Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus Showing Up in Vegetable Plants
Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) is really causing loses to many commercial and home tomato growers. Symptoms of the disease typically include cupping and rolling of the upper leaves which usually turn purple/brown along the veins. If the fruit are set before infection, they may be distorted or develop blotchy orange ring spots as they ripen.
Pepper plants are also starting to show signs of the virus. The virus is transmitted by insects called thrips. Juvenile thrips acquire the virus from infected weed host then they feed on tomato and other target plants and that is how it is spread.
Spotted wilt is difficult to control. Once the plant is infected you need to pull the plant out and destroy it.
You should spray with an insecticide early to control the thrips. There has been a lot of work on TSWV-resistant cultivars. Many are available now but even some of the resistant varieties have developed the virus. If you would like a list of these varieties, call me at my office and I can give you them. Some are Amelia, Top Gun, BHN444, BHN 640, and Bella Rosa.
Keep the date of Saturday, June 20, 9 a.m. at the USDA Sugarcane Experiment Station across from Chauvin Funeral Home. We will have a vegetable field day with some of these varieties on display.
Secret Garden Tour
The Secret Garden Tour will be held on Saturday, May 16, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the garden. Tickets can be purchased at the Terrebonne Folklife Culture Center; at any of the gardens, or by calling 985-580-7289. Here is a list of the gardens: Sammy Castolano, 218 Central Avenue; Paul Labat, 825 Verret Street; Mr. and Mrs. Bubby Olsen, 140 South Point Drive; and Mr. and Mrs. Billy Foster, 112 Talbot Drive.
Green Light Wipe Out Herbicide
This is a new herbicide that can be used on all southern lawns regardless of temperature and under trees and shrubs with no root uptake issues. This product has consistently given good results at LSU trials. It is especially good on dollarweed, clover, dandelion and several other winter weeds. Be patient as it takes 3-4 weeks for the herbicide to work. This product does not contain fertilizer so it is not a weed and feed.
This product is in granular form so you would put it out with a fertilizer spreader. Lawns and weeds have to be wet for the granules to stick to them so apply in the morning after dew or after irrigation.
MSMA Herbicide Update
Many homeowners and athletic fields use bermudagrass as the summer sod. MSMA is a herbicide that kills many weeds in the Bermuda lawn and athletic turf fields.
New regulations will begin concerning the use of this product.
Use of this product will be changed in regards to Home lawns and Athletic turfgrass.
Home Lawns – MSMA application on residential turfgrass will not be permitted after December 31, 2010.
Athletic turfgrass – Use of existing stocks will be permitted until December 31, 2010. After this, it cannot be applied to Athletic turfgrass.
Summer Checklist
- Continue to plant warm-season bedding plants.
- Dig and store gladiolus corms.
- Remove old foliage on caladiums.
- Prune azaleas no later than mid-July.
- Cut faded flowers from flowering annuals and perennials to encourage new growth and flowers.
Vegetables to Plant in June
Transplant heat-set tomatoes for fruit production in August through October. Plant collards, cucumbers, melons, cantaloupes, okra, southern peas, pumpkins and summer squash. Transplant eggplants, all peppers and sweet potato slips.
If you have any questions or need more information, please give me a call at 985-873-6495 or you can also email me or visit our website.
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