The Shawnee County Extension Office will hold its annual Master Gardener Pest and Disease Plant Clinic on June 24 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. inside the Fairlawn Plaza Mall, 2114 SW Chelsea Drive.
Local horticulturists and experts from Kansas State University will diagnose and offer treatment recommendations for common problems in lawns, gardens and house plants. This free walk-in clinic is sponsored by Fairlawn Plaza Shopping Center.
“Area residents can bring in any plants that need identification, from weed identification to maple trees that haven't yet leafed out,” Shawnee County Horticulture Extension Agent Lane Wiens said, “and we'll do our best to answer any questions they have, diagnose what's going on and give them strategies on what to do.”
What are some common problems with houseplants?
Wiens said one of the most common problems he sees is overwatering houseplants, and his advice is simple: leave them alone for a little longer.
“With most plants, when you think they need water, just wait a few more days. Peace lilies and fittonias will let you know when they need water. They're very dramatic and bounce back as soon as you water them.”
Questions about weed control and invasive plant species are also common. Wiens said prevention is the best way to keep unwanted foliage in check. He cites the weed known as amplexicaule, which appears in Kansas in the spring and turns entire fields purple.
“Many weeds can be controlled with a post-emergence product,” he says, “but it's better to control them in the fall with a pre-emergence product before they germinate and go dormant for the winter.”
Wiens said honeysuckle is an invasive shrub in Kansas that smothers anything that tries to grow underneath it. To control infestations, he suggests cutting honeysuckle as close to the ground as possible and immediately applying glyphosate to the cut, which allows the glyphosate to penetrate the plant and destroy the root system.
Wiens said environmental hazards such as drought may also be a concern for some ornamental trees and shrubs this year.
“It's been a pretty dry winter for shrubs like boxwood and cypress,” he said.
He recommends light watering during winter when temperatures exceed 40 degrees to keep the shrubs healthy all year round, especially when precipitation is low.
Raymond Cloyd tackles insect and pest control issues
If you have a pest infestation in your plants or garden, Raymond Cloyd will be addressing your pest control issues on June 24. Cloyd is an expert in horticultural entomology and plant protection.
“Japanese beetle season is just around the corner,” Wiens said.
Japanese beetles are known to attack roses and grape vines, and Wiens said there's no good way to prevent them from infesting plants other than knocking them off the plant and into a bucket of soapy water.
He advises against using pheromone traps that claim to eliminate scarab beetles, as they can cause further damage to plants.
“Now is the time to eliminate bagworms when they are in the larval stage, which is about 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch long,” Wiens says.
To most effectively prevent bagbug infestations, spray trees and shrubs weekly for up to four weeks with the microbial insecticide Bacillus thuringiensis. Wiens said the insecticide works on the larvae but not on bagbug eggs, and the larvae hatch in different stages, so a complete treatment is necessary.
“You need to make sure you cover the entire tree,” Wiens says, “and if you don't think you can do it yourself, call an arborist to do it.”
What to bring to the Shawnee County Pest Clinic
People planning to visit a sick plant clinic should bring along branches, twigs and leaves to help diagnose the problem, and Wiens said photos of the whole plant, the infested area and the whole garden are also helpful.
The K-State Research and Extension website provides information on how to properly collect plant and pest samples prior to your clinic date.
“The more organizations we have to identify the problems, the better. Knowing what you're looking at is the best way to control the problems, and knowing how to mitigate the problems is the quickest way to address some of these issues,” Wiens said.
He acknowledged there is a lot of information out there on how to care for and treat plants, but said some of it isn't based in science.
“Extension is here to provide you with research-based information,” Wiens says, “and we want to help you solve your plant problems. We offer as many different management strategies as we can, but ultimately it's up to you to decide which approach to take.”
How to Apply to the Shawnee County Extension Master Gardener Group
Applications to join the Shawnee County Extension Master Gardener organization are now being accepted on the Extension office website.
Master Gardeners are trained to answer gardening questions during the growing season, maintain demonstration gardens around town, give presentations to local groups, and spread the love of gardening in their communities.
