Green Industry Update Scheduled for Sept. 30

A Green Industry Update, offered through UGA Extension in Cobb County, is scheduled for Tuesday, September 30, 2014. Recertification credits are offered in the following categories:

21, 23, 24, 27 -- 3 credits

Private -- 1 credit

ISA - 1.75 2.5 (updated on 9/2/14)

8:30 - 9:00 a.m.- registration
9:00 a.m. - noon - workshop

Topics:
Reduce Pest Problems with Proper Tree Selection and Planting, by Joe Burgess, Senior Forester, Georgia Forestry Commission
Control Spring Turf Diseases with Fall Fungicide Applications, by Neil Tarver, Cobb County Horticulture Agent, UGA Extension in Cobb County
Interpreting Pesticide Labels is Key to Pesticide Safety, by Milton (Mickey) Taylor, PhD Pesticide Safety Education Program, UGA Dept. of Entomology

Cost:  $10 per person, payable at the door. Location:  Cobb County Water System Lab Training Room, 662 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, GA, 30060 For Information or to Preregister:  email cornelius.tarver@cobbcounty.org or call 770-528-4070.

Orange Caterpillar with Black Spikes

Most gardeners are happy to see butterflies in the garden; the winged insects are often cheerfully colorful, and they may serve as pollinators that help the flowers produce seeds and fruit. Many gardeners, though, are less happy to see the larvae of these butterflies, because they can be such voracious eaters of our beautiful plants. Also, some caterpillars may seem to be less attractive than the adults they will eventually become.

The larval/caterpillar stage of the Gulf fritillary butterfly is one such example. A gardener's first reaction on seeing such a spiky creature might be to wonder, "Does it sting?" The good news is that it doesn't.

Gulf fritillary caterpillar on passionflower vine.  PHOTO/courtesy Amy W.

The University of Florida has described the Gulf fritillary on its Featured Creatures pages, and its description includes the information that the caterpillars are found primarily on passionflower vines. The page adds, "Larvae may feed on all parts of the plant and can rapidly defoliate host vines." 

For fuller information about the butterfly and its other stages, including its migration and overwintering habits, visit the above linked page.

Upcoming Events

Seeding Fescue Lawns: Techniques for Terrific Turf

Thursday, Aug 21, 6:30-8:00 p.m. County Horticulture Agent Neil Tarver will teach the essentials of seeding, overseeding, and maintaining your fescue lawn, at UGA Extension/Cobb County, second floor, 678 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, GA, 30060. Free and open to the public, but please preregister by calling 770-528-4070, or email Cornelius.tarver@cobbcounty.org.

All About Bluebirds - and More

Tuesday, Sept. 9, 7:00-8:00 p.m.  Presented by Master Gardener Jim Bearden as part of the ongoing Gardeners Night Out presentation series of the Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County, at West Cobb Regional Library, 1750 Dennis Kemp LN, NW, Kennesaw, 30152. Free and open to the public.

Thyme to Read

Friday, Sept. 12, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. Monthly meeting of garden-oriented book club, sponsored by Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County, will be held at the Training Room of the Cobb County Water lab, 662 South Cobb Drive (at the intersection with Atlanta Rd.).  September’s book will be A Walk in the Woods, by Bill Bryson. Free and open to the public. (October’s book will be The Forgotten Garden, by Kate Morton.)

The Joy of Bluebirds

Friday, Sept. 12, Noon-1:00 p.m. Presented by Master Gardener Jim Bearden as part of the ongoing Lunch & Learn series of the Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County, at the Training Room of the Cobb County Water lab, 662 South Cobb Drive (at the intersection with Atlanta Rd.). Free and open to the public.

Indoor Plants

Thursday, September 18, 10:30 a.m. to Noon. Presented by Cobb Extension horticulture staff member Amy Whitney, at UGA Extension/Cobb County, second floor, 678 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, GA, 30060. Free and open to the public, but please preregister by calling 770-528-4070.

ALSO, come to the Marietta Square Farmer’s Market and meet Cobb Extension staff and some of our Master Gardener Extension Volunteers. We will be there on August 30 to answer questions on canning, food preservation, lawns and gardens. Bring sick plants (or large pieces of them) for help with diagnosis and treatment options, and bring bugs for identification.

ALSO, applications for the January 2015 Master Gardener class are now being accepted. Visit the website of UGA Extension in Cobb County to download an application.

Armyworms On the Move

Fall army worm PHOTO/Kris Braman, UGA Entomologist

Armyworms can eat a lot of turfgrass as they march through a lawn.  The idea that "armies march on their stomachs" goes double for these caterpillar pests!

The recent article "Fall Armyworms in Turf," by UGA's Will Hudson, Cherie Abraham, and Kris Braman,  which appeared in UGA's Landscape Alert Newsletter, explains that these pests typically just make the lawn look ragged.

However, it adds that "newly sodded or sprigged areas can be more severely damaged or even killed."

It goes on to explain that some grasses are more susceptible to damage than others:

"At least some cultivars of all warm season grasses are susceptible. Cool season grasses like tall fescue are very favorable for fall armyworm growth and development too, and do not regenerate as readily as the stoloniferous grasses."

 Armyworms tend to be more active late in the day and at night, so they might not be readily apparent when a homeowner is out looking at a damaged lawn during the day.

A 2012 Georgia FACES article by Adam Speir on fall armyworms mentions that an inverted Y-shape on the head of the caterpillar is an identifying feature, and that these caterpillars also can cause considerable damage to agricultural fields.

For lawns as for fields, scouting for the pests if their presence is suspected can prevent a lot of potential damage. For homeowners, this is the recommendation for finding the armyworms: "If there is any doubt about whether worms are present, pouring soapy water on the grass (1/2 oz. dishwashing soap/gallon water) will bring them up very quickly. Heavily infested turf will also have visible greenish-black fecal pellets on the soil surface. Other indicators of armyworm infestations may include birds or even paper wasps that use the fall armyworms as food."

For fuller explanations of the lifecycle or control recommendations for this pest, read the above-linked articles or check with your local extension office.