disaster at the Pagoda

I go to a certain client's house once a week. Last week I noticed that her Pagoda dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) in the back was missing leaves on the top quarter of the tree. At the time I didn't think much of it; the Japanese beetles have been prolific this year so I assumed it was them and since they haven't done major damage to the other plants I decided to leave things alone.

We all know what happens when we assume.

When I get to a client's house I start off by making a walk-through of the property to get an idea of what needs the most attention this week. The first thing I noticed was that the Pagoda in the front was now missing the top quarter of its leaves. I glanced up and saw groups of insects huddled on the underside of some leaves. Stupid Japanese beetles. I worked my way to the back where the other Pagoda is and stopped short - it was defoliated. Completely. Entirely. That is not the work of Japanese beetles. Upon examination the tree was covered and crawling with yellow and black caterpillars. I went to the Pagoda in the front - it is covered with the same caterpillars. First of all, crap. Second, ew. Third, what are they, and finally, how do I kill them.

The enemy.

Photo from a Google search

I didn't have any bug identifying anything to work with, but I couldn't put off treatment. I mixed up a spray bottle of my Bonide Systemic Insect Control concentrate, put a few of the caterpillars in a plastic bag to id properly later, apologized to any innocent bugs living under the Pagodas, and went to work. It takes a few days for the insecticide to take effect, so I'll check back in a days or two to see how things are progressing and spray again if necessary.

Spraying the back Pagoda wasn't going to do anything for its appearance since the leaves were already gone, but it would prevent the caterpillars from pupating. The front Pagoda still had the majority of its leaves so spraying would - hopefully - keep it looking good. Especially since it's one of the first things you notice coming up the driveway.

Front Pagoda dogwood. The damage can be seen on the two highest branches.

Back Pagoda dogwood.

Later that day I was working near and a little under the back Pagoda. The caterpillars were still crawling around, looking in vain for leaves. I noticed them on the annuals in the containers nearby, and they were crawling across the patio away from the Pagoda. They seemed to be everywhere. Maybe they're escaping the now poisonous Pagoda. Maybe the insecticide is starting to take effect and they've fallen out of the tree. What if they're falling on me? After that every loose piece of hair or funny feeling down my back was a yellow caterpillar. I still get the creepy crawlies.

Once back at the office I did some digging online and discovered that it is an infestation of Dogwood Sawfly. Blasted sawfly. Once I had a name, I could see the similarities between the Dogwood Sawfly and the European Pine Sawfly.

European Pine Sawfly
gray/blue top, green bottom, black head

Dogwood Sawfly
gray/blue top, yellow bottom, black head

  

Dogwood sawfly larva sleeping. This is what at a glance I thought were Japanese beetles.

Just like European Pine Sawfly, the Pagodas won't die from the damage done in one year. Although there may not be time or energy to grow new leaves, the Pagodas may go into an early dormancy. The site said they mainly prefer red-twig dogwoods (Cornus sericea, multiple cultivars). Well, they clearly love Pagoda dogwoods, too.

chomp chomp

In my experience, fewer insects do more damage than sawflies. More specifically, sawfly larva. I have encountered two types: European Pine Sawfly, and (most recently) Dogwood Sawfly. This post will deal with the European Pine Sawfly.

As the name suggests, European Pine Sawflies are from Europe and eat pine needles. Their favorite types of pines are Mugo pines (Pinus mugo) and Eastern White pine (Pinus strobus). The larva are incredibly aggressive eaters and can defoliate a mature pine in about a week, and small Mugo in a few days. The damage caused by the larva is not lethal to the plant. Once the larva stop eating and drop to the ground to pupate, the pines actually grow new needles and are otherwise healthy. But if the larva are allowed to chow down for years on end, the prolonged stress and abuse will kill the plant.

Below is a shot of a White pine branch completely defoliated. This tree is about twenty feet tall.

Another White pine next to the tree in the photo above. Look closely and you can see that little needle nubs are all that the larva leave behind.

A close-up of European Pine Sawfly larva on a Mugo pine. The larva are about a half inch long, light green on the bottom and gray/blue on the top with a black head.

Do you see how the two larva in the center of the photo are curved backward? That is their defensive posture. I'm not quite sure how that pose will defend them. Perhaps it makes them look bigger and scarier to predators.

Personally, the scary thing that the larva do (which is very characteristic of the species) is to raise the front half of their bodies when you walk by their plant. If you're not expecting it, they make it look like the plant is moving on its own.

(sorry the video isn't the clearest. just watch for the "needles" to move)

Ew. Creeps me out every time.

The larva of European Pine Sawfly start chowing down in mid May. There is actually an easy way to know when to start checking your pines for the larva: After the magnolias finish blooming and before the lilacs start to bloom. Fortunately I have a client with a magnolia, so I can easily know when to check for sawfly larva at my other clients. If you don't have a magnolia nearby, don't worry; there's bound to be a lilac within sight of your home or workplace. When the lilac buds start to swell and have a color but are not open yet, it's time to inspect your pines. But act fast - when the lilacs are in full bloom the larva are about to move to the next stage of their life cycle and they'll be impervious to any insecticides.

How do you get rid of these creepy crawlies? I use Bonide Systemic Insect Control concentrate and have had great success. I follow the bottle instructions and only need one application to kill the larva. If your garden center doesn't carry Bonide products, something with Acephate as the active ingredient will do the job.

our State Fair is a great state fair

It's time again for the Minnesota State Fair. During the twelve days of the Great Minnesota Get-Together, you could see the state's largest pig, operate a skid steer in a giant sandbox, wave at the daily parade, see Elvis's portrait made entirely of various grains, watch Princess Kay of the Milky Way sit in a cooler while her likeness is carved in a huge block of butter, try your luck on the Midway, stare at every fashion faux pas in existence, and of course, eat food on a stick.

I think the main reason people come to the State Fair is to try the new foods on a stick. In addition to the state fair staples corn dogs and pronto pups, there is (to name only a very few):

• gator on a stick
• chocolate-covered watermelon on a stick
• breakfast lollipops (on a stick)
• macaroni and cheese on a stick
• various chesses on a stick
• Greek meatballs on a stick
• cheesecake on a stick
• key lime pie on a stick
• spaghetti on a stick (not quite sure how that works)
• chocolate chip cookie dough on a stick
• steak dinner on a stick
• pizza on a stick

and what Minnesota State Fair would be complete without

• tater tot hotdish on a stick
• walleye on a stick

But there is something on a stick that you won't find at the State Fair.

Shrub on a Stick!

Lantana on a Stick

Hibiscus on a Stick

Yew on a Stick

Juniper on a Stick

Rose on a Stick

Lilac on a Stick

But a deep fried candy bar on a stick is a lot easier to get on the Ferris Wheel.

Takes and Lickin' and Keeps on Tickin'

In a previous post I made mention of tulips that had been the victims of siding installer trampling. It was an non-standard siding job; the majority of the siding was put up, but we had to finish the woodwork on the porch before the rest of the siding could be completed. Last fall the siding guys came back to complete the last of the siding.

And destroyed the White Diamond hydrangea on either side of the steps. Broke every branch to the ground, leaving a pathetic pitiable stump.

I found pictures with the broken hydrangea in the background. I didn't take deliberate pictures of the carnage; it was too upsetting.

The remains of the hydrangea is to the right of the tulips.
If you follow the stem back to the base you will see tiny buds of new growth.

You can make out the rest of this hydrangea just above the pink tulip on the left.

I mean, really, can they not see them? Did they not feel any of the branches poking their legs as they ran into them? Did they not realize that that odd crunching sound under their boots was a bad thing? Are all construction workers really that oblivious to their surroundings?  Or is it just this company? Because this is not the first time they have done this. (see above referenced post).

Slight aside of further proof of this obliviousness epidemic: I had a large order of spruce tops delivered to a client's house. The pseudo-emo kid who brought them not only just tossed them willy-nilly out the end of the truck, but tossed them so they landed squarely on the Astilbe I was leaving up for fall/winter interest. When I asked him to please not throw the spruce tops on the plants, he looked at me and said vacantly, "Oh, those are plants?" Uh, yeah! What did you think they were, a loading dock?

(In order not to vilify all construction workers, one of my clients had their home re-shingled by an amazing group of workers. They put tarps over the gardens below the part of the roof where they were working. They made a point of avoiding shrubs and trees when they tossed down the old shingles. They picked up nearly every nail and scrap of shingle; I think I found only a single handful of debris they missed. I was so grateful for their hard work and dedication to excellence on their job site. I just wish my clients could remember the company's name so I can send them business!)

As a runner of a business, and as someone who actually works out in the field, this lack of awareness and responsibility is unacceptable. If I were to lose control of a loaded wheelbarrow and it ran into the side of the client's car, I would pay to have it fixed. If while digging a hole I cut the buried cable that was two feet away from where the cable company marked it should be, I would pay to have it fixed (even though it was clearly the fault of the cable installers who can't measure or read a plan).

In short, if I damage something on my client's property, it is my responsibility to notify my client and pay for the repairs. The siding guys didn't even notice they damaged anything until we called them on it and asked them to be a little more careful. In regards to the tulips, they simply shrugged and said "Oh, they'll grow back." Yes, they did grow back....two or three years later. We actually didn't tell them they crushed the hydrangea because we were tired of dealing with them and knew by the reputation they were earning that they wouldn't do anything about it. We would just eat the $50 to replace them.

(Ok, rant over. And yes, I do feel better.)

Now add insult and injury to injury - snow. This winter was non-stop snow storms. And the snow in the sidewalk and the snow building up on the porch roof had to go somewhere. Namely, in the spot where the broken hydrangeas were. There really wasn't much choice; we were quickly running out of places to put all the snow. In the spring these hard-packed piles were among the last to melt. I figured the weight of the snow and the lack of sun and warmth would be the final death knell of those poor, abused hydrangea. In an effort to rescue them, I hit and broke one of the remaining branches with the shovel. Great.

But when things started growing again, I was astonished to see the crippled White Diamond hydrangea with new shoots. They looked a little ragged and sparse at first, but they kept growing. And they are now in full bloom! They actually look really good! They are a little leggy right now, but I plan on pruning them to encourage lateral branching.

This is the hydrangea from the first photo above, and received the severest damage.

This is the hydrangea from the second photo above,
and is clearly in much better shape.

In all honesty, I truly thought these hydrangea were goners. I guess it's a testament to the tenacity of plants and how important a good root system is!

But I would have preferred them not to be put to the test in the first place.

New Page! - Haute for Heuchera

Check out my new page, Haute for Heuchera, dedicated to the ever colorful Heuchera! It is still very much a work in progress, and I'll be adding new varieties when I can.

'Sparkling Burgundy'