A few words about Fungal Leaf Spot

Hello Friends and fellow garden enthusiast! Wow summer has come and I bet many gardens are experiencing or have experienced fungal leaf spot in the past couple of months. Leaf spot is a common descriptive term applied to a number of diseases affecting the foliage many different trees, shrubs, and perennials. The organisms that cause leaf spots survive in fallen infected leaves and twigs. Some may remain in dead twigs on the tree. During wet weather, spores are released which may splashed or be windblown onto newly emerging tender leaves where they germinate in the moisture and infect the leaf. Overhead watering late in the day or during the night, heavy dews and close spacing of plants prolong wetting of the leaf surface and provide more opportunities for fungal or bacterial infections.Here is a list few recommendations that I found to be helpful.
1. Live with the disease. Leaf spots are largely an aesthetic problem as few leaf spots seriously damage the host. Also control is seldom achieved after the infection has started.
2. Remove infected leaves and dead twigs. Raking up and disposing of infected leaves as they drop and pruning out dead twigs can help control the disease by removing spores that can reinfect the new leaves. This will not cure the problem but it can help minimize infections.
3. Keep foliage dry. Avoid overhead watering. Use soaker hoses or water early in the day so the foliage can dry before night. Watering can also spread the disease by splashing. Prune plants and space plants to allow for good air circulation that promotes rapid drying of foliage.
4. Keep plants healthy. Since most plants can tolerate some defoliation, keep them in good health so they can rebound quickly. Avoid over fertilization as it promotes a flush of young leaves that are more susceptible to attack by insects and disease.
5. Use fungicides sparingly. In rare cases of severe infection where the size and value of plants make it practical, applications of fungicides may be helpful. However fungicides are only effective if they are used prior to infection. Once the plants has a fungal pathogen fungicides offer little or no control. And because fungicides can be particularly toxic it is best to use use cultural methods to control the problem.
6.Replace the plant. For plants that chronically are plagued by leaf spots, gardeners find it more convenient to replace a plant with a different species or a variety that is more resistant or tolerant of disease. Your local garden center or nursery can help you in your selection.

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List of plants that are flowering in my garden today July 23 2009!

1.Cleome or Spider Plant
2.Knockout Roses, Pink, Double Pink & double Red
3.Tomatoes
4.Million Bells
5.Eggplant
6.Cilantro
7.Cucumber
8.Marigolds
9.Green Beans
10.Zuchini Squash Hybrid
11.Eryngium or Sea Holly
12.Mexican Sage
13.Hosta - Several Cultivars
14.Haworthia - Several Species
15.Impatients
16.Ligularia
17.Astilbe
18.Spirea
19.Verbena
20.Clethra Alnifolia 'Hummingbird'
21.Rhododendron 'Cunningham White'
22.Calamagrostis 'Karl Forester'
23.Celosia
24.Gaura
25.lobelia
26.Thyme

Not bad for our second season in a completely new garden!

Volunteering at Long Hill Gardens.

Today I volunteered at Long Hill Garden for the first time. The garden is located on five acres of land,it has two miles of hiking trails and a Federal style house that is surrounded by a series of distinct garden rooms. Each room is unique and offers a impressive collection of rare trees, shrubs and perennials! I was very happy when I got to learn and work with a plant that I was not familiar with! I always say the best way to learn about a plant is to work with it. Anyway the first tree that we pruned was
'Tetradium danielli' formerly known as Evodia!Those Damn Taxonomist are always changing the Latin names just after you have learn them!

After that I helped Dan"The Property Caretaker" prune a large azalea, an old crabapple, and a nice Kousa Dogwood(one of my favorites)! We finished up the session by widening a path overgrown with Northern Bayberry.

I would recommend a visit to Long Hill to anyone who enjoys being outdoors and can appreciate a beautiful space! If you are not plant geek like my self no worries the intoxicating beauty of the property will keep you very entertained for a couple hours atleast! I posted a link to the trustees of the reservation below, check it out it has alot of good information.

Happy Travels, overton.arborist

Ravenswood Park in Gloucester, MA

If you live on the North Shore and you have a dog then you must visit Ravenswood Park! Ravenswood features many miles of trails and is very dog friendly! It is the only place I have ever been that encourages you to take your dog of the leash! The hiking and scenery are amazing! The landscape is littered with large boulders deposited by the glaciers, I think? I believe the Ledge hill trail takes you to a beautiful view of the Gloucester harbor and offers a welcome bench. This is one of many beautiful properties under the care of the non-profit organization "the trustees of reservations". Check out this great organization (www.thetrustees.org)! Well the dog is begging me for a walk so I will sign off for now but happy gardening!

Cheers, overton.arborist