Now Is The Time To . . .

	Deadhead flowering annuals to promote continuous bloom. If you want them to reseed, in September allow "spent" flowers to remain on the plant to produce seed.
	Pinch chrysanthemums and perennial asters one last time in early July.
	Plant seeds of squash, cucumbers and beans and other heat-tolerant vegetables. There are at least three months of growing time left.
	Prepare some garden space for fall crops of lettuce, green beans, carrots, beets and spinach. Leave room to plant garlic in October.
	Empty standing water to prevent mosquito larvae from developing.
	Give the lawn a break from weed control and fertilizer products until September. Continue to mow at least 2.5" high and let nitrogen-containing grass clippings stay on the lawn.
	Continue picking ripe vegetables to promote more production.
	Monitor tomato plants for tomato hornworm and remove them by hand.
	Enjoy summer blooming shrubs but wait until next spring to prune them. They bloom on new growth.
	Newly planted trees, shrubs and perennials need a thorough soaking once a week if rainfall doesn't provide it.
	Divide iris in late July and divide peonies and daylilies in August. The iris leaves can be cut back to 8".
	Harvest garlic in mid-July when about half of the lower leaves are brown.
	Maintain fungicide sprays on apples to prevent sooty blotch and flyspeck diseases.
	Fertilize hanging baskets and potted pants to maintain plant vigor.
	Check out Scott’s blog at http://buckshort.blogspot.com/

Spots and Rots and Blights…Oh My!
Scott Guiser, Extension Educator/Horticulture

You might find lions and tigers and bears frightening but farmers and gardeners would disagree. Groundhogs and rabbits and deer can be more destructive. And then there are the fungi. Early blight, late blight and anthracnose. Black spot and mildew and scab. Rusts and rots and wilts. It’s a jungle out there!

Fungi are certainly the most common organisms associated with plant disease. I say “associated” because the pathogen, by itself, does not equal disease. A susceptible host plant and the proper environment are also necessary.

Here’s a timely example….by now, tomato growers are probably noticing brown spots and perhaps yellowing of the lower leaves. On closer inspection, you may see that the “spot” is actually a lesion that has concentric rings of dead tissue. There may be tiny black dots in the dead tissue. As the season progresses more and more foliage is killed. Fruit infections cause soft spots and rots. All of these symptoms describe the common tomato disease called early blight. The disease also affects potato and eggplant. Some of you will be happy to learn that the weeds horse nettle and black nightshade are vulnerable, too. Since all of these plants are related, it is not surprising that they are susceptible hosts for the same pathogen. Note also that the early blight pathogen has no effect on asparagus, beans, cucumbers or you. (Sometimes folks ask if it is OK to eat slightly diseased vegetables. It is.). The pathogen has a scientific name Alternaria solani.

OK we have a susceptible plant and a pathogen. The final ingredient needed for disease is the proper environment. This pathogen thrives and reproduces well under warm, moist conditions. The weather in the month of June, 2009 in Southeastern, PA was about perfect for early blight. Especially for tomatoes that were left to sprawl on the ground rather than trained to a support system which favored air movement and leaf drying.

Bingo! Early Blight of Tomato!

Maybe that was more than you wanted to know about early blight but it is useful. You can manage this disease (and all others) by thinking about three key disease ingredients: pathogen, host and environment. Sometimes it is possible and effective to eliminate the pathogen. But it can be equally effective to grow non-susceptible host plants or modify the environment. Disease resistant varieties have been developed for many of your favorite plants. Look for them when buying seed. Learn about the conditions that favor disease. Do what you can to change it. For most fungal diseases that means increasing air movement and reducing leaf wetness.

For descriptions and gory pictures of common vegetable diseases, type “vegetable disease” into the search box at www.agsci.psu.edu

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Fresh From Bucks County Farms

Fresh From Bucks County Farms is a directory of local farm markets that Penn State Extension produces each year. The 2009 edition lists sixty-six places where you can go to find the freshest and best locally grown agricultural products. Peaches, sweet corn and tomatoes are just the beginning. How about some organically grown rhubarb? Buffalo jerky, a side of beef, raw milk, European style wines, goat cheeses, wool, watermelons, bird seed, jams and jellies, honey, maple syrup, and all of the traditional fruits and vegetables can be found by visiting local farms and farm markets. Fresh From Bucks County Farms is available on this website, at your local library or by calling the Penn State Extension office at 215-345-3283. It’s free.

Have Fun at the Middletown Grange Fair!...August 12-16, 2009

From 4-H to Carnival rides, the Grange Fair has entertainment for kids of all ages. Penn State Cooperative Extension has always had a big presence at the fair. In addition to the Master Gardener booth, 4-H club members bring their projects for judging and competition. Rabbits, pigs, sheep and cows are some of the more popular animal exhibits. 4-H youth perform demonstrations in the 4-H Building. Here you'll also find exhibits of other 4-H projects. Watch baby chicks hatch from their shells before your eyes. 4-H offers great opportunities for kids, ages 8 to 17, to pursue their hobbies, meet like-minded youth and develop their leadership skills. If you’re not aware of 4-H, find out more by stopping by the 4-H table at the Fair, or call one of our 4-H Educators, Nancy Stephenson or Bob Brown, at 215-345-3283.

But the fair is not just for kids, adults can enter “open class” competition for fruits, vegetables, baked and canned goods, arts, crafts and other items. Entries must be made by August 10. See http://grangefair.org/GeneralRules.html for more information or to register online.

The Middletown Grange Fairgrounds are located at 576 Penns Park Road, Wrightstown, PA. For more information - go to http://grangefair.org/default.asp or call 215-598-7240.

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Master Gardener Corner

On behalf of the Master Gardeners thanks to everyone who supported the Bucks County Master Gardener program by attending our May 2 plant sale.

Come enjoy one of the last old-timey Grange Fairs at the fairgrounds on Penns Park Road, Wrightstown from Wednesday, August 12 through Sunday, August 16. Visit the Master Gardener Booth in the 4-H building (#2) and learn about the importance of our pollinating insects and how to provide them with habitat in your home garden. Master Gardeners will be staffing the booth to answer your garden questions Wednesday from 1 PM to 8 PM, on Thursday from 4:30 to 8 PM, on Friday from 1 to 5 PM, and Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 5 PM.

Horticultural Happenings

Tuesday, August 4, 6 to 8 PM— Join the Master Gardeners for a Garden Party and tour the demonstration gardens and Arboretum. Light refreshments will be served. Bring your garden questions.

Saturday, July 18 from 10 AM to 4 PM—Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve invites everyone to the Preserve’s 10th annual Discovery Day, rain or shine. This free community event is an opportunity for all ages to experience the beauty of this wildflower haven. The Preserve is located on 1635 River Road (PA Rt. 32) approximately 2.5 miles south of New Hope, Pennsylvania and convenient to I-95. Guided walks bring visitors into the heart of a large meadow where colorful native wildflowers mingle with graceful grasses and beautiful butterflies. The Visitor Center Display Garden, the final stop of the walk, offers ideas for using native plants in the home landscape.

Bucks County Master Gardeners will show how to make compost. New this year, a puppet troupe from the Mercer County Master Gardeners will perform “To Bee or Not to Bee,” a fun and informative show about pollination. Other Discovery Day activities especially for kids include an insect hunt, nature crafts, a pollinator game, a balloon artist and face-painters. A self-guided family treasure hunt takes participants on an exploration to look for native plants and critters.

For more information, call the Preserve (215) 862-2924. For directions, go to www.bhwp.org, click on “Visiting BHWP”, then “Location, Directions and Map”.

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HELP THE URBAN FOREST – BECOME A TREE TENDER THIS FALL

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society will lead a hands-on workshop this fall in Richlandtown, Bucks County, to help residents take an important step in improving the environment in their communities. The free, nine-hour training includes tree biology and identification, proper planting and maintenance techniques and a lesson in community organizing. Registration is required.

Since 1993, PHS’ Tree Tenders program has trained more than 2,000 community volunteers from nearly 200 neighborhoods in Southeast Pennsylvania. Among other activities, Tree Tenders help to support the TreeVitalize program designed by Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), working to increase tree cover and the benefits trees provide.

Trees not only improve air quality, but studies show greening can serve as an economic stimulus tool and raise nearby property values by up to 30 percent. Properly placed trees help to moderate indoor/outdoor temperatures, and can reduce energy costs, noise pollution, road rage and crime rates, among many other environmental, social and health benefits.

Although individuals are welcome in this free training program, groups of three or more neighbors who complete the training together can become an active Tree Tender group and receive tools and special opportunities/resources for planting trees in public spaces.

FALL 2009 TRAINING LOCATION
Benner Hall
1260 Cherry Street
Richlandtown, PA 18955
Tuesdays, September 8, 15 & 22
• 6-9 pm

To register, call Dawn Waters at 215-988-8845 or register online at
www.pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety.org.

For more information about the Tree Tenders program, contact Barbara Van Clief, 215-988-8793 or bvanclief@pennhort.org.

Scott Guiser, Extension Educator/Horticulture
and
Susan Schneck, Master Gardener Coordinator

E-mail: bucksext@psu.edu
Phone: 215-345-3283
Fax: 215-343-1653

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