Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, May 14, 1995 TAG: 9505160057
SECTION: HOMES PAGE: E-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN ARBOGAST
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
An information session on the gypsy moth will be held May 22 from 10 a.m. until noon in the large auditorium in the business science building of Virginia Western Community College. The gypsy moth is a pest migrating toward the Roanoke Valley whose caterpillar stage eats tree leaves in midspring, eventually causing death of affected trees.
The May 22 session is being sponsored by the Roanoke Valley Urban Forestry Council and Valley Beautiful Foundation.
The college asks that attendees use visitors parking spaces in lots 7 and 9, which are the big lots on the other end of the block from the community arboretum. Call the Roanoke City Extension office at 857-7915 if you have questions.
Along with the beauty of spring come the ragged holes chewed in leaves, soft berries and flowers in the landscape and garden, the result of nighttime feeding visits from slugs and/or snails. These slimy pests are attracted to moist, excessively mulched plantings and acidic soil. Slugs and snails hide during the day in moist areas, and thus can fool home gardeners who see plant injury during the day but see no culprits. Without a doubt, control of this pest is difficult.
The book "Bug Off! How to Protect your Plants the Organic Way" mentions that a solution made from the herb called wormwood can be sprayed onto plants as a snail/slug repellent. That reference also suggests keeping the soil pH between 6 and 7 and using oak leaf mulch which supposedly will repel snails and slugs. I don't know of any research to prove any of these suggestions.
Snail and slug baits are available in garden departments for application to the soil around plants. Be sure that the package clearly states ``approved for use around food crops'' before using one of these products in the fruit or vegetable garden.
Some organic snail/slug control methods I have heard about without research proof are:
One of the many variations of the beer trap, which is basically stale beer in a jar lid or saucer sunk to ground level around target plants;
Same idea as the beer trap but instead of beer, use a solution of a teaspoon of baking yeast in three ounces of water;
Place a border of ashes, cinders, sand or diatomaceous earth (organic insecticide) around the garden or individual plants to deter this soft-bodied pest;
Trap snails or slugs under boards, cabbage leaves or overturned flower pots in the garden with the anticipation that this sun-hating pest will go under your trap for the day and you can collect them each morning;
Handpicking, if you care to visit your plants at night with a flashlight.
Q: Some of my azaleas are being attacked by a gray lichen fungus. It seems to suck the life out of the branches and they eventually die. What can I do to prevent this blight or to treat those azaleas already affected? B.H., Bedford
A: Lichen, which is a gray, crusty growth that can be found on trunks and branches of many kinds of plants, is not a disease and does not harm plants. However, lichens can be a sign of a weak plant with poor air circulation.
So, work on your azalea planting to remove adverse conditions and promote better air circulation. Azaleas need shade but might not be vigorous if they are in competition with other nearby plants. Consider the possibility of moisture problems that could be causing the weakening and eventual death of your azaleas.
Our typical hot dry midsummer and fall weather kills azaleas, which are shallow rooted. Excessive watering or poor drainage can do the same thing.
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, Va. 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