by Mary Salinas | Nov 4, 2013
For centuries, people annoyed with plant pests have used oils to control insects, mites, and even some fungal diseases. Current oil products are better than ever!
Sample oil products for pest control. Photo by Mary Derrick.
Commercially available horticultural oils are mineral oils from refined petroleum products. Impurities are removed and then an emulsifying agent is added that allows the oil to mix with water for application. Neem oil is a newer product that has become increasingly popular; the oil is an extract of the seeds of the neem tree.
What are some of the advantages of using an oil for pest control?
- Oils are inexpensive and easy to apply
- Oils can be used on most plants (check the label for a list!)
- Oils control a wide range of pests that feed on plants (again, check the label for a list of pests the product will control!)
- Oils pose a low risk to people, pets, and desirable beneficial predators
- Since oils kill pests by blocking their breathing holes (spiracles) and/or gumming up their mouthparts, there is no chance for resistance to develop
- One product can control both insects and some diseases like powdery mildew at once
- Oils can be combined with some other pesticides to provide greater control
[warning] Don’t combine with, or use within 30 days of, any sulfur based pesticide. The combination can harm your plants![/warning]
There are always drawbacks to a product. What are the drawbacks?
- Some plants (including cryptomeria, junipers, cedars, maples, and redbud) are damaged by oils – check the label!
- Ensure good coverage during spraying as pests must be contacted with the oil in order for the control to work
- Oils break down quickly and reapplication may be necessary
- Check the label for instructions on the temperature range when it can be used. Older formulations generally are safe when temperatures are in the 40 to 80°F range but ultra-fine oils can generally be safely applied during hotter weather.
For further information:
Natural Products for Insect Pest Management from UF IFAS Extension
Insect Control: Horticultural Oils from Colorado State University Extension
Less Toxic Pesticides from Clemson University Cooperative Extension
by Alex Bolques | Oct 25, 2013
The avid gardener has heard on many occasions that fall is the best time of the year to plant trees and shrubs. Correct! Now is the time to start a fruit orchard or an edible landscape. As the seasons transition into much cooler weather, now is the ideal planting season for hardy trees, shrubs and ground covers (Trawick, 2013).
In the fall, plants require less water to get established and stress factors associated with planting in full sun are reduced. Although weather is cool, soil temperatures continue to be warm enough throughout the season to promote root growth. Thus by planting in the fall, the plant becomes more established by having a better and more vigorous root system than a plant that is planted at springtime.
Deciding what to grow sometimes is limited by what is available in a given area. Mail and online sales can be tricky if for those unaware about which fruit species perofrms best in Northwest Florida. To aid in this planning process, a link to a University of Florida IFAS publication (HS1218) is included that contains a directory of certified Florida nurseries offering fruit and nut crops. While it was developed to assist farmers locate fruit and nuts cultivars in Florida, it is helpful to begin thinking about what to grow and where to find it. The publication also lists recommended fruit and nut species and cultivars for North Florida, including north-central Florida.
Fruitscapes is a University of Florida website dedicated to fruit trees in Florida, which will increase understanding of fruit tree cultural and pest management requirements for all readers. Also explore “Temperate Fruit Crops” . Bookmark this webpage and refer to it as needed. Also, consult with your county extension office in your area.
by Mary Salinas | Aug 23, 2013
Add the easy-to-grow garden nasturtium to your vegetable or flower garden!
Dress up a ho-hum salad with a vibrant blossom or two just like some of the high-end restaurants. The first taste you experience will be sweetness and then a pleasant peppery flavor emerges. Not only can you eat the flowers but the leaves can also be tossed into your salad and the immature seed pods can be pickled and eaten similar to capers.
Photo courtesy of the Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden
Garden nasturtium, known to botanists as Tropaeolum majus, is an annual that originated in the Andes of South America. Seed and plants are commonly found in garden centers, although a greater variety is available when purchased from seed catalogues or online. A variety of cultivars are available, from dwarf bushy types to climbing or trailing types. Perky blooms in vivid shades of orange, yellow, pink and red are often produced in abundance.
This annual is easy and fast to grow from seed. If transplanting from small potted plants, make sure not to disturb the delicate root system during the transplant process. Give them partial to full sun and regular watering, even though they are drought tolerant. They prefer a lighter, sandy, well-drained soil and don’t perform as well in dense, rich soils. Be careful with the fertilizer as too much nitrogen will produce lots of green foliage but few blooms.
[warning]Aphids like to feast on the succulent flowers and foliage as well, so be diligent in scouting for this pest. Control is usually adequate by dislodging them with a spray of water or insecticidal soap. Insecticidal soap will cause the aphid to try out and dessicate. Be careful to spray the undersides of the leaves as well for complete control. Make sure to apply products that are safe for food crops and follow all label instructions.[/warning]
In the Florida panhandle, garden nasturtium can be a part of the garden year-round. However, they generally decline and stop flowering with the onset of the full brunt of the summer heat unless a bit of afternoon shade is available. When planted late in the fall, they are susceptible to frost damage but often will recover.
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For more information from the University of Florida, please see:
Garden Nasturtium, Tropaeoleum majus L.
Gardening in a Minute: Nasturtium
by Matthew Orwat | Aug 19, 2013
Florida Pecan Field Day and Florida Pecan Growers’ Association Annual Meeting
Jefferson County Extension Office 2729 West Washington Street
Monticello, Florida 8:30 AM, EDT
Thursday September 5th
Harvest time is coming for Florida pecan growers. Demand is up, irrigation needs are down, and fungus pressure has been a serious problem over the entire Southeast.
Producers will meet in Monticello on Thursday, September 5 for the annual field day and Pecan Growers’ Association meeting. If you’re a pecan grower, or just considering it, the morning’s topics and speakers will be a great opportunity to learn more about the pecan business.
The agenda is below. For more information, contact Jed Dillard at 850-342-0187
or dillardjed@ufl.edu. Please make a lunch reservation by noon Tuesday, September 3.
Agenda-
- 8:30 Registration
- 9:00 Welcome……… Mark Brown, President Florida Pecan Growers Association and Jed Dillard, Jefferson County Extension Agent
- 9:10-9:45 “Florida Water Policy and Its Impending Effects on Pecan Production” ……. Carlos Herd, Director Division of Water Supply, Suwannee River Water Management District
- 9:45-10:15 “Management strategies and tactics for suppression of pecan arthropod pests: chemicals, trap crops and everything in between.”
- Dr. Russ Mizell, University of Florida Entomologist, Quincy
- 10:05-10:35 “Controlling scab and other pecan diseases” Dr. Tim Brenneman University of Georgia Department of Plant Pathology
- 10:35-10:55 Break
- 10:55-11:25 “Tree Spacing, Alternate Tree Pruning and Removal, and Tree Transplanting”. Dr. Lenny Wells, UGA Extension Pecan Specialist, Tifton
- 11:25- Noon “Direct Marketing of Pecans – What do I need to Know?”…………..Elena Toro, Suwannee County Extension Agent
- Noon…………… Sponsored Lunch
- 1PM Annual Meeting Florida Pecan Growers’ Association
- 1:15 Tour (Tentative)
- CEU’s: two half ceu’s for ag row crop, tree nut, private applicator and demonstration categories
by Blake Thaxton | Aug 19, 2013
It is that time of year where mysterious webs have invaded pecan trees throughout the Southeast United States. This is definitely the case in the panhandle of Florida. Many have called into the extension office asking for identification of the web mass in their pecan trees. It is the Fall Webworm that has made a home in the pecan tree this fall.
Photograph by James Castner, University of Florida.
Photograph by Andrei Sourakov, University of Florida.
Fall Webworm
The adult fall webworm is a moth that is bright white in color and may have darker spots on its wings. The larvae of the moth are what lives in the tent web masses. Immediately when the larvae webworm hatches out of the eggs it begins to create its webs around foliage in which it will feed on.
Damage
The damage cause by the feeding of the larvae on the pecan trees is isolated to the leaves and they will not eat the nuts. If Defoliation is severe enough it can reduce the current years crop and the following years crop. Several years of defoliation can lead to death of the tree but this is not likely. Obviously the webs are ugly as well and if the tree is not only a producer of pecans but also functioning as an attractive shade tree in a ornamental since this can be a problem.
Control
In most commercial pecan production settings webworms are not very prevalent because of the spray programs implemented. For residential settings the best solution is to manually prune them out because of the lack of proper spray equipment to cover the entire tree. If the problem is bad enough call your local extension agent to get recommendations on products that could be used.
Sources:
Andrei Sourakov and Thomson Paris (2011, April) Fall webworm,Hyphantria cunea (Drury) (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Arctiidae: Arctiinae). Retrieved from http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/IN/IN87800.pdf
Michael J. Hall. Fall Webworm. Retrieved from http://www.lsuagcenter.com/NR/rdonlyres/68665E57-A2F4-4030-A4E6-55821DCFBDD6/16783/FallWebworm_sheet_.pdf
by Blake Thaxton | Jul 22, 2013
Fruit trees are a wonderful addition to the landscape at home or even a great niche for the small farmer.
Most people love the thought of picking fresh fruit off of the tree or vine and knowing exactly where it comes from. There are a lot of considerations that must be taken into account for a homeowner looking to spice up the landscape or the small farmer looking to diversify their operation.
Chill Requirements:
Deciduous trees have a chilling requirement in order to flower and produce fruit. Species and cultivars will have their own number of chill hours that must be met. Chill units are the estimated accumulative number of hours at 45°F or under during the dormant season. The Panhandle of Florida receives the most chill units in the state, therefore allowing more of a selection of fruit trees.
Disease Pressures:
Pecan, Peach/Nectarine, Plum, Bunch Grape, Apple, and Pear all have high disease pressures in the climate of the Florida Panhandle. Peach and Nectarine, for example, have a high number of necessary fungicide sprays required for high quality fruit. Mushroom root rot, peach scab, bacterial leaf spot, and brown rot are a few diseases of Peach and Nectarine. The other fruits mentioned have a similar list of disease problems that demand frequent and timely applications of fungicides.
Peach tree affected by Bacterial Leaf Spot symptoms. Photo by G. England.
Along with disease pressures and chilling requirements, there are other factors that have to be taken into account before installing fruit trees in Northwest Florida. The sustainability of fruit trees in North Florida can be read about further in this UF/IFAS publication. In the publication, proper varieties and cultivars are listed for the fruit crops discussed. To learn more about fruit culture in Florida, please take a look at the following linked publications.
If questions arise about whether a certain fruit crop can be grown in the Florida Panhandle, contact your local extension agent.
