Wichita gardener’s almanac for July 9, 2016

Killing out Bermudagrass — If you have Bermudagrass that you want to get rid of, the time when it is most actively growing is the time to go after it. That’s usually July. Water and fertilize if necessary to get the grass in good shape — that way the poison you put on will be sucked up better. Gglyphosate (Round-up, Kleen-up, Killzall, Kleeraway) is the most effective herbicide for killing it, but it will also kill everything else it touches, including fescue, according to Ward Upham of K-State. So you will need to reseed treated areas.

Spray about the middle of July (or when the bermuda is growing well), Upham advises in this week’s Horticulture 2016 newsletter. Use a 2 percent solution of glyphosate, wait two weeks, then scalp the lawn, mowing as low as possible and removing the clippings so that no re-emerging bermuda is covered up. Then wait another two weeks and spray glyphosate again if any green remains, Upham says. Wait two more weeks to reseed with fescue.

Brown patch — High temperatures and high humidity have favored brown patch disease in fescue lawns in the area, extension agent Matthew McKernan says. You can detect it in an overall brown hue to the lawn, or brown spots or areas that spread out in kind of a water-soaked pattern on individual blades of grass. Ways to prevent the disease include watering only in the morning and not fertilizing until September. A fungicide can be applied when symptoms first appear to halt the disease, but not later, McKernan says. Without treatment, the lawn usually recovers two to three weeks after weather conditions improve, he says.

Bagworms — Continue to spray for bagworms if you have a lot of them on trees or shrubs.

Fall webworms — Webs of worms have started to show up in trees in the Wichita area, McKernan says. It’s the first generation of fall webworms, which will get worse with a second generation feeding in late July through September. If you have just a few webs, you can prune out affected branches or pull webs out with a pole. Any treatment with spinosad, cyfluthrin or permethrin must be done with a high-pressure sprayer to penetrate the webs, McKernan says.

Planting calendar — Snap beans, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower.

Hornworms on tomatoes — Hornworms are the largest larval insect commonly seen in the garden, Upham says. “Though usually seen on tomato, they can also attack eggplant, pepper and potato,” he writes. The larva tends to blend in with its surroundings, making it hard to see, but it leaves behind dark green or black droppings, Upham says. Picking the worms off is the best defense in small gardens, and other insects like to pick on them, too, Upham says.

But if you need to use a pesticide on them, your options include Bt (Dipel, Thuricide); spinosad (Conserve; Borer, Bagworm, Leafminer & Tent Caterpillar Spray; Colorado Potato Beetle Beater Concentrate; Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew; Monterey Garden Insect Spray); and cyfluthrin (Bayer Vegetable & Garden Insect Spray), Upham says.

Donate produce — Fresh vegetables and fruit from the garden at its peak quality can be donated to the needy at these locations during business hours: Kansas Food Bank, 1919 E. Douglas; Augusta Ace Home Center, 316 W. Seventh, Augusta; Brady Nursery, 11200 W. Kellogg; Hillside Nursery, 2200 S. Hillside; Hillside Feed and Seed, 1805 S. Hillside; Johnson’s Garden Centers at 21st and Woodlawn and 2707 W. 13th St.; Valley Feed & Seed, 1903 S. Meridian; and Woodard Mercantile, 4160 N. Maize Road.

Garden events

Cactus and succulents show and sale — The Wichita Cactus Club will have a show and sale of a wide variety of succulents and cactuses from 9 to 5 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Botanica. Growers from Tulsa will have plants for sale and be available to answer questions about growing succulents. Admission to the show is free; if you want to go into the gardens, Botanica admission will be charged.

Daylily show — A large selection of daylilies that bloom in mid- to late summer as well as floral arrangements featuring daylilies will be on display Sunday during the Annual Blooms & Butterflies Show by the Prairie Winds Daylily Society. The show will be from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Botanica and will feature the best hybrids that grow in our area as well as an opportunity for kids and adults to color. Admission to the show is free, but Botanica admission will be charged if you want to go out into the gardens.

Darrell Scott at Bartlett Arboretum — Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Darrell Scott will bring his old-time country music to Bartlett Arboretum in Belle Plaine on Sunday. The concert will be at 4 p.m., and gates open at 3. The cost is $10, free for children. Picnics are welcome, and barbecue from Lyon’s Den and Italian cuisine from Luciano’s also will be for sale.

Talk on Chinese Garden flowers — Janet Gordon of Botanica will give a talk about the flowers that were chosen for Botanica’s Chinese Garden during a meeting of the Suburban Garden Club at 10 a.m. Monday at Botanica. The meeting is free and open to the public. Lunch will follow at Taste and See for those who are interested.

Class on garden pests and diseases — You can learn how to scout bugs and diseases in the garden and get rid of them at a class Tuesday evening at the Extension Center at 21st and Ridge Road. The latest class in the Grow Good Food Gardening series will be from 6 to 8 p.m. and costs $5. More information: sedgwick.ksu.edu or 316-660-0100.

Cherokee Maidens at Botanica — The Cherokee Maidens featuring Robin Macy will perform at Tuesdays on the Terrace on Tuesday at Botanica. The event is from 6 to 8 p.m. and will include drinks and dinner for sale. Admission is $10, $5 for Botanica members. The theme this Tuesday is Cannas and Cosmopolitans.

Rose trials and triumphs — The Wichita Rose Society will have an ice cream social and roundtable discussion on the trials and triumphs of this year’s rose garden at its meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Botanica. The meeting is free and open to the public and will be a good place to discuss your rose successes and failures with rosarians.

Talk on flower essences — Herbalist Cynthia Killion will be at Botanica on Wednesday to give a talk titled “Flowers and Flower Essences for Emotional and Mental Well-Being.” The lunchtime lecture, at 12:15, is included in Botanica admission. Lunch from Truffles will be for sale for $8 cash from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

Annie Calovich

This story was originally published July 8, 2016 at 9:23 AM with the headline "Wichita gardener’s almanac for July 9, 2016."