Rick Durham, Consumer Horticulture Extension Specialist, University of Kentucky
 

Japanese beetles.

Japanese beetles were introduced into this country in the early part of this century and have now become well established in the Eastern United States. Both adults and larvae cause damage to landscape plants. The adults have a very wide host range meaning they will feed on many different types of plants. Some reports indicate that the adults will feed on up to 300 different species, even poison ivy! The larvae, or grubs are more selective and feed on the roots of grass species. This root feeding reduces the grass's ability to take up water resulting in the grass being more susceptible to the hot dry conditions typical of summer. Heavy infestations that are not controlled may result in large patches of dead grass. Birds may also cause damage to lawns as they dig and extract grubs from the soil. So, what is to be done about these pesky insects? There are several approaches one may take in attempting to control these insects. Physical control measures (manually removing beetles from plants) should be implemented as soon as possible once beetle appear since the presence of a few beetles on a plant tends to attract more beetles to the same plant. If infestations are relatively light, the beetles can be removed by hand or shaken off the plant onto a bed sheet, towel or newspaper below. The best time to remove Japanese beetles in this manner is in the cool of the morning when the insects are less active. Once the beetles have been collected they can be killed by placing them in a solution of water and bleach or water and kerosine. Another way to control Japanese beetles is aimed at controlling the larval stage, the grubs. A bacterium called milky spore (sold under various trade names) can be applied to turf but this approach has been met with mixed success. Even if the treatment does control grubs in turf, which in and of itself is important, there is nothing to prevent beetles from flying in from neighboring yards to infest your ornamentals. The same can be said for chemical treatments of lawns. Another approach has been the use of Japanese beetle attractants that lure the insects to traps where they are captured. Unfortunately, these attractants work too well and often attract more insects than are captured. If you prefer to use insecticides, several are effective against Japanese beetles. Contact your local county extension agent for current insecticide recommendations and read and follow label directions when applying.
 

Vegetable garden tips.

The last of the spring crops (greens, broccoli, cabbage, etc.) will soon be harvested from the vegetable garden so its time to start thinking about succession planting. Succession planting can be defined as when another seed or transplant immediately takes the place of a harvested plant. Rather than let this space go idle and allow weeds to get established, why not plant another crop in this space that can mature before the end of the growing season. Soil is most easily works a few days after a rain or irrigation and it is wise to apply some complete fertilizer or compost to restore soil fertility. There are several crops to choose from like green beans, lima beans, peppers, summer squash, sweet corn, and Swiss chard, to name a few. If the crop is frost sensitive, check the "days to maturity" information on the seed packet to make sure it will have enough time to mature. Some vegetables, such as squash and cucumbers, may be difficult to grow as late-season crops due to heavy insect pressure during the late summer and fall. A little planning will allow you to harvest vegetables throughout the summer and well into the fall.
 
 

Special water concerns on vegetables.

Most of us tend to think that vegetables will produce their best quality fruit only when given adequate water throughout the growing season. While it is important that vegetables be well watered as they are becoming established and during flowering, sometimes the best quality garden products result when water is somewhat limiting. Here are some guidelines regarding summer watering in the vegetable garden:

• Most vegetables need a good supply of soil moisture before and during flowering and also during fruit development. For crops such as cabbage and broccoli, this period is during establishment and head development. One to two inches of water per week (natural rainfall or supplemental irrigation) should be sufficient for most vegetables during this time.
• For vegetables that are harvested continually, such as eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, summer squash, and green beans, it is important to keep an adequate supply of water to the plant that ensures fairly even soil moisture throughout the growing season. This will keep plants productive for a longer period of time.
• Water should be withheld from potatoes once the vines have begun to die down. The tubers beneath the soil are entering dormancy and excess water or fertilizer may cause regrowth or cracking of the potatoes making them less suitable for storage.
• Melons will produce sweeter fruit when kept a little drier once the fruit has reached about ½ their expected final size. Don't cut off water completely, still provide ½ to 1 inch of water per week. Heavy rain or irrigation when the melons are nearly mature will dilute the fruit's sugar. Watermelons will reconcentrate the sugar is left on the vine a little longer. Muskmelons, however, are less apt to do this.
• Okra tends to produce more leaves than pods when over watered.

Sprig was a great time for most house plants to recover from the dreary days of winter. However, too much of a good thing can cause problems. This was the case at my house with my African violets. My plants are growing in a south facing window and did absolutely fabulous during winter and spring. However, in early June I started to see scorched leaves on plants that were located closest to the window. This means that sunlight is getting to intense for these plants that like many other houseplants are naturally adapted to shady conditions. My solution was to move the plants to the east side of this south-facing window and away from the window pane so that they would get less direct sun during the late morning hours. One could also partially close blinds or pull a sheer curtain to block some of the light intensity, or move plants to an east- or west-facing window. Remember that with increased sunlight and heat, the plants will need watering more often. They may also benefit from more frequent fertilization-follow fertilizer label recommendations.