538 Scotts Creek Road, Suite 205 Sylva, N.C. 28779 828-586-4009 www.ces.ncsu.edu/jackson/

Organic Pest Management In Your Garden

The N.C. Cooperative Extension Service is holding an in-depth Organic Pest

Management Seminar for gardeners who desire to learn more on how to control

(organically) insects, diseases and weeds that plague their vegetables. Seminars will be held at the following dates and locations:

● August 1st from 2:00-4:00 p.m. room 234 at the Jackson Extension Center

on 538 Scotts Creek Rd. Sylva, N.C. ● August 2nd from 6:00-8:00 p.m. room 110 at the Swain Extension Center on

60 Almond School Rd. Bryson City, N.C.

This seminar (free) will cover a whorl wind of topics such as companion plants,

farmscaping, soil amendments, organically approved sprays, a plethora of tips

and more. Participants will receive plenty of handouts, ask questions and enjoy

a great presentation (photos taken by Debbie Roos, NCSU Extension Horticul-ture Agent in Chatham Co.). You won’t want to miss it! To register for this class

or for more information or directions contact Christy Bredenkamp at your local

N.C. Cooperative Extension Center at phone # 586-4009 or 488-3848.

Saving Seed & Season Extender Tips

Now is the time to plant vegetables for round 2! The N.C. Cooperative Service is

holding free seminars on how to choose the right vegetables

for a fall crop (season extenders) and join others in becom-ing seed savers! Seminars will be held at the following dates

and locations:

● Aug. 28th 6:00-8:00 p.m., room 234 at the Jackson Ex-

tension Center on 538 Scotts Creek Rd. Sylva, N.C. ● Aug. 30th 2:00-4:00 p.m., room 110 at the Swain Exten-

sion Center on 60 Almond School Rd. Bryson City, N.C.

Individuals will learn how cultivar selection, shade, multiple cropping, mulches,

floating row covers, low tunnels, cold frames and more will extend their growing

season. In addition, individuals will learn the basics in seed selection, harvest-ing, processing and how to store your valuable vegetable seeds.

For more information or to register please contact your local Extension Center at

828 586 4009, 828 488 3848 or e-mail christine_bredenkamp@ncsu.edu.

New

slet

ter

July - August 2012

North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability. In addi-

tion, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating.

NC STATE UNIVERSITY

North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service

Page 2

Megacopta cribraria, officially known as the bean plataspid bug is North Carolina’s most recent

alien insect invader. Other common names include lablab bug, globular stink bug and in most circles, kudzu bug after its most favorite food, kudzu.

Kudzu bugs are native to China and India and were first discovered in the fall of 2009 in large

aggregations on the exterior of homes in nine northern Georgia counties. In just a little over two years these small but highly mobile insects have spread throughout Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, and can now be found throughout most

of North Carolina.

The kudzu bug is primarily a pest of legumes such as kudzu and soybeans. Additional hosts include

peanuts, southern peas, other bean species, wis-teria and some vetches. Kudzu bugs are oblong in shape (4-6mm long) and olive-green in color with

brown speckles. They are "true bugs" which means they have piercing-sucking mouthparts. Kudzu bugs produce several generations per

year. In the spring, they feed extensively in kudzu patches and on other legume plants. In eastern North Carolina, kudzu bugs

will move into soybean fields around July-August where they feed on plant sap from stems and foliage reducing crop yields as much as 20-30%. In the fall as temperatures decline, kudzu

bugs will overwinter under bark or rocks, or in leaf litter, etc. In residential areas, expect kudzu bugs to invade homes and work-

shops in a similar manner as the Asian Ladybug. They are at-tracted to light colors and have been documented in the thou-

sands covering sides of houses, trees, and even light colored ve-hicles. During winter they often come indoors though this be-havior has not yet been observed in our area.

It is believed that homes near kudzu patches are more likely to be invaded by the plataspid bug.

Recently, I observed these nuisance pests landing on my shoulder in the Bryson City, Dillsboro and Glenville areas. This summer, look for outdoor kudzu bug activity around your property. As

the end of September early October arrives, watch for signs of movement around the siding of your home. Although most common household insecticides will kill the bugs on direct contact, control of the kudzu bug by treating the exterior of homes is likely to produce mediocre results.

Your best option is to seal cracks, crevices and gaps (e.g., plumbing and AC lines) to prevent the bugs from entering your home. Vacuuming up the insects remains your primary means of in-

door kudzu bug removal. Afterwards, place the contents into a trash bag and freeze the bag for a few days or drop the bugs into soapy water to kill them. Avoid crushing Kudzu bugs as they

will stink and stain surface areas. For more information, contact Christy Bredenkamp with the NC Cooperative Extension at 828

586 4009 or 828 488 3848 or check out the following websites: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/Urban/kudzubug.htm and

http://ipm.ncsu.edu/cotton/insectcorner/PDF/Kudzu%20Bug%20Handout_Field%20Crops.Final.pdf

Page 3

Lawns ● Recent wet weather has induced brown patch fungus disease to start

developing in many lawns. The best steps to reduce the spread of the disease are to avoid mowing when the grass is wet, and do not irrigate. If the weather gets dry and the grass goes dormant, the disease will stop developing.

● The best time for reseeding cool season lawns (fescue and bluegrass) is mid August through September. If the weather is very hot and the soil is very dry then wait till the temperature begins to cool.

● August is a good time to control grubs for mole problems.

Vegetables ● Frequent rain showers invite fungus diseases like early blight and late blight on tomatoes and

mildews on squash and cucumbers. The most commonly used garden product is chlorothalonil (Bravo, Daconil, etc.). Apply fungicides every 1 to 2 weeks to maintain healthy plants. Organic gardeners may want to try Serenade (Bacillus subtillis). Copper or sulfur sprays are less effective, but offer some help.

● Insect populations can be high late in the season. Check regularly for cabbage worms and squash vine borers. Regular applications of B.t. (Bacillus thuringiensis) will prevent the caterpillars from devouring everything in the cabbage family.

● Do not let basil plants flower as it will change the flavor of the leaves. You can keep pinching out flowers, but the best approach is to “harvest” as soon as flowers start to form. Cut the stems back hard, right above a set of leaves low down on the branch. The stems will quickly resprout.

● Start planning for the fall garden. Brussels sprouts should be planted in July, most other cool season crops in August. You can start seeds in pots for plants such as broccoli, cabbage and collards.

● Consider planting late crops of squash, bush beans or cucumbers.

Fruits ● Early summer rain has produced perfect conditions for lots of black

rot to develop on grapes, as well as brown rot on peaches and nectarines. At this point, if you have not been applying fungicide sprays on a regular basis, you probably already have problems. Products containing Captan are most effective.

● For best flavor, leave peaches on the tree until the background color changes from green to yellow.

● Prune blackberries and raspberries after harvest.

Ornamentals ● Finish pruning shrubs and trees before the end of the July. ● Avoid applying nitrogen until next spring. ● Don’t forget to water newly planted trees and shrubs, weekly if needed. ● Irises and daylilies are typically divided now. If you have several

varieties of daylilies it is often helpful to divide while they still have some blooms if you want to keep the varieties separated.

● Deadhead butterfly bush, purple coneflowers, phlox, roses and other perennials to encourage continued flowering.

● Remove weeds before they go to seed.

July - August Horticulture Tips

Page 4

Giant hogweed (Mantegazzianum heracleum) as a member of the parsley family, is striking due to its

huge size. In the first year of growth, plants form a bush-like rosette of compound leaves (1

to 5 feet wide) that are deeply incised and pointed. Plants flower in their second year (or

later, depending on maturity). Flowering plants are 8 to 15 feet tall, topped with a group of

broad, flat-topped umbels of white flowers. Flower stalks can be 2 to 4 inches in diameter,

with coarse white hairs and reddish-purple mottling. The bottoms of leaves also have

coarse, dense hairs. Some look alikes that are much smaller include: American cow pars-

nip (Heracleum lanatum) smaller at 3 to 7 feet and Great angelica (Angelica atropurpurea).

HABITS & HABITAT - Giant hogweed, a native of Asia, is present in northeast and up-

per Midwest. Recently it was discovered in the high country of N.C. Giant hogweed dis-

perses by seed and naturalizes easily. It is found in a variety of disturbed areas such as

roadsides, empty lots and woodland edges but prefers areas with moist soils and some

shade.

Caution! If sap from hogweed's leaves and stems gets on skin in the presence of sunlight, it

can cause a severe, blistering burn that appears a day or two after exposure. Wild parsnip, cow parsnip

and great angelica all can cause a similar phytophotodermatitis reaction. Cover all skin and protect eyes

if working with this plant.

Sincerely,

Christy Bredenkamp, Extension Agent

Agriculture-Horticulture

Jackson County Center 538 Scotts Creek Road, Suite 205 Sylva, NC 28779

NC STATE UNIVERSITY