The Kansan
Last year’s bagworm infestation was the worst I have ever seen! This year I have been getting questions earlier in the year than ever before. During the summer in Kansas, bagworms may defoliate arborvitae, junipers and other trees and shrubs. I think I saw bagworm on just about every tree and shrub that grows in Kansas last year. My dad even had a bagworm attached to his pickup truck bed! Bagworms are caterpillars that live inside spindle-shaped bags which they construct to protect themselves against birds and other enemies. These bags, composed of silken threads and bits of foliage, look so much like a part of the tree that they may go unnoticed until extensive damage has occurred. Bagworms are common throughout the state.
In the garden: Protect transplants from the wind
Scott Eckert
Hopefully you are planning to wait until May to plant your tomato plants so they will not be killed by a late April freeze. If not, you can always purchase more, garden centers love you for it! New transplants, even those hardened off in a cold frame, may need protection from strong winds when set out. Wooden shingles placed to block the wind used to be recommended but are now difficult to find. Try a plastic milk jug or a 2-liter soda bottle with both the bottom and top cut off. Push the jug or bottle into the soil far enough so it won’t blow away. In windy conditions, it may need to be stabilized with a wooden dowel or metal rod.
In the garden: Hold off on tomatoes thekansan.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thekansan.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
DeSales University’s Council for Retail Sales is hosting a videoconference at 3 p.m. Thursday, April 15, with Scott Eckert, a Walmart senior vice president who is in charge of the mega-retailer's “Store No. 8.”
In the garden: Dealing with henbit thekansan.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thekansan.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.