Garden Column for the Salisbury Post
Darrell Blackwelder
June 5, 2003

    Over abundant rains over the past few weeks are causing many problems. Some plant problems may be associated abnormally wet weather, other problems may be just a coincidence. Below are questions homeowners have posed over the past few days:
    Question: The leaves of my maples are turning black and falling off the tree. What is it and can I control the problem?
    Answer: Anthracnose is probably the culprit. Unusually cool, damp weather experienced this spring attributed the rapid spread of this fungal disease. There is no practical control for large trees. The disease will subside when temperatures rise and the rains diminish.
    Question: What is this strange, white insect infesting my silver maples? They are flying in my yard specks of white lint.
    Answer: These are wooly alder aphids found amassed on the underneath sides of silver maple leaves and possibly on the leaves of other tree species. The insect is really a nuisance sucking plant juices and secreting much honeydew which causes dark sooty molds. This mold disfigures the surfaces beneath infested trees and can be a royal pain if sidewalks or cars are nearby. Aphids secret a sticky honeydew that attracts bees, wasps and flies to the sweet liquid. Infested leaves shrivel and eventually drop prematurely. Control of this pest is rarely an option if the trees are large. However, on smaller trees malathion and insecticidal soaps will control the pest. If this is a recurring problem, one should consider removal and planting shade trees other than silver maple.
    Question: I have little brown insects with pinchers on their tails. What is this insect and how do I control it?
Answer: The insects are earwigs. They are problems in weather extremes, when conditions are too wet or dry. Control by spraying outdoors with recommended insecticides every two weeks until control is achieved.
    Question: Are pick your own strawberries still available? With all the rain and cool weather, it seems like they would be finished.
    Answer: I visited Patterson Farms, Inc. earlier this week and they have berries for about two more weeks. You may want to call at 704-857-5242 and confirm before you go out. I was pleasantly surprised at how sweet the berries were. Don't wait too long if you haven't had a chance for fresh berries.

Darrell Blackwelder is an agricultural agent in charge of horticulture with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service in Rowan County. For archived garden columns or other information, visit the Rowan County Master Gardener web site at www.rowanmastergardener.com , e-mail Darrell_Blackwelder@ncsu.edu or phone at 704-633-0571.