Joe's Shrub Pick of the Week

Common name:
Let’s Dance Starlight Re-blooming Hydrangea

Latin Name:
Hydrangea Macrophylla ‘Lynn’

Requires Full to part sun
Grows 2’-3’ tall and 2’-3’ wide
Zone 5-9
Brilliant color, purple lace cap
Large vivid lace cap flower every summer
Soil ph affects the color of the bloom

Sarah's Perennial Pick of the Week

Common Name:
Tick Seed

Latin Name:
Coreopsis

Requires Full Sun
Attracts butterflies
Blooms Midsummer into the fall
Grows 18”-24” Tall, plant 18”-24” apart
Zone 4-9
Ideal cut flower
Remove dead heads for continued blooms
Complements Aster, Cone Flower and Phlox in the garden

Eric’s Pest of the Week

Pest: Viburnum Leaf Beetle (Pyrrhalta virburni)

Order: Coleoptera

Family: Chrysomelidae

Host Plants:This native of Europe feeds exclusively on many different species of viburnum, which include: Viburnum opulus (and cultivars), V. dentatum, and V. rafinesquianum. Adults have also been found feeding and laying eggs on V. lentago, V. acerifolium, and V. trilobu.
Life Cycle:This pest over-winters as an egg on the twigs of the host plant. Eggs hatch in May of the following year and the young larvae begin feeding on the host plant foliage. Larvae are usually found feeding together in groups. Pupation occurs 8-10 weeks later and the first adults begin to appear around the middle of July. Adults are active up until the first frost. Mating occurs, starting in July, and the female will chew small holes in the twigs where she lays her eggs. She then proceeds to cover these individual eggs with excrement giving the bark of these twigs a roughened appearance. Each female produces up to 500 eggs. (Source: Insects That Feed on Trees and Shrubs. Johnson and Lyons).

Injury and Appearance:Both the larvae (immatures) and the adults feed voraciously on the foliage of the host plants. Heavily attacked plants will have every leaf skeletonized by this pest. It is the only pest that causes such injury to viburnums.
Adults are small and brown and somewhat difficult to see. The immatures are dark in color and can be found feeding in groups on the host foliage.

Management:Homeowners need to be aware of the signs of this beetle’s injury along with knowing what the different life stages look like. One should also monitor for the eggs on the stems of viburnums. When found, this pest should be treated to limit its injury and spread. Physical removal of this pest from the host plant is difficult to obtain especially when many plants are involved. Therefore, pesticide treatments may be necessary to manage this pest, once found.

We recommend Bonide Tree and Shurb with the active chemical imidacloprid, Also the chemical Sevin will work really well in the control of this pest the active chemical in it is Carbaryl. A natural control for the beetle is Bonide’s Captain Jacks Dead Bug Brew, its active ingredient is Spinosad which is derived from the whiskey brewing process.

*Information regarding viburnum beetle was taken from the umass extension website http://www.umassgreeninfo.org/fact_sheets/defoliators/viburnum_leaf_beetle.html

Sue’s Farm Market Product of the Week

Rufus Teagus Barbeque Sauce

“He put some in a jar and shared itwith the boys they kept on painin’ him ‘till he fixed up another batch next thing he’s makin’ sauce all the time”

A 100% natural and gluten free food that is made in Kansas City.
It goes best with Beef, Chicken Fish and Pork and also goes well with literally everything else. This product has been flying off of our shelves since we got it in April! It is sweet, spicy and thick a must have for the upcoming BBQ season. We carry three flavors Touch of Honey, Honey Sweet and Blazin’ Hot. “Good sauce makes bad barbeque good and good barbeque gooder’