COUNTRY GARDENING
Overwintering pests can cause problems for gardeners By Trisha Gedon Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service ith the winter season upon us, many gardeners may be thinking it is time to kick up their feet and relax a little. No flowers to tend to, no vegetables to pick, so it must be a good time to sit back and chill out. Before you get too comfy in that recliner by the fire, consider the need to control overwintering pests in your landscape and garden, said David Hillock, Oklahoma State University Cooperative
Extension consumer horticulturist. “There are several methods gardeners can use to help control those pesky pests during the winter months, so they aren’t such a nuisance in the spring,” Hillock said. The least expensive method is to simply till your garden plots. This breaks apart the soil and exposes pests such as corn borer, corn earworm, cucumber beetle, squash bug, slug eggs and vine borer to
the cold weather, which is something they cannot survive. “If you choose to go this route, it’s also a great time to incorporate organic material such as compost, bark, leaves and manure,” he said. “This organic material will begin decomposing because the microbes are active and ready to start breaking everything down.” While tilling the ground reaps great benefits for gardeners, there is a
Above: The bark on this crape myrtle is providing the perfect home for scale insects. If left untreated, these pests can cause damage to your trees and shrubs. Photo provided. 46 — Oklahoma Country