When you forget to water your Hanging Basket

Oh, it’s happened to all of us. You come home from work to find your hanging baskets sadly wilting, seemlingly haning on for dear life. It’s easily done when containers are full to bursting point with lush summer annuals and you weren’t there to water them just when they needed it.

A quick drink is often all it takes to restore plants, but if the compost is very dry, water tends to "run off," so give small amounts and let each dose soak in before repeating the process. It also helps to spray wilting plants over with water, as a quick reviver. They’ll usually be back to normal the following morning.

But more drastic treatment is called for when a hanging basket has dried out so badly that the soil shrinks away from the sides of the container and the plants are almost on their last legs. The best remedy in cases like this is to lift the basket down, move it into the shade, and stand it in a bowl of water for five or six hours – overnight if it’s easier – while the compost re-hydrates thoroughly. But those plants will inevitably have suffered some damage.

When soil turns bone-dry it shrinks, stripping away a lot of tiny root hairs; since those are the ones that take up water, affected plants need intensive care while they recover. The trick is to reduce the leafy area of the plant by about a third, so it doesn’t lose as much moisture from transpiration as usual – simply prune any stems that are clearly past saving plus any that will tidy up the shape of the plant.

That done, treat your plant to a few days of light regular watering – still in the shade – while they replace lost roots, then give them a foliar feed. (Use liquid seaweed extract or one of the foliar feeds from a garden center; since the nutrients are taken in through the leaves, the plant still benefits even if the roots are a tad frail).

After two or three weeks an affected basket will look nearly as good as new. But you’ll need to take special care over deadheading from then on to prevent plants running to seed prematurely – it’s their natural reaction to a sudden drought, since they are trying to reproduce themselves before they die.

Chinch Bugs

The recent prevalence of chinch bugs in the Chicagoland area prompts me to share more information about this insect and its effects.

The drought has created conditions conducive to the appearance of chinch bug damage in turf. Chinch bugs are typically not much of a turf problem in Illinois, being more of a pest problem in the Great Plains region.

One reason chinch bug doesn't typically thrive in our region is that it is attacked by a naturally occurring fungal pathogen, Beauvaria bassiana. This causes all stages (eggs, nymphs, and adults) to be killed and covered with fine white fungal strands.  Most fungi do better under cool, moist conditions. In Illinois, we typically get enough rainfall throughout the season that the fungus controls the chinch bugs for us.  With the recent drought conditions and higher than normal temperatures, this naturally occurring deterrent isn't working.

Another reason chinch bugs attack turf grasses is the abundance of nitrogen from fertilizer applications. Chinch bugs,like many insects, reproduce more on plants containing high levels of nitrogen.

Being cold-blooded animals, chinch bugs also grow faster and reproduce more at higher temperatures, particularly those in the 80 degree Fahrenheit range.  Think about how many days we have had over 80 degrees lately!

How to identify it?  Chinch bug damage is usually first detected when irregular patches of turf begin to turn yellow then straw colored. The straw colored areas may be completely dead. These patches continue to become larger in spite of watering.

Feeding by chinch bugs blocks the water and food conducting vessels of grass stems. By blocking the water, the leaves wither as in drought and the manufactured food doesn't get to the roots. The result is plant death.

Our concern right now is that many municipalities have instituted watering bans, resulting in dormant areas of turf in lawns that are not getting enough water.  As summer progresses there may be areas of lawn that are infested with chinch bugs that might be perceived as just dormant grass.

Our crew leaders and superintendents will be on the look out for areas of concern and performing tests to locate potential infestations, but be on the look out yourself.  Are straw like areas "growing?"  Are they staying brown even after diligent watering?  If either of these questions are yes, contact your landscape professional immediately.

Last year I lost 70,000 sf of turf in a month due to the severity of a chinch bug infestation that went unnoticed.  I'm very sensitive to making certain that does not happen again.

Japanese Beetles

So I am outside last night making certain the vegetable garden is getting enough water while harvesting Italian Sweet Peppers for dinner...normal night for me really.

As I'm inspecting the tomato progress I notice that the one rose I have decided to plant on my entire property (a climber...Rosa 'Brite Eyes') has a number of buds that look promising after my last deadheading.  One however seemed to be moving.  Oh, great.

I am not a bug lover.  I greatly appreciate their value to the overall ecosystem, but that being said...I do not nor will I ever see any redeeming value in a Japanese beetle.

They are difficult to control, do a lot of damage to roses and other standard varietals.  Actually that is why I only have one rose.  Only one, because I didn't want to invite them or their larval form, the grub, into my lovely little landscape.

That being said, here are some recommendations for getting rid of them, should you see them.  In the meantime, I might just dig up that rose...

Hand Picking

If Japanese beetle infestations are light, the safest and most inexpensive route to killing the beetles is to pick them off the plants by hand and drop them into a bucket of soapy water (or my family in Indiana used gasoine).

Pesticides
A number of pesticides are available against Japanese beetles. Some ingredients to look for on pesticide packaging include carbaryl, acephate, and permethrin.

Organic, neem-based pesticides can also provide good control, as can insecticidal soaps.

Note: Insecticidal soaps will kill the beetles, but don't provide any ongoing protection to your plants.

 

Get Rid of Grubs

While it's the adult Japanese beetles that cause the most damage, their larval form -- grubs -- can also cause lawn problems. If your lawn has a grub infestation, treating for the grubs will kill most of them before they can emerge as adult beetles.

A number of grub-killing products are quite effective. There are also organic options including beneficial nematodes.

Kill Them Quickly

The beetles release chemicals called pheromones into the air. These pheromones attract other beetles. So if you see a few of the bugs, they'll probably attract more. Get rid of Japanese beetles early, before they can invite more of their friends to feed on your plants.

Avoid Traps

University research indicates that using Japanese beetle traps can actually make problems worse. The traps are intended to trap and kill the beetles in your yard. However, they use pheromones to attract the beetles to the traps. And these pheromones bring more beetles into your yard than the traps can catch.

Timing

Japanese beetles tend to be most active when temperatures are over 85 degrees Fahrenheit and the air is relatively still. Be especially watchful for new beetles coming into your yard during these conditions.