Published: June 13, 2009 11:05 pm      

June has blessings and issues

Anderson County Extension Report column

Now that summer is here, we have many blessings to be thankful for and we have a few issues we need to be keeping up with. The following is just a few of the many phone calls we are receiving.

Vegetables are coming in! Fresh vegetables are the best part of summer! A tomato sandwich with just a big slab of tomato, mayonnaise, salt and pepper and a little Tabasco… wow! The problem is, we are seeing tomato viruses and diseases popping up all over the county. Blossom End Rot, Early Blight, Anthracnose and other problems are being reported. The best preventative is catch them early. If you use a fungicide, be sure that it is labeled for vegetables. Also, water them consistently. Big swings in moisture can cause numerous problems.

We have caterpillars and millipedes everywhere! Most caterpillars and millipedes do not cause problems, but folks that are seeing large numbers on their carports & in their homes tend to be very unhappy. For problems in your house, most insecticides that are labeled for use in home will do the trick. Be sure to spray cracks, crevices and around doors. All insects are drawn to water. Bathrooms, kitchens and launder rooms need to be watched closely.

Huge flying ants! A few weeks ago, we had call after call about monster flying ants swarming. The good news is, they do not bite. The bad is that they are Town Ants or Leaf Cutter Ants and they are looking for places to establish new colonies. The winged stage of the ant can be up to 2 inches long, but most of the time 1 inch to 1.25 inches is normal, so they can be a little frightening.

They can be very damaging to gardens, landscapes and newly planted pine seedlings. If you find ant mounds resembling 2-3 inch tall volcanoes, it is a strong sign you may have these destructive little guys. Catching them early is the key to control.

My private pesticide applicators license has expired, how am I going to buy weed control chemical? Good news! We now have many non-restricted herbicides for pastures and pond that are available. I'm almost convinced that the number of non-restricted on the market, the day is coming soon when the average landowners is not going to need the private pesticide applicators license. Do your homework, check with your feed stores and you'll be surprised what is available. We will be having a Private Pesticide Applicators License training in the fall and we have CEU classes planned for the near future.

Keep fruit and nut trees watered. Sometimes we forget that fruits and nuts are made up of mainly water. Now is the time to keep up watering. Peaches, plums and blackberries with developing fruit must receive regular moisture or the fruit will not develop appropriately and may be dropped. Figs are especially sensitive to dry soil. Pecan development is also sensitive to soil moisture. Do not be wasteful of your water though. Drip emitters and soaker hoses put the water exactly where you need it.

After your peaches and plums are gone, spray the trunks with Lorsban to control borers. Prune out old blackberry canes (the ones that bore fruit this year) to make way for the new canes.

Speaking of wasting water! If you have an automatic sprinkler system please, please, please check it regularly! Make sure all the heads are working correctly. Make sure you’re not watering the street! Do not set your system to automatically come on at regular intervals. Check your lawn on a regular basis and water only when the soil needs it! Water seldom and water deep and be careful not to allow the water to run-off down the street.

55th Annual Beef Cattle Short Course Aug. 3-5. Conducted by Texas A&M University; the short course is the largest beef & forage educational event in the nation. Annually, over 1300 beef producers attend the three days course which consists of seminars, workshops, hands on demonstrations and a trade show with over 110 exhibitors. Information is available at the Extension Office. Register online at http://beef.tamu.edu

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Mark Price is one of three extension agents for Anderson County.