A Sucker is Born Every Minute

Not far from my house, I spied what appeared to be black paint on the trunk of a magnolia. Now, tree bark is supposed to be brown, tan, or grey in most cases, but not black. I suspected the devious work of a real sucker, the magnolia scale (N. cornuparvum). A close inspection confirmed my suspicions and revealed an encrustation of dozens of scales on every branch. Magnolia scale comes from a group of insects known as soft scales, so named for the soft texture of their outer skin. Compared to most insects, these creatures move very little. The adult females hunker down on twigs and branches and engage in the business of producing young. In autumn each female may give birth to hundreds of young; really a sucker is born every minute. Crawlers move away from their mom, find their own little piece of bark, and settle in for the winter. When spring arrives, the young scales become active. The flow of nutrients in the tree provides food that supports growth and development of the scales. Like aphids, scale insects have sucking mouthparts that are inserted into the plant. Much the same way you sip a drink through a straw, they withdraw nutrients from the vascular system of the tree with their proboscis. Excess fluids taken in while feeding are excreted by the scale in the form of sticky liquid called honeydew. When honeydew falls on bark and leaves, it serves as a substrate for the growth of a fungus called sooty mold. While this fungus does not cause disease in the tree, it does stain the bark and leaves deep brown or black coloration. Honeydew is a prized food of many insects such as wasps, and infested trees can be a frightful swarm of activity. Heavy infestations of magnolia scale can reduce foliage and flower production. Plants appear leggy with dead branches. I have found magnolia scale becoming much more common. It could be due to warmer winters failing to kill off crawlers. Magnolia is often attacked if planted in full sun, surrounded by little vegetation, roads, parking lots, and buildings. Reducing plant stress by proper placement and irrigation may reduce susceptibility to infestation. Excessive nitrogen fertilizer may increase infestation by making the plant more nutritious to scales and reducing natural defenses. In some cases, it may be necessary to treat a tree with insecticides. Imidacloprid can be applied as a drench around the root zone of infested plants. This water-soluble insecticide is taken up by the roots and transported throughout the plant where it is ingested by sap feeding insects. The time to apply is several weeks before crawlers are active, in early May, for best results. So, if you see a tree with dark brown or black bark, inspect the branches and see if these small suckers are to blame. For more information on Magnolia Scale

Adult females look like fuzzy Q-Tips, appear from late July through to October. Scale insects excrete honeydew as they feed which can cause the foliage on infested plants to become sticky and covered with dark sooty mold.  Hundreds of small black crawlers festoon the twig near their mothers.  Trees planted close to buildings often are infested because of the extra heat buildings radiate.

The Tea Garden

It’s easy to cultivate a tea garden in a kitchen, on a windowsill, balcony, or in any garden bed. Making your own tea yields ingredients with more potency and flavor than store-bought. A winter tea mix of lemon balm, lavender and chamomile is a blend for a relaxing bedtime infusion. A mix of mint, lemon verbena and thyme is a soothing balm for our collective anxieties.   Position your plants to receive at least six hours of sun every day. Herbs want to be kept on the dry side so make sure your pots have drainage holes. Harvest foliage from plants such as mint, lemon verbena, lemon balm and thyme before they flower: Once a plant blooms, the leaves lose freshness and become bitter. Harvest flowers such as lavender, thyme or chamomile as soon as they start to bloom and before the blossom starts to decline.   Collect around 5 percent of a plant’s total volume each time you trim; you want to make a clean cut for the health of the plant, cutting down to the next set of leaves and removing any damaged ones. Wash your harvest under the tap carefully and then gently dry the herbs and flowers with paper towels, otherwise you risk bruising them and leaching out their essential oils. Gather herbs into small bunches and hang them upside down. To preserve flower heads such as chamomile, lay them out in wicker trays or baskets. Once your ingredients are completely dry, the process of destemming can begin: Strip the leaves or flowers from their stalks before storing them in airtight glass jars. Store your crop in a cool place and away from sunlight.

Here is a list of tea plants and what parts to harvest: Peppermint or spearmint - leaves Lavender - flowers Lemon Balm - leaves Thyme - leaves and flowers Chamomile - flowers Lemon verbena - leaves Rose - petals Lemongrass - stalks Chamomile tea is made from the daisy-like flowers of the German chamomile plant. It’s good to harvest in the mornings, after the dew has dried, but before the plants get stressed by the sun — that’s when they’re at their most fragrant. Pictured here: thyme For more information on growing, blending and brewing herbal teas

Chicken Satay

Ingredients: 3 to 4 pounds chicken breast cut into strips Marinade ¾ cup soy sauce ½ cup brown sugar 2 Tablespoons sesame oil 4 cloves garlic minced 2 Tablespoons grated ginger Stir (or microwave) marinade to dissolve sugar Mix all and marinate chicken strips in large sealed plastic bag for2-3 hours. Thread chicken onto skewers and grill.

Hot Peanut Sauce 2 Tablespoons Red Curry Paste 2 Tablespoons Red Chili Paste 2 Tablespoons brown sugar 1 1/4 cups peanut butter (crunchy or regular) 1 can coconut milk 2 Tablespoons lemon juice 1 Tablespoon fish sauce pinch of salt Bring to boil and gently simmer to blend flavors.

Thanks for Reading and Happy Planting! Faith Faith Appelquist President & Founder