The Goderich Signal-Star, 1981-04-29, Page 54Birch trees blend well in most home landscapes, but they
require special attention to keep them at their. best.
Birches require special care
By Burke McNeill
Soils and Creps Branch
OMAF
Birch leafminer is an insect
pest. that infests most birch
trees• each year. Damage is
noticeable on the leaves during
the summer, and although' it
does not appear to hurt the
tree, heavy infestations over a
period of years do weaken the
tree. .
Long-term injury combined
with other environmental
conditions eventually causes
the death of the tree.
Therefore, to extend the life of
the birch,, home gardeners
shouldattempt CO control the
birch lea fmi ner.
This pest can be controlled
oo many. trees
"Woodsman, do not spare that
tree!"
Trees are one of nature's best
accomplishments, but a tree out
of place is just as much a weed as
a ragweed in a bean patch,
There is such a thing as too
many trees in a yard. Trees make
shade. Certain kind5 of trees are
terribly .messy. Brahches
Landscape with the times
People are spending more
" time at home now than they
used to,- and are taking a
greater interest in improving
*hair hnme Inntiseapes.
"Over the last 15 years in-
temst in horticulture has been
replaced with more compact ,< being used. Even chain link
trees and shrubs scaled down fences can, be disguised with
for modern home landscapes." such vines as Virginia creeper. •
Smaller' lots and • the in- Mr. Tucker predicts a
'creasing popularity of
nun i au®FbWw I P,
,•��33[9c RIf31�{
generally increasing," says,
Pat Tucker, head df grounds at
the University of Guelph.. In
home landscapes this is
• reflected in better planning
and betker plant materials.
One the •major changes in
• the home landscape is a shift
away from the manicured
formal gardens to an informal
look. The increasing
proportion of working couples
•presents a need for low -
maintenance gardens that
don't require a lot of time.
To reduce maintenance,
modern landscaping uses
many types of ground covers
— low -growing plants that fill
and spread quickly to compete
with weeds. The low -growing
evergreen andorra juniper,
vines, such as English ivy, and
the popular periwinkle are
being used 'to cover areas
where grass won't grow
successfully.
Organic and inorganic
mulches, including bark chips
and stones. are being used in
home landscapes more
frequently to reduce Main-
tenance. These materials
conserve soil moisture. reduce
erosion and weed competition.
Ilowever. organic mulches can
harbor weed seeds and can
depress nitrogen levels in" the
soil when they 'begin to break
mown.
"One of the most noticeable
changes in home landscape
is the size of foundation
plantings," says Mr. Tucker.
"Huge plants. such as the
Pfitzer juniper, are being
In the bag
The numbers listed on
fertilizer bags, for example
5-10-15. refer to the per:
centage of the three main
nutrients. The first number
is the percentage of nitrogen,
the second is the percentage
of phosphorus, and the third
number is the percentage of
potassium.
swimming pools are in-
troducing a greater number of
privacy fences to home Ian=
dscapes. Many types of at-
tractive wooden fences are
growing trend toward using
more perennials and native
plants in the home landscape
as energy costs of producing
annuals increase.
overhanging a 'house can blow
down and cause damage. Flowers,
vegetables and lawns cannot
grow in shade.
If the shade is caused by a com-
mon, ordinary, Fast-growing tree;
or overgrown shrub, consider
harvesting it for firewood or chip-
ping it into mulch. Fireplace wood
is, so expensive in; ities.that .you
could recover some of the cost of
professional tree removal from
Turn to page 21
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by the use of an' ;insecticide,
Cygon. When properly applied,
this product gives very good
control of birch leafminer. The
critical factor inapplying the
insecticide is timing. It Must
be applied in early spring`just,
as the leaves open. If applied.
after the leaves are fully open,
control of the insect is•reduced
considerably. '
Cygon is a systemic in-
secticide, which means it is
absorbed by the plant and
moves upward to the foliage.
This action . is useful when
applying the insecticide, as it
can be brushed on, in a band,
around the tree trunk. This is
an easy and safe method of
application. However,
repeated applications to the
same area of the tree will
cause damage to the bark.
Apply the band of insecticide
to different •,locations: on the
trunk each year to prevent, or
reduce thechance of damage.
Spraying the insecticide on
the foliage is another very
effective method of controlling
birch leafminer. Timing of the
application is the important
factor, 'and a repeat ap-
plication is required for good
control. When applying•', this
product as a spray, protective
clothing must be worn.
Recently, a soil drench
method of applying Cygon was
approved for control of birch
learminer; With this method of
application, the insecticide is
applied to the soil around the
drip -line of the tree and
watered in. This method is.
effective provided, as with the
other methods of application,
that :it is applied just as the
leaves areopen in spring.
Whatever method you use to
control birch leafminer, be
sure to read the label carefully
and follow the directions
precisely, Excessive use of
Cygon can damage foliage, so
use• only the quantity
prescribed on the label. •
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