Mosquitoes in the Home Garden by Carol King

Mosquito photo cdc.gov

While we have not had a lot of rain over the past several weeks, mosquitoes can still become a problem in the garden. The best time to manage mosquitoes is when they are in the larval stage. This stage, called wrigglers, lives in shallow water and feeds on microorganisms. They can be found in used tires, wheelbarrows, birdbaths, saucers under pots, ornamental pools and other places that hold standing water. Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Fight the Bite website  recommends the following steps for reducing the mosquito population. 

Mosquitoes lay eggs in still water, which hatch in 7 to 10 days. If standing water is eliminated weekly around the property, many  mosquitoes will be kept from breeding in the first place. Here are some things you can do:

• Remove standing water in ponds, ditches, clogged rain gutters, flower pots, plant saucers, puddles, buckets, equipment and cans. Empty or flush out containers weekly to reduce or eliminate the larvae.
• Check for items that might hold water including wheelbarrows, leaky air conditioner hoses, pool covers, tarps, plastic garden sheeting, and trash.
• Change the water in birdbaths weekly.
• Use mosquitofish (mosquito-eating fish Gambusia can be released in ponds) or mosquito dunks to prevent mosquito larvae from growing in small areas of standing water.
• Avoid mosquitoes at dawn and dusk when the bugs are most active. 
• Wear socks, long-sleeved shirts and long pants while outdoors.
• Apply insect repellent with DEET. Follow directions carefully.

For more information about complete mosquito management, check these fact sheets:

http://extension.colostate.edu/mosquito-management/

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/ptlk/2029.html

http://www.fightthebitecolorado.com

Gardening Power to the People: Pollinators (Video)—Bee or Wasp?

Many people confuse bees and wasps. While they are both in the Hymenoptera order of insects they have unique characteristics. This short video will help you distinguish between the two.

Summer Rose Care by Donna Duffy

All around town the roses are finally in bloom! It's been a rough year for roses with an early fall freeze and a late spring freeze. Not all roses were able to survive the extreme weather. For those roses that made it, here are some tips to keep them healthy during the heat of summer. An excellent resource is “Growing Roses in Colorado” published by the Denver Rose Society.  There is a wealth of information on their website as well as a calendar of events.

It’s Time to Arm Yourself Against Yellow Jackets - An Update By Joyce D’Agostino

Photo courtesy CSU 

Update: Recently I assisted another Master Garden at an information table at a public event. One of the people attending the event stopped by our table and saw materials about bees. She stated that she didn’t like bees and wanted none of them in her garden. One of her friends told her she was very mistaken, we all need bees to help with pollinating our gardens. This person insisted that the “bees” were very bothersome and she was concerned she could get stung. After talking with her for a few moments and asking her to describe what she was seeing, her description matched the Western Yellowjacket. Despite me telling her it wasn’t a bee, she still felt that it was part of the “bee family” and she wanted no part of any bees around her garden.

It may explain why people do mistake these aggressive hornets with our friendly honey bees and bumble bees and why so many of the beneficial insects are sprayed with insecticide. 

We are repeating this blog from April to help you see what a Yellow Jacket looks like compared to honey bees and bumble bees. Trying to control them earlier in the season is the best way to reduce or eliminate the Yellow Jacket population but proper identification will help so that you don’t use insecticides on the bees visiting your garden. If you have any questions about bees and yellow jackets, contact your local Extension Service office.

Growing Healthy Tomatoes by Joyce D'Agostino

Photo courtesy Old Farmer's Almanac

Tomatoes are one of the most often grown garden vegetables. For the most part, tomatoes can be easy to grow and give you a nice bounty of fresh tomatoes for eating and cooking.

But occasionally problems can occur such as disease, insect issues or growth problems. Having some tips early on may help you avoid problems so you can enjoy your tomato crop throughout the season. Tomatoes benefit from being spaced so that there is good air circulation.  Giving your plants some room and not touching each other if possible helps to avoid the foliage staying damp or transferring diseases. Remember when you plant a small tomato, it can grow into a much larger plant, so refer to the seed packet or the information included if you bought a plant to know how far to space your plants.

Summer Solstice 2017 by Carol King

Happy Summer Solstice!

Welcome to the longest day of the year! Sumer Solstice is June 20, 2017 in the northern hemisphere and in Jefferson County, Colorado, arrives at 10:24 p.m. MDT.

The Summer Solstice is an astronomical event that happens when the sun is directly above the Tropic of Cancer. This day has more hours of daylight than any other day of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere, Solstices occur on June 20th or 21st each year.

It is also known as Midsumer’s Day as it occurs in the middle of our summer. Summer Solstice is considered to be halfway throught the growing season for gardeners above the Equator. It marks the 1st day of summer and is celebrated by various cultures, and customs around the world.

Celebrating Summer Solstice dates backs thousands of years. It was celebrated by the Ancient Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, and the Celts. Summer Solstice is associated it with good harvests and fertility, and abundance in your garden.

Happy Summer Solstice to one an all and here’s to an abundant harvest!

Breakfast Without Bees by Patti O'Neal

Save Our Pollinators Day!

Spittlebugs in the Garden by Carol King

Image Purdue University

While weeding near my bee balm (Monarda), I saw several patches of  a frothy white substance on the leaves.  Upon further study, I discovered that I have a small infestation of the spittlebug (Cercopidae: spp)  Aptly named, the white froth is what the immature spittlebug or nymphs surround themselves with as they feed on plant tissue.  Adult spittlebugs are inconspicuous, often greenish or brownish insects, about 0.25 inch long. 

While spittlebugs suck plant juices and can distort plant tissue and slow plant growth, they do not seriously harm plants. As they don’t cause significant damage, just wash them off with water if their appearance bothers you.  Otherwise, enjoy yet another fascinating bug in action!

Here’s more information:  http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/GARDEN/VEGES/PESTS/spittlebugs.html

Adding Flowers To Your Vegetable Garden By Joyce D’Agostino

Photo courtesy veggiegardeningtips.com

The spring temperatures will soon be settled and it will be safe to plant your summer garden. If you have focused mostly on growing tomatoes, peppers and other favorite vegetables, consider adding some flowers to your garden. Not only will flowers add a splash of color and interest, but they can serve a significant role in providing nectar and pollen for pollinating insects, and attracting these insects will in turn help to pollinate your vegetables.

Transplanting Tomato Seedlings by Donna Duffy

Tomato seedling, photo courtesy Modern Farmer

With spring marching along, it’s almost time to plant your tomato seedlings. It’s always a challenge to figure out exactly when to put them in the ground - Colorado weather is fickle this time of year. Last week’s hail storm wiped out many early planted annuals and seedlings. Once you’ve decided to proceed, follow the steps outlined in “How to Grow Your Own Tomatoes, Part 2: Transplanting, by Brian Barth, Modern Farmer. You can access the article here. Be sure to check out the links to other articles on growing tomatoes.

It's Time to Arm Yourself Against Yellow Jackets by Joyce D'Agostino

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Yellow Jacket in trap, photo by Joyce D'Agostino

Anyone who has tried to have a picnic, work in their yard or go camping has likely encountered the Yellow Jacket. Here in Colorado, we encounter the Western Yellow Jacket, Vespula pennsylvanica, most often. Because they are yellow and black in color, people often mistake them for honeybees, but the Yellow Jacket is much larger and from the wasp family, and can make multiple painful stings when they attack.