Garden Jubilee in Hendersonville

Henderson County Master Gardeners would like to invite you to downtown Hendersonville this weekend to the Garden Jubilee festival. We have set up a booth and are selling cookbooks, garden gloves, and other items with proceeds going to future educational projects for Henderson County. Be sure to stop by to purchase a few items or to just ask a gardening question. See you in downtown Hendersonville.

We warned you. The Asheville area (Buncombe County) is reporting the beginning of the emergence of adult periodical cicadas, much to the distress of the unsuspecting homeowner.

Periodical cicadas don't bite and really don't do permanent damage to trees. However, you may want to net over any special small trees in your yard. If you have one of those dogs who will eat anything, be prepared for some retching. They don't hurt the dog, but those wings and exoskeletons don't go down without a fight!

See this site for additional information on cicadas

Taken from Insect notes by Steve Toth, NCSU.

Boxwood Leaf Miners

Every year I receive several calls and receive samples of boxwood leafminers. I was just reminded this week as I was walking past my boxwoods that now would be a great time to spray to kill the adult flies. This should be timed as the new shoots begin to appear, which is now at my house. At other times during the year, you can treat with a soil drench or soil injection using a product that contains imidacloprid. For more information about boxwood leafminers, see the NCSU publication provided below or call your local Extension Agent.

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/O&T/shrubs/ort016e/ort016e.htm

Plant Clinic now open

Every year Haywood County Extension trains Master Gardener Volunteers to help answer your horticultural questions. Once trained, these volunteers staff the hotline in our plant clinic from 9am-noon daily, Monday-Friday. Please take advantage of this service by calling 456-3575 or feel free to stop by with your samples.

They're Back!

This past week I was making a field call and saw my first tent caterpillars of the season. At this point in the year, the nests are small and easy to remove from the trees. Although unsightly, this insect does very little damage to their host tree.

For more information, you can contact an Extension Master Gardener at 456-3575 or view my post entitled Eastern Tent Caterpillar.

http://masteryourgarden.blogspot.com/2007/04/eastern-tent-caterpillar.html

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/O&T/trees/note61/note61.html

Winter Daphne

One of my favorite evergreen shrubs is now in full bloom. If you get a moment to stop by the Extension Office in Jackson Park you can enjoy the magnificent aroma of Daphne odora, also known as winter Daphne. Each year we have many people stop in to ask the name of the fragrant shrub outside our door that is blooming in early March. It is not something one can ignore.

Winter Daphne can be fickle to grow. They do not tolerate poorly drained soils or extreme temperature fluctuations. We have ours planted in the front beds so they are protected by the building, and seem to be very happy. They tolerate full sun, but prefer a part shade environment.

No Spray Roses for Southeastern US

Black spot (Diplocarpon rosae, Marssonina rosae) is one of the most common and important diseases of roses throughout the world. Black spot will cause a general weakening of the plant so that progressively fewer and fewer blooms are formed if the disease is left unchecked. Spots are nearly circular with fringed or feathery margins and vary in size. Surrounding leaf tissue turns yellow before dropping. Bottom leaves are normally affected first. Conditions that favor the development are 75-85 degrees F, temperatures with relative humidity above 85%, overcrowding and reduced air flow.

Cercospora leafspot (Cercospora puderi, Cercospora rosicola) is characterized by the appearance of numerous tiny maroon to purple oval spots scattered randomly across the leaf surface. Later the center of the spot turns tan to gray in color while the margins remain maroon to dark purple. Heavily spotted leaves will turn yellow and prematurely shed. This infection can be easily confused with Blackspot. Same weather conditions that produce Blackspot will provide optimal growing conditions for Cercospora.

A homeowner may use a fungicide labeled for control of Blackspot to control both of these fungal infections. Fungicides, such as Daconil and Immunox, which are recommended as weekly treatments for blackspot control, should also provide good protection from Cercospora leaf spot when applied on the same schedule.

The University of Tennessee has been conducting a no-spray rose trial for the last two years. A total of 136 cultivars were evaluated for their resistance to black spot and cercospora leaf spot in 3 test locations across the state. Below you will find a listing of the most resistant cultivars of shrub roses. If you would like a full listing of rose cultivars tested, please contact me for a handout.

o Carefree Sunshine (Yellow)
o Hansa (Mauve)
o Homerun (Flame Red)
o Knockout (Cherry Red)
o Palmengarten Frankfurt (Mauve Pink)
o Pink Knockout (Pink)
o Wildberry Breeze (Mauve)

Information provided by Alan Windham, University of Tennessee Extension Service.
American Rose Society http://www.ars.org/