Garden Talk! for the Heartland Garden Enthusiast

Common plants that can be toxic to humans

Preparing the garden for spring

Spotted Lanterfly and other insect pests

Gardening tips for March

Upcoming events

http://extension.missouri.edu/adair/gardentalk.aspx March 2018

University of Missouri System, Lincoln University, U.S. Department of Agriculture & Local University Extension Councils Cooperating

Equal opportunity/ADA institution

What’s Inside

Jennifer Schutter University of Missouri Extension Horticulture Specialist 660-665-9866 schutterjl@missouri.edu

If you need this newsletter in alternative format, please contact

Jennifer Schutter at the Adair County Extension Center.

PRUNING FRUIT TREES & SMALL FRUIT PLANTS The day fruit trees are planted is the day to begin to care for and prune

for future production. Too often backyard gardeners plant fruit trees and leave them untended for several years. This neglect results in poor growth and delayed fruiting. If you are going to invest in fruit trees, take the time to learn how to care for them. Learn the diseases and insects each is susceptible to and how to control them.

Caring for fruit plants can be time consuming and labor intensive as nearly all fruit plants need annual pruning, fertilizing and often spraying. Late winter is the best time to prune fruit trees such as apples, pears, peaches, apricots, and others, as well as grapevines and bramble fruits. Dormant oil can be applied at this time to smoth-er overwintering insects such as scale and mites. If Peach Leaf Curl has been a problem on peach trees in the past, apply a product containing “cholorthalonil” for prevention while the tree is still dormant.

Apple trees are trained to a modified leader system. The tree should be trained with one central leader or main trunk in the center, with several wide-angled limbs spaced around the leader. The tree should mature to a pyramidal shape. Pruning bearing trees is critical to maintain healthy fruiting wood. Re-move weak, "shaded-out" wood, diseased or dead wood, water-sprouts and root suckers.

Many people have purchased a house where an apple tree was planted on the property years ago. Often, the previous owners did not take the time to properly prune the tree. The tree has become bushy and weak and will produce very poor quality apples. Such a tree requires extensive corrective pruning. The main objective in pruning such a tree is to open up the interior to allow good light penetration.

The first step is to remove all the upright, vigorous growing shoots at their base that are shading the interior. As with young apple trees, it is necessary to select 3 to 5 lower scaffold branches with good crotch angles and spaced around the tree. Limbs with poor angles, and excess scaffold limbs, should be re-moved at their base. In some cases, it is advisable to spread the corrective prun-ing over two to three seasons.

Grapevines need some form of support, and pruning or training to devel-op the plant and to maintain it on the support provided. Regular, purposeful pruning is essential for controlling the number, position and vigor of fruiting canes and the yield and quality of the fruit. If pruning is delayed until near bud swell, the cuts commonly ooze sap abundantly. Though not desirable, "bleeding" seems to be of minor importance. Grapevines left unpruned can grow into a mass

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PREPARING THE GARDEN FOR SPRING It won’t be long until the spring garden season begins! Garden

preparation is an important step to gardening with success. Before planting, clean garden containers with soapy water. If tomato plants grown in the containers were diseased, plant vegetables of a different family in them this year. Never plant tomato plants in containers if the plants were diseased the previous year.

If garden tools were not cleaned last fall, clean them off before using them. Rather than discarding old soil in containers, add fresh soil or compost and mix it into the existing soil. Check local nurseries and garden centers for transplants and fresh seeds. Seeds more than two years old may not have good germination rates. Some seeds are viable for many, many years, but typically, garden vegetable seed should be replaced after two garden seasons.

Garden soil often needs loosened up and organic matter added before spring planting can begin. A complete fertilizer such as 12-12-12 can be added to the soil. Follow soil test results if a test was performed. If not, follow the rule of thumb on the back of the bag of fertilizer.

Cool-season vegetables like lettuce, spinach, kale, peas, radishes, carrots, potatoes, onion, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kohrabi, can be planted toward the end of March or first week of April for a productive harvest before hot weather arrives. Waiting to plant these crops past mid-April may not result in a productive harvest. These plants will bolt, or go to seed, during the warm days of late spring.

Asparagus plants should be planted as soon as the soil is worka-ble. Asparagus is a low maintenance vegetable plant that thrives in full sun. It prefers organically rich soil that is evenly moist. Asparagus roots can take up to 2-3 years to produce a crop. ‘Jersey Knight’ is a common, all male cultivar, that produces spears that are 3/8” diameter or larger. Asparagus beetles can be a problem, but usually do not require insecti-cides unless there are larger numbers of them. It is important to keep the bed free of weeds. Weeds are often a problem in asparagus beds. Ap-ply the granular herbicide PREEN to control winter annuals like chick-weed and henbit and summer annuals like foxtail.

Strawberry plants, rhubarb, small fruit plants and fruit trees should be planted in early spring. Pineberries are gaining in popularity. They are a relative of the red, domesticated garden strawberry. They are relatively new, easy to grow and more readily available to home garden-ers. Pineberry plants yield white to pinkish hued fruits. Elderberries are also gaining in popularity due to their healthful benefits. Elderberries are loaded with antioxidants that ward off colds and flu.

Pull back mulch from roses and other perennial plants. Prune roses, cut back ornamental grasses, and trim back perennials like peo-nies, coneflowers, rudbeckia, and others that were left in the garden over the winter. Apply a layer of fresh mulch over the beds for weed and moisture control. PREEN can be used to control annual weeds in flower beds.

If crabgrass was a problem last year, apply crabgrass preventer before April 15. Weed n’ Feed can also be applied at this time to control broadleaf weeds in a lawn. PREEN can kill all seeds, so do not apply it to your garden at the time of planting. PREEN applied to a new planted gar-den of lettuce, spinach and other seeded crops, will prevent them from germinating.

of unruly vines that grow in every direction. Prune yearly to avoid this situation.

Raspberry, blackberry, gooseberry, blueberry and all other fruiting plants should be pruned now also. For information on how to prune brambles, see MU guide 6000.

University of Missouri Exten-sion has guides on growing many different fruit crops, including tree fruits, brambles, grapevines and strawberries. If you are interested in learning more about a particular fruit crop or need information on pruning, contact your county extension center or download guides at http://extension.missouri.edu.

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COMMON PLANTS THAT CAN BE TOXIC

TO HUMANS There is nothing wrong with growing toxic plants, but be alert to the danger if there are children around. They love red and white ber-ries and it is easy for them to snap the stems of plants which then exude poi-sonous sap. You know kids; if their fingers are sticky, they lick them.

A lot of the plants on this list cause skin irritations or would have to be consumed in very large quantities to make a person sick or to be fatal. Be aware of the irritations or sickness they may cause.

Holly • Mistletoe

Oleander • Hellebore

Ivy • Daffodils

Rhododendron • Crocus

Hydrangea • Poinsettia

Deadly Nightshade • Lupins

Periwinkle (Vinca Minor and Vinca Major)

Rhubarb (the leaves)

Castor Oil Plant (Ricin comes from this plant)

Potato (green parts of this plant)

Digitalis (Foxglove)

“The genie’s out of the bottle” on the spotted lanternfly, University of Missouri Extension entomolo-gist Kevin Rice told farmers Feb. 8 at the second annual NEMO Soils and Crop Conference in Palmyra. Rice gave farmers an update on insects to watch in the upcoming growing season. He urged them to contact him when they find these invasive pests so he can track their presence in the state.

Entomologists spotted the spotted lanternfly in Pennsylvania in 2014 and Virginia, Delaware and New York in January 2018. It likely is making its way to Mis-souri, Rice said. The plant hopper’s eggs travel on metal objects such as railroad cars, boats and tractor-trailers. Its primary host plant is grapes, but it also affects other fruit and ornamental trees, and hops. It was observed feeding on soybean and corn in Pennsylvania in 2017. Its honeydew secretions attract other pests to feed.

The adult spotted lanternfly’s forewing is gray with black spots, and the wingtips are black blocks outlined in

gray. It has distinguishing bright orange-red and white underwings.

Another insect with the potential to make its way to mid-Missouri soon is the redbanded stink bug, which is already in southeastern Missouri. The Brazili-an native feeds on soybean pods. Louisiana and Arkan-sas soybean growers consider it a major pest. Rice says it often makes a comeback, even after sprayed with in-secticides. It feeds on numerous host plants, including legumes such as clover. There can be several genera-tions each year.

Identification of the redbanded stink bug is critical, Rice said, as the allowable threshold is lower than for other stink bugs. It is often confused with the red-shouldered stink bug. Plant early to prevent this late-season pest, Rice says. There are no resistant plant varieties.

Stink bugs puncture pods, reducing quality and yield. Rice, who began as an MU entomologist in Janu-ary, brings years of research on the brown marmorated stink bug to MU. The population of this voracious eater exploded in 2010. It has been identified in seven Mis-souri counties and is considered a nuisance pest at this point. Most complaints currently come from homeown-ers in urban areas, but Rice says it will not be long be-fore it affects agricultural crops.

It feeds on more than 300 plant species, eating on the edge of fields before attacking corn at R3 and R4 stages and soybean at R4-6 stages. Rice recommends frequent scouting of fields and wooded areas near fields. Use pyrethroids and neonicotinoid-pyrethroid mixtures on field borders, he says.

Japanese beetles continue to be a pest in Missouri. They feed on corn silks and reduce ear fill. Rice recom-mends treatment when three or more adults per ear are present during silking. They cause defo-liation of soybean leaves but rarely cause economic loss. They defoliate the leaves of trees and garden crops. Learn more about the Japanese beetle at ipm.missouri.edu/pestMonitoring/jb.

SPOTTED LANTERNFLY AND OTHER INSECT PESTS

More upcoming events... April 16: Growing Tomatoes: from seed to fork, 6 pm, Brookfield Area Career Center, Brookfield, MO. Cost is $15. Register by calling the Linn Co. Extension office at 660-895-5123. A light meal will be provided.

September 6-November 29: Master Gardener train-ing, Kirksville. So far, the most interest is from Kirksville residents and counties bordering Adair. If interested, email me or call me at 660-665-9866. Regis-tration forms will be available in early July with a late August deadline.

September 28-30: State Master Gardener Confer-ence, Chateau on the Lake, Branson, MO.

Produced monthly at the Adair County University of Missouri Extension Center, 503 E. Northtown Road, Kirksville, MO

63501 Ph. 660-665-9866 Fax 660-665-9876

Editor: Jennifer Schutter Production: Vanessa Miller and our fabulous Master Gardener volunteers

University of Missouri Extension provides equal opportunity to all

participants in extension programs and activities, and for all employees and applicants for employment on the basis of their demonstrated ability and competence without discrimination on the basis of their race, color,

religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability or status as a protected veteran.

Garden Talk!

UPCOMING EVENTS March 5: Fabius Master Garden-ers & Clark County Perennial Garden club meeting and pro-gram, 6:30 pm, Presbyterian Church, Memphis, MO. I will give a program on “Growing Succulent Plants.” Open to all.

March 10: Pruning class, MO De-partment of Conservation, 3500 S. Baltimore, Kirksville. 9 am to 12 pm. Learn to prune shade trees and fruit trees. To register call 660-665-9866. Free. Taught by Yvette Amerman & Jennifer Schutter.

March 14: Putnam County Exten-sion Night,

March 26: Garden class on “Seed Saving” and “Gardening by the Moon.” Taught by Advanced Mas-ter Gardener, Mary Wilson. Please arrive by 6:15; class starts at 6:30. Macon Catholic Church, 402 N. Rol-lins St. Open to all. Free.

March 28: Lewis County Women In Ag workshop, I will be teach-ing a spring flower arranging ses-sion. Call the Lewis County Exten-sion office for more details and to register. 573-767-5273.

April 6: Garden class on Growing Small Fruits, 2-4 pm. Little Dixie Library in Moberly. Call 660-26909656 to RSVP.

April 11: Fruit Tree Grafting workshop, Missouri State Uni-versity Darr Agriculture Center, 6-9 pm. Springfield, MO. Cost is $10. Learn to graft apple trees and take home 2 grafted trees.

GARDENING TIPS FOR MARCH VEGETABLES ALL MONTH: Fertilize the garden as the soil is prepared for planting. Unless directed

otherwise by a soil test, 1-2 pounds of 12-12-12 or an equivalent fertiliz-er per 100 square feet is usually sufficient.

Cultivate weeds and remove old, dead stalks of last years’ growth from the asparagus bed before new spears emerge.

Delay planting if the garden soil is too wet. Plant asparagus and rhubarb roots as soon as the ground can be worked. Plant peas, lettuce, radishes, mustard greens, turnips, Irish potatoes,

spinach, and onions (seeds and sets) outdoors. Plant beets, carrots, pars-ley, and parsnip seeds outdoors. Set out broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, Chinese cabbage, and cauliflower transplants into the garden.

Start seeds of tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants indoors.

ORNAMENTALS:

Loosen winter mulches from perennials cautiously. Dormant mail order plants should be unwrapped immediately. Keep

roots from drying out. Trees, shrubs, and perennials may be planted as soon as they become available at local nurseries.

Seeds of hardy annuals such as larkspur, bachelor’s buttons, Shirley and California poppies should be direct sown in the garden now.

Heavy pruning of trees should be complete before growth occurs. Trees should not be pruned while the new leaves are growing.

Summer and fall blooming perennials should be divided in spring. Apply sulfur to the soils around acid-loving plants such as Azaleas, Rho-

dodendrons, Hollies, and Dogwoods. Use a granular formulation at the rate of ½ pound per 100 square feet.

Apply a balanced fertilizer such as 6-12-12 to perennial beds when new growth appears.

Spring bedding plants such as pansies and toadflax may be planted now.

Gradually start to pull back mulch from rose bushes.

FRUITS: Gradually remove mulch from strawberries as the weather warms. Continue pruning grapes. Bleeding causes no injury to the vines. Continue pruning apple trees. Burn or destroy prunings to minimize in-

sect or disease occurrence. Apply dormant oil sprays. Choose a dry day when freezing temperatures

are not expected. Spray peach trees with a fungicide for control of peach leaf curl disease. Aphids begin to hatch on fruit trees as the buds begin to open. Peaches and nectarines should be pruned just before they bloom. Mulch bramble fruits for weed control.

LAWN AND TURF: Mow lawns low to remove old growth before new growth begins. Apply controls for wild garlic. It will take several years of annual applica-

tions for complete control. Apply broadleaf herbicides for control of cool-season perennial and an-

nual weeds. These must not be applied to areas that will be seeded soon. Thin spots and bare patches in the lawn can be over-seeded now.

Source: Missouri Botanical Garden