Impersonating an Insect

Usually when a gardener tells me there are holes in the leaves of their plant, I assume insect damage.
However, that is not always the case. Leaves that have been affected with shot hole disease often appear as having been chewed by an insect.  Plants in the Prunus genus such as almond, apricot, cherry, cherry-laurel, peach and plum are candidates for this problem.  Shot hole disease can be caused by a fungus or a bacteria, so treatment will depend on which type you have.  It gets the name from the multiple holes in the leaves, which have a shotgun hole appearance. The symptoms start with leaf spots which eventually dry up and fall off the leaves leaving the holes. Infected leaves can also turn yellow and fall off the tree prematurely.  The disease is usually more of a problem after a wet spring.

shot hole disease on cherry laurel

Fall Gardening

Didn’t have such a great garden this year?  It could be that your warm season veggies weren’t as happy with the cooler temps and overcast skies we had during this year’s growing season.  However, those same conditions may make for an excellent fall garden.  Fall gardens are usually more difficult to manage because you are fighting with high heat and increased weed and insect pressure. But the heat may not be so bad this time around.  So, before you put away your gardening gloves, you may want to give the following vegetables a shot:

 

·         Collards-  ‘Georgia’ and ‘Vates’

·         Kale- ‘Dwarf Blue Curled Vates’

·         Lettuce- ‘ Salad Bowl’, ‘Red Sails’, and ‘Black Seeded Simpson’

·         Mustard- ‘Savannah’, Tender Green’, and Southern Giant Curled’

·         Radish- ‘White Icicle’, ‘Cherry Bell’, and ‘Champion’

·         Spinach- ‘Tyee’ and ‘Melody’

·         Turnip Greens- ‘ Seven Top’ and ‘All Top’

 

All of these should be able to tolerate a frost.  The average first frost dates for Bolivar and Brownsville are Oct. 11 and Oct. 8, respectively.  I have always heard that it is Oct. 15 for Somerville, but I can’t find that information in any University of Tennessee publication, so I couldn’t swear to the accuracy of it.  If you are interested in a fall garden, we have a free publication that lists the foods commonly grown in the fall in Tennessee backyard gardens as well as what varieties to try, how far apart to space the seeds or plants, and how many days it will take before they are ready to harvest.  It also lists the expected yield of each one per 100’ row.  Included is a discussion on how to time planting based on your first frost date.  To get a copy, just call 465-5233 or email tashwort@utk.edu and ask for the Fall Vegetable Gardens publication. Better yet, click on this link.  UT Extension offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability or veteran status and is an Equal Opportunity employer.