Landscape & Garden Alerts

Tomato Fruit Issues

Landscape and Garden    All Locations

Posted on: August 19, 2019 by Maria Held

Are you experiencing issues with you tomato fruit like blossom end rot, catfacing, splitting, zippering and such? Below are some links to help you determine what is going on with your tomatoes. Remember that variety selection and consistent watering are important in preventing some of these problems.

» http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/NewsArticles/Tom_ComDis.htm

» http://blogs.cornell.edu/livegpath/gallery/tomato/zippering-fruit-disorder-on-tomatoes

» http://blogs.cornell.edu/livegpath/gallery/tomato/thrips-and-their-feeding-injury/

» http://blogs.cornell.edu/livegpath/gallery/tomato/feeding-injury-caused-by-stink-bugs/

Blossom End Rot on Summer Squash and Tomato

Landscape and Garden    Treasure Valley

Blossom End Rot on Squash and Tomato

Posted on: July 31, 2019 by Maria Held

Blossom end rot is showing up on summer squash. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and even watermelon may be affected. It occurs in the first fruits formed on the plants and is caused by a lack of calcium in the fruit. Most garden soils a sufficient supply of calcium; refer to your soil test results. However, uneven watering may cause symptoms in fast growing plants.

» https://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/2013/05/why-are-my-squash-rotting/

» https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/blossom_end_rot_tip_sheet

» Blossom_End_Rot_Fact_Sheet_Cornell_Univeristy_86509.pdf

Blossom Drop on Tomatoes and Peppers

Landscape and Garden    Treasure Valley

Blossom Drop

Posted on: July 29, 2019 by Maria Held

Gardeners are experiencing blossom drop on their tomatoes and other vegetables. This is due to high daytime > 90 F and low nighttime <55 F temperatures we have been experiencing. Pollen becomes sterile during hot weather. Fertilizer high in nitrogen and lots of water lead to growth of leaves instead of fruit set.

» https://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/why-vegetables-drop-blossoms

» Tomato blossom drop

Beet Leafminer in Gardens

Landscape and Garden    Treasure Valley

Posted on: July 20, 2019 by Maria Held

Are you noticing papery areas or tunneling on you beets, Swiss Chard or spinach? The leafminer fly lays white eggs on the underside of leaves. The resulting larvae burrow inside the leaves to feed. See the links below for management options.

» https://extension.psu.edu/leaf-miners

» http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/r732300311.html

False Chinch Bug Migration

Landscape and Garden    Treasure Valley

Nysius raphanus

Posted on: July 19, 2019 by Maria Held

The Caldwell Extension office has received multiple calls of masses of false chinch bugs. They may aggregate in large numbers on buildings or driveways especially if hosts are harvested or managed with herbicide. See the attached photo of a false chinch bug aggregation on a driveway.
Insecticides will have little, if any, effect for limiting this situation and are not recommended. False chinch bug migrations resulting in nuisance problems in buildings usually are of short duration and rarely last more than a week.

» http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74153.html

» https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/insects/false-chinch-bugs-5-603-2/

» https://utahpests.usu.edu/ipm/ornamental-pest-guide/arthropods/plant-lace-seed-bugs/false-chinch-bug

» False Chinc Bug aggregation on driveway

Earwigs Everywhere

Landscape and Garden    Treasure Valley

Forficula auricularia

Posted on: July 12, 2019 by Maria Held

Garden plants commonly injured by earwigs include annual flowers (especially marigolds, dahlias and zinnias), herbs (especially basil), roses, raspberries, strawberries, apricots, peaches, sweet corn tassels and silks. Because earwigs are beneficial due to their predaceous and decomposer feeding habits, they should only be controlled when causing harm. Earwigs are nocturnal. If chewing injury to plants is apparent but no culprit can be found during the day, check the plants at night with a flashlight. If shiny, slime trails are present, snails or slugs are the culprit rather than earwigs. Trapping is an effective way to control the population.

» http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74102.html

» https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlgpfCT0wYo

Squash Bugs are here!

Landscape and Garden    Treasure Valley - Idaho

Anasa tristis

Posted on: June 27, 2019 by Maria Held

Squash bugs and eggs have been found yesterday at the IPM scouting walk at Idaho Veterans Garden in Caldwell. The insects affect cucurbits and vine crops sucking sap from the plants. Check the underside of leaves for egg masses and destroy them. The adults are hard to control. Always follow label instructions.

» https://extension.usu.edu/juab/ou-files/ENT-120-08.pdf

» http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74144.html

Peach Twig Borer 2019

Landscape and Garden    Treasure Valley

Peach Twig Borer Anarsia lineatella

Posted on: June 17, 2019 by Maria Held

Peach twig borers have been found in a trap in the Payette area. Peach twig borer is the “worm in the peach”.
Peach twig borer larvae prefer to bore into succulent twigs. Later in the season, when twigs become hardened off and unpalatable, larvae feed inside the fruit.

» http://treefruit.wsu.edu/crop-protection/opm/peach-twig-borer/

» https://utahpests.usu.edu/slideshows/ppt/05sh-insects-ptbcontrol.pdf

» http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/r602300611.html

Squoia Pitch Moth

Landscape and Garden    Treasure Valley

Synanthedon sequoiae

Posted on: June 6, 2019 by Maria Held

Spitch moth has been found in traps.
The sequoia pitch moth (SMP) is the primary insect that causes large pitch (resin) masses on Austrian, Scotch and other ornamental pines.
SPM is not typically considered a serious pest of pines, but may cause limb dieback, unsightly resin masses, tree stress or tree death in severe cases.
There are no recommended insecticide control options for SPM.
SPM should be managed using cultural controls such as removing resin masses and larvae, proper timing of pruning, eliminating mechanical damage and proper irrigation. Avoid pruning/injuring trees April through August.

» http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7479.html

» https://utahpests.usu.edu/ipm/ornamental-pest-guide/arthropods/wood-borers/sequoia-pitch-moth

» Sequoia Pitch Moth in Pines

Western Cherry Fruit Fly 2019 Update

Cherry    Treasure Valley

Western Cherry Fruit Fly WCFF

Posted on: June 5, 2019 by Paul Castrovillo

On May 29 the first 2019 Western Cherry Fruit Fly captured in an Idaho State Department of Agriculture WCFF trap was reported from Canyon County. Historically we expect to find WCFF in Gem County about a week after the first one is found in Canyon County.
Online phenology and degree-day models for WCFF predicted first flight on May 26 in Emmett, May 28 in Ontario, Parma and Boise and May 29 in Caldwell and Nampa.
If treatment for WCFF is not already underway it should begin now.

Western Cherry Fruit Fly 2019

Landscape and Garden    Treasure Valley

Rhagoletis indifferens

Posted on: June 3, 2019 by Maria Held

Western Cherry Fruit Flies have been detected in Boise. Once your cherries are starting to blush (turning from green to yellow to light pink) it is time to protect them. At that stage the cherries are soft enough for being penetrated. Spraying with Surround (kaolin clay) creates a physical barrier that prevents females from laying eggs into the developing fruit.
See the links below for more options.

» http://treefruit.wsu.edu/crop-protection/opm/western-cherry-fruit-fly/

» Managing Western Cherry Fruit Fly

» Western Cherry Fruit Fly

Powdery Mildew on Ornamentals

Landscape and Garden    Treasure Valley

Sphaerotheca pannosa var. rosae

Posted on: June 1, 2019 by Maria Held

Powdery mildew continues to be a problem with all the rain we have had. It has been reported on roses and peonies. Powdery mildews are characterized by spots or patches of white to grayish, talcum-powder-like growth.
When available choose resistant or tolerant varieties. The disease is common in crowded plantings where air circulation is poor and in damp, shaded areas. Avoid overhead irrigation once symptoms occur. Do not compost infected plant debris. Temperatures often are not hot enough to kill the fungus.

» http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7493.html

» http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7406.html

Aphid Damage

Landscape and Garden    Treasure Valley

Aphid

Posted on: May 16, 2019 by Maria Held

Aphids have been found on trees (ash, plum) and ornamental plants (roses, daisies). Look for sticky sap and curled distorted leaves. A stream of water is often all that is needed to dislodge the insects from the plant.

» http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7404.html

» https://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/how-control-aphids-less-toxic-methods

» https://pnwhandbooks.org/insect/tree-fruit/apple/apple-woolly-apple-aphid

Cabbage Looper

Landscape and Garden    Treasure Valley

Cabbage Looper Trichoplusia ni

Posted on: May 13, 2019 by Maria Held

Cabbage looper adults (moth) have been caught in pheromone traps.
Cabbage looper larvae feed on all cole crops (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, kohlrabi, kale) and leave behind frass. Cover you cole crops with row cover or insect barrier to keep out the loopers.

» http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r114300711.html

» Caterpillar_Pests_of_Brassica_Vegetables.pdf

Lilac/Ash borer

Landscape and Garden    Treasure Valley - Idaho

Lilac/Aash borer Podosesia syringae

Posted on: May 10, 2019 by Maria Held

Lilac/Ash borers have been caught in traps. Trunk treatment of ash trees is indicated in 10-14 days when the eggs hatch.

» https://extension.colostate.edu/docs/pubs/insect/05614.pdf

Peach Leaf Curl Detected

Landscape and Garden    Treasure Valley

Peach Leaf Curl

Posted on: May 7, 2019 by Maria Held

If you are experiencing symptoms of peach leaf curl make sure to spray this fall when most of the leaves are off the tree. Since it is a fungus there are no management options after infection has occurred.

» https://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/factsheet/peach-leafcurl.pdf

» https://pnwhandbooks.org/plantdisease/host-disease/peach-prunus-persica-leaf-curl

Dormant oil spray

Landscape and Garden    Treasure Valley

Posted on: March 15, 2019 by Maria Held

Despite the fact that we call it “dormant oil”, the timing of a horticultural oil spray is not when trees are still dormant. A better term would be a “delayed-dormant” application, because the oil should be applied after bud swell. This coincides with the increasing activity of the overwintering insect, such as aphid eggs, scale nymphs, and peach twig borer larvae.

» https://pestadvisories.usu.edu/2017/03/17/delayed-dormant-timing/

» https://www.uidaho.edu/~/media/UIdaho-Responsive/Files/Extension/county/Kootenai/Spray-Schedules-for-Fruit-Trees15.ashx