Ramsey County

June 9, 2008

Howdy!!!
This weather is something that could cause definite irritation if you like sun.  Hopefully the sun will shine soon and with that will come mosquitos.  Speaking of mosquitoes, as soon as the sun warms up, those pesky little things will be out in full force.  I have heard of another home brew that is supposed to work on keeping mosquitoes from invading your privacy.  The remedy is one part Listerine and 4 parts water.  Use the regular Listerine and spray around liberally.  I know of someone that tried it and said it was wonderful.  Another reminder to everyone that it is time to start spraying your spruce trees for needlecast.  The yellowheaded sawfly should start showing its face in about 2 weeks.  This little insect needs growing degree days and we are a little short at this point.

Wasn’t it pretty driving around this spring admiring all the pretty spring flowering bulbs!!!!  This is just a reminder to everyone growing bulbs and that being do not forget to fertilize those bulbs before they go into dormancy.  They use a tremendous amount of energy and a lack of Nutrients can lead to a dismal flower performance the following season. 

There is also another note to be reminded of and that is a new strain of Hosta Virus. 

There are hosta’s being found that are infected with a virus called Hosta Virus X (HVX).  At this point I have not found any infected plants in our neck of the woods but be on the lookout.  I have included an article that talks about the virus. 

The most commonly affected plants are 'Gold Standard', 'Striptease', and 'Sum and Substance', but other common varieties are being reported infected in large numbers. While this disease does not kill plants, its primary danger lies in its proven ability to spread prolifically. Because symptoms may take years to show after infection, HVX has infected hundreds of thousands of plants and is at epidemic levels around the world. If a batch of hostas contains any individual plants that show HVX symptoms, the whole batch should be considered  infected and should be destroyed, as individual testing is impractical and not a guarantee.

    If you are a gardener, do not buy plants from batches that show even the slightest markings on even one plant. If you have these plants from batches that show symptoms at your home, dispose of them immediately. If you are a grower or vendor, learn what the signs are and contact the supplier if you see them in your stock. This virus is widely spread at this time in the above plants and others (see table of infected cultivars) and the source nurseries are still learning about the problem as of 5/06. Only testing with the specific ELISA kit for HVX can detect HVX. Very large numbers of HVX-infected plants are still currently being sold at all levels.

    This virus is transmitted primarily through cutting the plants. Contact of the infected plant's sap with sap of a healthy plant will infect the new plant. This can happen whenever cuts are made and the instruments or hands are not disinfected afterwards. Dividing hostas, removing bloom scapes, removing leaves, stepping on them, even accidentally running the lawnmower over them can and will spread this virus. It survives only in living plant tissue and dies without a host. Plants in pots may be simply disposed of or burned. Plants in the ground should be dug carefully as to get as many roots as possible, and the spot should not be replanted until any remaining roots have died and rotted away.  

Garden Tours!!!!
Just another reminder, of the two garden tours, I would like you to include on your calendar.  The first one being, the Right to Life garden tour to be held Thursday, July 10.  The tour will start at 4 pm and conclude at 9 pm.  This is a great opportunity to visit some very nice yards and get good opportunities for some new ideas for yours.

The second tour is the one I am hosting and will take us to the Tolna area.  We will be leaving the courthouse at 10 am. Sunday, June 22 and arriving back at approximately 6 pm.  Our first stop we will visit is the Sonja Donohue yard (south of Tolna) our second stop will take us to the Gay Messner home for a yard tour and lunch provided by me and the last stop will take us to Corrine’s Garden, south of Pekin.  We will see many different styles of gardening and unlike most, we will see plants in their original setting (many not in full bloom).  I main reason for this to show how pretty plants can be without a full bloom in progress and yet maintain a yard of beauty.  We will also get to visit a yard with different features other than the flower plants as one yard will host a variety of dwarf spruce and other types of trees and shrubs along with the showy plants.  We have 19 spots filled with 5-6 seats left so if you are interested in going please stop by our office and get signed up with a $20 travel fee or $30 for two from the same family.

Calendar:

            June 22            Extension Garden tour

            July 10             Right to Life Garden tour

524 4th Ave NE #5, 2nd Floor Ramsey County Courthouse
Devils Lake  ND  58301
701-662-7027
email - ramsey@ndsuext.nodak.edu

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