Center for Urban Agriculture

Source(s): Todd Hurt

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Construction and landscape activities can have a negative impact on existing trees but the damage is often not visible for several years. This factsheet will discuss how to work with building contractors, landscape professionals and property owners to achieve successful tree saves and minimize expensive post construction tree removals.

Landscape professionals, arborists, and property owners should meet on-site with the building contractor at the inception of the project to set clear and reasonable goals for tree protection. Buildings, walkways and utilities should be sighted, not only for their greatest aesthetic appeal, but also to minimize damage to the existing trees. The building contractor will need to identify the primary access routes, work areas, material storage areas, parking and paint/concrete washout areas. Other major considerations are soil grading activities that occur in a critical rooting zone which may change drainage patterns. Clear communication among all parties involved is key to a successful tree save.

There are five areas of concern for tree health during construction: physical damage, soil cuts, soil fills, soil trenching and soil compaction.

Physical damage occurs when heavy equipment bumps into a tree or transport strapping slips on a new tree being installed and causes obvious wounding to the trunk. The cambium layer which transports food and water is located on the outer circumference of the trunk and is only protected by a thin bark layer. If the cambium layer is damaged, food and water transport will be affected. If a significant amount of the cambium layer is damaged the tree will die.

Soil cuts and fills occur when soil is removed (cut) or added (fill). This includes trenching. Cuts and fills impact the roots ability to exchange oxygen and transport water. Clay soils have reduced porosity and allow for less oxygen exchange and drainage than sandy soils. Tree roots grow closer to the surface in clay soils than they do in sandy soils. Cuts greater than 2 inches in clays soils and 10 inches in sandy soil cause significant root damage. Likewise, fills exceeding 1 inch of clay soils and 8 inches of sandy soil initiate root damage. Root death occurs with the addition of 3 inches of clay soil and 24 inches of sandy soil.

Trenching for utilities may also be damaging to trees. Trenching severs the root system, killing roots from the severed point outward. When many of the large anchor type roots are severed, the tree may become unsafe and prone to falling. When 20 to 30% of the critical rooting zone is damaged a tree’s health will be impacted.

Soil compaction is a silent killer of urban trees. Tree decline from soil compaction may take three to seven years to appear. Stockpiled building materials, heavy machinery, and excessive foot traffic all damage soil structure. It seems innocent enough, you park your truck in the shade to keep cool. However, by the time you have driven over the same spot three times, the soil may reach 90% compaction. Lacking good soil aeration, roots suffocate and tree health declines.

Chemical damage of trees may occur if equipment and concrete wash out areas areas are not properly sited.

Tree Protection Methods

Not every tree can or should be saved. If a tree protection zone can not be maintained for a particular tree, then it may be more economically feasible to remove the tree. A certified landscape professional or arborist should evaluate the areas to be protected for weak trees and undesirable plant species.

Once the desirable trees and construction routes are determined the tree protection zones and signage for designated equipment wash out areas should be installed. Orange tree save fencing is commonly used but easy to remove when it is inconvenient to go around the tree save area. In some cases more permanent materials, such as chain link fencing, may be a better option. Whatever fencing material is used, it must be maintained throughout the construction process.

Equipment is now available that can tunnel the utility lines under trees without cutting roots. Instead of sidewalks or roads consider creating a raised walkway or bridge over the rooting zone. With bridging the only points of root disturbance are where the support pilings are anchored into the soil.

If the root zone must be encroached upon by a soil cut or trench, root pruning of the desired trees is recommended. Root pruning is done by making a clean, vertical cut of the root system at the perimeter of the construction zone 3-6 months in advance of soil disturbance. This allows the tree time to produce more feeder roots inside of the root pruning line and reduces tree stress from the construction activity. Root pruning also helps minimize tearing of roots because it makes clean vertical cuts.

Spreading the Load – If traffic across a protected root zone is unavoidable, consider using one of the following bridging methods in the traffic area: a logging mat, plywood panels, or geotextile fabric and six inches or more of wood chips. Avoid working in the area if the soil is wet. All materials need to be removed once construction activity has ended.

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Center Publication Number: 273

Source(s): Charles Seabrook

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From the mountains to the sea, Georgia’s forests are facing environment calamities that could forever change our natural landscape. Two insects, the Hemlock wooly adelgid and the Asian ambrosia beetle are two recently introduced species to Georgia that have killed thousands of trees statewide.

Hemlock Wooly Adelgid

In north Georgia’s mountains, a tiny exotic insect known as the hemlock wooly adelgid is destroying magnificent Eastern hemlock trees in record numbers. Tens of thousands of hemlocks already have been lost in Rabun, Habersham, White, Towns and Union counties, and the threat is spreading south and west, according to the Georgia Forestry Commission. If the pest is not controlled, scientists predict that Georgia and neighboring states could lose 90 percent of their hemlocks within the next decade.

In essence, Georgia could be faced with losing the hemlock as a forest species – an ecological catastrophe that would equal the loss of the American chestnut tree during the last century. The long-lived, shade tolerant hemlock provides food and shelter for many species – including the redbreasted nuthatch and Blackburnian, Swainson’s and black-throated green warblers.

Georgia’s hemlocks often grow to stately heights along streams, where their deep shade helps keep water temperatures cool enough for trout . The roots and canopy help prevent soil erosion. Hemlock stands are also preferred habitats of rare amphibians, including the green salamander and hellbender.

The hemlock wooly adelgid, a native of Asia was first identified in the United States in the early 1950s near Richmond, where it entered through a plant collector. As an introduced species, it came without the natural enemies that keep it in check in its native setting. The adelgid has moved steadily into the southern Appalachian forests. In 2002, it was discovered in Georgia in Rabun County.

The adelgid lays its wooly egg sacs, about the size of a match head, on the undersides of hemlock branches. In spring, the larvae hatch and the tiny adelgids begin sucking the sap from the base of the needle. This deprives the hemlock tree of water and nutrients. After several years of infestation, the tree dies.

Right now, the best hope for combating the hemlock wooly adelgid is releasing into the forest exotic beetle species that naturally prey on the pest. A laboratory is set to open soon at the University of Georgia to raise the beetles.
No one, however, is sure if the effort will save the hemlocks. Also, introducing an exotic species is risky business. But given the crucial importance of the hemlock and the distinct possibility that we could lose these trees, scientists need to use every resource available to fight the spread of the hemlock wooly adelgid.

Asian Ambrosia Beetles

Getting less attention is the widespread loss of native red bay trees in the coastal forests due to a fungus spread by the exotic Asian Ambrosia beetle. Reds bays in the Okefenokee Swamp have been hard hit by the fungus according to the Georgia Forestry Commission. Numerous dead red bay trees in a Liberty County maritime forest and on Ossabaw Island have also been noted by the Georgia Forestry Commission.

The red bay is a medium-sized evergreen tree whose showy fruits are eaten by songbirds, wild turkey and quail. Its spicy, aromatic leaves have been used for flavorings in soups and meat dishes. “The outlook is dismal for our red bays,” according to the James Johnson, forest health coordinator for the Georgia Forestry Commission. “And we are very concerned about the sassafras. The question is , what other tree species will this fungus attack.”

Sassafras trees trees also appear vulnerable. The sassafras, one of Georgia’s most common trees, is know for its root beer-like fragrance. In the 1500s, French traders shipped large quantities of sassafras from Georgia back to Europe, where it was used in a popular herbal tonic.

The tiny ambrosia beetle is native to South Asia. First found in Georgia in 2002, it is believed to have reached the United Staes in packing crates. The fungus that this beetle carries attacks a tree’s trunk or stems and stops nutrient and water flow, thus killing the tree.

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Resource(s):

• Insect Pests of Ornamental Plants
• Control of Common Pests of Landscape Plants

Reviewer(s):

Randy Drinkard, Technical Writer, UGA Center for Urban Agriculture, The University of Georgia.

Center Publication Number: 208

Source(s):

• Lee Burpee, Plant Pathology Department, The University of Georgia.
• Alfredo Martinez-Espinoza, The University of Georgia.

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“Large Patch” and “Spring Dead Spot” appear on turfgrass during spring green-up. While symptoms appear in the spring, truly effective disease management starts in the fall.

Large Patch

Rhizoctonia large patch is likely to develop on zoysia, centipede and St. Augustinegrass during cool, wet periods in spring. Zoysia is particularly affected. Look for yellow or straw-colored patches a few inches to 10 feet or more in diameter. Turfgrass shoots at perimeters of patches will have leaf sheaths that are dark brown to black. Lush, fertile turf is highly susceptible to Rhizoctonia; therefore, delay nitrogen applications until mid-May or later. Sound cultural practices help control the disease; therefore avoid frequent light irrigation to reduce humidity. Allow time during the day for plant canopy to dry. Increase air circulation. Shrub and tree barriers contribute to shade and lack of air circulation. Reduce thatch (no more than 1 inch thick).

Fungicides can be applied in the spring to aid in the control of the disease. Fungicides that contain azoxystrobin, flutolanil, and pyraclostrobin, have provided 28 days control of large patch in tests at UGA. Repeat applications may be required if night temperatures less than 55oF persist after the grasses come out of dormancy. However the most effective management of large patch occurs in the fall.

Spring Dead Spot

Spring dead spot is typically more damaging on intensively managed turfgrass (such as bermudagrass greens) compared to low maintenance areas. Initial symptoms appear in the spring, when turf resumes growth from its normal winter dormancy. As the turf ‘greens-up,’ circular patches of turf appear to remain dormant, roots, rhizomes and stolons are sparse and dark-colored (necrotic). No growth is observed within the patches.

Recovery from the disease is very slow. The turf in affected patches is often dead, therefore recovery occurs by spread of stolons inward into the patch. The disease is caused by several fungi in the genus Ophiosphaerella (O. korrae, O. herpotricha and O. narmari). These fungi infect roots in the fall, predisposing the turf to winter kill. Research shows that freezing temperatures make the disease worse.

Spring treatment consists of encouraging growth so that the stolons will move into the dead area. Implement regular schedules of dethatching and aerification. These activities encourage growth and will help to control the disease.

Fall application of fungicides is essential for an effective control. Currently, fenarimol, myclobutanil, azoxystrobin, thiophanate-methyl, and propiconazole are labeled for spring dead spot control. Management strategies that increase bermudagrass cold tolerance such as applications of potassium in the fall prior to dormancy are thought to aid in disease management. However, researchers have recently found that fall applications of potassium at high rates actually increased spring dead spot incidence. Therefore, application of excessive amounts of potassium or other nutrients, beyond what is required for optimal bermudagrass growth, is not recommended.

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Resource(s):

• Turfgrass Diseases
• Turfgrass Diseases: Quick Reference Guide
• Common Landscape Diseases in Georgia

Source(s):

• Austin Hagen, Extension Plant Pathologist, Auburn University.
• Jacquelin Mullen, Extension Plant Pathologist, Auburn University.
• Jean Williams-Woodward, Extension Plant Pathologist, The University of Georgia.

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Phomopsis twig blight, which is caused by the fungus Phomopsis juniperovora, is a common and damaging disease of arborvitae, cypress, juniper, red cedar and related evergreens. Varieties of juniper most susceptible to Phomopsis blight include J. sabina var. tamarisfolia, “Nicks Compact Pfitzer”, “Andorra”, “Bar Harbor” and “Blue Rug.” Frequent shearing and heavy fertilization with nitrogen may increase the severity of Phomopsis blight.

Symptoms

In late spring and through the summer, diseased shoot tips, that at first are light green in color, quickly turn yellow and then brown. The browning may spread down the shoot several inches from the tip. Gray cankers, which mark the original infection sites, often girdle the smaller shoots causing a twig dieback. Tiny black fruiting bodies (pycnidia) of the causal fungus may be seen on the gray cankers with a hand lens. Blighting is often seen first on the lower, inside branches. While seedling and container-grown junipers and red cedar may be disfigured or killed by Phomopsis blight, damage on junipers in landscape plantings is unsightly but rarely serious.

Persistence and Transmission

The causal fungus overwinters in cankers on diseased shoots. In late spring, masses of spores ooze from the fruiting bodies during wet, humid weather. Spores are spread to healthy shoots by splashing water or on pruning shears. Continuously wet foliage is needed for infection to occur. With favorable temperatures, the longer the foliage is wet, the more severe the symptoms. Soft, young shoots are much more sensitive to attack than mature foliage.
Control: Phomopsis blight is best controlled by using the following strategies:

Non-Chemical Control

• Planting resistant cultivars is the most effective practice for controlling Phomopsis blight in landscape plantings on juniper.
• Purchase junipers with good color and no dead or dying shoots.
• Avoid planting junipers in heavy shade or on poorly drained sites.
• Prune and space plants properly to encourage good air circulation and rapid drying of foliage.
• Irrigate with overhead sprinklers in the morning or early afternoon to ensure that the foliage dries before nightfall. Avoid irrigating in the late evening or at night when foliage will not dry quickly.
• Do not handle or prune wet plants.
• Avoid injuries, such as mower damage.
• Prune out diseased shoots as soon as they appear, but only when plants are dry. Make pruning cuts 3 inches below dead or dying tissue and then discard the diseased shoots.

Chemical Control

For effective prevention and control, a fungicide treatment program should start shortly after shoot growth has begun or anytime after pruning, and before symptoms are seen. In landscape plantings, additional applications should be made about every 14 days until the new growth matures in early to mid-summer. Always refer to the product label for information concerning application rates, directions, and precautions before applying any fungicide. See the Georgia Pest Management Handbook for current disease control recommendations.

Resistance to Phomopsis has been identified in juniper species. Results of resistance field trials may differ, but in general some Phomopsis-tolerant Juniperus species and cultivars include: J. chinensis cultivars ‘Iowa’, ‘Keteleeri’, ‘Pfitzeriana aurea’, ‘Robusta’, ‘var. Sargentii’, ‘Sargentii glauca’, and ‘Shoosmith’; and J. virginiana cultivars ‘Hillii’ and ‘Tripartita’. Cultivars and species of junipers that are susceptible to Phomopsis blight include: J. horizontalis cultivars ‘Bar Harbor’, ‘Blue Chip’, ‘Blue Horizon’, ‘Blue Mat’, ‘Emerson’, ‘Plumosa compacta’, ‘Prince of Wales’, ‘Procumbens’, and ‘Wiltonii (Blue Rug)’; J. chinensis cultivar ‘Spartan’; and J. conferta cultivars ‘Emerald Sea’ and ‘Blue Pacific’.

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Resource(s):

Common Landscape Diseases In Georgia

Center Publication Number: 215

Source(s): Jacob G Price

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Twig girdlers are beetles that emerge from late September to October and girdle limbs from 6-18 mm in diameter. The cut encircles the twig and is seldom complete, leaving a jagged edge in the center upon breaking off. They also can remove large patches of bark while feeding. Preferred host trees are the pecan, hickory, persimmon, elms, and hackberry. If populations are high they attack oaks, and sometimes fruit trees.

Description: Cylindrical, longhorn beetle with grayish-brown body and a broad ash gray band across the elytra. Eggs are elongate to oval, 2.5 mm long, and white. Pupa are legless grubs that reach 16-25 mm at maturity.

Biology: In Autumn, females girdle branches to provide a suitable medium for larval growth. Females insert 3-8 eggs into the bark or slightly into the wood of each girdled twig. The eggs hatch in three weeks but grow little until spring. Larvae feed inside the twig and emerge in the fall. The adults live 6-10 weeks and females lay from 50- 200 eggs each.

Control: Remove fallen twigs and stems from the ground and burn them to destroy the larvae. Imidacloprid will control certain borers. Although less effective, permethrins can be applied every three weeks as a barrier.

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Resource(s):

Insect Pests of Ornamental Plants

Center Publication Number: 72

Source(s): Jeffrey Webb, UGA Area Extension Agent – Commercial Horticulture Southeast District, Bamboo Farm and Coastal Garden, The University of Georgia, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

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The Sago Palm has long been considered one of those perfect, easy-to-maintain plants for modern landscapes. Known as the Sago Palm, King Sago or Cycad, Cycas revoluta was one of the most abundant plants on earth during the days of the dinosaur – and it has changed little in appearance over the past 250 million years.

Healthy, mature, Sago Palms are worth a lot of money in the landscape and provide great design value. They are long-lived and thrive in harsh conditions. However, a small scale insect now known as the Cycad Aulacaspis Scale (CAS) is proving deadly to Sago Palms everywhere they grow. The insect was first identified in this country in Dade County (Miami) Florida in 1996. It is native to tropical regions of Southeast Asia and probably arrived in this country on legally imported cycads. It was first noticed infesting several valuable cycad species in a Florida botanical garden. From a small initial infestation, the insect has spread through Florida to Alabama, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, South Carolina and Texas. Since the insect has a very limited ability to spread on its own, its spread to adjacent states has been attributed to infested plants sold by wholesale nurseries and by unlicensed roadside plant sellers. In addition, it is very likely that the insect spread on pass-along cycad plants that left Florida in the trunk of a car. It is now found in both landscapes and nurseries. This insect is deadly – a Sago Palm can go from initial infestation to death in under a year.

Cycad Aulacaspis Scale has some distinct traits that make it difficult to control and quick to kill even mature Sago Palms. Unlike most other scale insects, CAS can live on the root system up to 24 inches underground. When it hatches, it moves with greater speed and over greater distances than most other scale insects. Populations build up very fast and form layers of living and dead scales. (A heavy infestation will include up to 3000 scales per square inch.) There are no native predators or parasites and the insect infests all parts of the plant – fronds, cones, roots and stems. CAS enters a period of lower activity during the cooler, drier months of the year (late November to early May) but experiences a surge of reproductive activity in spring from surviving scales in leaf crevices and on roots (late May.) This year, drier weather probably held back egg hatching but now that rains and hot weather have arrived over much of southeast Georgia, the scale should be kicking into high gear. Now is the time to scout landscape and nursery plants for early detection of scale populations. Field identification is not especially difficult although CAS may be confused with False Oleander Scale (also known as Magnolia Scale.) Enough differences exist to make identification possible with the help of a 10x hand lens.

1. The False Oleander Scale has a more elongated prosoma (body) beneath the scale-like covering than does CAS.
2. Both the prosoma and egg mass of False Oleander Scale are yellowish while CAS has an orange prosoma and eggs.
3. False Oleander Scale occurs in much smaller numbers and is most often confined to the lower surface of fronds. This scale is not a serious threat to the health of Cycads.
4. CAS populations build very rapidly to high numbers and cover all portions of the plant. Infestations of CAS often begin in the crown and from old leaf bases. Crawlers spread quickly to cover the surface of fronds.

Oil sprays should be your first response; if used early and often this may be enough to control or eliminate the insect on your plants. Paraffinic oils or ultrafine horticultural oils such as Sunspray™ as well as fish oils – not fish emulsion – such as Organocide™ can to give effective control. Malathion™ mixed with oil has given good, low cost control but is hard on beneficial insects. Apply oil sprays to the entire plant at 10 days to 2 week intervals throughout the summer. Occasionally wash the plant with a strong stream of water to remove oily build up and layers of dead – and living – scale insects. This cleanup also helps keeps the plant looking good. Newer chemistry includes Distance™ or pyriproxyfen, an insect growth regulator formulated to be sprayed onto the foliage. Safari™ or dinotefuran is a systemic control that is water soluble and can be either drenched or applied twice a year to foliage to give excellent control. Cygon™ is no longer in production but it is still legal to use what you have on hand and gives good control. Please note: Merit™ and Marathon™ (imidacloprid) have not been effective or have given inconsistent control.

At first, horticulturists could predict only doom for the Sago Palm in the landscape. While it is true that early attempts at treatment were not effective, we now have a better idea of how to control CAS. Since the insect moves so quickly to build populations, and since an infestation can literally cover and kill a Sago Palm in a few month, the control technique of greatest importance is scouting. Nurseries and garden centers must detect and treat or destroy infested plants. Scouting for CAS should become a routine part of landscape maintenance in locations where CAS is present. If you manage landscapes that include Cycas revoluta, or if you produce them in a nursery, or if you sell them in a retail setting, begin NOW to scout for CAS. The life of these plants depends on your quick response to control CAS before populations explode.

For more information, contact your local county extension agent. To locate the UGA Extension Office in your county call 1-800-ASK-UGA1. You can also contact me at jkwebb@uga.edu or 912-921-5460 for more information on CAS control strategies.

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Resource(s): Insect Pests of Ornamental Plants

Center Publication Number: 250

Source(s): Stephen D Pettis

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One of the loveliest of all the small trees is the group of trees known as Cutleaf Japanese Maples. These oriental relatives of our native maples exhibit traits that have been selected by Japanese gardeners and horticulturists for thousands of years. These are the most refined and most delicate of all the maple family.

The Cutleaf Japanese maple gets its name from its deeply cut leaves. The lobes of the leaves are cut to the leaf petiole. Each lobe is finely serrated and each serration is further toothed. This delicate leaf morphology is colored in shades of either green or red and is the most attractive feature of the plant.

Japanese maples in general are rounded trees with smooth bark and undulating branches. The cutleaf varieties are all very small ranging from 3-9 feet in height. Their small size lends them to being excellent specimen trees near patios, homes and driveways. The tree can be used as an accent and even as a potted plant. Branches of the plant are layered much like many of our native trees such as redbud and dogwood. In deep shade this layering effect is pronounced and the tree takes on the wispy look of smoke drifting. The tree can be trained as either single or multi stemmed tree. Many of the cutleaf varieties will form a multi stemmed shrub-like tree that hides its branches behind a skirt of the wonderful leaves. In this form in makes a rounded mound of vibrant color.

Cutleaf Japanese Maple Requirements

Japanese maples have specific site requirements. These trees prefer dappled shade, although I have seen them in full sun. Japanese maples in the full sun tend to be stressed and pick up summer leaf spot diseases readily. Cutleaf Japanese maples require evenly moist well-drained soil conditions for best performance. These trees should be protected from winds and winter cold by siting them near structures, large trees or among a planting of other small trees and shrubs.

One drawback to Japanese maples in general is their relatively slow growth rate. Japanese maples grow very slowly their first few years after being planted but will pick up speed as the years go by. One can expect a cutleaf maple to achieve maturity in ten to fifteen years depending on growing conditions.

Japanese maples are generally very expensive. This is because propagating maples in general is not an easy task. Japanese maples are more difficult and the cutleaf varieties harder still. The plant is usually readily available but at substantial costs. It is worth it to own one of these gems. Most Japanese maples are grafted. Producers graft the cutleaf varieties onto rootstocks of other maples to improve their performance. You can sometimes see the junction between the upper portion or the scion and the lower portion or the rootstock. Sometimes the rootstock can send up its own trunk or sucker. These occasional suckers should be pruned and removed when they emerge, as they will look completely different than the upper portion of the tree.

When someone asks the best way to grow their own Japanese maples, I tell them to grow them from seed. Collect the seed or samara, a type of winged fruit, prior to their becoming dry. This is generally in June. Plant the seeds directly in moist peat. A relatively small percentage of the seeds should germinate the following spring. Sometimes, Mother Nature will do the work for you. Search under your favorite mature tree for seedlings and transplant them in one-gallon pots filled with general potting soil.

These rounded deciduous trees elicit comment from almost everyone who walks by one in the garden. There is a lovely example just outside the main entrance of the University of Georgia Botanical Gardens. Any time you visit, you will invariably see someone stooping over in front of it to get a look at the sign just beneath it so that they might identify this majestic plant.

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Resource(s): Landscape Plants for Georgia

Center Publication Number: 148

Source(s): Gil Landry, PhD., Coordinator – UGA Center for Urban Agriculture, The University of Georgia.

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Proper cultivation of turfgrasses is essential in order to produce an attractive, healthy lawn.

Cultivation of turfgrasses includes vertical mowing, core aeration and topdressing. These operations reduce surface compaction and thatch accumulation, improve soil aeration and water infiltration, and promote root growth. All these benefits are essential to producing vigorous, healthy turf.

Vertical mowing or dethatching helps keep turfgrasses healthy by removing the dead vegetation from the thatch layer. This dead vegetation is lifted to the surface by the blades of the vertical mower. Vertical mowing can be done in early spring just before green-up occurs or when the grass is growing rapidly, yet not so hot that water requirements are high. Take care not to remove too much of St. Augustine and centipede grass lawns because they do not have underground runners.

Core aeration relieves soil compaction and increases air and water movement into the soil. It also stimulates thatch decomposition. Proper aeration is best accomplished by a power aerator, which has hollow tines or spoons so that it removes a soil core 2 to 3 inches deep and 1/2 to 3/4 inch in diameter. Aeration is best accomplished during period of active plant growth and when the soil is moist enough to allow deep penetration. Aeration, which is also called coring, should only be used to correct soil problems and not as a routine practice.

Topdressing is a management practice used to aid in the decomposition of thatch, to reduce surface compaction, and to smooth the surface. Topdressing involves spreading a thin layer of topsoil or other soil mix on the soil surface. It is often used to cover the planted material in planting operations. The topdressing material should be of similar texture and composition as the underlying soil. Topdressing rates may range from ½ to 2 cubic yards of material per 1000 square feet. This will produce a layer from 1/8 to 5/8 inch thick. However, it is important that distinct layers are not formed. The topdressing is usually worked into the turf by dragging, raking or brushing.

Fertilization after cultivation operations stimulates rapid turfgrass recovery and promotes a healthy, vigorous turf. These operations can be done at the same time if needed. However, neither dethatching nor aeration should be done during a period of heavy weed germination or appropriate weed control measures will be necessary.

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Resource(s): Lawns in Georgia

Center Publication Number: 134

Source(s): Randy Drinkard

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Crown Gall, a disease caused by a soil borne bacterium, can severely damage rose plants. Galls begin as small swellings, usually at ground level, that slowly increase in size. Infected rose plants become stunted and very often die.

Tissue overgrowths or galls can be found at or just below the soil surface on the crown and on the roots of plants. Galls are irregularly rounded and rough in texture. Galls vary in size from ½ inch to several inches in diameter. Young galls are light green or white, and the tissue is soft. Advanced galls are hard and brown to black in color. Roses severely infected become stunted, producing only a few blooms.

The crown gall bacterium enters plants through wounds made by transplanting, cultivation, grafting, and pruning. Other wounds caused by insects, animals or people can serve as avenues for infection to occur. Affected plants may be stunted, produce small chlorotic leaves and may become more sensitive to environmental stresses such as winter injury. Severely infected plants decline and eventually die. Crown gall can survive in the soil for 2 to 3 years.

To control crown gall, avoid wounding susceptible plants at or near the soil line. Prune infected branches and roots well back into healthy tissue. To prevent possible spread of the disease, sterilize pruning tools between cuts with a 10 percent household bleach solution. Plant removal may be necessary when galls are extensive. Chemical treatment may be practical for valuable landscape plants. Contact your local county agent for a list of chemicals.

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Resource(s): Common Landscape Diseases In Georgia

Center Publication Number: 114

Source(s): Jacob G Price

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Crickets belong to the insect order Orthoptera, which also includes grasshoppers and katydids.

Description

House Cricket – About 3/4″ long with 3 dark bands on the head and long thin antennae. Body is yellowish-brown. Active at night; remaining hidden during the day. Eats and drinks almost anything that is available. Enters homes during July – September.

Field Cricket – Larger than the house cricket. Dark brown to gray or blackish in color. Feeds on soil and other material. Prefers to live outdoors where they feed on soft plant parts, but moves indoors when conditions are unfavorable (excess heat, cold or rainfall). Attracted to lighted areas at night.

Camel Cricket – An occasional indoor pest. Usually found in damp and dark basements which have a partial dirt floor.

Detection

Visual sighting. House cricket will chew and damage silk, woolens, (particularly if soiled), paper, fruit and vegetables.

Control

1. Remove feeding and breeding (debris and high grass) sites outdoors.
2. Exclusion: tighten screens, windows and doors, seal openings near ground level. Caulk cracks and other points of entry.
3. Apply an insecticide containing one of the active chemicals: cyfluthrin, cypermethrin, deltamethrin, orthoboric acid, permethrin, propetamphos, tetramethrin, or tralomethrin. Read the manufacturer’s label to determine if product may be used outdoors only or both indoors and outdoors. Follow manufacturer’s use instructions. Look for these products at garden centers and feed and seed stores.
4. Use sticky-traps in attics, basements and other indoor spaces.

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Center Publication Number: 17