What is dormant oil?

Dormant oil refers more to when the oil has traditionally been applied rather than what it is made of. Newer dormant oil formulations are typically refined from petroleum oil, such as mineral oil. Unlike home remedies, they also contain an emulsifier to help water mix with the oil, which will provide more complete coverage of plant surfaces. Dormant oil may also be labeled as horticultural, superior or all-seasons oil; keep reading for more on this.

How does dormant oil work?

Dormant oils were first utilized to control insect pests on fruit trees, where an effective control that wasn’t harmful to pollinators and was safe for ingestion by humans was needed. The oil covers leaf and limb surfaces, suffocating insects and some insect eggs, which reduces harmful insect populations. It may also interfere with insect feeding. Dormant oils don’t leave a toxic residue and dissipate quickly, making them ideal for use on blooming plants that will have pollinators arrive later during the growing season. It is also considered safe to use around humans and pets.

What pests does dormant oil control?

Dormant oil sprays can control a variety of insect pests such as aphids, mealybug, thrips, whiteflies, adelgids, caterpillar eggs, leafhoppers, scale and mites. This control is more effective on young insects and less effective on more mature insects so timing and early intervention is key. With the destructive, newly discovered Crape Myrtle Bark Scale wreaking havoc in Little Rock, applying Dormant Oil is a crucial step in saving crape myrtles.  Read our blog post for additional control methods for CMBS. Dormant oil can also help control powdery mildew, a common foliar disease. Because dormant oil can be an effective aphid control, and aphids vector and spread viruses, it could be said that it also helps reduce plant viruses.

When should dormant oil be applied?

Although more traditional dormant oils should only be applied when a plant is dormant, newer formulations can be sprayed at alternate times of the year at a lower application rate. Because some new formulations may be used when the plants are not dormant, be aware that they may be called superior oils, horticultural oils or all-season oils. Since recommended application rates and temperature ranges differ between dormant oils, it’s imperative to read each product’s label and follow directions carefully. Failing to do so could result in plant leaves burning or essentially suffocating a plant. A good rule of thumb is to avoid spraying on sunny days (even during cooler weather) and avoid spraying when temperatures are freezing or close to freezing. The emulsifiers aren’t effective in low temperatures and coverage will be uneven. Also, avoid applying when severe freezing trends are expected within the following 3 to 4 days. Apply in early morning or late afternoon, and avoid spraying on days that temperatures above 90 degrees are expected. The ideal temperature range for application is between 40 and 70 degrees, with the day of application expected to stay above 50 for at least 24 hours. Drought stressed plants are more susceptible to oil damage; do not spray on drought stressed plants. Conversely, applying during very humid conditions reduces the rate of evaporation and can also cause burning. Apply when rain is not predicted for the next 24 hours. Do not apply if a sulfur based pest control product has been applied within the previous 30 days as the oil and sulfur combination can be toxic to plants. Fruit trees should only be treated with dormant oil when dormant; which is prior to bud swell. Applications may be repeated on fruit trees in 3 to 4 week intervals.

How should dormant oil be applied?

Spray with hose end sprayer (better for larger plants as the spray will go further) or pump sprayer, making sure to cover entire surface of branches, trunk and underside of leaves. Thoroughly rinse container and spray ends of both type of sprayer with water after use. This is needed to remove any clogs that could form if the oil solidifies after use. There are plants that are sensitive to oil applications; a list can usually be found on the product label. Applying to houseplants may cause injury; treat small portions of plants to test before treating entire plants. Read directions carefully; including safety instructions.

The post How to Effectively Use Dormant Oil appeared first on The Good Earth Garden Center.

There is a fairly new, serious threat to one of our favorite trees.  It’s even more serious than the unsightly and oft mentioned crape murder.  As a reminder, crape murder is the extreme pruning of crapemyrtles that results in weakened and deformed trees.  If you aren’t sure how to properly prune your crapemyrtles, check out this post.  Okay, jumping off that soapbox, let’s talk about the Crapemyrtle Bark Scale.  It has been around the Southeast for years but this insect showed its destructive little head in Arkansas in 2014.  Are we gonna just take this or are we gonna fight?  We say fight!

*Pictures of Crapemyrtle Bark Scale were provided by the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.

Crapemyrtle Bark Scale (let’s call it CMBS) is a small insect that appears as a white or gray felt-like encrustation.  CMBS might be found anywhere on crapemyrtles, and often appears near pruning sites and branch crotches of more mature wood.  Often times, the first sign of CMBS is the black sooty mold on the tree bark.  This may be misleading since a more common and easy to control pest, aphids, can also cause sooty mold.  Closely examine the affected areas to properly identify the pest.  Bring us samples or images if you aren’t sure.

This tree is heavily infested with CMBS; notice the gray and white insects all over and the black sooty mold covering the entire surface of the tree bark.

Life Cycle of CMBS

As with most insects, there are several life stages and the appearance of CMBS changes with the stages.  CMBS might be able to overwinter in the adult female and egg life stages, and crawlers and later stage nymphs have been observed overwintering under the loose bark and in cracks and crevices of crapemyrtles in our area.  In one year, there could be at least two generations of CMBS.  This can be a difficult pest to control and it may take multiple years of treatment.

So, how do we fight this pest?  Keep reading!

Again, black sooty mold with gray and white specs being CMBS.

Treatment

The best window for control is late April or early May as the crapemyrtles begin to really flush, and can be applied through July.  Apply a soil drench of an imidacloprid product such as Ferti-Lome Tree & Shrub Systemic Insect Drench during this period.  If CMBS are in your area, it would be a good idea to apply this as a preventative measure during this window.  This imidacloprid product is a soil drench that is watered into the root zone, specifically in the drip line of the tree (above graphic) where the feeder roots are located.

During times when crapemyrtle trees are not in leaf, apply sprays of dormant oil (containing paraffin oil), taking care to apply under loose bark and in cracks and crevices.

Here is the list of what you can do and when it needs to be done:

Anytime

Mix dishwashing soap with water and scrub the branches with a soft bristle brush. Although this step isn’t completely necessary, it can reduce female scale insects and egg masses and make chemical controls more effective.

Late Fall-Early Spring

Once the tree defoliates or before it puts on new foliage, spray with a dormant oil.  This can be done multiple times.  Apply thoroughly, making sure to get the product under crevices in the bark and between branches.

Late April-Early May through July

Apply Ferti-Lome Tree & Shrub Systemic Insect Drench.  Mix with water as directed, and apply in a band along the drip line of the plant, as a soil drench.  To measure the crapemyrtle, add up the circumference of all trunks at chest high (about 4.5 feet off the ground).  For example, if you have 5 trunks and the trunk circumference is 4 inches each, then you have a total of 20 inches in circumference.

The drench will need to be applied to the drip line of the plant.  The drip line of the plant is considered to be the outer circumference of the plant branches and inward toward the trunk several feet (see diagram above).  In order to apply this 20 ounces properly, it will need to be mixed into several gallons of water so that there is enough volume to be applied in a 3-4 foot band from the drip line in towards the tree trunk all the way around the plant.

Late Summer-Early Fall

Treat with Bonide Systemic Insect Spray using a hose end sprayer.  This should be done after blooming has ended for the season.  Be sure to coat the trunk thoroughly.  As with all chemicals, use as directed on the label only.

For more information, visit the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service fact sheet.  We thank them for providing the images!  The Good Earth Garden Center has what you need to save your crapemyrtles….come see us!

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What is Rose Rosette Virus?

One of our beloved landscape plants, the rose, has been increasingly affected by this virus, which is spread by tiny wind transferred mites.  Symptoms include thickened stem growth, excessive thorns, witches’ broom growth at end of stems, branch die-back, discolored and distorted leaves.

The above image shows the excessive thorn development on an affected rose. The symptoms of the virus can be fairly easily seen year round; this picture was taken in January of 2020.  This particular rose showed no symptoms all spring, summer and even fall.  After a late fall warm spell, the rose sprouted symptomatic new growth.

Prevention of Rose Rosette Virus

1. Prune around Valentine’s Day each year.  This will remove mites that might be overwintering in flower buds or seed heads. Dispose of pruned material; avoid composting in case mites or the virus is present. Tips on how to properly prune roses can be be found in this video.
2. When doing yard clean-up, avoid using blowers.  As we mentioned above, mites are often wind transferred and gusts of air can spread them through the landscape.
3. Space roses well. Plant so that at mature size, leaves from one plant won’t touch another.  This could reduce the occurrence of mites walking from one plant to another.  Proper spacing also increases air flow which will help reduce the occurrence of other disease issues such as black spot.
4. If you have been around infected roses, wash your hands, gloves, and clothes before working in the garden. All could have picked up mites. While the virus that causes rose rosette isn’t able to survive long outside of the plant, virus spreading mites may be present on your shovel or pruners.  Clean tools with household disinfectant or a bleach solution before using them in the garden again. Overkill? Maybe, but mites are so tiny (1/200th of an inch) that they can easily hitch a ride on you or your tools.
5. When designing your landscape, consider using alternative plants (see list below).  There aren’t any other plants that offer the exact same features as a KnockOut or Drift rose but there are some wonderful re-blooming shrubs and others with outstanding foliage color.

The above image shows witches broom growth, which is the tight cluster of stems, leaves, buds and even flowers near the end of branches. This odd growth pattern is obvious even in winter months. If you think your plant may have rose rosette, take pictures and email them to us or bring a sample for identification (keep sample contained in plastic bag to help prevent spread).

Control

Unfortunately, there is no cure for this virus and affected plants will need to be removed and put in the garbage. Do not compost or burn the affected materials.  For existing, unaffected roses, treat with dormant oil after cutting back in February, which could help control overwintering mites. Remove any fallen leaves or debris. Spraying with harsher chemicals could reduce the beneficial insects that feed on the mites.

If you have just one plant showing symptoms, remove that plant only and follow the prevention tips above to help control the spread. Although this disease can take years to kill a plant, during this long decline, many other roses may be infected by it (mites being wind transferred to unaffected roses). We recommend removing symptomatic plants as soon as they are identified as such. It will not help to prune out only symptomatic branches since the virus spreads throughout the entire plant, including the roots. Remove the entire plant, including as many roots as possible.

There are a few resistant rose varieties, including Top Gun, however, no variety has been proved 100% resistant. Research is ongoing.  It would be best to avoid replanting with roses for at least one year if your landscape has been overcome with this virus.  This is due to the fact that the virus may still be in remaining roots left in the ground after removal.  Mites may have also already infected nearby roses, meaning that the virus could continue to spread onto newly planted roses.

There is conflicting information out there regarding whether treating healthy roses for the only known vector of this virus (eriophyid mite, Phyllcoptes fructiphilius) could slow down the spread of rose rosette.  This particular mite may or may not be controlled by organic or nonorganic miticides (again, conflicting information from various extension organizations). If you would like to try to control this mite with nonorganic pesticides, the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Research and Extension Service recommends those with one of the following active ingredients in their fact sheet (FSA-7579): abamectin, bifenthrin, carbaryl, deltamethrin, imidacloprid, malathion or permethrin. In general, mites may also be managed using pyrethrum, which may be desirable for organic control.

Alternative Plants

While no plant can completely replace the April to November blooming period of KnockOut and Drift roses, here are several wonderful, hardy plants that offer either bright, long season blooms or colorful foliage all season long.

Weigela

Encore azalea

Dwarf or semi-dwarf butterfly bush

Dwarf loropetalum

Dwarf crapemyrtle

Kaleidoscope abelia (and other dwarf varieties with foliage color)

Compact nandina (several varieties)

Recovering from a substantial rose loss?  Our team will be here to offer suggestions when you are ready to replant.

The post Rose Rosette Virus Identification and Control appeared first on The Good Earth Garden Center.

This video is all about treating with preemerge but before we get to that, Gregg talks a bit about a serious pest, crapemyrtle bark scale.

Crapemyrtle Bark Scale

It’s a serious pest on one of our favorite landscape trees and it’s not going away.  In fact, we had more customers than ever come in to talk with us about this issue in 2021.  For details on how to identify and treat this pest, please visit our complete blog post.

If you skipped going to that post and you have crapemyrtles, we suggest you go inspect them for any odd looking spots on the bark and make sure that your tree’s bark is the color it should be and not black.  If you see any signs of an issue, visit the post or come see us with pictures and we will help you get started on a treatment plan.

As with anything, it’s key to treat properly… use the right chemical control at the right time.  Not treating leads to the spreading of this pest.  And like with an antibiotic, you need to go the distance; it’s not a one and done thing.  There are steps that need to be following for a few growing seasons to get the scale under control.

Treating with Pre Emerge

What is pre emerge?  This is a chemical, usually in granular form, that is applied to lawn and landscape beds to prevent weeds. It prevents weeds by creating a chemical barrier in the soil that is several inches in depth.  This barrier keeps any weed seeds that are in that soil area from germinating.

Pre emerge does not take care of perennial weeds such as onion and clover.  Please visit our post on spreader sticker and weed control for information on these hard to kill weeds.

Pre emerge also won’t kill annual weeds that are established; a post emerge product will have to applied to control those.

When to Treat with Pre Emerge

Because weed seeds germinate at all different temperatures, this chemical barrier layer needs to stay present year round.  Apply pre emerge every 60 to 90 days in both lawn and landscape bed areas to control new weed outbreaks.

So, if you haven’t applied pre emerge in the past 60 to 90 days, it’s time to apply it!  When grass is dormant or going dormant, apply a pre emerge without fertilizer in it.  We recommend Hi Yield Turf and Ornamental Weed and Grass Stopper which can be applied in both lawn and landscape beds.  During the growing season, apply a pre emerge containing fertilizer, such as Good Earth brand Grass and Weed Preventer.

Wondering how to apply pre emerge?  Check out our post on using a spreader.

Please note that these tips are for zoysiagrass and bermuda grass; for St. Augustine, please visit us. Also, if you are planning on starting any type of seed, whether it’s overseeding your lawn or seeding annuals in your landscape beds, don’t use pre emerge in those areas.  It does not differentiate between plant seed types!

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If your spreader type isn’t mentioned on the bag, follow these steps to figure out the proper setting:  If the bag says to use 2 lbs per 1000 square feet, start by measuring off 1,000 square feet, use a low setting and see how long it takes to cover the 1,000 square feet.  Adjust setting accordingly.

Close the spreader when you get close to beds or sidewalks so no product is wasted.  Remember, for good coverage, go one way at ½ recommended rate, and then the other way at ½ recommended rate.  Broadcast spreaders are made to overlap so don’t worry if your lines aren’t exact.  Rinse the spreader well after use.

Spreaders are used on lawns to apply insect control, pelletized lime, fertilizers, fungicides, weed preventers and weed killers.

That’s it! Now you know how to use a spreader!

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Here it is, the culprit of significant damage in Arkansas landscapes during summer months. They are right on time this year; usually they emerge late June and early July. While it’s certainly not the only pest we are hearing about this week (yes, we are talking about you, slugs and bagworms), Japanese Beetles are really taking a bite out of some of our favorite plants… and inviting their friends to join the feast. What?! Yup, this pest gives off a pheromone when feeding, which can quickly turn a solitary meal into a veritable feeding frenzy, leaving your plants decimated.

Japanese Beetles are pretty little insects with blue-green heads and lovely copper colored backs that emerge from the soil and begin feeding as adults, typically in late June. They will lay eggs in July and August, leading to the emergence of more Japanese Beetles next year, and yet another round of voracious, indiscriminate consumption of over 300 different species of common landscape plants, such as our beloved roses. The one pictured above has been loving life on a contorted filbert.  For shame!

Now, it only sounds bad because it is. Be vigilant in checking your landscape regularly for this and other damaging pests. Often times the first sign is skeletonized leaves (leaves with only veins remaining, see below).  Treat as soon as you see evidence of this pest, before other Japanese Beetles join the party and completely denude your plants of leaves.

What are effective control measures?

Traps

We carry Japanese & Oriental Beetle Traps. They are great for use near plants that are in bloom and may be attracting beneficial insects as well. The traps contain an attractant that last 6-8 weeks, the entire beetle season. Place the traps in an area where you don’t mind a little light feeding, as traps typically don’t get every single beetle. Increase effectiveness in hard hit areas by putting out several traps and asking your neighbors to do the same.

Sprays

Contact sprays such as Hi-Yield Systemic Insect Spray, 38 Plus and Spinosad are also good control methods. As with all pest control products, read instructions carefully and use as directed.

Soil Drench

Soil drenches, such as Ferti-Lome Tree & Shrub Systemic Insect Drench, would work except they must be applied early in the season, before you see any damage. This makes them ineffective as a control once Japanese Beetles are present. However, once you have had an outbreak in your landscape, apply to your plants as new leaves emerge the following spring. Taking this step can interrupt the cycle of damage, by taking care of the next generation of Japanese Beetles after they emerge and start to feed next summer.

Grub Control

Huh?  Well, the immature stage of this beetle is a grub, which can live for 9 months in the soil. Kill the grub, no beetle emerges. Timing is key for grub control; some chemicals are more effective as preventatives where as others are effective on adult grubs.  If you have seen one grub, chances are you have many. In this case, treat with a curative grub control versus a preventative one. We carry Bayer Complete Insect Killer for Soil & Turf which offers both quick treatment (kills surface insects in 24 hours)  and 3 months of residual control of many pests. For Japanese Beetle grub control, apply in late July or early August, when the grubs are beginning to emerge to help eliminate next years’ population.

Adult Japanese Beetles are only around 40 days or so but they can do a lot of damage during that time so treat as soon as any signs are evident. Keep a watch out for new infestations. Just because you treated, doesn’t mean your neighbor did, and these populations can cover a significant amount of ground during feeding. For plants that have been effected, reduce plant stress by removing heavily damaged leaves (if feasible), watering appropriately, and avoid the application of quick release, high nitrogen fertilizers.

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You see them on all kinds of evergreens…brown cocoons, containing the dreaded bagworm, destructive defoliator of your precious plants!   Unfortunately, often by the time these bags are noticed, the caterpillar has begun to pupate and is past the point of effective control.  Our goal with this blog post is stress how important timing is when learning how to control bagworms in your landscape. As of now, July in central Arkansas, it’s still a good time to treat!

Bagworm Basics

Bagworm is a term loosely describing several caterpillars with a similar life cycle and common hosts, which includes both deciduous and evergreen trees and large shrubs.  The most heavily affected hosts include junipers, spruce, arborvitae, pine and cedars.  Early in the summer season, the bagworms are still young and consuming huge portions of foliage.  They are very active and can be seen on the ground around the above mentioned plants and the young bagworms are creating their small green bags, which can be difficult to see until they are attached to the plant and start to brown.  Later in the season, many bagworms are in the stage shown above (taken in late August); caterpillars (mature larvae) that are still feeding but will soon attach their bags to the host plants and begin to molt in the pupa state in which they are mostly inactive and unable to feed.  After the bagworms pupate (7-10 days), the adult moths mate, and then the female adults lay eggs (between 500 and 1,000) which will become next summers (late May to mid-June) voracious eaters on the same host plant.  You can see where several seasons without control can be devastating!

When to Treat

So, it’s like we said above, the trick to controlling these pest is good timing.  Once the caterpillars are not feeding, chemical control methods are not effective.  If the infestation isn’t too large, it might be possible to physically remove most of the bags at this point to remove the eggs that will hatch next year.  However, because these bags blend into the foliage, it can be difficult to get them all, so it’s a good idea to still chemically control the caterpillars in May and June (or July if they are still feeding).

Treatment Recommendations

Chemical control products include Ferti-Lome Natural Guard Caterpillar Killer Spray with Bt containing bacillus thuringiensis, which works by disrupting digestive system of the bagworms.  Ferti-Lome Natural Guard also makes a great product containing spinosad which works both on contact and is toxic when ingested by insects (product name is Spinosad or Spinosad Soap).  Hi-Yield 38 Plus, containing permethrin, is also effective. Bonide Systemic Insect Control containing acephate will also control bagworms.  We carry all of these control methods.  Bottomline, put treatment of evergreens on your gardening calendar.  Early summer is the best time to treat for this pest, typically.  If you miss this opportunity, the effectiveness of control decreases greatly. If you have bagworms this year, plan to spray again next year (mid-May) to catch any young caterpillars that hatch next season.

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This post is all about how to control grubs along with tips on how to spot grub damage symptoms.

What are grubs?

The larval stage of scarab beetles are referred to as grubs; they are normally C-shaped, and white or whitish in color with brown heads.  Turf grass roots are especially tasty to grubs, but they may also feed on landscape plant roots.

Symptoms of grub damage

Symptoms of grub damage include yellowing or browning of grass leaves and thinning lawn areas.  Lawns may look drought stressed, even if they are getting adequate rainfall or irrigation. Often times, fall damage from grubs doesn’t show up until areas fail to green up the following spring.  Affected grass might be easy to pull up, due to loss of root system.  Additional damage may occur when animals root up lawn areas in their search for grubs. If you have seen one grub, you have many.

Yes, grubs like all landscape plants!

We had a customer whose shrubs (compacta holly) kept declining, with more and more individual branches dying back each week.  There was no evidence of any disease or insect issue on the top growth of the plant and it was being appropriately watered.  We dug them up and the issue was immediately discovered.  Many grubs were present and feeder roots, the smaller roots that take up water and nutrients were not… grubs had made a meal of them.

Grub control treatment

Treatment is necessary for grub control; they do not go away on their own.  It is also necessary to treat for several years; if you had grubs last year, treat this year also.  Although many products indicate that they treat for a full year, multiple applications (at least 2 per year; one in late spring and one during fall) should be applied for best results.  We carry a granular product called Bayer Complete Insect Killer and a liquid grub control called Hi-Yield Systemic Insect Spray.  These control methods also treat for other lawn pests ticks and fleas.  As with any chemical control, read labels carefully and follow application directions.

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