Rough Year for Boxwoods in Cobb County

Recently, we have seen a lot of troubled Boxwood shrubs, brought in by County residents, here at the Cobb County Cooperative Extension office. Several samples have been sent to UGA's pathology lab, and although a couple of reports have listed disease pathogens such as Volutella as causing some of the trouble, others have cited root problems as the likeliest cause of decline for the sample.

In particular, wet conditions (remember all that rain we had in spring and early summer?) leading to root decay was noted in more than one report.

Virginia Cooperative Extension's publication Selecting Landscape Plants: Boxwoods explains how to select, plant, and care for Boxwood shrubs, and it includes this information about tolerance of Boxwoods to moist soil conditions:

"Boxwoods can grow in a variety of soil textures (relative amounts of sand, silt, and clay), but too much sand (a low water-holding content) or too much clay (too high a water-holding content and too low an air-holding content) should be avoided. A soil that is well-drained is essential; thus, low areas of the landscape that tend to stay moist or wet do not support boxwood growth."

In other words, Boxwoods are not at all tolerant of soil that doesn't drain well and that stays wet for extended time periods. If more Boxwoods out there are struggling, a closer look at the soil conditions might show that poor drainage is part of the problem.

In addition to being a little bit finicky about soil conditions, Boxwood shrubs here in North Georgia have a full measure of pest and disease problems, but Virginia Cooperative Extension's Boxwoods information page notes that deer typically don't eat boxwood, making it an attractive choice for neighborhoods that are troubled by deer.

For those whose Boxwoods are not doing well right now, Clemson University's publication Boxwood Diseases and Insect Pests contains helpful descriptions and photos of commonly seen Boxwood problems.

UGA's Landscape Alert October 18 blog post Boxwood Blight Update by pathologist Jean Williams Woodward tells about a fairly alarming new Boxwood Blight that has not yet made it to Georgia. The update (click on the linked title to see the original blog post) contains photos and a full description, along with tips that can help keep this disease out of our landscapes. This is the "bottom line" in preventing the spread of this fast-moving disease:

"You won’t get this disease if you don’t bring in any boxwoods. The spores are not wind-borne; they are water-splashed and carried on plants, people, tools, and animals. If you do bring in boxwood plants, make sure they come from a nursery certified to be free of Boxwood Blight."

Specifically, to reduce the spread of this disease, Woodward suggests disinfecting tools that are used on or around Boxwoods and considering propagating your own plants from Boxwoods that are known to be free of this new Blight.

For all Boxwood problems, prevention through appropriate variety selection and careful planting-site preparation and maintenance practices are key to our being able to enjoy healthy, beautiful plants in our landscapes for years to come.

High Tunnel Organic Vegetable Production Workshop

High tunnel organic vegetable production workshop

Monday, December 16, 2013

Olin Tatum Agricultural Building at Stiles Auditorium

320 W. Cherokee Ave.

Cartersville, GA 30120

12:30 - 1:00 p.m.     Registration (be sure to eat lunch before you arrive); check in at Stiles Auditorium

1:00 - 2:00 p.m.       Organic Vegetable Production and Variety Selection; Dr. George Boyhan, UGA Vegetable Specialist

2:00 - 3:00 p.m.      High Tunnel Production and Irrigation Setup; Dr. Tim Coolong, UGA Extension Vegetable Specialist

3:00 - 3:15 p.m.      Break

3:15 - 4:15 p.m.     Soil Fertility and Organic Systems Management; Julia Gaskin, UGA Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator

4:15 - 5:15 p.m.     Organic Disease Control; Dr. Elizabeth Little, UGA Extension Plant Pathologist

5:15 - 5:30 p.m.     Break

5:30 - 6:30 p.m.    Organic Certification; Johnny Luke, Georgia Crop Improvement Association

6:30 - 7:00 p.m.    Wrap-up and Evaluation

Preregistration is Required by Friday, December 13, 2013

Cost is $10 per person payable to Bartow County 4-H

Check and registration information (click on link to go to the registration form) can be mailed to 

Bartow County Cooperative Extension

320 W. Cherokee Ave., Room 112

Cartersville, GA 30120

Call 770-387-5142, FAX 770-386-3488, or email uge1015@uga.edu for additional information.

Winterizing Trees

Kim Coder, professor of Tree Biology and Health Care with UGA's Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, has published a list of steps homeowners can take to help insure that their trees make it safely through the winter dormant season.

The list has been posted on the Landscape Alert blog of UGA's Cooperative Extension. This is Coder's “Top 10 List” of things you can do to winterize your trees:

1. Remove or correct structural faults and deadwood that are clearly visible. Try to make small pruning cuts that minimize the exposure of the central heartwood core on branches.
2. Properly prune branches that will touch the ground when loaded with rain and snow. Foliage and branches that are in contact with soil can invite undesirable pests and problems.
3. Remove damaged and declining twigs, branches, and bark. Do not leave pests food and shelter for the winter.
4. Remove any new sprouts that have grown at the tree base, or along stems and branches. Pruning should conserve as many living branches as possible with only a few selective cuts.
5. Spread a thin layer of composted organic mulch to blanket the soil. Cover an area at least as large as the branch spread. Mulch is nature’s of recycling valuable materials, but be careful of pests hitching a ride.
6. Properly wrap new trees that have not developed a corky bark and could be easily damaged. Mechanical injury from the environment, including chewing and rubbing by animals, must be prevented.
7. Aerate soils if they are compacted and poorly drained. It is critical not to damage tree roots in the soil. Saturated and dense soil can suffocate roots.
8. Fertilize with all the essential elements, if they are in short supply within the soil. Be sure to go lightly with nitrogen, especially under large, mature trees and around newly planted trees.
9. Watering may be needed where soils are cool but not frozen, and there has been little precipitation. Winter droughts need treatment with water the same as summer droughts, except it is much easier to over-water in winter.

New Help for School Gardens

UGA has created a new online resource center to to help teachers use school gardens to enhance student learning.  The Georgia FACES article "School Garden Curriculum Resource Center helps teachers use school gardens" describes the free resource, which offers lesson plans for Kindergarten through Eighth grade, and the plans follow the curriculum prescribed in the Georgia Performance Standards.

David Knauft, a professor of horticulture at UGA, collected and adapted the school garden lesson plans with the help of former agriculture teacher Alicia Holloway in order to make it easier for teachers to use their school gardens or to start new gardens.

"During his research, Knauft found many teachers didn’t feel they had time to work gardening into their teaching day and didn’t have the support they needed to maintain the gardens.

'We conducted four focus groups with teachers, administrators and volunteers across Georgia, asking them about the value of the gardens and what we could do to help,' Knauft said. 'They said that providing information to help establish and grow their gardens and how to work them into the existing curriculum, so that they could more easily use the gardens, would make a big difference.'”

In addition to the lesson plans, The School Garden Resource Center (click on the linked name to go to the site) also includes comprehensive information about starting and maintaining a school garden and information about grants and funding sources.

A Week of Holiday Inspirations!

Join Us For A Week of Holiday Inspirations

Drop by our office on Tuesday, November 5th from 12:00pm-2:00pm, to see our holiday displays and to get ideas that will spark your holiday spirit.

Come back on Thursday night, November 7th, for the “Glitter and Greenery” class from 6:00pm-8:00pm. Learn how to take care of your holiday plants and trees, how to make wonderful herb flavored vinegars for gift giving, and much more. Registration is required.

On Saturday, November 9th, from 10:00am-2:00pm, we will have demonstrations on decorating Christmas Trees, creating quick and easy candles and soaps, and on easy gifts that children can make for family and friends. Also, you can learn to gift wrap like a pro and learn to make wreaths.  

 

Location:  COBB COUNTY COOPERATIVE EXTENSION OFFICE

                    678 South Cobb Dr.  Ste. 200

                    Marietta  GA  30060

All Holiday Inspirations events are free. If you have any questions, please call 770-528-4070.

Category 24 Ornamental and Turf Pesticide Applicator Training

A training class for those who want to pass the exam to become a Category 24 Pesticide Applicator will be held at Gwinnett Technical College on November 12, 2013. This is not a re-certification workshop, and no re-certification credits will be offered.

Instructors: Timothy Daly, Gwinnett County Extension Agent; Rolando Orellana, Fulton County
           Extension Agent; Neil Tarver, Cobb County Extension Agent

When: November 12, 2013, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
            Registration is from 8:00 - 8:30 a.m.; Noon - 1:00 p.m. is set aside for lunch on your own.
Where: Gwinnett Technical College, 5150 Sugarloaf Parkway, Lawrenceville, GA, 30043,
           Building 100, Room 401

Fee: $10 fee covers cost of some hands-on material, handouts, and a practice exam. Make check
         payable   to Gwinnett Cooperative Fund (cash or check only). The fee can be paid at the door.
Preregistration is required: Preregister by Friday, November 7, by contacting Tim Daly at
         678-377-4010 or via email to timothy.daly@gwinnettcounty.com.

Recommended books to purchase in advance: It is strongly recommended that attendees purchase
         the books Applying Pesticides Correctly ($15) and Ornamental and Turfgrass Pest 
         Management ($25) through either the Gwinnett County Cooperative Extension Office
         (cash or check only) or through the University of Georgia Office of Communications using
         a credit card by calling (706) 542-2657.

Training: The first part of the class will cover the general standards portion of the exam,
         then the ornamental and turf section will be covered.

Taking the Exam: The Category 24 Ornamental and Turf Pesticide Applicator's exam is offered
        every Monday and Friday at Gwinnett Technical College, from 9:00 a.m. to Noon, except
        for holidays. To register for the exam, go to www.gapestexam.com. The cost is $45 payable
        at the time of the exam. Checks should be made out to Gwinnett Technical College.

Upcoming Events

Growing conifers in Georgia: Add another dimension to your landscape

Tuesday, October 22, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Free and open to the public. Presented by Master Gardener Michele Browne, as part of the ongoing Gardeners Night Out presentation series of Cobb County Cooperative Extension's Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County, at South Cobb Regional Library, 805 Clay Road, Mableton, 30126.

 

Glitter and Greenery

Thursday, November 7, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Free and open to the public. Learn to select and care for holiday plants with Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent Neil Tarver, then learn to make wonderful herb flavored vinegars for gift giving with Family and Consumer Sciences Agent Cindee Sweda, and to design simple, natural centerpieces for your table or for gifts with Cindee Sweda and Emily Harper. Please preregister by calling 770-528-4070.

 

Trees of Our Lives: Small Native Trees for the Landscape
Friday, November 8, noon to 1:00 p.m. Free and open to the public.  Cobb Master Gardener Dawn Hines will take us though all aspects of tree care, from selection to planting to pruning, as part of the ongoing Lunch & Learn series of Cobb County Cooperative Extension’s 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.).

Terrariums: Gardens Under Glass

Tuesday, November 12, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. Free and open o the public. Presented by Master Gardener Cathy Lacy, as part of the ongoing Gardeners Night Out presentation series of Cobb County Cooperative Extension's Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County, at Mountain View Regional Library, 3320 Sandy Plains Rd., Marietta, 30066.

 

ALSO, come meet Cooperative Extension staff and some of our Master Gardener Volunteers at the Marietta Square Farmer’s Market. We will be there on October 26 to answer questions on canning, food preservation, and gardening. Bring sick plants (or large pieces of them) for help with diagnosis and treatment options, and bring bugs for identification.

Golden Beetle on Sweet Potato Leaves

It's just about time to harvest the sweet potatoes, and in addition to the gold (sweet potatoes) underground, some gardeners may find flecks of gold on the leaves. Mottled tortoise beetles have been making holes in the leaves of the sweet potato plants for a while now, but they are mostly hidden, on the undersides of the leaves, making them difficult to see.

As the vines are pulled to clear the way for the harvest, the metallic gold of the beetles will become more apparent, glinting in the sun.

The BugGuide website has posted a closeup image of one of these beetles, and North Carolina State University reports, through its IPM section, that leaf damage from these beetles typically isn't severe enough to warrant spraying to control them.

Instead, gardeners can just enjoy the double-dose of gold offered up by the sweet potato bed.

Mottled tortoise beetle on back of a sweet potato leaf, late September.                                PHOTO/Amy Whitney