Garden The

Spade September 2019

Phalaenopsis Orchids Katie Kammler, MU Extension Field Specialist in Horticulture

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**In This Issue**

Phalaenopsis Orchids

Invasive Plants in

Missouri

Eye Catching Flower

Appeal

At a Glance:

Rosemary

Arrowwood

Viburnum

Cucumber Beetles

Anthracnose

“Reliable, Responsive and Relevant Information for the Missouri Gardener”

Orchids are interesting plants with thousands of naturally occurring species and

hybrids all over the world. If you would like to grow orchids in your home,

there are several species that are recommended based on their adaptability, ease

of growing, availability, and production of beautiful flowers. This article is

going to focus on phalaenopsis orchids but care techniques apply most.

Purchasing larger plants is advisable

because it can take up to five years for a

seedling to flower. Also select an orchid

based on the growing conditions in your

home as each type has different cultural

requirements.

Phalaenopsis orchid species is probably

the most common type of orchid

available. It is also known as a moth or

butterfly orchid. They have long

arching sprays of colorful flowers that

last for several months. They flower in the winter to early spring so they

brighten up the house in the dreary cold months. They are mass producers and

are reasonably priced. They are easy to grow and flower under most home

conditions.

In nature, phalaenopsis orchids grow on tree trunks and branches in the tropics.

Orchids are unique because most of them are epiphytes. They have thick, fleshy

roots that they use to attach themselves to trees or bark and to absorb water and

nutrients. They grow best in soilless mixtures that usually contain bark. They

need lots of aeration and drainage. These potting mixes are readily available.

Plastic or clay containers can be used so long as they have adequate drainage.

Since they naturally hang on tree bark, their roots do not like to stay in a

flowerpot. Don’t be concerned if the roots are out of the Continued to page 2

An equal opportunity/access/

affirmative action/pro-disabled

Various colors of Phalaenopsis

The Garden Spade

Phalaenopsis Orchids Katie Kammler, MU Extension Field Specialist in Horticulture

September 2019 · 2

pot and sprawl around the shelf. This is normal growth habit so do not cut them off.

Flower spikes initiate and grow out from the leaf axils. They also set multiple flower buds and the flowers

can last a month or longer with proper care. The spikes cane be quite tall and sometimes branch, further

extending the growing season.

Cultural Requirements

Orchids require a temperature similar to other houseplants

and must be protected from cold weather. Minimum night

temperatures of 55 degree and daytime temperatures of 70

to 80 degrees are ideal. Avoid placing plants near

windows during cold weather.

Light is the most important factor for flowering and

growth. Most orchids require partial shade and a southern

exposure is best for providing bright, filtered light.

Phalaenopsis do the best under low light conditions with

little or no direct sun.

Watering is one of the easiest ways to kill an orchid! They do not like to sit in a waterlogged pot. In general,

watering once a week and allowing orchids to dry slightly between waterings is the best practice for

maintaining a healthy plant. Water soluble orchid fertilizers are readily available and should be applied once

a month according to the rates recommended on the label. After flowering, reduce water and fertilizer

applications as the plants rest and resume when new leaf production starts. Humidity is also very important

to these types of orchids, 40 to 60%. Most of our homes do not have this kind of humidity so it must be

supplemented by misting.

Problems

Orchids are susceptible to a number of insect and disease problems. Common insect problems include scale,

mealybugs, spider mites, and thrips. Snails and slugs can also feed on the plants. Physically removing the

pests or chemicals sprays may help control light populations. Diseases include leaf spots, petal blight,

bacterial soft rot and many different viruses. Following the good care practices listed above will help keep

your orchids from becoming susceptible to problems.

Continued from page 1

To learn more about orchids, see website below:

Repotting Phalaenopsis and other Monopodial Orchids - Missouri Botanical Garden http://

www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/help-for-the-home-gardener/advice

-tips-resources/visual-guides/repotting-phalaenopsis-and-other-monopodial-orchid.aspx

Orchids: Problems - Missouri Botanical Garden https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/Portals/0/

Gardening/Gardening%20Help/Factsheets/Orchid%20Problems34.pdf

Top 10 Orchids for the Home - Missouri Botanical Garden https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/

gardens-gardening/your-garden/help-for-the-home-gardener/advice-tips-resources/visual-guides/top-

10-orchids-for-the-home.aspx

Phalaenopsis Orchids, photo courtesy of Missouri

Botanical Garden

The Garden Spade

January Gardening Calendar

Donna Aufdenberg, MU Extension Horticulture Specialist

Outdoor Flowering Plants and Ornamentals

Spring blooming perennials can be divided now. Enhance the soil with compost and

peat moss before planting.

Avoid transplanting Japanese anemones, chrysanthemums and other late blooming

perennials.

Divide peonies now. Replant in a sunny site and avoid planting too deep.

Autumn is a good time to add manure, compost or leaf mold to garden soils for

increasing organic matter content

Monitor plants for spider mite activity. Hose off with a forceful spray of water.

Seasonal loss of inner needles on conifers is normal at this time.

Vegetable Gardening

Sowing seeds of radish, lettuce, spinach and other greens in cold frames will prolong

fall harvest.

Keep broccoli picked regularly to encourage additional productive side shoots.

Tie leaves around cauliflower heads when they are about the size of golf balls.

Pinch off any young tomatoes that are too small to ripen. This will channel energy

into ripening the remaining full size fruit.

Plan to set up high tunnels and low tunnels for winter planting.

Sow cool season cover crops in areas of the garden not being used.

Start gathering mulching materials for lasagna garden beds (compost layering).

Start cleaning up the garden as the month goes.

Fruits and Nuts

Pick pears before they are fully mature, store in a cool, dark, basement to ripen.

Bury or discard any spoiled fallen fruits.

Check all along peach tree trunks to just below soil line for masses caused by borers.

Probe holes with thin wire to puncture borers.

Cut out old shoots of raspberries and blackberries.

Lawns

Begin fall seeding or sodding of cool season grasses. Seedbeds should be raked,

dethatched, or core-aerified, fertilized and seeded. Keep newly planted lawn areas

moist, but not wet.

Cool season lawns are best fertilized in fall. Make up to 3 applications between now

and December.

Newly seeded lawns should not be cut until they are at least 2-3 inches tall.

Indoor Plants

Begin readying houseplants for winter indoors. Prune back excessive growth and

protruding roots. Check for pests and treat if necessary. Houseplants should be

brought indoors at least one month before heat is turned on.

Invasive Plants in Missouri

Autumn Olive

Bush Honeysuckle

Callery Pear

Canada Thistle

Chinese Yam

Common Reed

Crown Vetch

Common and Cut-leaved Teasel

Garlic Mustard

Heavenly Bamboo

Japanese Honeysuckle

Japanese Hop

Japanese Knotweed

Japanese Stiltgrass

Johnson Grass

Kudzu

Leafy Spurge

Multiflora Rose

Musk Thistle

Purple Loosestrife

Sericea Lespedeza

Spotted Knapweed

Wintercreeper

September 2019 · 3

September Gardening Calendar Donna Aufdenberg, MU Extension Field Specialist in Horticulture

The Garden Spade September 2019 · 4

Plants with Winter Interest Katie Kammler, MU Extension Horticulture Specialist

Eye-Catching Flower Appeal Donna Aufdenberg, MU Extension Field Specialist in Horticulture

I have been flower gardening for years - it is an obsession really. Every year that passes gives another

attempt to find that eye-catching appeal that I so dearly want to accomplish in my flower beds. It is not

enough just to grow the flowers that I like, but I want my beds to have a rhythm and flow much like flower

beds at a well-kept park or garden.

So what makes an eye-catching flower bed? Many different concepts come into play. One important

technique is to plant in mass. Experts say to start with six plants of one variety in an area. One or two

plants just does not create enough interest. If we go back to the concepts of landscape design, planting in

threes (9, 12, 15, 18, etc.) makes a good impact. We can use

mass to accentuate color or texture. Smaller bloom plants

require a greater number of plants whereas larger blooms

require fewer plants.

Repeat shapes, colors, and textures throughout landscape

beds. Our eyes tend to connect these components as one

scene instead of separate planted areas. Choose colors and

textures that stand out from

a distance. Even consider

group the plants in the

landscape beds by color.

Remember to utilize the

color wheel and consider

what colors complement

each other the best.

Combine annuals,

perennials, bulbs and flowering shrubs to expand your options, extend your

bloom season and diversify your plantings. Annuals can be utilized as

fillers while gardeners are waiting for perennials and shrubs to mature and

fill in. Shrubs can be anchors, backdrops or add structure to a flower bed.

Evergreens can offer fall and winter interest.

Remember the basics of landscape design. Diversify by choosing plants

of different heights, widths and growing habits. You need background

plants, mid-ground plants, fillers, trailers, and border plants. Do not forget

to add colorful flags or show-case plants as well as a focal point.

Create flow by planting a single variety of plant all through the planting.

Plant in a straight line or staggered planting throughout the bed.

Incorporate hardscapes, features and focal points into the landscape.

Stonework, walk-ways, and fencing work well to set off boundaries. Water

fountains, statuary, garden benches and gazing globes can add beauty,

fascination and intrigue.

Consider going vertical. A trellis, arbor or pergola can add artful lines

and décor while providing vines and other plants with Continued to page 7

Perennials Rudbeckia

Catmint (Nepeta)

Daffodil

Daylily

Echinacea

Fern

Hosta

Liatris

Monarda

Russian Sage

Sedum

Tulip

Yarrow

Great Selections for Mass Plantings

Annuals Begonia

Coleus

Cosmos

Dusty Miller

Geranium

Impatiens

Marigolds

Ornamental Peppers

Petunia

Salvia

Vinca

Zinnia

Examples of mass planting. Photos courtesy of Donna Aufdenberg (top and middle) and Kelly McGowan

(bottom).

The Garden Spade September 2019 · 5

At a Glance: Rosemary Donna Aufdenberg, MU Extension Field Specialist in Horticulture

Rosemary officinalis

Uses: Flavoring meats and vegetables

Type: Tender Perennial

Light: Full sun or bright light

Soil: Rich, well drained

Pests: No real pests; Biggest problem is

overwatering

How to use it: Use fresh or dried.

Strong flavor so use it sparingly. Tender

tips and foliage can be cut as needed throughout the growing

season. Longer stems can be harvested and used for skewers

for kabobs. Herbal vinegars and butters.

Comments: Grows well in pots. Does well outdoors during

the summer. Easy to propagate. There are several varieties on

the market, however, ‘Arp’ is reported to be hardiest.

Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

1 pound small red or white potatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut potatoes in half or quarters. Place in bowl with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary. Toss well. Spread potatoes onto baking sheet in single layer. Roast in oven 45 minutes or until brown. Turn during baking time at least twice for even browning. Remove from the oven and serve.

Native Plant of the Month:

Arrowwood Viburnum

Viburnum dentatum

Deciduous shrub or small tree; Southern Arrow Wood

Height: up to 15 feet tall

Flower: Large terminal clusters of white flowers

Bloom time: May to June

Comments: Great native for landscape uses, par tial

shade to full sun in well-drained soils. Blue-black fruit is

attractive to wildlife. There are 10 species of viburnum

native to Missouri.

Information sources: Missour i Wildflowers by Edgar

Denison

Top picture courtesy of Missouri Department of Conservation &

bottom picture from Missouri Botanical Garden

Rosemary, photo courtesy of Missouri

Botanical Garden

While the name implies they are a pest of cucumbers, they also feed on many other plants. Cucurbit

species are their favorite, including cucumber, cantaloupe, winter squash, pumpkin, gourds, summer

squash, and watermelon. They will also feed on beans, corn, peanuts, potatoes, and other crops and weed

species. Cucumber beetles are native to the US from Canada to Mexico. There are two types of cucumber

beetle: striped and spotted.

They are one of the biggest concerns in cucurbit

production because they can cause four types of

damage: seedling destruction, flower and foliage

damage, root feeding, and transmission of bacterial

wilt disease. They can be an early season pest, starting

with adults feeding on seedlings. They will feed on

newly emerged cotyledons and stems, even going

below ground level to feed on plants as they emerge.

Adults will lay eggs in the soil near the seedlings and

larvae will hatch and feed on the roots. Typically,

larvae damage to the roots is minor unless under dry conditions. The first generation of adults that feeds

on flowers and foliage emerge in early summer. The foliage damage is usually minor but heavy feeding

on the flowers can lead to poor fruit set. Another generation emerges later in the growing season.

The fourth kind of damage is the most severe and is why the threshold for cucumber beetles is very low.

They can carry and transmit bacterial wilt. Bacterial wilt can kill many plants in a field and drastically

reduce yield. Both stripped and spotted cucumber beetles have similar life cycles and both can carry the

bacterial wilt. They are not equal, however, when it comes to their rating as a pest on cucurbits. The

spotted cucumber beetle is a general

feeder and a pest in other crops as

well as cucurbits. It is not as serious

of a pest as the striped cucumber

beetle because the striped feeds

almost exclusively on cucurbits.

Bacterial wilt is transmitted through

feeding, typically starting on a single

leaf and spreading to the entire plant.

Bacterial wilt is a serious disease of

cucumber and muskmelon, then to a

lesser extent, pumpkin and squash.

Control measures are usually needed to keep ahead of cucumber beetle damage. Row covers provide a

barrier to keep out beetles. Just remember that bees are needed for pollination in most cucurbit crops so

barriers can only be used a short time unless bumblebees are introduced to low tunnel covers. Trap crops

can give some degree of control. Trap crops are where an insect feeds on a crop that is not used for

production and where they can be controlled by insecticides without spraying the desirable crop.

Insecticides are often necessary to control this pest.

The Garden Spade September 2019 · 6

Growing Winter Onions Rennie Phillips, Scott County Master Gardener

Cucumber Beetles Katie Kammler, MU Extension Field Specialist in Horticulture

Adult cucumber beetles appear in the field early and feed on young seedlings. They continue to feed on all parts of the plant throughout the season.

Cucumber beetles are one-quarter-inch-long beetles with either 12 spots (left picture) or three black stripes (right picture) on their abdomens. Both species can overwinter in Missouri and become active in April when daytime temperatures exceed 55 degrees F.

The Garden Spade

September 2019 · 7

Upcoming Events

September 2019

7-14 SEMO District Fair, Cape Girardeau, MO.

20-21 East Perry Community Fair, “The Best Little Fair in the Land”, Altenburg, MO.

17 Growing and Using Herbs at the Madison County Extension Office in Fredericktown. Fee: $5 Register by September 13 to 573-783-3303

October 2019

10 Introduction to Women Owning Woodlands Program at the Progress Spor ts Complex in Ste. Genevieve Community Center in Ste. Genevieve. For more information and registration, contact Sarah Havens, havens@missouri.edu or 573-458-6252

15 Introduction to Greenhouses and Hightunnels at the Madison County Extension Office in Fredericktown. Fee: $5 Register by calling 573-783-3303

Eye Catching Flower

Appeal Donna Aufdenberg, MU Extension Field

Specialist in Horticulture

Click on blue underlined link to be taken to a corresponding website...

vertical support.

Incorporate planters and containers into

landscaped areas. Containers can be used

to add “pops” of color here or there.

They can also be used in newly planted

areas where instant color is needed.

In bare or underdeveloped areas, utilize

groundcovers. They can also work

around stepping stones and at the edges

of beds. Creeping thyme, sweet

woodruff, wild ginger and low growing

sedums are good examples.

Plant pollinator attracting flowers.

Butterflies, moths and small pollinators

are full of activity in gardens and draw

the eye to the flowers. In planting

pollinator plants, you are providing

beauty as well as doing a good thing for

the environment.

Choose quality

transplants.

Problems can

follow you for

years if plants do

not have a good start. Buy early for best

selection.

Buying transplants can be expensive.

Consider sowing seeds in order to get

more plants with less cost but be careful

not to sow to thick. Seedlings too close

together become thin spindly plants that

never do well.

Keep an eye on maintenance. When

flowers are planted in mass, competition

for space, sunlight, moisture, and

nutrients are important to monitor.

Keeping fertility up will help keep

flowers performing their best.

Continued from page 4

The glory of gardening; hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul.

~Alfred Austin

Garden Quote

The Garden Spade

Anthracnose

Kelly McGowan, MU Extension Field Specialist in Horticulture

Anthracnose is a common fungal disease that can affect many species

of plants including trees, shrubs, fruits, vegetables, and turfgrass. A

group of fungi including Colletotrichum sp., Kabatiella sp., Elsinoe and

Apiognomonia sp. causes anthracnose. It is most prevalent in years

with cool spring temperatures combined with overcast skies and plenty

of rain.

Anthracnose typically effects

the above ground portion of

plants and can be diagnosed by

the presence of dark, sunken

lesions on leaves, stems,

flowers and fruits. Symptoms

can vary from plant to plant.

Trees with heavy infection can

prematurely drop leaves and

sometimes become almost

completely defoliated. This

commonly occurs on Eastern

Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)

and American Sycamore

(Platanus occidentalis) which

often drops leaves in late

summer. Although alarming to

see excess leaf drop, this

condition rarely kills the tree.

Disease management can be

done by pruning out

symptomatic areas. Make sure

to disinfect pruning tools between cuts and between plants to prevent

contamination to new areas. Anthracnose overwinters on infected plant

material and spores can spread by wind and water. Cleaning and

disposing of lawn and garden debris at the end of the growing season

can be helpful. Avoid adding any type of diseased plant material to the

compost pile as many diseases can survive the composting process.

Fungicides can be applied to trees and shrubs before spring bud-break

and continued throughout the growing season. Early detection and

overall healthy plants are the best defense against anthracnose. Scout

your plants on a regular basis and contact your local MU Extension

office with any questions. Samples may also be submitted to the MU

Plant Diagnostic Clinic (there is a fee for this service) to confirm

diagnosis.

September 2019 · 8

Published monthly by University of

Missouri Extension Faculty for

individuals and families living state-

wide in Missouri. This newsletter is

provided by your local Extension

Specialists and Extension Councils.

Newsletter Editors:

Donna Aufdenberg

MU Extension Field Specialist in

Horticulture

Jackson, MO

573-243-3581

aufdenbergd@missouri.edu

Katie Kammler

MU Extension Field Specialist in

Horticulture

Ste. Genevieve, MO

573-883-3548

kammlerk@missouri.edu

Kelly McGowan

MU Extension Field Specialist in

Horticulture

Springfield, MO

417-874-2965

mcgowank@missouri.edu

The Garden Spade

Each month there is a title picture

on the front cover of the newsletter.

This month: Liatris, Rudbeckia

and Rattlesnake Master

Anthracnose on ash leaves (photo credit: MU-Plant Diagnostic Clinic)

Anthracnose on black walnut (photo credit: Lorraine Graney, Bartlett Tree

Experts Bugwood.org)