Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 17, 1993 TAG: 9301180381
SECTION: HOMES PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: John Arbogast
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
A LITTLE BUG CAN BE A BIG PEST ON AZALEAS LEAVES
Q: I need help with my azaleas. The color of the leaves are dull and they have some rust on them. What can I do for them? What causes this rust on the leaves? Why are they not green? The azalea leaves had this red color in the summer, too. L.P., SalemA: The azalea lacebug is probably your culprit. This leaf-sucking pest is active from mid-May through September. I have mentioned azalea lacebugs in previous "Dear John" columns. This pest is now in the egg stage of its life cycle and usually is found on broad-leaved evergreens, so nothing can be done to get rid of them at this time.
You should check the underside of the azalea leaves for these one-eighth-inch brown or black insects in May and periodically during the summer, especially on the new growth, and then apply appropriate controls to the underside of the leaves. But I cannot tell you what products are recommended for azalea lacebug control because the 1993 pest management controls from Virginia Tech are not out yet.
If you're planning new azaleas in your landscape, be sure they are in mostly shaded locations. Azalea lacebugs often occur on azaleas in sunny spots.
Q: Please let me know if you have any idea where I might get a magnolia tree. I have tried several places, and it seems that no one sells them anymore. I would like to plant one in my yard. Many years back, there was nothing but magnolia trees planted along the sidewalk in my neighborhood. Only two of those are still living. Mrs. D.H.T., Buena Vista
A: Generally speaking, the Extension Service cannot tell folks where to buy landscape plants because of a conflict of interest. So, the only thing I can say is to keep calling around. There are several different magnolia types, but I am guessing that you want that famous flowering tree of the South that is suitably named the Southern magnolia. You may have better luck finding this tree in the spring than at other times of the year, because magnolias transplant better then. The Southern magnolia has lost favor because of those big, leathery leaves that fall all year, which puts the tree in the "messy" category.
Q: I am writing concerning earthworms. Is there anything that I can do to keep them off my carport, which is at ground level? During long periods of rain, they crawl on the carport in large numbers and in all sizes. It's an awful job to keep them swept off; they just roll up and die. Please tell me anything that you can about solving this problem. J.D.P., Max Meadows
A: As you probably figured out, the rain accumulation that fills the soil adjacent to your carport during wet weather is what drives those earthworms to escape from the soil. Worms need some dampness in their soil, but they do not like it to be soggy.
My recommendation would be to encourage better drainage in the ground near the carport. If you have gutter downspouts that empty onto splash blocks in that area, use pipes to divert the water elsewhere. If the soil collects rainwater from other sources, spend some money and have the soil regraded with enough sloping character to move water away. You could also install an underground drain system with either tiles or black holey pipe surrounded by gravel in the area adjacent to your carport.
Q: About two months ago, you wrote an article concerning soya grass that explained how to kill it, when to kill it and how to reseed to keep it from coming back. My neighbor had her entire yard with this kind of grass redone three years ago but now the grass is reappearing. It is also creeping over onto my side. We both want to attack this problem at the proper time and with the proper procedures and materials. I would appreciate it if you would tell me the important things to do with the persistent problem that we have. D.E., Galax
A: First, I assume that the type of grass you are talking about is zoysia. There was a question in the Nov. 8 Dear John column from a reader who had an increasing amount of zoysia grass, but who was bothered by moles.
My answer talked about mole control, not zoysia elimination. If your neighbor's spreading grass has come back vigorously in just three years, I would wonder if that's not really bermuda grass or wiregrass rather than zoysia grass, which I have seen as a poor competitor against existing grasses. Anyway, this perennial weedy grass can be eliminated by repeated applications of the non-selective herbicide called Roundup. You should spread the herbicide when the grass is in an active growth stage.
All the unwanted perennial grass must be eliminated from the whole vicinity so that there are no live parts left that can creep back. This is apparently what is happening in your situation.
For details on further control, contact the Cooperative Extension Office, which in Carroll County is on the third floor of the Carter Building, adjacent to the County Courthouse in Hillsville. The telephone number is 728-7611.
READERS! THIS COLUMN IS MORE INTERESTING WHEN YOU WRITE. So, if you have a question about your plants, garden, lawn, or insects, write to Dear John, c/o the Roanoke Times & World-News, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke 24010-2491.
John Arbogast is the agriculture extension agent for Roanoke