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Hot weather brings out spider mites, mosquitoes

Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Debbie Arrington PUBLISHED JUL 13, 2020

Telltale webbing of spider mites covers this spirea. The cure? Water. (Photo: Debbie Arrington)

Watch out for sunburned plants, too

Recent blazing hot weather has brought out heat-related pest and garden issues – while making other problems disappear.

First the good news: Gone is powdery mildew. It can’t survive in this heat. We shouldn’t see another outbreak of this fungal disease until October or later.

Also unable to cope with triple-digit temperatures are immature brown marmorated stink bugs and leaf-footed bugs. This heat wave likely toasted a whole generation of these destructive pests. That also means fewer bad bugs in August.

But some pests like it hot.

These tomato leaves show stippling by spider mites.
(Photo: Kathy Morrison)

With no rain for weeks, it’s also dry and dusty – perfect conditions for spider mites. If you see their telltale webs or stippling on leaves, get out the hose. Wash the plant down, removing the dust and likely many mites.

Spider mites attack a wide range of plants including roses, fruit trees, berries, grapevines, beans, squash, melons, tomatoes and more. Miticides are not recommended; they kill many beneficial insects in addition to the mites, which often manage to evade pesticide sprays.

For more advice, see the UC IPM pest notes on spider mites: http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7405.html

Also out in force now are mosquitoes, which are a threat to people and pets as well as wildlife. According to the state’s West Nile Virus website, five dead birds found in Sacramento County last week tested positive for WNV. That brings the 2020 county total to 12. Four more Sacramento County mosquito samples last week tested positive, too, bringing that total to six.

County officials urge residents to be alert for dead birds and report them to the WNV bird hotline, 1-877-WNV-BIRD (1-877-968-2473).

Protect yourself, too. Wear mosquito repellent when working outdoors. At dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active, wear long sleeves and long pants.

For more info and the latest WNV statistics, visit https://westnile.ca.gov .

While most plants need full sun, too much sun (and heat) can cause problems, too.

A plastic plant flat serves as shade for a Patio Yellow potted tomato plant.

(Photo: Kathy Morrison)

Just like people, plants can get sunburned. If you notice crispy edges to leaves or pale patches on ripening tomatoes and peppers, that plant may need some shade. Construct a temporary shade structure to give plants some relief. It can be as simple as cardboard pieces on top of a tomato cage or burlap loosely draped over stakes.

Sunburn also can damage bark, especially on young trees or shrubs, opening up the plant to wood-boring pests and premature death. It tends to be worse on the west- and south-facing sides of plants. Painting the trunk and exposed lower limbs with diluted interior white latex paint (1:1 dilution with water) can protect a young tree's bark.

Besides a little shade, consistent irrigation can help plants survive too much sun.

For more tips on helping your garden deal with sunburn, see the advice of UC Cooperative Extension experts at http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/ENVIRON/sunburn.html .

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Keywords:

Sacramento spider mites pests heat wave heat stress heat pest irrigation mosquitoes gardening summer garden heat high heat summer

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Garden Checklist for week of Nov. 3

November still offers good weather for fall planting:

* If you haven't already, it's time to clean up the remains of summer. Pull faded annuals and vegetables. Prune dead or broken branches from trees.

* Now is the best time to plant most trees and shrubs. This gives them plenty of time for root development before spring growth. They also benefit from fall and winter rains.

* Set out cool-weather annuals such as pansies and snapdragons.

* Lettuce, cabbage and broccoli also can be planted now.

* Plant garlic and onions.

* Keep planting bulbs to spread out your spring bloom. Some possible suggestions: daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, tulips, anemones and scillas.

* This is also a good time to seed wildflowers and plant such spring bloomers as sweet pea, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.

* Rake and compost leaves, but dispose of any diseased plant material. For example, if peach and nectarine trees showed signs of leaf curl this year, clean up under trees and dispose of those leaves instead of composting.

* Save dry stalks and seedpods from poppies and coneflowers for fall bouquets and holiday decorating.

* For holiday blooms indoors, plant paperwhite narcissus bulbs now. Fill a shallow bowl or dish with 2 inches of rocks or pebbles. Place bulbs in the dish with the root end nestled in the rocks. Add water until it just touches the bottom of the bulbs. Place the dish in a sunny window. Add water as needed.

* Give your azaleas, gardenias and camellias a boost with chelated iron.

* For larger blooms, pinch off some camellia buds.

* Prune non-flowering trees and shrubs while dormant.

* To help prevent leaf curl, apply a copper fungicide spray to peach and nectarine trees after they lose their leaves this month. Leaf curl, which shows up in the spring, is caused by a fungus that winters as spores on the limbs and around the tree in fallen leaves. Sprays are most effective now.

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