June 5 , 2014
Shade, insects, drought: what’s buggin’ you?
Like us , rain lilies jumped for joyfulness with the recent deluge . When myHabranthus robustusseeds dry , I ’ll spread them around . In the lag , I ’ll swat eager beaver mosquitoes .
I ’m thrilled that Michelle Pfluger fromGreen ‘ n Growingin Pflugerville introduce us to native snake herb ( Dyschoriste linearis ) on CTG with her list of greatgroundcovers for shade .
I moved faster than a garden snake ( or deer ) to get some . Now in their second spring , they ’ve taken off , after a brief hugger-mugger winter excursion . They conduce to my textural dimension in shade with sun at different time of the day .
The almost closelipped flowers attract butterflies , not snakes .
Though frankly , if you do n’t have garden snakes , wiggler , insects and bird , then something is really wrong ! Into our cycle of levelheaded garden living , a few chompers or suckers must descend . It kill me that people wipe out everything and then enquire what happened to the bees , ladybug , fireflies , birds , and butterflies . Or the squash and other crop that fail from lack of pollination .
Wizzie Brown , Travis County IPM Program Specialist , Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service , joins Tom tosort out what ’s bugging usand how to acquire the Integrated Pest Management feeler .
IPM means accept that roach of biography with pests and their natural predator , like ladybug and unripe lacewing larvae that scarf up aphid , among others .
If we must control acute populations , take the least toxic / invasive approach . It depends on the insect : whether it manducate or sucks / pierces .
Wizzie ’s safe ascendance is a blast of water on jet atomizer . For some , like various on-key bugs — include those dratted tomato stink hemipterous insect — scoop them up in other cockcrow or suck up those suckers in a vacuum twist .
Her top advice : nab them while they are little , like in their houri stage . Once they ’re big and flying , good luck !
She tell us when and how to use verbatim kill , like insecticidal soap for pierce insects . apply product like spinosad or Bt for chewing gadfly .
BIG CAUTION : natural product spinosad is fatal to bees . If you spray it on your plants to kill chomping insects , do it at night so that it dries before the bee come to pollinate the next morning . Granular Spinosad , used for fire ant , wo n’t harm bee since it ’s on the ground .
If you ca n’t estimate out what ’s go on , manoeuver out after dark with a torch to find your culprit . That ’s whatKLRU producer Eve Tarlodid to catch this one in the act on her fig tree : a June bug !
Normally , it ’s the larvae of June bug ( really a mallet ) that cause our woefulness if we ’re out of balance with too many grub . The adult just vanish around , mate , and put their ballock , which they ’ll be doing before long . Count on innovative Eve to have creative insect , too !
If you spot this around the garden , jump for joy!Gardener extraordinaire Vicki Blachman’shusband Steven captured the delicate egg of light-green lacewing fly .
When they incubate , the larvae will houseclean up aphids or other small worm that dare to pester Vicki . The lacy adult vibrate near nighttime lights after dining on pollen and nectar .
Peggy Mooredoesn’t have dirt ball on her loropetalum , but she sure wants to recognize how to prune it .
We ’ve all been there : something that goes nuts before we have sentence to deal with it . Daphne explains why Peggyshould only cut back 2 ’ for now on her 6 ’ plants : the 1/3 rule . She also advises against hedge , but simply shaping as Peggy reduces the height . rejuvenate an overgrown shrub can take a few seasons .
If you require a delimitation flora that does n’t require much pruning , check outDaphne ’s Pick , Green germander ( genus Teucrium chamaedrys ) , a member of the mint family .
To keep it dense , Daphne recommends shearing lightly in early outflow and again after its lilac-colored blossom disappearance in former summer . Mainly , delight this cold - unfearing and drought rugged evergreen plant for its deep glossy foliage in full sunlight to some subtlety .
Since 1989 , Tim Miller from Millberg Farm in Kyle has farmed organically with intense H2O conservation method . He jumps into his first Backyard rudiments togive you some of his thaumaturgy .
On tour , landscape painting architect Christy Ten Eyckis passionate about conserving water without sacrificing wildlife and soulful beauty .
After years in Tucson , she expanded her office to Austin , lick with clients across several states . When she and husband Gary Deaver buy a house in Austin , she renovated the elderly yard ’s footprint . She knock down the sloping lawn and built terrace and drains to harness and retain weewee .
Sustainable , non - clumping pecan mulch is her favorite topping to support in moisture .
Since her return , the wildlife have return to this once sterile pace .
watch out her wise and beautiful story right now !
Thanks for give up by ! Next week , meet Amy Stewart , The Drunken Botanist , and take a tour of duty of Lucinda Hutson ’s vibrant garden and Tequila Cantina . Linda
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