- Author: Andrea Peck
- Editor: Noni Todd
I notice moths flying around my oak tree, should I be concerned? Ann M. Atascadero
By Andrea Peck Master Gardener
The small grey or tan moths that you see flitting about your oak tree are likely the oak moth. About ½ inch in length with pronounced wing veins, the moths are commonly seen during the fall and summer months. Two to three dozen tiny white eggs are laid on the underside of the leaves; eggs turn pink to brown before hatching. The larva that emerges is known as the California oakworm.
The oakworm, unlike its name, is actually a caterpillar. This small, yellow-green caterpillar has a notably large brown head and dark stripes that run along its sides. Caterpillars extend to about 1 inch when fully grown. As the oakworm grows, it feeds on the oak tree, silently munching through the leaves. When populations are high, defoliation may occur and can be visually alarming. During warm, dry winters, caterpillars thrive. Drought conditions may precipitate a third generation of breeding, feeding and metamorphosis. Mass “balding” throughout neighborhoods and groves may lead to the generally erroneous thinking that “something must be done to save the trees!”
The good news is that action is generally not required. The healthy oak can withstand quite a bit of feeding from these tiny gnawers. On occasion, the oakworm will abandon a defoliated tree in search of other food sources. These tiny herds have been known to scale walls, cross lawns and even sneak inside homes to be found hanging from draperies. Not to worry, these hapless creatures do no harm. When food is scarce, the oakworm may rampage nearby plants. Despite heavy feasting and the subsequent wear and tear on the plant, the oakworm cannot mature on non-oak species and therefore, seldom poses a permanent threat.
Management of the oak moth begins with proper care of the tree. Pesticide use is generally discouraged even when masses of oak moths appear overwhelming. A healthy tree will naturally attract animal and insect hunters. Birds, spiders and predatory insects all love the sight of your tree brimming with their next meal. Your best bet is to pull up a seat and enjoy the show.
- Author: Terri Sonleitner Law
- Editor: Noni Todd
May is the time to prepare for your summer garden!
Terri Sonleitner Law, UC Master Gardener
I love the blooms in my garden now, but I know summer is just around the corner. What things should I be doing in my garden in May to prepare for summer? Charla, Atascadero.
Gardeners all look forward to May. Plant growth is at its peak, everything seems to be in bloom, and all heat loving summer vegetables can be planted in the vegetable garden. May is a great time to be outside enjoying the garden, but it’s also the time to prepare the yard and garden for summer.
* Prune winter and spring flowering vines, bushes and trees after they complete their bloom cycles. Pinch back chrysanthemums to about 12 inches for flowers with shorter stems in the fall.
* Remove spent flowers and deadhead roses regularly to encourage further blooms. Feed your roses every 6 weeks for continuous blooms.
* After mid-May sow seeds outdoors for warm season vegetables, including corn, cucumbers, green beans, melons, pumpkins, winter and summer squash. After mid-May plant out seedlings of eggplant, tomatoes and peppers. In the North County, you may want to wait to plant out heat-loving vegetables until the latter part of May when the soil has warmed.
* In the herb garden, pinch back the tops of herbs frequently for continual production. Harvest herbs in the morning for best flavor.
* If you didn’t fertilize your lawn in April, do so now. Dethatch your lawn if it needs it.
* Deeply water trees and shrubs through a soaker hose or drip system. A thorough soaking each week, or twice per month, uses less water than frequent lighter applications. Check sprinkler timers, sprinkler heads and drip emitters, and be sure to apply water during the morning hours.
* Above all, enjoy your time in the garden! May is also a great time to plan a visit to an arboretum, or to take a garden tour. It’s inspiring to see landscapes while they are at their very best and during their peak bloom period.
- Author: Kim McCue
- Editor: Noni Todd
By Kim McCue Master Gardener
Making your garden unappealing to slugs and snails can greatly reduce their impact. These creatures will surface on foggy or rainy days, but on most days they are found hiding in fleshy plants or in shady spots such as tall grass and the underside of ledges and rocks. Susceptible plants can be protected by eliminating hiding places or placing vulnerable plants away from such areas. Switching from overhead to drip irrigation to reduce surface moisture and selecting slug and snail resistant plants will create a less inviting environment for the slimy enemy.
Handpicking is a great way to eliminate these annoying pests. Venturing into the garden at night with flashlight in hand will allow you to catch them during their gluttonous attack. Traps such as boards, flower pots and even melon rinds can aid in the handpicking process. Hunt for the creatures on a daily basis until their numbers are noticeably reduced, then decrease to once a week.
Using barriers, especially those involving copper tape or foil, can also be part of your arsenal in the war against slugs and snails. Citrus fruit is a favorite food of the pests; Bordeaux mixture (copper sulfate and hydrated lime) is another effective barrier when brushed onto trunks.
While slug and snail baits are useful in conjunction with the methods we’ve outlined, baits containing metaldehyde should not be used on edibles or in areas frequented by children or pets. Iron phosphate baits are a safe alternative and are available under many trade names. Check the label for the active ingredient before making your purchase. For a list of resistant plants and details on barriers and bates, please visithttp://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7427.html.
- Author: Jutta Thoerner
- Editor: Noni Todd
Q. What does it take to make my own compost?
-- Eric from Santa Margarita.
By Jutta Thoerner Master Gardener
Choose a convenient site; keep the compost pile close to your garden in a shady location. Doing so will encourage you to add to the pile and observe its progress.
If you only compost garden waste, piles don’t need to be enclosed. Kitchen wastes added to the pile require a sturdy enclosure to prevent animals from digging through the piles. Work with what your yard and kitchen produce. Shred and cut the materials in small pieces for faster composting.
If you need to import materials, ask neighbors for leaves or green plant waste. Reuse and recycle your shredded newspaper, or add cardboard, well soaked and cut into pieces.
You can help the many organisms who turn these materials into compost by giving them a good mix of green and brown materials.
How fast you can harvest your compost is determined by the combination of carbon and nitrogen in your pile that must be kept at a moist consistency. Your compost could be ready to harvest in as little as four weeks or it could sit through the winter and be only partially decomposed, depending on the amount of material added to your pile.
Examples of material that can be composted include kitchen scraps, horse manure, leaves, sawdust and cardboard.
It’s a good strategy to alternate between thin layers of high carbon browns (such as wood chips, dried leaves, dried grass, and straw) with thicker layers of high nitrogen greens (fresh, moist materials such as grass cuttings, manure and food scraps; avoid meats, fats and grease. Be sure to moisten each layer.
Every ingredient you add to the pile will host a different group of microorganisms; this diversity will lead to the successful breakdown of the parts that turn the waste into rich smelling, soil-like material.
To learn more about the benefits of composting, including worm composting and soil properties in general, attend the Advice to Grow By seminar at the Garden of the Seven Sisters, 2156 Sierra Way, San Luis Obispo, from 10 a.m. to noon April 20.
Contact the University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners: at 781-5939 from 1 to 5 p.m. on Monday and Thursday; at 473-7190 from 10 a.m. to noon on Wednesday in Arroyo Grande; and at 434-4105 from 9 a.m. to noon on Wednesday in Templeton. Visit the UCCE Master Gardeners Web site at http://ucanr.org/sites/mgslo/or e-mail mgsanluisobispo@ucdavis.edu
- Author: Lee Oliphant
- Editor: Noni Todd
By Lee Oliphant Master Gardener
The life cycle of aphids is remarkable and explains why they appear quickly in large numbers. In spring, females (called “stem mothers”), emerge from eggs. They do not need a mate to reproduce. Stem mothers give birth to live daughters and these offspring give birth to more live daughters without any “hanky-panky” going on. At the end of the season, aphids begin to produce both sons and daughters. When these multi-gender colonies mature, they mate and the females lay eggs on bud scales continuing the cycle the following spring.
Gardeners who practice IPM (Integrated Pest Management) learn to tolerate the presence of a few aphids. Natural enemies such as lady beetles and their larvae, lacewings, and tiny wasps, often keep aphid numbers below damaging levels. Beneficial insects often arrive several days to several weeks after the aphids begin to multiply, so in the lag-time, use a strong jet of water from the hose to wash aphids from leaves. Infested portions of the plant can be pinched or pruned off. Insecticidal soap kills aphids on contact and horticultural oils provide aphid control without leaving toxic residue for natural enemies. By making your garden an attractive place for beneficial insects, with flowers that bloom over a long period of time, you’ll be taking the first step to limiting aphid infestation.