July 2018 Volume 2, Issue 2

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Spring Bulbs ............................2

Fall Gardeners Fest. .................2

Spider Mites .............................3

Crape myrtles ..........................3

Lawn Care ...............................3

Soil Improvement . ..................3

Mosquitos ................................4

FRESH PICKS

Summer Tips

Pest Solutions

Garden Planning

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

This quarter’s newsletter was made possible by the collaboration of

three members of the 2018 Coffee County Master Gardener Trainee

Class. I hope you enjoy this edition and will follow our class on

Facebook at www.facebook.com/TEMGCC for updates on all the work

they are doing in the community.

Happy Gardening,

Anna Duncan

Extension Agent

SUMMER GARDENING

T he summer heat can cause even the most enthusiastic gardeners

to neglect their gardens in favor of time spent in the shade with

a cold glass of sweet tea. However, it is imperative that extra care be

taken to ensure your plants’ survival into the fall. Early in the

mornings or later in the afternoons, be sure to visually evaluate your

plants. Check for signs of distress such as discoloration, leaf curling,

tip dieback, stippling, etc. Also, grab any fruits or vegetables that are

ready! While you’re there, pull weeds and discard or lay aside for

mulch if no seed heads are present.

Water slowly and frequently during the summer months. Concentrate

on the roots and be careful not to add too much water at one time. If

you can, it is best to water early in the morning to give the plants time

to absorb as much moisture as possible before the temperatures top

out for the day. This also diminishes the risk of fungal or mildew

growth from moisture that accumulates on the foliage and sits over-

night. If you do water in the evening, do so before dark and be careful

not to soak the foliage.

The only other task for the summer garden is to enjoy the beautiful

colors and fresh vegetables!

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I n the heat of the summer, it may seem hard to even imagine that fall

is anywhere in sight, but now is the time to start thinking about what

we want to plant this fall to have color in our yards and gardens come

spring. Bulbs are a great, low maintenance way to spruce up your

surroundings. Plus, spending a nice afternoon in the air conditioning,

planning for next year sounds like a nice idea, right?

There are many great places to acquire your bulbs such as local hardware

stores, farm supply stores or big box retail stores. Many of us order

seeds in the winter months and those seed catalogs often contain bulbs

as well, but you can order them now. My favorite way to acquire new

bulbs is from friends or neighbors who may be thinning out or

revamping their garden and are looking for a good home for some of

their existing bulbs. Now is a great time to let them that you would be

glad to help them! Or, if you have plants that are well established, you

can likely divide them and harvest new bulbs to expand your garden.

It is a good idea to divide existing bulbs every 3-5 years to prevent

overcrowding and encourage more blooms. It is best to wait until the

plants have started “dying back” and are no longer blooming before

dividing them.

Tulips, iris, lilies, hyacinths and daffodils are just a few ideas for some

fairly easy to grow, beautiful ways to add a “pop” of color to your land-

scape. And, don’t forget the magnificent elephant ears for some beauty

without flowers. They make a nice backdrop for your other plants!

-Kim Smythia, Master Gardener in Training

For more information on flower selection, bulb division, and more,

review the University of Tennessee publication titled, “Flowering Bulbs

for Tennessee Gardens” by visiting https://extension.tennessee.edu/

publications/Documents/pb1610.pdf or requesting more information

from the UT/TSU Extension Office.

BULBS, CONTINUED

SPRING FLOWERING BULB SELECTION AND DIVISION

28 August

FALL GARDENERS’ FESTIVAL

Enjoy a fun and

educational field day at

the Plateau Research

and Education Center

on August 28th starting

at 8:30 a.m.!

For more information

visit ccmga.org or

plateau.tennessee.edu .

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CRAPEMYRTLES

July is a good time to buy

crape myrtles. They are in

flower now, so you can be

certain to get the flower

color you want.

Crape myrtles should not be

fertilized after mid-July to

allow them time to properly

harden off by fall.

-UT Gardens

SUMMER LAWN CARE

Raise the height of your

mower to reduce stress on

your lawn and to conserve

moisture in the ground. For

best results, mow 2 inches

for Bermuda grass, 1-2

inches for zoysia, and 2.5-3

inches for fescue.

-UT Gardens

SOIL IMPROVEMENT

Worm castings are an all-

natural plant fertilizer that

enhances growth in all types

of plants while repelling

some harmful insects. The

castings stimulate growth by

aerating the soil and

providing a boost of calcium,

iron, potassium, sulfur and

phosphorus. Worm

castings make soil more

absorbent, keeping the soil

soft and moist helping to

prevent soil from drying out

over the hot summer

months. As an amendment,

castings don’t smell strong

nor will they burn plants.

-Betty Hand,

Master Gardener

in Training

SPIDER MITES AND ORNAMENTALS

D uring a routine check of my landscape plantings, I was faced with a

large spider mite infestation on my pygmy barberry bushes. This

was a total surprise to me as the plants have been thriving for the past 3

– 4 years and looked quite healthy as recently as only a week ago. Spider

mites can be devastating to landscape ornamentals causing widespread

damage in a short period of time especially in the hot and dry months of

summer.

The first step in controlling a spider mite infestation is through proper

detection and maintenance. An initial indication of spider mites is the

appearance of small, lightly colored spots on the leaves. As the spider

mite population grows, the infestation can be easily recognized by the

webbing that it creates on the lower stem and leaves of the plant. To

prevent a large-scale infestation, inspect all plants especially new ones

by:

Quarantining any plants with signs of infestation.

Examine the underside of the lower leaves and stems for webbing.

Inspect the entire plant with a magnifying glass as an adult mite is

only about 1/50th of an inch in size and virtually invisible to the

naked eye.

Control of spider mites can be problematic after an infestation as regular

insecticides are ineffective against them. Control options include

predators, organic pesticide control, and chemical pesticide control.

There are numerous insects that prey on spider mites. The most common

available for purchase are other types of mites. An excellent choice for

landscape plantings is the Galendromus occidentalis that hunts and

feeds on web spinning mites. These can quickly clear a large infested

area and do not pose any danger to ornamental plants.

Organic pesticide control options are insecticidal/miticidal oils and

soaps. Horticultural soaps can be used on perennial and woody

ornamentals in the summer months, but should not be used on flowers

which they can damage. Horticultural oils come in two varieties,

petroleum based or plant based. Sunspray is a good example of an

effective petroleum based product, whereas neem oil is an excellent plant

based solution.

Chemical pesticide control can be risky as it can attack beneficial mite

predators and essentially compound the problem. As mites are not

technically insects, but arachnids, they require a different type of

treatment. Contact the UT/TSU Extension Office for more information

on this control method.

-Ted Wilson, Master Gardener in Training

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE

HORTICULTURE NEWS!

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/COFFEECOEXT

Your Extension Office is a great

resource for all your horticultural

needs. We can provide you with

university publications, research-

based insights, and educational

opportunities that will help you to

be a more informed and confident

home owner, gardener, and plant

enthusiast. Give us a call or stop in

and visit us today!

UT-TSU Extension Coffee County

1331 McArthur St Manchester, TN 37355 Phone: 931-723-5141 Fax: 931-728-3625

Anna Duncan- Extension Agent

E-mail: aduncan@utk.edu

REPELLING MOSQUITOS WITH PLANTS

W ith the summer months upon us, it is prime

time to be enjoying our outdoor living spaces.

Unfortunately, many times that pleasure is interrupted

by pesky mosquitoes. There are a number of plants

that can deter mosquitoes and hence are great

companion plants in your gardens. While you must crush the leaves of

some plants to release the essential oils that repel insects, some plants have

unique and beneficial characteristics that naturally deter bothersome

insects. The most common of these is Citronella Grass that belongs to the

lemon grass family and is used in several commercial insect repellent

products. The lemon scented flower which is reminiscent of citronella grass

is good for repelling mosquitoes and other bugs like the cabbage worm and

the Japanese beetle. Several culinary herbs can be used to deter mosquitos

such as Lemon Thyme, Rosemary, Sage and Basil. Sage is not only known

to repel flies but cabbage moths, carrot flies and black flea beetles, and

Rosemary is known to repel fleas and mosquitoes. So consider integrating

some of these plants into your garden as a deterrent to mosquitoes and

other uninvited guests!

-Betty Hand, Master Gardener in Training