
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, April 30, 1995                   TAG: 9505030009
SECTION: HOMES                    PAGE: D-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Dear John
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

KEEPING YOUR AZALEAS GREEN

Soon now, azalea owners will notice the loss of nice green color from their azalea leaves, usually starting with the appearance of small yellow spots on the upper side of new leaves.

This will be the result of azalea lace bugs piercing the leaves from the underside to suck out azalea leaf juices. By late summer, if lace bugs continue to feed, the azaleas likely will have a very bleached-out appearance, giving the affected leaves a silvery or coppery color.

Here are a few facts about azalea lace bugs, which in my opinion are the No.1 pest of azaleas in the Roanoke area.

Azalea lace bugs easily can go unnoticed, because they situate themselves to feed on the underside of the leaves. Adult lace bugs are about one-eighth-inch long with a lacey netlike pattern on the wings, which gives this pest its name. As lace bugs feed, they produce pinhead size, brown varnish-like droppings that adhere to the underside of the leaves. These brown dots are another clue that lace bugs have been sucking on that azalea, a clue that still might be present now on azalea leaves injured last year.

On evergreen azaleas, lace bugs spend the winter as eggs, which should be hatching very soon. The tender new azalea leaves, which are appearing now, provide a delicious food supply for the young pests.

Azalea lace bug control includes these strategies: Monitor the azalea leaves early in the season by flipping scattered new growth over to look at the underside of leaves to find lace bugs. This is important so that controls can be applied before the lace bug population gets out of hand. Spray the underside of the azalea leaves with Orthene or diazinon when lace bugs have been found, but not before then. Reduce the probability of this pest by planting azaleas only in areas that are in moderate to full shade, because azalea lace bugs like to feed on azaleas in sunny spots.

Arboretum

The Community Arboretum at Virginia Western Community College, at Colonial Avenue and Winding Way Road Southwest in Roanoke, is a great outdoor horticulture learning opportunity as well as a great spot to enjoy plants. Plants are labeled. Individual visitors or groups are welcomed.

The Community Arboretum has something of interest at all times of the year. Blooms can be found in varying plant collections as the weeks progress. Right now, these are among the blooms that can be seen:

In the perennial garden: German bearded Iris, coral bells, columbine, gas plant, dianthus; various plants in the rock garden; in the shade garden: fading azaleas, red buckeyes, viburnums, rhododendrons; and in the wildflower garden, bird's foot violet, phlox, wild geraniums and other surprises.

For additional information, call the Virginia Western Community College Arboretum-Greenhouse at 857-7120

Green line.

Green Line hours during May for consumer horticulture assistance from Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners and staff from the Roanoke City Extension Office are 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Send short questions about your lawn, garden, plants, or insects to Dear John, c/o the Roanoke Times & World-News, P. O. Box 2491, Roanoke 24010-2491. We need your mail, but this column can't reply to all letters. Those of wide appeal will be answered each week. Personal replies cannot be given. Please don't send stamps, stamped envelopes, samples, or pictures.

by CNB