Henry Harrison

County Agent

During the month of August, many vegetables can be planted. Here is a good list from which to choose. You can seed-in broccoli, cabbage, collards, mustard, turnips, squash, cucumbers, lima beans and Southern peas.

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Snap Beans: Generally, fall snap beans produce better than spring snap beans. If planted too early, however, they may drop their blooms and not set fruit because of high temperatures at time of blooming. Late August through early September is the best time to plant. Normally 50 to 55 days are required from planting until harvest begins. Don't let beans suffer from drought. Choose Provider, Bluelake 274, Roma II, Derby, Hialeah, Strike, Gator Green, Green Crop or Bronco. For a yellow wax bean, choose Gold Crop or Golden Wax. Benchmark is a new heat-tolerant variety worth trying. Usually, bush beans will produce more successfully than pole beans in the fall because of their earlier maturity.

Squash and Cucumbers: These two crops can be planted in August. Summer plantings will normally be ready to begin harvesting after about 30 to 35 days. Yields are usually lower than spring plantings. A fall crop of yellow summer squash, zucchini and cucumbers can be grown by planting seed during August through early September. Squash vine borers may be a more severe problem in fall than in spring, so be prepared to control them with an insecticide. Viruses are a problem in the fall, so spray regularly to control insects that transmit them.

Irish Potatoes: Plant small whole potatoes saved from the spring crop from about mid-August to early September. Good soil moisture is essential. Irrigate during dry weather. The seed potatoes may not sprout readily after planting because of a physiological rest period of about 90 days that they have to go through after harvesting in the spring. After this rest period is satisfied, the tubers should sprout. Fall yields are lower than spring yields.

Around in the Yard

Roses: It's important to complete late summer pruning of roses by Labor Day. Remove any diseased or dead canes, and prune out weak growth. Continue to spray for blackspot control. Monitor for insects once a week. Prune plants back to about 36 inches; leave 4-6 strong, healthy canes. Apply fertilizer to roses no later than late September in Washington Parish. This application needs to be a light one. Use a slow-release fertilizer, not 8-8-8 or 13-13-13. Reduced fertilization, especially of nitrogen, is critical before the winter. Fall weather usually favors good rose flowering.

Azaleas: Watch azalea plantings for early fall infestation of lace bugs. These sucking insects are damaging azaleas across the parish. Control with Orthene, horticultural oil sprays and other recommended insecticides. These insects will cause the foliage to turn pale green/mottled, loss of green color. Another insect to watch for on azaleas is the red-headed caterpillars. These insects will eat the foliage and cause severe damage to the plants. The insecticides Orthene, Malathion, Sevin or BT's will give good control.

Sooty Mold: If your crape myrtles or gardenias have a dark black covering on the foliage, you have sooty mold. Sooty mold is the result of aphids (plant lice) and white flies secreting honeydew. Control the aphids and white flies and you will control the sooty mold. Treat plants with Orthene 75S or use the insecticidal soap spray.

If you have citrus plants and they have a black covering on the foliage, use Sunspray Ultra Fine Oil or the insecticidal soap for control of white flies on all citrus plants.

You will need to follow the label directions and apply the pesticides on a regular spray schedule.

Make More Plants — Try Propagating

Begin making cuttings of some of your favorite plants. Plants from which cuttings may be made are holly, viburnum, pittosporum, azalea, camellia, sasanqua, and yellow jasmine. Make cuttings 5 to 6 inches of tip growth, leaving from 3 to 4 leaves on each cutting. Treat the base of each cutting with a root-inducing hormone such as Horomodin No. 1 or No. 3 or Rootone. Place cuttings in moist sand, vermiculite or a mixture of both. Keep the bed damp and humidity as high as possible.

Insects, Insects, Insects

Yellow jackets are very active and can cause severe pain by their sting. When nests are visible, several insecticides are very effective. Use carbaryl (Sevin), Demon or pyrethrins. Be careful when in the outdoors, especially when you are having food and soft drinks. Many accidents occur with children drinking yellow jackets that have gone down in the containers looking for a moisture source. Put a cover on the can when left opened to prevent the yellow jackets from going into the can.

Web worms: Many web worm nests exist. They are on everything and can defoliate plants. I have seen them on pecans, ornamentals, large trees. They can be controlled by using BT's, Orthene or Sevin. Nests that are low in trees or shrubs can be burned out with fire.

Red-headed caterpillars will eat the foliage and cause severe damage to your azalea plants. These insects can defoliate much of the plant before they are detected. These caterpillars are gregarious (found feeding in groups) and when disturbed, all will raise their heads and posterior in unison. Most of the damage from the caterpillars occurs now through September. Control caterpillars with Orthene, Sevin or the BT's.