Bugs, Blooms, and Blights

Slime molds are active now on mulched areas and lawns. They use whatever is available for support and create their spore structures on the surface. No problems for plants since they are not pathogenic. Enjoy.

Early morning pictures of spider webs in the lawn and brown patch symptoms on turf blades.

Clematis die-back and blight caused by Phoma clematidina (formerly Aschochyta). The first symptoms are leaf spots that progress into the stem tissue causing girdling. The stems wilt and die which also gives this disease the common name of clematis wilt. In landscapes, the infection can often occur near the base of the plant. Prune and remove dying stems and prune for better air circulation. Clematis cultivars in the viticella group are more resistant.

On dogwoods, a bad year for Elsinoe spot anthracnose on flowers and leaves, too late to spray, and powdery mildew is just starting on leaves, if you act now you could spray for mildew, with a registered fungicide, on a regular schedule.

Here are some cold injury pictures on boxwood and paw paw. We've had a very unusual spring with some of the late frosts.

This has been the weekend for European hornet sightings. They are not the "murder hornets or killer hornets." From the Washington State Department of Agriculture: "
Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) is the world's largest species of hornet. In December 2019, WSDA received and verified four reports of Asian giant hornet near Blaine and Bellingham. These are the first-ever sighting in the United States. Canada had also discovered Asian giant hornet in two locations in British Columbia in the fall of 2019.

Asian giant hornet attacks and destroys honeybee hives. A few hornets can destroy a hive in a matter of hours. Here is link to a page with size comparisons of wasps and hornets:
https://agr.wa.gov/departments/insects-pests-and-weeds/insects/hornets/size-comparisons

Spotted lanternfly has started hatching in PA. Harford and Cecil counties have probably started as well. Keep your eyes open and report them ASAP to the Maryland Department of Agriculture at [email protected]. Baltimore and Washington Counties be very aware as well.

It's official!

👀 The first has hatched. Be on the lookout for these pests!

More: https://bit.ly/SLFHatch2020

Honeysuckle aphids are doing a number on my native honeysuckle causing deformed flowers and leaves. No beneficials yet. I keep looking, but I think the prey are way ahead of the predators this time. Maybe just too cool/cold/early?

Remember to harden off your ornamentals, houseplants, and young vegetable plants this spring before exposing them to cool overnight temperatures, anything below 50 F. Cold damage appearance varies on the plant species. Note the cold damage on the pansy flower and tomato leaves in these pictures.

Dove update: chicks fledged, mom and dad are still keeping an eye on them.

Aphids are out on roses. notice the white cast skins honeydew and the aphids. Won't be long before the beneficials take over. Resist spraying. Also the first batch of rose slugs are actively feeding. Look for new leaves that are rolled and have green caterpillar-like critters in them. They are also munching the newly opened leaves. You and squish them if it makes you feel better!

Here is another photo of the dove family. Looks like dad on the nest. They are just chillin' out! ( I promise bugs tomorrow.) Just could not pass up the doves.

We finally have a photo of mom (dove) and the chicks on the nest. (credit to M. Wilson for all of the photos). There is a lot of traffic passing by the nest including our barking dogs and the doves are not fazed