That’s not flour, that’s Mildew!
With the arrival of some monsoonal moisture to the state this last month, Powdery Mildew has cropped up earlier than usual. It’s usually closer to September when everyone’s pumpkin and squash plants turn white and start dying off. If you see leaves that look like someone sprayed flour on them overnight, and then it spreads to other leaves within days, then you probably have an infestation of Mildew. Plants that seem to be highly susceptible are Maple, Columbine, Ninebark, Phlox, squashes and Pumpkins, roses, lawn grasses and many other garden species.
Mildews thrive in warm, dry climates – it only takes a little bit of humidity to get the spores started. Young, tender, new growth appears to be affected first, then it will gradually move to older, more mature foliage.
Mildew is best controlled early before it spreads over the entire leaf. We have some excellent control options at Anderson’s Seed & Garden, but our favorites include Complete Disease Control from Monterey (Organic), Copper Soap from Ferti-lome (Organic) and F-Stop from Ferti-lome (systemic). These are safe and reliable options to get your Powdery Mildew under control.
Hobo Spiders move in the basement, Too many houseguests drives everyone away!
Have you noticed that the days are getting shorter already? You aren’t the only one! Hobo or Aggressive House Spiders have taken note as well, and they are out looking for mates and a place to set up shop for the Fall and Winter months. If you are like most everyone else, spiders setting up shop in your basement or pantry is just not acceptable – especially when they are potentially poisonous house guests.
At Anderson’s Seed & Garden, we have some effective and safe options to get them under control. First, start with the Big H Hobo Spider traps. These are non-toxic, yet highly effective traps that will attract and catch the spiders as they start to move in. We use them to monitor the spider population in the house, and when we start to catch a bunch all at once (we’ve seen traps with up to 50 spiders stuck to the glue!), then you know it’s time to spray. Micro-encapsulated insecticides like Cyzmic or Cy-Kick are as safe as anything out there, yet are super effective at controlling these difficult invaders. We also highly recommend a foundation treatment (as well as around any openings like windows, vents or doors) with Bug Blaster or Indoor/Outdoor from Hi-Yield for a long residual. When it comes to Hobo spiders, it’s better to prevent early, than to have to evict some unwanted and difficult tenants.
