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Wondering if it is too late to plant vegetables this summer? The good news: no, it is not! In fact, late July and August is the time to begin planting a fall vegetable garden. Many vegetables grown in the spring also grow well in the fall. In early August there are enough days to plant bush beans, carrots, or beets to harvest before frost. Other vegetables that mature quickly like lettuce or spinach can be planted in succession beginning now. You can also consider cold tolerant vegetables like kale, radishes, turnips, mustard, Swiss chard, or kohlrabi.

Two important pieces of information to know as you determine when to plant seeds: 1) the average date of the first frost, which is mid-October, and 2) the days to maturity for each crop which is listed on the seed packet. Always add a couple extra weeks since as days get shorter, growth slows. Therefore, as of August 1, we have approximately 75 days to

Got leftover seeds and empty spaces in your garden, plant a fall garden!!

average first frost.

Before planting prepare the garden bed by removing any debris from earlier crops and remove any weeds. Then till the soil and add organic matter and/or fertilizer. Keeping the seeds moist for germination and protecting young seedlings from excessive heat are probably the greatest challenges when planting in midsummer. Be sure to watch closely and provide shade and/or mulch to conserve water in the soil. Then watch your vegetables grow as you extend the gardening season.

Vegetables that grow well in the spring will also do well in the fall like bush beans, carrots, and beets. Keep in mind vegetables that will mature quickly include lettuce and spinach. Some of the vegetables that are cold tolerant include kale, radishes, turnips, swiss chard, and kohlrabi, broccoli and cauliflower.

Take time now to plant a mid-summer garden and extend the gardening season!

Magnolia Scale Source: University of Kentucky

Magnolia Scale are native “soft scales. They are called soft scales because the females are hidden beneath a helmet-like soft leathery covering that t provides some protection. However, they are easily crushed.  Rest easy, magnolia scale only infests members of the Magnolia genus. Magnolia scale has the greatest impact on non-native magnolias and associated hybrids compared to native magnolias. Native magnolias are more resistant perhaps because of natural defenses that developed through a shared evolutionary history with magnolia scale. Non-native magnolias that are most commonly infestation include star magnolia lily magnolia and saucer magnolia.

Soft scale adults and nymphs insert their piercing-sucking mouthparts into phloem vessels. They tap plant sap to acquire both carbohydrates which provide energy and amino acids which are the building blocks for proteins and enzymes. However, the phloem sap holds only trace amounts of amino acids compared to vast amounts of dissolved carbohydrates. This means the scale must process a large quantity of sap to extract the necessary amino acids. They discharge the excess sugar-rich liquid from their anus in the form of “honeydew” which is just a nice name for scale diarrhea.  

Magnolia scales are notorious for producing copious quantities of sticky, drippy honeydew. The sugary liquid may cause heavily infested trees to literally buzz with insect activity as flies, bees, and wasps seek a sweet treat.  A high percentage of the flies are often members of the blow fly family. Their maggots may have a taste for decaying flesh, but adults like sweets. The honeydew drips onto the leaves and stems of the host plant as well as understory plants to eventually become colonized by black sooty molds. Although the molds cause no harm to the overall health of infested trees, the blackened leaves can reduce the aesthetic appeal of heavily infested trees. Continue reading Magnolia Scale Abounds →

While English ivy (Hedera helix) is a nice ground cover it can quickly get out of control.  It is   a non-native woody, perennial vine that has been used extensively in landscapes.  English ivy reproduces from seed that is dispersed by birds when they eat the fruit. It can also spread vegetatively and can root from cut vines or stems.

English Ivy, stem and leaves Source: USDA

The plant grows vertically as it attaches to various structures, but it also becomes a ground cover when it can’t grow upwards. When left to grow unchecked, it will climb up into trees and eventually cover the foliage, which kills the branches. It also adds considerable weight to the tree making it more susceptible to limb breakage or complete failure. When English ivy is utilized as a ground cover, it can grow up against landscape shrubs and trees. This can make them susceptible to rodent damage by providing hiding places where the voles and mice can feed undisturbed. English ivy growing vertically on buildings uses root-like structures to anchor itself. This makes it extremely difficult to just pull off of the structure, and can eventually damage the structure itself. Finally, it is a reservoir host for the bacterial leaf scorch that is a serious disease that affects oaks, maples and other native trees.

This is a tough plant to manage once it has established itself as a ground cover and vine. Hand-pulling or mowing as much as possible is a good mechanical start. Young regrowth foliage is more susceptible to an herbicide application because the leaves are less waxy. Glyphosate (Roundup and others) or triclopyr (Garlon) can be applied to young foliage or to the stem/vine by cutting and applying directly into the wound. The “glove of death” can also be used for precise foliar application. If you are not familiar with this method, put on a chemical resistant glove (nitrile and some rubber ones can be used) then put on a fabric or cotton glove. Apply concentrated glyphosate or triclopyr on the outer glove then touch the plant.

The squash vine borer is a key pest of summer and winter squash, gourds and pumpkins. It is also seen in cucumber, gourd, and melon in Ohio.  Unfortunately, it is usually noticed only after it has done its damage. Symptoms appear in mid-summer when a long runner or an entire plant wilts suddenly. Infested vines usually die beyond the point of attack.  

Squash Vine Borer Frass

Sawdust like frass near the base of the plant is the best evidence of squash vine borer activity. Careful examination will uncover yellow brown excrement pushed out through holes in the side of the stem at the point of wilting. If the stem is split open, one to several borers are usually present. The caterpillars reach a length of 1 inch and have a brown head and a cream-colored body. 

The adult squash vine borer is a stout dark gray moth with ‘hairy’ red hind legs, opaque front wings, and clear hind wings with dark veins. Unlike most moths, they fly about the plants during the daytime, appearing more like a paper wasp than a moth. 

This insect overwinters as a full-grown larva or a pupa one to two inches below the soil surface. Adult moths begin to emerge about the time the plants begin to run, and moth flight continues through mid-August.

The small brown eggs, laid individually on leaf stalks and vines, hatch in seven to 10 days. The newly hatched larva immediately bores into the stem. A larva feeds for 14 to 30 days before exiting the stem to pupate in the soil. There are 1 to 2 generations per year.  

Management – The key to squash vine borer management is controlling the borers before they enter the stem. Once inside the vine, insecticidal control is ineffective. Poor timing of sprays is the usual cause of inadequate control. Very early signs of larval feeding indicate that other eggs will be hatching soon. Use two insecticide applications 7 days apart to control newly hatching larvae and continue to monitor for additional activity. Sprays need to penetrate the canopy to cover the vines to be effective.

Home gardeners may have some success with deworming the vines. At the first signs of the sawdust like frass on vines, slice lengthwise near where the damage is found and remove the borers. Cover stems immediately with earth. Sanitation is also important. Vines should be removed from the garden and composted after harvest is complete to prevent the remaining borers from completing development. Burying a few nodes along each vine will encourage rooting at these nodes. This will lessen the impact if squash vine borers girdle the base of the vine.

 Of course, ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW LABEL DIRECTIONS FOR SAFE USE OF ANY PESTICIDE!

This recipe is being shared from the Fairfield County SNAP Education Program  Celebrate Your Plate Series.   Preparation time 15 minutes

TURKEY CRANBERRY WRAP

1 large whole wheat tortilla

2 tablespoons reduced fat cream cheese

2 tablespoons reduced sugar dried cranberries

½ apple, cored and thinly sliced

2 oz. sliced oven-roasted turkey breast

2 tablespoons chopped red onion

½ cup fresh baby spinach

Place tortilla on a plate and spread with cream cheese.  Top with dried cranberries and sliced apple.  Layer turkey on top of fillings.  Sprinkle with chopped red onion. Top with spinach and any additional toppings.  Tightly roll by tucking 2 inches on each side inward toward the center.  Then grip the bottom, untucked side of the tortilla and roll forward.   Cut in half and serve.   Nutritional Information:  Calories 380,  Total Fat 11g, Sodium 920 mg Total Carbs 59g, Protein 16g

June-bearing strawberries should be renovated every year right after harvest if you’re hoping for excellent fruit production for more than one year.  For more details on starting a Strawberry patch and more check out the Ohioline Fact Sheet #1424 Growing Strawberries in the Home Garden https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/hyg-1424

– Christine Gelley, Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, Noble County OSU Extension

Humans are infected through the bites of immature black legged ticks calls nymphs.

It is becoming common knowledge that Lyme disease cases are on the rise in Ohio and that Lyme disease is transferred to people through the black-legged tick (A.K.A.- deer tick). It makes sense, given that the preferred habitat of this tick is the habitat occurring throughout Southeast Ohio- forested areas with leaf-litter coverage, grassy forest edges, and other areas with low-lying vegetation where wildlife are common. At this point, the black-legged tick is distributed through nearly every county in the state and poses a significant health risk to Ohioans.

Over the past week, another member of my immediate family has begun treatment for Lyme disease. The issue is prevalent and could present for any of us at any time. Even with the best prevention techniques and Continue reading Reminders to be Vigilant for Lyme Disease →

Can you tell a termite from a winged ant?

Packed into this issue:

• Distinguishing termites and ants
• Connie’s Corner
• Thanks to Lancaster Greenhouse
• Learning Never Ends’ needs
• Thank you Pam and Neil Jarvis and Louise Smith
• Field guide available
• Helping Hands in the Garden—projects
• Wagnalls gets ZooBrew
• MGV Project Leaders
• 2024 MG training highlights
• Song bird and pollinator gardens of Ag Center
• Corn reproduction
• Controlling slugs
• Available MG materials
• Best time to water
• Garden tasks for June
• Importance of sun protection
• Garden designs for disability and aging
• Featured Book: The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley
• Local foods programs and food preservation
• In/Around the Garden
• Featured events and event calendar

Find the entire newsletter linked here in a PDF printable format.

OSU Extension, Carrie Brown

Yes…there really are good bugs and bad bugs in your garden!!…be sure to listen into this 88.9FM  Radio For Life Interview with  OSU Extension Educator, Carrie Brown  share insights for dealing with insects in your garden…

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Spring is a great time to divide many of our favorite herbaceous garden perennials. The plants are small, easy to handle and they have the entire growing season to get re-established in your garden. But how do you know how often to divide perennials.

The term “perennial” literally means to last or exist for a long time and to be enduring or continually recurring. A perennial plant re-grows year after year from the same root. Some perennial plants are very long-lived like an oak tree which others are short-lived like some of the newer coneflower cultivars.

Dividing perennials or “division” is a form of propagation: you are creating multiple plants from a single plant. Some plants like Heuchera, coral bells, are very easy to divide. The plant crowns are right at the surface of the soil and small plants, called ‘offsets’, develop from the larger main plant. Other plants like Hosta and ornamental grasses have dense roots that require a sharp knife, garden fork, or even an axe to cut apart.

Division also promotes plant health and can rejuvenate a plant. A perennial should be divided when it dies out in the middle (the oldest part) of the plant, produces smaller flowers or leaves, and blooms less.

Dividing perennials is also a good idea if plants have become crowded as it increases air and light around plants which can increase blooming as well as reduce disease and insect pests.

For a great guide to knowing when to divide those perennials check out this factsheet:  https://extension.psu.edu/dividing-perennials