Organic materials can be composted to partially decompose as a soil amendment. However, there is an easier way to use organic materials at this time of year by direct application. This allows the composting process to occur directly in the soil. It will work in vegetable gardens and flower beds where annual plants have completed their season. Add 2 to 4 inches of organic materials such as leaves, lawn renovation materials, grass clippings or similar organic materials and till into the soil. If the soil is dry, water to begin the decomposition process. After about two weeks you can repeat the process with another application of organic materials. This can continue until the soil begins to freeze in December. If rainfall occurs, don't work soils when they are wet because soil structure can be damaged. Organic materials will decompose over the winter and be ready for your spring planting next year (CWM)
Both these crops build up storage reserves in the root systems late in the season, so allow the plants to remain until all signs of green have disappeared. After the plants are completely dead, you can remove top growth by chopping and shredding with a lawn mower. You may also opt to allow the plant residue to remain in place for the winter to serve as mulch. You can then chop and shred the tops early next spring (usually in late March) before growth starts in the spring. (CWM)
Tomatoes can be kept for some extended period after the first freeze of the season. Harvest all full-sized tomatoes on the plant just before a freeze is forecast in your area. Divide the tomatoes into three groups. Those that have any blemishes or defects should be discarded or used immediately if you can trim out defective areas. Those showing some signs of color and those that are completely green should be kept separate in a box or carton with a layer of newspaper separating a layer of tomatoes if you need to stack them up. Keep the fruit in a cool, dry location as close to 55 degrees as you can find. When you need tomatoes, use the turning ones first and bring them to a warmer (room temperature) location a few days before you want to use them. You should be able to have tomatoes for Thanksgiving dinner and maybe even Christmas. (CWM)
Most people are familiar with lady beetles and know they are beneficial because they feed on certain insect pests such as aphids. Though the Asian lady beetle (Harmonia axyridis) does feed on other insects, as do other lady beetles, it differs from its cousins in ways that can make it a nuisance. Though lady beetles usually cluster together when overwintering, only the Asian lady beetle tends to do so around buildings. They are attracted to light colored buildings; especially those that receive direct sunlight. Once several beetles have found an attractive site, they will emit a chemical signal to bring in their friends. Unfortunately, their friends can number in the tens or hundreds of thousands. They then look for nooks and crannies in which they can hide and will invade a home if they can find a way in. Once inside, they will fly around lights and crawl on furnishings. When disturbed, Asian lady beetles emit a yellow-orange liquid (their blood) that produces a foul smelling odor. This material can stain walls and home furnishings. More beetles mean a more intense smell. The beetles can also pinch when they land on bare skin. Fortunately, they are unable to break the skin surface.
Control of these insects is difficult. Caulking cracks and plugging other openings will help but it is difficult to get every possible entry point. Beetles that make it inside can be removed with the use of a vacuum cleaner. Be sure to remove and seal the bag or still living beetles may escape.
Insecticides may be used outside as a perimeter treatment. The most effective products will be wettable powders and microencapsulated formulations of residual pyrethroids. Examples of products that can be used include bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, deltamethrin, esfenvalerate and tralomethrin. Trade names vary, so check the label. (WU)
We are seeing a significant amount of vein pocket gall on pin oak leaves this year. Vein pocket gall causes abnormal swelling of the leaf near the veins. Actually, there are hundreds of different types of galls, each of which is caused by a specific insect. These insects include tiny non-stinging wasps and flies that cause abnormal growths to develop on the leaves, twigs or branches of oak trees. There are even some mites that can cause galls. These galls can include growths that are round, spiny, flattened, elongated or star-shaped. Galls form in response to a chemical that the insect or mite injects into the plant tissue. Eggs laid by a mature female hatch into legless grubs around which the gall forms. The larvae feed, develop, and pupate inside these galls. The adults may emerge either the same season or may overwinter inside the gall depending on the life history of that specific insect.
Generally, these gall insects do not cause significant damage to their hosts, though some of the leaf galls can cause enough deformity to make a tree unsightly. Also, severe infestations of twig galls can cause twig dieback or, rarely, tree death. However, just because a twig is covered with galls does not mean it is dead. I have seen twigs that looked like a solid mass of galls leaf out in the spring.
Insecticide sprays applied when galls are noticed are ineffective because damage has already occurred. Also, the larvae are unaffected because of the protection afforded by the gall. Insecticide sprays can kill emerging adult wasps and flies, but long periods of emergence and short residuals of most contact insecticides make this impractical. Stem and twig galls can be pruned if this is deemed to be practical and necessary. In short, this is a problem that is best ignored unless pruning is done to improve the appearance of the tree. (WU)
Why do some red maple trees have yellow fall foliage instead of brilliant red? Although fall color will vary with different environmental conditions, in many cases the yellow foliage of these red maples has to do with the genetics of the individual tree. Unnamed red maple trees grown from seed are not always brilliant red. They have highly variable fall color. If you want a red maple with red foliage in the fall, choose named, vegetatively propagated red maple cultivars such as Red Sunset, Magnificent Magenta or Autumn Flame. October Glory has outstanding foliage color but is late in acclimating for winter and can be damaged by early cold snaps. However, even these "good" cultivars will vary in the level of "redness" from year to year. A number of things can reduce the intensity of color, including extreme heat or drought during the summer and cloudy days and warm nights in the fall. (WU)
Contributors:
Ward Upham, Extension Associate; Charles Marr, Vegetables
Horticulture 2006 E-mail Subscription
For questions or further information contact: Hort
WebMeister.
KSU, County Extension Councils, Extension Districts, and U.S. Department of Agriculture
Cooperating.
All educational programs and materials available without discrimination on the basis of
race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.
Extension Horticulture Home Page | Horticulture Information Center