Yard & Garden Line News
Volume 3 Number 8                                                               June 1, 2001
Features this issue:
 Choosing Ornamental Crabapples
Alternatives to Grass for Light-challenged Locations
Arsenic Availability from CCA Treated Lumber and Uptake by Plants
Treated Wood Alternatives?
Ash Anthracnose
Testing Blacklegged Ticks For Lyme Disease
Insects on Columbine
Boxelder Bugs
Editorial Notes

Choosing Ornamental Crabapples
Deborah Brown, Extension Horticulturist

crabaapple tree Small crabapple in townhouse development.
Photo credit: Deb Brown
You probably admired neighborhood crabapples this spring. You may have even visited the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum where over 150 different varieties put on their annual display. Flowering crabapples are spectacular for about a week each spring, then -- if you've chosen well -- they remain reasonably attractive the rest of the summer. Many extend landscape interest right through winter and early spring, holding onto their colorful fruits until overwintering or migrating birds eat them.

Now is the time to act, if you'd like to enjoy the splendor of crabapple blossoms in your own yard for years to come. It's still a good time to plant balled and burlapped or container-grown crabapple trees. But don't plant just any variety. And please don't base your selection on flowers, alone.

Though beautiful in full bloom, not all flowering crabapples are created equal. They vary considerably in growth habit, disease resistance and fruiting characteristics -- in addition to flower size and color.

It's important to plant a crabapple that will complement your existing landscape. Some are quite upright and vertical (Pinkspire, Centurion). Many others are more spreading -- Sparkler, Indian Magic and Thunderchild -- to name only a few. Most crabapples will grow large enough to serve as shade trees in smaller yards, but there are also varieties -- Coralburst and Sargent are good examples -- that remain quite short.

Red Jade, Candied Apple and others are prized for their "weeping" or droopy branch structure, making them good candidates to serve as quirky focal points in the landscape. (Frankly, this is a feature that people tend to love or hate; there's little middle ground.)

Indian Magic 'Indian Magic' crabapple.
Photo credit: Deb Brown
Some flowering crabapples will drop fruit all over your lawn, deck or sidewalk, making a sticky, fermenting mess. But Spring Snow, an upright tree with large white blossoms, is essentially sterile and produces almost no fruit. Red Splendor, Adams, David, Harvest Gold and Sugar Tyme are among the many varieties that produce fruit that persists through winter.

Unfortunately, crabapple trees can be subject to the same diseases as regular apple trees. Fireblight, a bacterial disease that causes branch die-back, is most serious, but it's less common than fungal leaf spot diseases. Cedar apple rust can infect leaves and fruit, but it's usually not bad enough to warrant treatment on ornamental crabapples.

The disease you really need to watch out for is apple scab. Many older crabapple varieties are prone to developing a debilitating case nearly every summer. This fungal disease causes leaf spots that at best detract from the trees' looks, and at worst, result in severe leaf loss -- even complete defoliation. Trees weakened by repeated leaf loss, year after year look terrible, too. And who wants to be stuck raking leaves in the middle of summer?

So when you visit your favorite nursery or garden center to shop for a flowering crabapple, read the tags carefully to make sure you get the size and shape tree with flower color you're looking for. But look for disease resistance, too. It doesn't mean your tree can never become diseased, but it reduces both the likelihood and severity of the problem.

Varieties with good or excellent resistance to:
Fire Blight: Cedar Apple Rust: Apple Scab:
Adams Adams Adams Profusion
Centurion Candied Apple Coralburst Red Jewel
Radiant Improved Bechtel David Strawberry Parfait
Red Splendor Kelsey Donald Wyman Sugar Tyme
Sargent Radiant Harvest Gold White Cascade
Red Splendor Liset zumi Calocarpa
Sargent Molten Lava
Snowdrift Prairiefire
Spring Snow Professor Sprenger


Alternatives to Grass for Light-challenged Locations
Deborah Brown, Extension Horticulturist

shade plants Shade-tolerant perennials.
Photo credit: Deb Brown
Trying to maintain a thick, healthy lawn in a shady, "light-challenged" location is a losing proposition. Grass won't spread well, and where the lawn is weak and thin, other better-adapted plants are sure to move in -- plants such as moss or the much maligned and dreaded creeping charlie.

Why not avoid the frustration of trying to grow good grass in the shade? You can turn your landscaping "sow's ear" into a shade garden "silk purse " that will provide you with gratification rather than aggravation. But before making any drastic changes, first assess how you use the shady portions of your yard.

If you're content to replace the lawn with beds of shrubbery, woodland wildflowers, shade-tolerant perennials such as ferns and hostas, and expanses of interesting groundcovers, you should have no difficulty.... except for the challenge of deciding which combination of plants you prefer.
One of the toughest situations to deal with, however, is the need to walk about freely in the shaded area. Grass is the only Minnesota-hardy groundcover (with the possible exception of creeping charlie) that can withstand regular foot traffic. Other groundcovers might bounce back from dogs or cats running through them occasionally, but human footsteps will smash them down, often irreparably.

If your family includes young children who must use the shaded parts of your yard as a play area, you might re-think your attitude towards creeping charlie. It is really a fine, low-maintenance groundcover for all but the most densely shaded locations. It needs mowing only two or three times over the summer.... and it can bounce back from a fair amount of foot traffic. (If only it would stay in its place!)

Another option would be to spread a thick layer of shredded bark in the children's play area. Bark mulch compresses over time, decomposing where it contacts the soil, so you'll have to add more every couple years. But shredded bark makes a resilient, safe surface for romping around. You can also use it to create footpaths and define spaces for benches or other garden furniture.

Now, how do you go about turning that dismal shady lawn into an inviting shady garden? Begin by observing existing shade gardens. The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum's hosta glen is one shining example; Hennepin County's Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden is another.

Take a stroll through some of the older neighborhoods in the Twin Cities -- the ones with lots of large, mature trees. Many homes in the Prospect Park neighborhood in southeast Minneapolis have lovely shady front yards, often sloping rather steeply to the street. Creative gardeners have turned those so-called "problem" sites into rich tapestries of foliage, far more attractive than most ordinary manicured lawns.

shade yard Shady front yard.
Photo credit: Deb Brown
Visit your local library or bookstore to read about landscaping and gardening in shaded sites, then check out several of the fine local providers of shade-tolerant landscape plants such as Shady Oaks Nursery in Waseca. Squire House Gardens in Afton and Ambergate Gardens, Waconia, each feature a wide range of unusual and interesting plants, many of which are suited to shady conditions.

Savory Gardens, in Edina, specializes in hostas, but you'll find many choice hostas and other shade-loving perennials at any of the larger garden centers in the Metro area. Bachman's, alone, offers row upon row of tables covered with all manner of perennials, clearly marked as to their light requirements.

Most shade-tolerant flowering perennials are best suited for light, rather than heavy shade. And they're rarely as flamboyant as sun-loving flowers. Make up for this lack of color by planting interesting combinations of foliage. Contrast dark green leaves with lighter ones or foliage that's variegated green and white. Contrast lacy leaves with big, bold ones. You'll be amazed at how many choices you have.

Finally, look at your new shade garden as a work in progress. It won't happen all at once. Plan to experiment with different plants, then build on your successes each year. After giving up the battle to grow grass in shade, you'll soon recognize shade for the landscape asset it really is.

A few suggested plants for shade:
Groundcovers: Flowering Perennials:Woodland Wildflowers:
barrenwort (epimedium) astilbe bellwort Jacob's ladder
ferns bleeding heart bloodroot lungwort
deadnettle columbine cardinal flower meadow rue
ginger (wild and European) coral bells Dutchman's breetches rue anemone
lily-of-the-valley daylily foam flower snakeroot, white or black
pachysandra (Japanese spurge) hosta lily fringed bleeding heart Solomon's seal
periwinkle meadowsweet harebells spring beauty
wild violets monarda (beebalm) hepatica trillium
trollius (globe flower) jack-in-the-pulpit Virginia bluebells
wild columbine
Shrubs: Annuals for light shade:
alpine currant balsam
arborvitae begonias (tuberous and wax)
balsam fir browallia
chokeberry coleus
dogwood fuchsia
juneberry impatiens
snowball hydrangea mimulus
viburnum torenia
winged euonymus vinca
yew


Arsenic Availability from CCA Treated Lumber and Uptake by Plants
Farhana Alamgir, Deborah Allan, and Carl Rosen
Department of Soil, Water, and Climate, University of Minnesota

timbers Typical timbers. Photo credit:
Farhana Alamgir
Introduction
Protecting wood against bacterial, fungal, and insect attack has been practiced for centuries. The practice of treating wood with wood preservatives is intended to enhance wood durability, and thereby increase the life expectancy of wood in service. Chromated copper arsenate or CCA, is an example of a waterborne wood preservative being used extensively to treat wood. In the United States, CCA was used on more than 98% of the approximately 12,390,600 m3 (437,657,000 ft3) of wood that was treated in 1990 (Lebow, 1996). This widespread usage of treated wood has raised questions about the potential risks associated with human exposure and environmental contamination. In particular, CCA-treated lumbers used to construct raised garden beds have often been a source of concern for homeowners growing vegetables in those beds. The apprehension is due to lack of information regarding crop uptake of the constituent elements in CCA, (i.e. copper, chromium, and arsenic), which may leach from the wood into the garden soil. The objective of this experiment is to answer some of the questions that are often raised by homeowners about the safety of using CCA-treated wood for vegetable garden beds.

Materials and Method
Arsenic distribution study:
Six established raised garden beds were selected from around the Twin Cities Metro area as shown in table 1. The beds were at least ten years old. Soil core samples were taken using a 1-inch soil probe, to a depth of 6 inches. Soil was sampled inside the beds at three distances from the treated wood; approximately 0-1 inch, 3-4 inch and 12-13 inches, and control samples were taken from outside the bed (approximately 5 ft away). The soil samples were processed by microwave digestion using concentrated nitric acid and analyzed for arsenic (As) by ICP emission spectroscopy.

Plant uptake study
Out of the six beds, two with the highest As levels were selected. At each site, approximately 100 lbs of soil was sampled from inside the bed, 0-1 inch away from the treated wood. In addition, control soil was collected approximately 5 ft away from the treated wood. Selected chemical properties of these soils are presented in Table 2. Four types of crops were selected for this pot experiment: carrots, Daucus carota var. sativus ('Thumbelina'); spinach, Spinacia oleracea ('Indian Summer'); bush beans, Phaseolus vulgaris ('Provider'); and buckwheat, Fagopyrum esculentum ('Common'). All plants were grown in pots (5.5 in. x 5.5 in. x 5 in.) in a greenhouse except for the buckwheat plants, which were grown in taller pots (4.5 in. x 4.5 in. x 14 in.). The plants were fertilized with a standard 30-10-10 NPK fertilizer. After 8 weeks, the plants were harvested, dried in a 65º C oven and then ground in a plant mill to pass a 20 mesh screen. The ground plant samples were analyzed for As by hydride generation for inductively coupled atomic emission spectroscopy (HG-ICP-AES). Results

Table 1: Description of the sites which were sampled for the As distribution study.

Site

Location in MN

Soil type

Soil pH a

Bray-P

(ppm) a

O.M. %

(L.O.I.) a

Vegetation in bed

Site 1

Marine

Loamy sand

6.6

101.9

10.9

Evergreens

Site 2

Stillwater

Loamy sand

6.2

66.6

6.8

Grass

Site 3

Wayzata

Loamy sand

6.8

365.6

13.2

Flowering plants

Site 4

Crystal

Sandy loam

6.4

230.9

6.3

Vegetable crops

Site 5

N.W. St. Paul

Sandy loam

7.3

49.6

5.5

Flowering plants

Site 6

S. Minneapolis

Sandy loam

7.3

49.8

5.6

Grass

a Overall mean of 9 samples collected within each bed.

Table 2: Soil test results of soils A and B. All values are means of duplicate sub-samples.

Soil

Soil texture

As

(ppm)

pH

NO3-N

(ppm)

Bray-P

(ppm)

K

(ppm)

Ca

(ppm)

Mg

(ppm)

O.M. %

by L.O.I.

Soil A (0-1 inch)

Sandy loam

39.7

7.4

15.4

60.5

226

2604.5

351.5

6.5

Soil A (45-50 inches)

Sandy loam

10.4

7

17

46

118

2746

419

9.2

Soil B (0-1 inch)

Loamy sand

49.9

6.7

1.6

26

142

1070.7

222.3

4.2

Soil B (45-50 inches)

Loamy sand

<3.1

5.6

1.5

51

79

925.5

183.5

4.4


Table 3: Arsenic concentrations in crops grown in soils sampled at different distances from CCA-treated wood.

Crop Soil/Distance from treated wood -- As concentration (ng/g or ppb) ---

FW basis

DW basis

Carrots

(without peel)

Soil A 0-1 inch

27 ± 4

186 ± 32

Soil A 45-50 inches

9 ± 2

55 ± 7

Soil B 0-1 inch

43 ±8

283 ± 45

Soil B 45-50 inches

5 ± 2

30 ± 10

Carrot peel

Soil A 0-1 inch

165 ± 15

1633 ± 169

Soil A 45-50 inches

33 ± 7

307 ± 44

Soil B 0-1 inch

305 ± 67

2950 ± 809

Soil B 45-50 inches

19 ± 3

165 ± 50

Carrots (with peel)

Soil A 0-1 inch

51 ± 3

378 ± 29

Soil A 45-50 inches

14 ± 2

92 ± 13

Soil B 0-1 inch

85 ± 12

608 ± 70

Soil B 45-50 inches

8 ± 3

49 ± 10

 

Spinach

 

 

Soil A 0-1 inch

22 ± 3

358 ± 48

Soil A 45-50 inches

5 ± 0.4

72 ± 8

Soil B 0-I inch

92 ± 9

1475 ± 96

Soil B 45-50 inches

5 ± 0.5

65 ± 9

Beans

Soil A 0-1 inch

38 ± 21

318 ± 184

Soil A 45-50 inches

<1± 1

<9 ± 7

Soil B 0-1 inch

40 ± 23

360 ± 204

Soil B 45-50 inches

<1 ± 0.3

<6 ± 2

Bean leaves

and stems

Soil A 0-1 inch

1150 ± 73

6831 ± 922

Soil A 45-50 inches

113 ± 12

682 ± 85

Soil B 0-1 inch

1846 ± 130

10894 ± 1575

Soil B 45-50 inches

15 ± 6

105 ± 47

Buckwheat

Soil A 0-1 inch

59 ± 15

565 ± 146

Soil A 45-50 inches

7 ± 0.3

54 ± 4

Soil B 0-1 inch

229 ± 86

1966 ± 663

Soil B 45-50 inches

4 ± 2

37 ± 13

Discussion
The As distribution study confirms that CCA-treated wood in raised garden beds does leach As. Figure 1 shows that highest concentrations of As occur 0-1 inch from the treated wood, with a steady decline in concentration at greater distances. Sites 1 and 5 had the highest As contamination. Greatest variability in As concentrations occurred at 0-1 inch from the wood. Arsenic concentrations differed significantly at different distances from the treated wood. Differences among individual beds were also significant. There was also a significant bed and distance interaction. However, the results clearly show that the trend of high As concentration close to the wood and a decrease in concentration further away from the wood is consistent in all six sites.

Arsenic concentrations in US soils typically range between 3.6 and 8.8 ppm (McBride, 1994). A conservative risk analysis done by Dudka and Miller (1998) showed that As concentrations can reach 40 ppm without posing toxicological hazard to organisms or causing environmental risk. Sites 1 and 5, having soil concentrations near the wood of 55 ppm and 46 ppm respectively, exceed this limit. In fact, site 1 also exceeds the maximum permissible As concentration in arable soils (50 ppm) accepted by UK (Dudka and Miller 1998). The Danish EPA standard is much lower for arable land (20 ppm) (Helgesen and Larsen, 1998).

Results from the plant uptake study showed that for both soil types, all plants grown in soils collected from 0-1 inch from the wood had significantly higher concentrations of As than those grown in control soils, which were sampled 45-50 inches away from the wood. Higher As concentrations in all crops grown in soil B (0-1 inch) compared to the same crops grown in soil A (0-1 inch) can be attributed to the higher concentration of As in soil B (0-1 inch) (table 3) and possibly, to the lower pH and organic matter content. The As concentration in soil B control soils (45-50 inches) however is much lower than that of soil A control soils, and this accounts for the lower (or similar) concentrations of As in crops grown in soil B (45-50 inches) compared to soil A (45-50 inches).

greenhouse Greenhouse trials.
Photo credit: Farhana Alamgir
On a fresh weight (FW) and dry weight (DW) basis, bean leaves and stems accumulated the highest concentrations of As but the bean pods had low As concentrations (table 2). The levels of As in edible portions of all the crops remained well below the recommended limit for As content in fresh fruit, crops and vegetables set by the United States Public Health Service (2.6 ppm or 2600 ppb FW) and even well below the 1 ppm (1000 ppb) statutory limit set in Canada (Chisholm, 1972).

Buckwheat is a phosphate accumulator and its ability to accumulate arsenate, which is a chemical analogue of phosphate, was investigated in this study. Buckwheat did show an ability to transport As to the shoot; however, accumulation of As was relatively low.

It can be suggested to grow plants at least 15 inches away from the treated wood in raised garden beds to reduce accumulation of As in crops. For plants with extensive root systems, it may be helpful to put some form of plastic barrier inside the bed to a depth of 6 inches (approximately one foot away from the wood) to keep plant roots away from high As levels close to the wood. It may also be helpful to line the inside portions of the wooden bed with plastic when making a new bed or replacing old soil in an existing one.

In summary, results of this study show that vegetable crops grown in these raised garden beds can accumulate As from treated wood, but based on United States Public Health Service standards, these vegetables would be safe for human consumption.

Reference:
Chisholm, D. 1972. Can. J. Plant Sci. 52: 583-588.
Dudka, S. and Miller, W.P. 1998. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, 113: 127-132.
Helgesen, H. and Larsen, E.H. 1998. Analyst. Vol. 123: 791-796.
McBride, M. B. 1994. Environmental Chemistry of Soils. Oxford University Press, New York.

Treated Wood Alternatives?
Beth Jarvis, Y & GL News Editor

An article on alternatives to treated lumber will appear in the June 15th issue. The information was orginally scheduled to appear in this issue.

Ash Anthracnose
Janna Beckerman Extension Plant Pathologist

anthracnose Ash anthracnose
Photo credit: Chad Behrendt
Our almost yearly outbreak of ash anthracnose has begun! Ash anthracnose is a relatively common disease wherever ash are grown, and is particularly destructive in the cooler regions of North America. Cool, wet weather, like we've been having this spring is conducive to anthracnose.

The causal agent of ash anthracnose is a fungus called Apiognomonia (pronounced Ay-pee-oh na-mon-ee-a) errabunda (the fungus formerly known as Gloeosporium aridum). Symptoms begin in the spring, on the young, succulent leaves and shoots. Trees begin to lose their leaves, but only small circular spots are present. It is believed that the fungus is producing hormones that cause the leaves to abscise or fall off prematurely. Over time, these spots expand and grow together, to create a more characteristic anthracnose lesion, that works its way down the midvein of the leaf, into the petiole (leaf stem) and eventually into the branch. Lesions color is variable, from tan to dark brown on leaves. Branch cankers are small and somewhat football-shaped. Often times, defoliated branches will produce new shoots in midsummer, another symptom of this disease.

When the infected tissue gets wet, the fungal fruiting bodies (which can be seen with the aid of a magnifying glass) produce numerous spores,. These spores allow the disease cycle to repeat itself as weather permits. Ultimately, it is the fruiting bodies that allow the fungus to overwinter, and reinfect the following spring.

Management of ash anthracnose requires several approaches. Remove and dispose of infected foliage and cankered branches by raking and pruning. Failure to do so will allow the fungus to reinfect whenever weather conditions favor spore release. Because the tree may releaf, and in the process use its carbohydrate reserves, it is very important to maintain tree vigor and prevent the tree from declining. Fungicide use is only necessary if severe defoliation has occurred in three of the last five years. Both thiophanate-methyl (Cleary's 3336) and Chlorothalonil (Daconil 2787) are labeled for use, with spray periods lasting from May through June when weather is cool and wet. To maintain tree vigor, fertilize, water and mulch trees to protect and encourage solid growth and keep the nuisance problem of anthracnose from developing into a tree killer.

Test your diagnostic savvy monthly with Disease Watch at: http://www.extension.umn.edu/projects/yardandgarden/PlantPathWeb/Plpa.htm

Testing Blacklegged Ticks For Lyme Disease
Jeff Hahn, Assistant Extension Entomologist

blacklegged tick Female and male blacklegged ticks.
Photo credit: Jeff Hahn
The first question that people usually ask themselves when they've been bitten by a tick is whether they acquired Lyme disease as a result of the bite. Keep in mind that only blacklegged ticks (formerly called deer ticks) are known to transmit Lyme disease in Minnesota so it is important to have any suspected ticks identified.

If it turns out to be a blacklegged tick, the tick needs to be attached and feeding to transmit Lyme disease. If the tick was not biting it can not vector the disease. If it was feeding, it does not necessarily transmit Lyme disease. The tick may not be infected or it may not have been feeding long enough. Laboratory research has shown that blacklegged ticks generally feed for 24 to 36 hours (for nymphs) or 48 to 72 hours (for adults) before they can transmit Lyme disease.

The Yard and Garden Clinic identifies ticks to species but does not test blacklegged ticks for the presence of the disease organism. There are not any other facilities at the University of Minnesota that accepts ticks from the public to test for Lyme disease.

Gunderson Lutheran in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, a health care facility, does test blacklegged ticks sent to them from the public for a $13.00 fee. To be successfully tested, the ticks need to be alive when they're sent. It's possible that if the tick has recently died and is still moist, the lab may still be able to test it. But if the sample has dried out, it is not suitable and will be rejected by the laboratory. If you send a sample, place it in a container with a tight lid (such as an old pill jar) with a cotton ball moistened with water to prevent it from drying out. The address of the lab is:

Lutheran Hospital Outreach Laboratory
1910 South Ave.
LaCrosse, WI 54601

Send a check with the sample and include your name, phone number, and return address. You can call the laboratory at: 1-800-526-6445 or the main number at Gunderson Lutheran at 1-800-362-9567.
Be careful when interpreting the result of such a test. A positive test means the bacterium was detected in the tick, but doesn't automatically mean the person that was bitten has acquired Lyme disease. A negative test is encouraging but the procedure is not 100% accurate and the results are not absolute.
Regardless of what diagnosis a tick test reports or how long you think a tick may have been biting you, consult with a physician if you feel you have contracted Lyme disease. Symptoms at the onset of Lyme disease can include but are not limited to a red skin lesion with a clear center, malaise, fatigue, chills, fever, headache, myalgia (muscle pain), sore throat, nausea, or vomiting. Arthritis can develop several days to a month later.

Insects on Columbine
Jeff Hahn, Assistant Extension Entomologist

columbine Columbine.
Photo credit: Beth Jarvis
A worm-like chewing insect has been ravishing columbine during May this year. There has not been any opportunity to examine any samples so far but the leading culprit is the columbine skipper (sometimes known as the columbine dusky wing), Erynnis lucillus. The caterpillar is green with a black head and grows to about 3/4 inch long. Its body has a velvety look due to a series of short black hairs. The larvae chew holes in the leaves and can defoliate plants if they are abundant enough. These caterpillars are also know to hide inside curled leaves.

Their biology is not well known. The literature reports that adults are active in May (in Massachusetts). Adult specimens stored in the University of Minnesota Insect Collection have been found from May through August (with most collected during July).

If you find these caterpillars on columbine, tolerate them if possible. Hand pick them when small numbers are present. If an insecticide is desirable, a less toxic product is insecticidal soap (repeat sprays will probably be needed). Permethrin (e.g. Eight), carbaryl (e.g. Sevin), and malathion would be examples of residual insecticides that would be effective.

Boxelder Bugs
Jeff Hahn, Assistant Extension Entomologist

boxelder bugs Boxelderbugs on hosta.
Photo credit:  Jeff Hahn
It is common to find these familiar orange and black insects in and around homes during early spring as they emerge from overwintering sites. But we expect them to disperse and return to boxelders before too long where they feed on seeds during the summer. Once they return to their host trees, they are generally out of sight until August.

However, there have been reports of these insects still on the outside of buildings. Admittedly, not in large numbers that we would expect in the fall, but enough that people have noticed them. There have been some cases where they have been reported laying eggs on the sides of homes. There have also been concern about many boxelder bugs being found in gardens and lawns.

Although, boxelder bugs primarily lay eggs on boxelder trees, they may also lay them on other nearby plants or objects. Still, they seem to be more conspicuous than usual for this time of year. At any rate, it isn't anything for people to be too concerned about. Boxelder bugs on the outside of homes are not trying to get inside. Any boxelder bugs found in a garden or yard are very unlikely to cause damage to plants. Tolerate boxelder bugs now and let them go away on their own. It is not necessary to spray them with any insecticides.

Get the low down on this month's insect pests at Insects http://www.extension.umn.edu/projects/yardandgarden/EntWeb/Ent.htm

Editorial Notes

poppies Poppies.
Photo credit: Beth Jarvis
Last January, I photographed thses poppies growing in a boulevard planting in California. They're Iceland poppies, lovely annuals that can be grown here. They're technically half hardy perennials that will bloom the first year if the seeds are started in late winter. They're tap rooted, so peat pots will reduce root disturbance when transplanting these gems outdoors.

We've rescheduled the cabbage and cancer piece for June 15th. Right now I'm planning a piece on tetanus sometime in July. (As a bare-handed gardener, I never gave it a second thought until a friend and colleague's mother nearly died from it. ) Mary Meyer will fill us in on the latest in ornamental grasses in Aug. Bob Mugaas has agreed to comment on fertilizers, whether organic or synthetic is truly superior plus other thoughts he may have on the subject. Look for this in August.

I rely on your comments and questions for ideas for future articles. Please, keep the story ideas coming! We really try to be responsive to your needs.

Please feel free to cut and paste any of the articles for use in your own newsletters. All we ask is that you give our authors credit.

Back issues Yard & Garden Line News are on the Yard & Garden Line home page at www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgarden/. Our home page has clickable links to most of the components of the Yard & Garden Line, such as Bell Museum of Natural History, INFO U and the Soil Testing Lab.

Deb Brown answers gardening questions on Minnesota Public Radio's (MPR) "Midmorning" program on the first Thursday of every month at 10 a.m. Katherine Lanpher hosts the program that is broadcast on KNOW 91.1 FM, and available state-wide on the MPR news radio stations.

If you would like to receive an e-mail reminder when the next issue of the Yard & Garden Line News is posted to the web, just send an e-mail to: listserv@lists.umn.edu (note: the second E in listserve is omitted), leave the subject line blank, then in the body of the message, type: sub yglnewslist
or to unsubscribe, enter: unsub yglnewslist

Happy gardening!

Beth Jarvis
Yard & Garden Line Project Coordinator


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