Japanese Beetles are back

If you called the office last week or emailed me chances are you were told I was off....well on vacation!  I had a great week with my wife and kids, it was nice to relax and just stay home for a few days.  We only made two day trips including a trip to the Indianapolis Children’s Museum and I must admit if you have kids it is a must see.  There were lots of hands-on activities and some really awesome things to see even for us big kids.
Last week I also had a great deal of time in the garden getting the weeds beat back and pulling out some of the spring crops to plant more summer things including more green beans.  Last winter we ran out of home canned green beans and have been eating store bought and I don’t plan to run out again!  
This is our first summer at our current house and I didn’t plant flowers as I normally would as I wanted to get the fruit crops off to a good start and planned to have a big vegetable garden (which is in full swing);   it is really killing me to not have some color in the yard but I didn’t have time nor the money to do the beginnings of what I plan to be an extensive flower garden.But, when complaining last week about no flowers, my wife reminded me of something?   
When exactly had I planned to have time for flowers when the 60’ by 90’ vegetable garden was taking most of my gardening time as it is and we really haven’t started canning and freezing yet?  Well...you know I hadn’t taken time into consideration but she is right....but moving buildings, landscaping, taking out fencing, etc. did take a lot of my spring time too.  So I will venture on planning full well to plant lots of perennials this fall and spring.  I do have a lot of things to move and divide from the other house and can assure you the time is right to move daylilies and iris in August so the flowers will begin then!  A gardeners work is never done and a garden is never complete...right?
 Last week, I also noticed that Japanese Beetles have arrived; none at my house but my grandmother’s roses were covered!  I was surprised so many were out so early but it isn’t really early for them since June is about over!  Generally, if we have a dry summer, the numbers of beetles will be down because they have trouble getting out of the ground. Last year’s dry ground also inhibited the egg laying, so we may have a down year this year!  We also seem to have an influx in beetle numbers a day or two after a good rain. I guess because the ground softens and makes it easier for them to emerge.  Anyway, the best spray for Japanese Beetles is still Sevin.  Don’t spray while honeybees are active, Sevin is deadly to them!
I am still getting calls about herbicide drift but it has calmed down a bit since most of the corn is planted and it is a lull time for spraying yards for weeds.  The good thing about most of the tomatoes I have seen is that they will grow out this season and still perform well...but grapes may be  another question that might become a legal one.  Anyway, remember if you spray, you are responsible for where and what that spray does and you might be in court.
Squash and zucchini are coming in abundantly and it is time for some good recipes. So, call, fax, email, and facebook your best recipes to me.  I will share the unique and or tastiest ones with everyone via email, facebook, newsletter and this news article. I will give credit to you for the recipe as well.  My email is dennis.morgeson@uky.edu, phone at (859) 336-7741, or facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#! /pages/ Washington-County-Horticulture/ 140659449317295.
Happy gardening!
 

Dennis Morgeson - Washington County Agent for Horticulture