March 2010 |
725 Olean Rd.
East Aurora, New York
14052
716-655-0133
Winter Hours
please call |
Q & A
The Beetle Invasion
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Q: Holy holes in my plants! Who is making all of these holes in the leaves?
A: We'd bet on the Beetles. It happens every year, right about the time all of your plants have filled in beautifully and are looking really great...
Japanese beetles were accidentally introduced into New Jersey (from Japan, believe it or not) sometime around 1916. They have been making themselves right at home ever since.
How do you know if these are the bad guys?
First, just go and look. You'll likely see their little metallic bodies congregated on the tops of your plants. They typically like plants in warm, sunny locations, and almost always feed in groups. They are not hard to spot.
Next, assess the damage you see on the leaves. These beetles will typically chew on the fleshy parts of the leaves between the veins, leaving behind a skeletonized leaf.
Got beetles? Now it's time to manage the pests. There are several methods.
Remove by hand.
Removing the beetles that are there will make the plant less attractive to ther beetles and reduce the damage. Go out in the morning and shake beetles off of your plants (they're not morning bugs and will be moving slowly) into a bucket of soapy water.
Beetle traps.
Traps attract the beetles with two types of baits. One mimics the scent of virgin female beetles and is highly attractive to males (shocking). The other bait is a sweet-smelling food-type lure that attracts both sexes. This combination of ingredients is such a powerful attractant that traps can draw in thousands of beetles in a day. A WARNING: The traps really do attract beetles. Pleace them FAR away from your prized roses or they'll cause more harm than good!
Chemicals.
Never our favorite way to treat a problem, but sometimes necessary. Many insecticides are approved for the treatment of Japanese beetles. There are several ogranic, earth-friendly options available, as well.
Stop in and speak with our sales staff to help you determine the best plan of attack.
Here's a great resource for more beetle info from the USDA. There's even a cool chart with a list of plants the beetles seldom attack.
Be on the lookout for grub control information later in the season. Beetle grubs are a part of the cycle and a part of the problem. |
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The Riddle
More taseful this week
I reach for the sky, but clutch to the ground; sometimes I leave, but I am always around. What am I? |
New Stuff
Cool things in the store
Trade show season has begun, and this means the arrival of lots of new gift items in the store. Here are a few of our favorites that arrived this week...
Each animal is crafted from all-natural components like seeds, nuts, shells, and feathers.
We have a whole barnyard full of critters in the store now and we know one of these little cuties will want to go home with you! |
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The Answer
Ready?
A tree! |
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Thank you to everyone who has given us feedback about our weekly newsletter. We really appreciate and value your input, and we are trying to put your suggestions to use. I hope you find some useful information here this week. We're also working on getting a whole lot more helpful information up on our website.
Again, please let us know if there is anything you'd like to learn more about - we're always looking for ideas for the next newsletter. Feel free to call or email us with any questions!
- Erin |
In the Garden
Plant of the Week
Rose of Sharon
(Hibiscus syriacus)
A bit of the tropics, right here in Buffalo! The big, showy blooms of the Rose of Sharon look just like their tropical cousins, the hibiscus, yet are hardy in USDA zones 5 - 9 (we're in zone 5).
Most varieties of Rose of Sharon grow to a mature height of 8' - 10', though there are a few cultivars that stay in the 5' - 6' range. This shrub prefers a well-drained, sunny location in the landscape.
One of our favorite things about this shrub, aside from the spectacular blooms, is how "shapeable" it is. Although it is naturally a multi-stemmed bush, this plant can be trained into a small tree shape by pruning away all but one (or three) of the main branches. This "tree" can be a really unique focal point in a sunny perennial garden.
We have several colors blooming at the nursery now. Stop by to take a look, and be sure to let us know if you have any questions!
To Do This Week:
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Dead head (cut off spent flowers) hostas and day lilies that have finished blooming
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Prune and shape evergreens like taxus, juniper and arbovitae
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Add perennials to fill in open areas (stop by the nursery to see the many different varieties in bloom right now)
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Trick of the Trade
Trimming the Tree
 Literally. Like we mentioned above in the Rose of Sharon section, some shrubs can be pruned to look like small trees. This is a particularly great trick to employ in a small garden space that would be overpowered by a larger specimen.
Select a shrub that takes pruning well and grows relatively quickly. Start by selecting the straightest, thickest "trunk" and then trim away the others with sharp pruners. Trim away any low branches that extend out from your new trunk to create the shape of a little tree.
Often, you will need to do a little bit of regular maintenance to keep your new little tree looking just the way you want it. Prune away any shoots that you notice coming up from the ground while they are small, and continue to prune any low branches. With just a bit of trimming, you can create a one-of-a-kind tree that will be the centerpiece of your garden space! They also look really great in big containers wien underplanted with colorful annuals...
Have questions? Email us or stop by!
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In the Pond
Plant of the Week
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Hardy Water Lilies
(Nymphaea var.)
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Hardy water lilies are probably the most well known and sought after plant for the water garden, and for many good reasons.
Most people want them simply because they are so beautiful, are available in a variety of colors and will last for many years with very little care.
Lilies are also very functional in the water garden and contribute to the overall balance and health of your pond. The lily pads cover the water's surface, keeping your pond cooler, help to inhibit algae growth by shading the water and limiting how much sunlight reaches the bottom, and provide a safe haven for your fish to hide in when that hungry Blue Heron makes a visit.
In addition to all of this, lilies also draw nutrients from the water, helping to control nitrate levels and decreasing the number of nutrients available for algae. August is a great month to shop for water lilies, too! If you're anything like me, you want to SEE the flower before you decide to add it to your collection...we have many blooming now in our displays.
To Do This Week:
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Divide and repot water lilies
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Fertilize lilies and lotus (should be done every four weeks)
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Test the water and record the test results
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Feed your fish a quality food 2-3 times daily
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Sit back, relax and enjoy the sound and tranquility of the water!
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Trick of the Trade
Testing 1...2...3...
Test your water regularly and keep a log of the results. OK, this is not really a trick.....just good, sound advice.
 We are seeing more fish health issues than normal this year, so a little preventative maintenance can go a long way. Most fish health problems start with water quality problems. The only way to know for sure that your water is healthy and not building up toxins is to test it. We test every pond here at the nursery weekly, more frequently if we start to see a problem developing. Keeping a journal of our test results allows us to quickly see minor changes and take any necessary corrective steps before it's too late and fish health suffers.
Keep in mind that clear water is not necessarily healthy water. You can't see ammonia, nitrites and other toxins that may be building up to dangerous levels. Conversely, cloudy water is not necessarily unhealthy for your fish. Do not confuse water 'clarity' with water 'quality'. They are two separate things and are not always relative to each other. For more information, check out the "Testing Your Water" info page on our website.
- Mike
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In the News
Hundreds of new frog species found in Madagascar
We like frogs, and thought this was pretty neat.
(CNN) -- Around 200 new species of frogs have been found in Madagascar, one of the world's biodiversity hotspots.
 A study identified between 129 and 221 new species of frogs on the island. The Spanish Scientific Research Council (CSIC), who carried out the study, believe the find could practically double the number of amphibians known in the world if the results are extrapolated at a global scale.
This has important consequences for conservation planning, as the rate of destruction of rainforests in Madagascar has been one of the highest in the planet, with more than 80 percent of the historic surface of rainforest already lost, according to the study's authors.
Dr. Miguel Vences, professor at the Technical University of Braunschweig, Germany, who was also part of the study team, and believes that a century of new species discovery is just beginning: "People think that we know which plant and animal species live on this planet. But the majority of life forms on Earth is still awaiting scientific recognition."
If they are going to find more of something, we're glad it's frogs!
Read the entire article here. |
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