Horticultural Oils Smother Tiny Insect Pests on Landscape Plants

Crabapple LandscapExperts are ever-vigilant in their search for insect pests in landscapes under their care. Sometimes if a landscape shrub begins to turn olive in color instead of maintaining a rich leaf-green, the problem can be traced to nearly invisible mites or sap-sucking insects. Piercing mouthparts invade the vascular system of the plants, robbing them of their sap and sometimes indirectly causing harm by introducing plant diseases.

In cases like these, Crabapple LandscapExperts choose the safest and best insect control for the job, and in the cool days of early spring occasionally turn to horticultural oil to stop insect pests. Safety for residents and their pets is our primary concern.    

Horticultural oil is a low-toxicity choice especially formulated for use on plants. It can be plant-based or petroleum-based oil with an emulsifier added that allows it to be mixed with water and applied using a regular garden sprayer. It kills scales, mites, aphids, whiteflies and other soft-bodied pests that are present by suffocation, blocking the air holes (spiracles) through which insects breathe, and causing them to die from asphyxiation. Horticultural oils are also effective in controlling plant viruses that are spread by these same piercing and sucking insects.

Horticultural oils pose few risks to people, their pets, or even to beneficial insects (like honey bees or Ladybugs), or to natural enemies of plant-eating pests. Toxicity is minimal, and oils quickly dissipate through evaporation, leaving little residue. Oils also are easy to apply with existing spray equipment and can be mixed with fungicides to control plant diseases if needed.

Crabapple LandscapExperts know that thorough spray coverage is essential when using oils. Since these products are not poisons and are non-toxic to humans and pets, they must contact the insect. All plant surfaces: stems and both tops and bottoms of leaves, are thoroughly coated with spray for best results.

Close-up photo courtesy Wolf Hill Garden Center

Fall Flowering Shubs, Part 4 of 4

Flowering Shrubs for FALL

Whether deciduous with good fall color or evergreen that bring a sense of the garden to the winter landscape, flowering shrubs are reliable and bloom year after year. Crabapple LandscapExperts know that fall blooming shrubs are a welcome addition to the landscape and fill the niche between lower growing perennials and taller understory trees. 

Some Fave Fall-Flowering Shrubs

 Crape Myrtle 

Crape Myrtle is ideally suited for late summer/early fall community plantings since it is long-lived, withstands drought after becoming established and is relatively free of disease and insect pests. There is a Crape Myrtle for every size, from ground covers to 40-foot tall multi-trunked tree forms like Natchez, and colors range from the traditional “watermelon pink” , red and pink to lavender and white 

Beauty Berry

Beauty Berry has no fall flowers but instead offers brilliant orchid or white fruit that light up the autumn landscape.

Rose of Sharon  

A beautiful woody relative of the Hibiscus, Rose of Sharon is a tough plant for dry sun and forms a vase-shaped shrub reliably covered with flowers of lavender, pink or white.

Sasanqua Camellia   

Always in bloom on voting day in early November, Sasanquas are fall-blooming, broad-leaved evergreens beloved in the South. Think of Sasanqua Camellias when planting a hedge, since not only are they evergreen, but they flower at the waning of the gardening season. 

What fall blooming shrubs do you like? 

Summer Flowering Shrubs, Part 3 of 4

Typically flowering shrubs have one burst of bloom then recede into background the rest of the year. But Crabapple LandscapExperts know it is more desirable when they contribute to the garden giving three or four seasons of interest, and this is the goal of new plant breeding and the new plants on the market. 

For example, there are now twice-blooming Azaleas, Lilacs and Gardenias among other summer-blooming plants. Fragrance adds an indispensable bonus to the garden as it wafts through the air. Interest is sustained by shrubs with broad leaf evergreen foliage, as well as variegated foliage that brings a bright spot of color to an otherwise green pallette. Brilliant fall color and/or long-lasting  berries contribute to the garden design in the third season of the year, while in winter, textured or colored bark and the sculptural qualities of plant form lend a subtle interest. These contributions are all part of selection of the best plants for the landscape. 

Fave Summer-Flowering Shrubs are welcome! 

Among summer flowering shrubs, there are several favorites. The blue Hydrangea is one of these, in either its "mophead" or "lacecap" forms.Blue Hydrangeas are the emblem of metro-Atlanta summers. They do well in the shady neighborhoods and bloom blue on our acidic soils, requiring a moist soil for peak performance 

Oakleaf Hydrangea is a larger, native shrub, and the big white trusses last for weeks before eventually turning pink and then tan. If not cut, they last throughout winter and the leaves turn wine and red in the fall. 

Gardenia - Penetratingly fragrant, the waxy white flowers are beautifully contrasted by the dark, evergreen foliage. New Gardenias bloom throughout the summer, finishing up in fall with a second flush of blooms. Plant in ground or in containers, but in either case, enjoy fragrant Gardenias near the patio, picnic table or outdoor living area.

Lavender is a sub-shrub with aromatic "evergray" foliage. It is best positioned near a walkway so the clean, sweet fragrance is released when it is brushed by ankles or gate. Lavender is a good choice for sunny, well-drained locations, and thrives with a little lime added to Georgia soils. 

We can't overlook Landscape Roses that bloom non-stop for months, from April until frost in metro-Atlanta. There are the full-sized Knock-Outs and the low spreading Carpet or Drift roses, and a host of intermediate-sized shrub roses. These are bred for resistance to disease and long bloom season, and are really tough and easy to grow. Many colors are available; plant in full sun and water during establishment, then jump back as they shower you with a profusion of bright flowers .

So ask your Crabapple Rep about adding some summer-blooming shrubs to the landscape. 

Spring Flowering Shrubs, Part 2 of 4

Many deciduous flowering shrubs bloom in the springtime, giving Crabapple LandscapExperts a wide variety of choices to brighten up you landscape. Formerly attention-grabbing only in spring, selection and new plant breeding have produced additional seasons of interest, and to benefit smaller landscapes or intown gardens.

Fave Spring Flowering Shrubs

Forsythia-  Familiar yellow flowers herald the spring. Tough deciduous shrub but add interest with the variegated foliage of Korean Forsythia “Ilgwang’

Azalea - The embodiment of springtime in metro-Atlanta, extend your season with twice-blooming Azaleas such as the well-known Encore Azaleas or the new for 2012 Bloom-A-Thon Azaleas that bloom reliably in Spring and Fall as well as sporatically all summer long.

Spirea – The familiar, arching Bridal Wreath Spirea with good fall color is a great old standby, but try my favorite, the slender-stemmed, narrow-leaved Spirea thunbergii.  This Chinese spirea has small starry flowers on gracefully arching branches and the willow-leaved foliage turns a bright yellow in fall. 

Viburnum – A large genus and kissing cousins with Hydrangeas, the Viburnums are typically white-flowered like Snowball and Double-File Viburnum. Some of the most fragrant members of this genus are Korean Spice and Burkwood Viburnum, while a few like Leatherleaf and Prague Viburnum have evergreen leaves.Many of these shrubs have bright fall foliage, an added extra. 

Blueberry- Small, urn-shaped, white flowers in spring; delicious and healthful blue berries in summer; brilliant scarlet red leaves in fall; and red twigs in winter make native Blueberries the ideal four-season garden choice.

Fothergilla, while unusual, is a personal favorite. White “bottlebrush” flowers on low shrubs grow well even in shade, and the deciduous leaves turn flaming colors of yellow, gold, orange, red and purple for 6 weeks every fall, creating a second season of show-stopping interest for this native shrub. 

There are myriad spring-blooming shrubs. Which are your favorites? 

Winter Flowering Shrubs, Part 1 of 4

Most shrubs flower during the warm seasons of the year, but those that bloom in the winter seem more precious because of the relatively rare occurrence of winter flowers.

First, evergreen foliage adds soothing green color to the winter landscape. This includes narrow leaf evergreens (conifers) that come in colors ranging from silver and blue to green to yellow and orange.  It also includes broad leaf evergreens that are the special provenance of metro-Atlanta, and really contribute to the springtime feel of a landscape throughout the cold months.

Second, winter flowering shrubs have an excitement all their own, whether on deciduous or evergreen shrubs. The top three winter-flowering shrubs include

Witchhazel

Witchhazel is a medium to large deciduous shrub that particularly noted for winter flowers which appear on bare branches. There are dozens of varieties, hybrids and named cultivars of witchhazel in colors ranging from pale yellow, bright yellow, orange, red and rust. Those native to North America begin to bloom in the fall, while others bloom through March. Winter blooming, mildly fragrand flowers are each about an inch long with groups of narrow, ribbon-like, crinkly petals. Witchhazel has no serious insect or disease problems and is great for shrub borders, woodland gardens or as a specimen in a winter landscape.

Camellias 

Camellias come in two main categories: Camellia sasanqua (familiarly known as “Sasanquas”) begin to flower on voting day in early November through December in metro-Atlanta, and Camellia japonica that bloom from late December through March. Lovely white, pink, red or variegated flowers, two to five inches across ornament the dark evergreen foliage of this popular and handsome, long-lived shrub. 

Quince

Quince’s rose-like flowers burst forth on bare branches on the first warm days of winter. Shrubs come upright and rounded or low and spreading, and withstand both heavy clay and heat. Flowers come in shades of red, white, pink and orange. The variety with appleblossom pink, white, and pink-and-white flowers is called Toyo Nishiki 

Crabapple LandscapExperts include winter flowering shrubs to enliven the season.

Natural Pest Prevention in the Landscape

The Landscape Experts at Crabapple know the first step in Natural Garden Pest prevention is to identify the type of pest in order to stop it in its tracks. 

• Plant-eating Insects
• chewing insects 
• sucking insects
• below-ground grubs
• Mites 
• Plant Diseases 
• fungus 
• bacteria 
• virus

The best defense is a good offense, and the LandscapExpert Team begins by using many cultural controls. 

• Start with the soil. Build healthy, organic soils that optimize plant growth by raising the organic matter content in Georgia red clay
•  compost 
•  mulch
• mushroom compost
• topdressing with well-rotted manure
• aerated compost tea
• seaweed 
• organic mulch
• Create optimum soil acidity/alkalinity levels
• Correct pH
• Pulverized dolomitic lime to make acid soils more neutral
• Mycorrhizal inoculents: 
• friendly fungi to create a symbiotic relationship with roots of higher plants
• beneficial bacteria to produce nitrogen in available compounds 
• Choose the correct plant for the location; for example, do not plant boxwood in a soggy location, nor crape myrtle in the shade 
• Rotate crops, interplanting, companion planting (avoid monocultures) 
• Pull weak plants since these will be more susceptible to pest attack
• Minimize insect habitat by raking off old mulch and plant litter and composting
• Water in early morning so sun will dry off leaves; water roots, not leaves 
• Disinfect pruning tools between plants to avoid spreading disease 
• Open planting to provide improved air circulation

Integrated Pest Management

• Identify pest 
• Cultural controls first and foremost
• Add or attract beneficial insects to eat or parasitize harmful insects or larvae
• beneficials include carnivorous insects that eat other bugs
• well known lacewings, praying mantids, ladybugs
• Organic remedies include 
• hand- picking, 
• dormant oil spray 
• traps 
• lures
• Chemical remedies include 
• Targeted spot treatment with chemical insecticides or fungicides appropriate for the specific pest
• We avoid broadcast pesticide spraying that will adversely affect beneficial insects and soil organisms  

Members of the Crabapple Team are certified Pesticide Applicators with up-to-date licenses who attend re-certification classes. Count on Crabapple for the best in knowledgeable Pest Prevention. 

5 Essentials of Winter Tree Care

Crabapple LandscapExperts recommend minimizing stress on trees during the cold months, even though they seem to be in “a state of hibernation”.

Whenever temperatures are above freezing, roots will grow in the soil and evergreen foliage will transpire moisture, so a little care during the cold months goes a long way. We water trees during periods of winter drought, just as in summer. A little irrigation is essential, especially on newly planted, young trees.

A “blanket” of organic mulch goes a long way to protect roots by acting as an insulation to retain moisture and reduce temperature fluctuations.  

We protect trees from deer and rabbit damage by wrapping trunks in hard plastic or hardware cloth.

Damage from cold temperature extremes is avoided by wrapping trunks in burlap or plastic tape.

Finally, winter is a good time to prune trees, as the leaves are gone and it is easier for our LandscapExpert Team to see the overall structure and scaffold branches, and to prune out problem branches. Pruning keeps trees growing, relieves stress and eliminates crossing branches.

Sign up for a wintertime consultation with your CrabappleRep.