Choose plants suitable to the site.

Shade plants need cool temps. Soils high in organic matter.

Rock garden plants need well drained sandy soil. Most prefer full sun.

Long Blooming Perennials

Give continuity to the garden.

Place them throughout the garden to carry color.

Examples- Stella D’Oro daylily, Coreopsis ‘Moonbeam’ and Verbena ‘Homestead Purple’.. Just to name a few...

Perennial Foliage

Foliage is more important than flowers.

Plan perennial gardens with interesting foliage combinations.

Think of how the foliage will look after the flowers have gone by.

Mix and match foliage textures, colors, and shapes.

Planting

Remove plants from containers. Rough up the roots.

Dig a hole big enough to fit the plants.

Add organic matter to the excavated soil if needed.

Water the plants in well and firm the soil.

Watering

Apply water to the root zone of the plants -thoroughly soaking the soil in order to establish the plantings.

Frequent light sprinkling will not penetrate deep enough and the only viable roots will be close to the surface.

These roots may be susceptible to drying and heat damage.

Fertilizing

Follow recommendations given from soil test results.

Choose an organic fertilizer or a pelletized fertilizer.

Scratch the fertilizer lightly into the soil.

Always water in the fertilizer after applying.

When and how much to fertilize.

COMPOST

Organic Mulches

Mulches help keep the soil from crusting, prevent weed growth and keep the soil moist.

Grass clippings, wood chips, hay, newspaper, shredded leaves, pine needles and cocoa mulch.

Do not practice “volcano” mulching.

Keep the mulch away from the plant base.

Inorganic Mulches

• Stones can be used to increase drainage and deter termites next to foundations.

• Plastic sheeting and landscape fabric can also be used to control weeds.

Routine Maintenance

Pinching-The removal of the growing tip of a plant. Its purpose is to promote branching. Usually done with the fingers on soft tender growth.

Disbudding- Removal of small side buds form the stem of a plant, to encourage larger blooms. Examples - Peonies and Roses.

Staking

Deadheading

Deadleafing

Maintenance cont.

Staking

Plants need support to protect them from strong winds and rain.

Many types of stakes exist- made from various types of materials.

Wood, bamboo, reed, plastic etc.

Select stakes that will be 6-12 inches shorter than the height of the grown plant.

Place stakes close to the plant but take care not to damage the root system.

Loosely tie plants to the stakes.

Maintenance cont. Deadheading

Removing old flowers.

Done to maintain flowering and assure neatness in the garden.

Dead leafing- Removing dead or diseased leaves.

Term coined by Tracy DiSabato-Aust, author of

The Well Tended Perennial Garden.

Done to assure neatness in the garden and control insect and disease damage.

Winter Mulch

Protect them from heaving that can result from repeated freezing and thawing of the soil.

1 to 3 inch layer around plants.

Use ground leaves, straw, pine bark, hay or evergreen boughs.

Apply mulch around the plants only after soil temperatures have decreased and a good killing frost has occurred.

If the mulch is applied too early, the warmth from the soil will cause new growth to start.

home for rodents, if it is still warm enough when they are looking for winter quarters. (Hay can make great nests.)

Spring Care Water, water, water! Weed, weed, weed!

Keep the garden clean.

Remove winter mulch.

Fertilize.

Plant and transplant. Mulch.

Weed often to control weeds when they are small.

Cut flower stems down after blooming.. This will remove any organisms that may be growing on the decaying flowers.

Cut back perennials once in May and once in June to keep them bushy (mums, helianthus, tall asters, Montauk daisy, bee balm, balloon flower).

Remove stems to allow more air to circulate within plants prone to powdery mildew: Perennial phlox, bee balm and Helen’s flower (Helenium).

Stake plants that need it.

Cut back last year’s leaves on epimedium, European ginger, liriope.

Summer Care Water, water, water! Weed, weed, weed!

Keep the garden clean.

Don’t stress plants.

Do not fertilize plants.

Deadhead.

Divide and transplant iris.

Pinch mums until early July.

Fall Care

After September 15, can divide and transplant spring blooming perennials

Sanitation

Water

Putting the garden to bed

Do not cut back perennial sub shrubs.

Do not cut back semi-evergreen perennials: (hellebore, bergenia, liriope), red hot poker, candytuft, basket-of-gold.

Do not cut back ornamental grasses and plants with ornamental seed pods.

Winter mulch- December?

Propagation DIVISION

A method of increasing plant material by dividing parts of the plant and planting segments capable of producing roots and shoots.

Many plants left in the same place for more than three years are likely to become overgrown and crowded.

How to Divide Perennials

To divide mature clumps of perennials, select vigorous side shoots from the outer part of the clump.

Plants can be dug up and separated with a shovel or sharp knife. Some can be teased apart.

Divide the plant into clumps of three to five shoots each.

Divide perennials when plants are dormant, just before a new season of growth, or in the fall.

Rule of thumb:

Plants that bloom in early spring should be divided in the fall. Examples - Poppy, Peony

Plants that bloom later in the season can be divided in the spring.

Tip Cuttings

Many plants can also be propagated from either TIP or ROOT CUTTINGS.

Tip Cuttings

Can be taken on soft growth. It is done by cutting the growing tips of plants. Cuttings should be 3 to 6 inches long.

Treat the base of a cutting with rooting hormone and place the stems in a sterile rooting media.

Cover the cuttings with a plastic baggie to increase humidity. Remove any dead cuttings.

When cuttings do not pull easily out they have begun to root.

Examples - Dianthus, Candytuft, and Sedum

Seed Propagation

Seeds are the best method of raising quantities of plants.

Easy to do and inexpensive.

Great selection of varieties.

Most seed can be started earlier indoors, and then transplanted outside after the danger of frost has passed.

Plants that are easily sown by seed - Marigold, Zinnia, Alyssum, Hollyhock, Delphinium and Yarrow.

Use fresh seed.

Review Terms-

Herbaceous Plants Perennials

Annuals Biennials

Site Selection

Soil Preparation

Culture-planting, watering, fertilizing

Maintenance- pinching, disbudding, deadheading etc.

Bulbs A true bulb is an underground

modified leaf bud, which consists of a short, thick stem and fleshy scales.

Serves as a storage organ.

Examples

Tulip

Hyacinth

Daffodil

Corms A corm is a solid, swollen stem base

that grows vertically.

A corm has a distinct basal plate with the growing point at the top.

Divided by off sets called cormels.

Examples

Liatris

Gladiolus

Crocus

Tubers

Tubers are underground stems used for food storage.

Tubers have no basal plate and no dry covering.

They can be divided by cutting into sections that have growing buds, or eyes. Each bud can produce a new plant.

Examples

Caladium

Tuberous Begonia

Cyclamen -potato

Rhizomes Rhizomes are thickened, swollen stems

that grow horizontally.

Grown at or just below the surface.

Divide after flowering and discard central portion.

Examples

Iris

Canna

Solomon’s Seal

Tuberous Roots

Real roots.

Food supply is kept in root tissue, not in stem or leaf tissue as in other bulbs.

These roots do not have buds that are capable of producing new plants.

Example

Dahlias

Sweet Potato

Buying Bulbs

Buy only large, firm bulbs.

Do not buy dry, soft, damaged or bulbs with holes in them.

Most bulbs multiply quite rapidly so beware of daffodils and other “naturalizing” bulbs in perennial gardens.

Store bulbs between 60ºF and 65ºF until planting.

Store in peat, perlite or vermiculite.

Bulb Culture –Site Selection

Full sun to shade, depending on species.

Southern exposures bloom earlier. 5-6 hours of light

Well drained soil; wet soils will cause rotting.

Many bulbs can be naturalized in an area to create a scattered effect.

Time- Spring flowering bulbs –planted in late summer early fall.

Fall flowering bulbs- colchicum- planted in August.

Summer flowering bulbs- after danger of frost.

Bulb Culture Depth of planting

General rule of thumb 2.5 to 3 times the diameter of the bulb in depth.

Example- 3 inch. long X 3= planted 9 inches deep….

Don’t plant too shallow.

Fertilize bulbs after they bloom – fertilizer that is low in nitrogen-bone meal- 5-10-10.

Digging and Storing Tender-summer bulbs – done when the leaves are turning

yellow before danger freeze damage.

Use a spade to lift bulbs from ground and gently wash any soil left on the bulbs.

Place is a cool dry area to dry.

Store between 50-70 degrees.

need air circulation.

Special uses list

Cutting Back Bulbs

Do not cut the leaves until they start to wither. The green leaves produce food for plant growth next year.

Annuals

Some can be sheared and will re-bloom later in the season. Examples - Sweet Alyssum and Petunias.

Perennials

Delphiniums and Columbine will often send up another bloom stalk if they are cut back hard after blooming.

A technique for controlling/manipulating bloom times.

Deciding What Plant To Buy

Hybrids vs. straight species

New hybrids are superior in size of flowers, color, uniformity etc.

Look for disease and insect resistant varieties.

Plant hardiness rating.

Buy from a reputable nursery.

Buy only healthy, sturdy stocky plants

Inspect them carefully for insects such as white flies, mites and aphids.

Check foliage for disease.

Unpot plant: is it root bound? Are the roots white and healthy?

Review Terms-

Bulb Corm

Rhizome Tuber

Tuberous Roots

Know the differences between these and some examples!

What to look for in buying plants.

Garden Design

Putting It All Together

Planning the Flower Border

Our Goal:

Color and design interest every

month of the year.

First Step

Mixing several perennial/combinations

Select key plants

Line-outline

Mass-shape

Color

Dependability-minimal problems.

Planning the Flower Border Locate in front of a suitable

structure

Fence shrubbery buildings

Avid ruler straight edges-

Make bold sweeps and curves.

Deeper the curve the slower the eye moves across it.

Planning the Flower Border Plan on paper

Drifts-elongated groupings of a plant the flowers through sections of the border.

Clumps-of circular groups of a variety or a large specimen. ex peony.

Vary drifts and clumps.

Planning the Flower Border Borders can be any width

If really deep, plan a path through it for access.

Tall plants back- medium plants in middle dwarf plants along front as edging.

Height should be 2/3 the width of border.

No plants taller that 4 ft. tall if border is 6 ft. wide….

Planning the Flower Border Try to vary heights.

Allow adequate space between plants…

DON”T OVER CROWD!!!.

Check mature heights and widths.

Plants can easily be exchanged.

Have a Plan! Decide if you have a certain theme in mind- ex. White garden,

butterfly etc.

Make a plan on paper using graph paper and colored pencils

Measure out your garden space.

Figure maximum space of your plants at mature size.

Consult references- general rule of thumb 2-3 feet at maximum growth.

Plant Placement Border gardens- group photograph-

Taller ones in back- then middle- then short edging plants in front.

Use three heights as a rule-

Front of garden plants 6-12” tall.

Mid height plants- 15-24” tall.

Tall plants -30-48” or taller.

Border Gardens Determine number of plants for each season 6’ wide X 24’ L This plan needs –

3 early blooming perennials that are above 3’tall

3 midseason blooming plants- 3’or taller

3 late blooming plants -3’or taller

3 early blooming plants that are between 12-30 inches

3 midseason plants that are between 12-30 inches

3 late blooming perennials that are between 12-30 inches.

4 early bloomers that are 6-12” tall

4 midseason bloomers that are 6-12” tall

4 late blooming plants that are 6-12’ tall

Plan for Season Long Color

Once I determine the # of plants that I need I make my list!

Start picking out plants for your specific site. Think about the right plant for your right place!

List all of the ones that fit your criteria.

Go through your list to make sure you like the plant, then start plugging them in to the plan according to their bloom time and your color preference.

Perennial Foliage Foliage is more important than

flowers. Plan perennial gardens with interesting foliage combinations.

Think of how the foliage will look after the flowers have gone by.

Mix and match foliage textures, colors, and shapes.

Choose from bronzes, silvers, variegated, blues.

Plant Placement

Beds- Measure out area-

Tallest plants in center of bed, shorter ones in front. Border or edging plants at the very front of the bed.

Then divide up plants into bloom season.

Mapping it out

Start off my mapping out how many plants you need

By height- 6 tall, 19 med, 26, 14 short plants

Mapping it out

Next figure out your bloom times, Starting at one end of the bed.

Determine the # of plants that you need

5 early blooming low plants- etc.

Rule One:

Choose plants that will give a

succession of bloom.

• Vary leaf and flower shapes, colors and textures.

• Compensate for plants that will go dormant in the summer.

Delphinium Lupine

Bleeding Heart (Dicentra) Mertensia

Baby’s Breath (Gypsophila) Oriental Poppy

Rule Two:

Anchor your garden with long

blooming perennials.

• Plant in drifts and clumps.

• Repeat color combinations.

• Plant in groups large enough to form masses of color.

• Each group of flowers should have a irregular shape

• Odd numbers threes, fives and sevens.

Rule Three: Define the garden’s border.

Rule Four: Add vertical accents.

Rule Five: Add color accents. White flowers

or silver foliage can break up harsh color combos..

The End Make sure you make time to stop and smell the flowers!!!!!

Diseases of Herbaceous Ornamentals Blights- Characterized by sudden and conspicuous leaf and growing tip symptoms.

Can affect entire leaves, stem and flowers.

Tissue may appear blackened or wilted.

Most severe during wet weather and stressed conditions.

Can affect a broad range of hosts.

Control-Preventative Fungicides.

KEY HOSTS-Peony, Geranium, Peonies, Dahlia and Rudbeckia.

KEY PATHOGENS-Alternaria, Botrytis, Rhizcotonia.

Blight

Powdery Mildew

Distinctive symptoms which appear first a chlorotic or pale green irregular

patches on the upper leaf surface.

Gradually develops into White to gray, powdery patches.

Most evident on upper leaf surfaces and on lower foliage where humidity

levels stay high.

Host specific-Symptoms are similar on most plants.

Control: Do not wet leaf surfaces. Pick off diseased leaves. Clean up leaf

litter in fall. Increase air flow around plants.

Spray with hort oil to prevent initial infection and control spread.

Spray with 1 T. baking soda plus 1 t. canola oil or superior hort oil in one

gallon water. Will prevent initial infection but will not control spread

KEY HOSTS- Asters, Monarda, Phlox and Dahlias.

Rust Early symptoms appear as pale spots on the upper surface of the leaf. Later, blisters or pustules develop on the underside of the leaf, which break

open to reveal the rusty orange to brown spores. Specialized Fungi that are host specific and some require an alternate host.

CONTROL-Preventative Fungicides and removal of alternate host. KEY HOSTS- Hollyhocks, Delphinium, and Coreopsis.

Rusts

Root and Stem Diseases ROOT, STEM AND CROWN ROTS- Produce fairly non-specific

aboveground symptoms such as stunted growth, yellowing, wilting and drooping.

Stems and roots are discolored, soft and mushy and smelly.

In extreme cases entire plants will die.

Plants under stress are most susceptible.

Soil pathogens that can affect a broad range of hosts.

CONTROLS-Accurate diagnosis of pathogen is necessary in order to select the right fungicide.

KEY HOSTS-Most Perennials.

KEY PATHOGENS-Pythium, Phytophthora and Rhizoctonia

Viral Diseases Symptoms distinctly different from other diseases, but are very difficult to

diagnose or detect.

Mottles, mosaics, ring spots, distorted growth habits, stunting and poor vigor.

Often systemic, and little can be done once the plant is infected.

Most viruses have a broad host range.

Most often spread by vegetative propagation or by insect vectors (including whiteflies, aphids, thrips and leafhoppers).

CONTROLS-Fungicides are ineffective but insecticides can be used to control the vectors.

KEY HOSTS-Asters, Delphinium, impatiens

Viral pictures

Plant Disease Look-Alikes INSECT DAMAGE ENVIRONMENTAL

CONDITIONS

Plant Disease Look-Alikes Nutritional Deficiencies Misapplied

and Toxicity Pesticides

Review Propagation methods

Common Diseases

Blights

Powdery Mildew

Rusts

Stem and Root Diseases

Viral

Look a likes

Insects in the Garden Spider mites

Aphids

Four Lined Plant Bug

Leaf Miner

Thrips

Iris Borer

Beetles

Spider Mites Suck plant juices from underside of leaves. Leaves may appear stippled or bleached.

Webbing. Control with oil or soap sprays, strong stream of water, neem. Encourage predator mites.

Aphids Sucking distorts leaves, buds and flowers.

Often found on new growth or undersides of leaves.

Aphids excrete honeydew. Sooty mold (thin black film on leaves that feels sticky) is caused

by fungus growth on honeydew.

Control with oil or soap sprays, strong stream of water, neem.

Four Lined Plant Bug

Makes a series of round holes in leaves

Drops to the ground when disturbed

May not be necessary to spray. Damage can be tolerated.

Spray with neem, pyrethrin, rotenone

Leaf Miners Larvae tunnel between the upper and lower surfaces of leaves.

Control by picking off and destroying mined leaves.

Attract native parasitic wasps.

Thrips Adults and nymphs suck contents from cells

Silvery streaking or specks on leaves

Soap or oil spray pyrethrin or neem spray

Iris Borers Larvae tunnel through leaves, leaf sheath and buds down to the rhizomes. Lays eggs

in between fan foliage. Destroy dead leaves and stems in the fall and remove infested rhizomes

Beetles Larvae feed on plant roots.

Adults feed at night on leaves and flowers.

Control by hand picking beetles; spraying with Neem.

Control grubs with a product containing imidacloprid.

Beetles That Overwinter as White Grubs

• Asiatic Garden Beetle Feeds at night

• European Chafer Larvae hardest to kill. Start

feeding earlier and feed later.

• Japanese Beetle Infected by naturally occurring

fungal disease (Entoderma)

• Oriental Beetle .

All four common grub species have slightly different

life cycles and respond differently to chemicals.

•Milky disease: effective against Jap beetle and

oriental beetle.

•Beneficial nematodes: microscopic worms which

feed on insect pests. They contain a bacteria within

their bodies which is released upon entering the grub.

The bacteria actually causes the death of the grub.

Buy Heterorhabditis (Hb) nematodes.

Bugs, Slugs and Other Thugs in the Garden

THUGS-Voles, moles, deer, raccoons, mice, birds, skunks, woodchucks, chipmunks, cats and neighbors. CONTROLS- Traps, baits, Hot pepper wax, chili powder, Repellants, (Dynamite and /or a shotgun.) Whatever works for you!!

Snails and Slugs SLUGS-Chewing damage. Foliage riddled with holes

Rasped holes in leaves, bulbs, stems and flowers

Prefer cool moist gardens

Controls- diatomaceous earth, crushed lava rock, egg

shells, beer traps and baits

Controls in the Garden Most pest will not do that much damage.

Monitor for high populations and treat as necessary.

Encourage natural predators in the garden.

Predators

Lady beetles, ground beetles, lacewings, assassin bugs, praying mantis,

spined soldier bugs. In addition, spiders and many mites (non-insects)

are beneficial.

Parasites

Tachinid flies, braconid wasps and ichneumonid wasps.

Beneficial Insects

Predatory Mites

Very fast moving insect

Feed on soft body insect, thrips, mites and pollen

Lacewing

Lacewings feed on most garden pest

keep water source in garden

Lady Beetle

Adults and larvae feed on most soft bodied insects

Keep some weeds such as dandelions, wild carrots and yarrow to attract ladybugs

Soldier Beetle

• A kind of leatherwing beetle.

• Feeds on aphids.

• Predacious both as adults

and soil-dwelling larvae.

Ground Beetle

• There are 2,500+ species of

ground beetles. Mostly black

or shiny dark blue. This is a

‘Fiery Searcher’.

• Adults hibernate in the soil

and may live 2 years.

• Adult ground beetles feed at

night on soft-bodied larvae

(cutworms, root maggots,

slugs). Larvae feed on

caterpillars.

Blister Beetle

Adults feed on leaves and flowers

Larvae are beneficial, feeding on grasshopper eggs

Praying Mantis

Catch and devour BOTH pest and beneficial insect.

Gray frothy sticky egg masses produces one generation per year.

Review- Pests and Predators Pests Predators

Spider mites Mites

Aphids lacewings

Four lined plant bug Beetles-

Leaf Miner Praying mantis

Thrips lady Beetles

Iris Borer Wasps

Beetles Spiders

Ecological Gardening

“I believe in protecting the earth

with environmentally friendly,

organic practices.”

Dormant Oil (Hort Oil)

• Controls aphids, scales, mites, mealy bugs, leafhoppers, powdery mildew.

•Use as a spray in late April to early May to smother overwintering egg masses

of scale, lace bug, aphid, mite, eastern spruce gall adelgid, gall insects,

hemlock wooly adelgid and others.

• Temperatures must be between 40 and 80 degrees.

• Do not apply on overcast days, during very high humidity, or following a

rain.

• Caution: Will turn blue foliage a permanent green. Instead, use insecticidal

soap on blue foliage plants.

Arsenal of Earth-Friendly Products

Pyrethrum

• A spray made from a South American daisy

• Add from 1 Tbsp to ½ cup of rubbing alcohol to each gallon of pre-mixed

spray. (Pretest and wait 24 hours.) The alcohol helps the pyrethrum to

penetrate the insect’s body faster.

Neem (sold as Bio-Neem)

• Aphids, whiteflies, mites, black spot, powdery mildew, rust, anthracnose

•Derived from the seed of a South American tree.

• Kills bugs on contact and acts like an anti-feedant, preventing bugs from

feeding at all.

Arsenal of Earth-Friendly Products

Attracting Beneficial Insects

The Carrot Family (Umbelliferae)

Plants with large flat umbrella-like clusters.

Queen Ann’s Lace, parsley, dill, cilantro, yarrow, fennel.

Attracts parasitic flies, assassin bugs, lacewings and parasitic wasps.

The Sunflower or Daisy Family (Compositae)

Flowers have a center of tiny true flowers surrounded by rays.

Marigolds, asters, cosmos, coneflowers, coreopsis, sunflowers, zinnia, yarrow,

goldenrod.

Attract ladybugs, lacewings, parasitic and predacious wasps.

The End Make sure you make time to stop and smell the flowers!!!!!