Seasonal advice
Nursery notes with John Adlam Expert advice on maintaining and presenting your plants in March
Top tips for March
l Start pest monitoring by installing sticky traps in protected crops. Label them with a date or week number. Check at least twice a week especially on leafy plants and change them every three to four weeks.
l Check vulnerable plants for vine weevil larvae activity and, if seen, drench with Nemasys L. Grubs do not change colour with this product and a compost and soil temperature of more than 5°C is required for control. Monitor Euonymus, ferns, Fuchsia, Heuchera, Hosta, Hydrangea, Taxus, junipers, Parthenocissus, Photinia, Pieris, Primula, Pyracantha, Sedum and Skimmia.
l Watch for powdery mildew on miniature roses: if seen, apply Amistar (EAMU 2009-0443), food-grade potassium bicarbonate or Systhane 20EW.
…for the grower In the field
4Adelgids Adults produce white fluffy deposits to cover their bodies and can be found in the stem axils of Abies, Picea, Pinus, Pseudotsuga, Juniperus and Larix. Feeding from nymphs induces plants to produce galls where they then develop and emerge later on. Control all stages using Decis, Dursban WG or Hallmark WZT (EAMU 2008-2944) with a wetting agent (use according to label instructions) to penetrate the insects’ cuticle.
4Gleditsia Apply Admire, Gazelle SG or Hallmark WZT (EAMU 2008-2944) as leaves start to emerge, to prevent midges laying eggs inside the new buds.
4Mites Watch out for rust mite activity on Fraxinus, Malus, Poplar, Prunus, Rhododendron, Salix, Sorbus and Tilia. Warm days encourage them to emerge from around buds and move up and down stems. Use a hand lens for accurate checks before spraying with Apollo 50SC, Dursban WG, Envidor (EAMU 2012-0254), Hallmark WZT (EAMU 2008- 2944) or Dimilin Flo.
4Pesticide applications If you are intending to spray dilute washings back over the same crop area you should reduce the application rate to ensure that the maximum product dose is not exceeded.
20 HTAnews I March 2013 I
www.the-hta.org.uk
l The risk from Botrytis is still present: maintain good air flow through protected crops and apply compost tea, Scala (EAMU 2011-1315) or Serenade ASO (EAMUs required) as a protectant. Check for paeony blight – which manifests as purple blotches at the stem base – and control with Amistar (EAMU 2009-0443), Octave, Rovral WG (EAMU 2011-3200), Signum (EAMU 2012-2141) or Switch.
l Ensure staff are properly trained on any specialist equipment on site or on hire. It’s especially important that overseas staff fully understand nursery safety procedures and that they can read the equipment manuals which are usually in English. This follows on from a recent prosecution by the HSE. l Grease up ventilation gear in glasshouses.
4Stale seed beds Leave a week after preparing land for planting for any weed seedlings to emerge. Burn them off with a contact herbicide a day before planting to reduce the weed population. Your subsequent residual herbicide application will work more effectively.
In containers
4Aphids Control the elusive brown conifer aphids with Aphox, Calypso, Chess WG, Decis (non-IPM) or Gazelle SG using a wetting agent where appropriate. Aim sprays directly into the plant canopy. Other aphid species can be controlled using Aphidius wasps alongside short-term control products.
4Downy mildew Protect Buddleja, Digitalis, Geum, Hebe, Impatiens, Osteospermum, pansy, rose and others using Bravo 500 (outdoors only, EAMU 2011-1130), Dithane 945 (outdoors only, EAMUs required), Karamate Dry Flo Neotec, Pergado Uni (EAMU 2012-1605) or Proplant (EAMU 2012- 3100). If the disease is present then consider Amistar (EAMU 2009-0443), Fubol Gold WG (EAMU 2012-0217), Invader (EAMU 2012-0109), Paraat (EAMU 2011-2585), Signum (EAMU 2012-2141), Subdue or Valbon (EAMUs required). 4Eelworm Apply Vydate 10G (EAMU 2012-2322) now. The
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