(Picture - euonymus)
In the garden: While I’m raking leaves, I’m thinking ahead to spring
Stockpiling leaves for compost or mulch usually keeps me busy around the garden in late October. I also have a few last-minute tasks before freeze-up, but the excitement is definitely waning. Not that I’m concerned. I’m already thinking of next spring with plans forming for projects to be undertaken.
One in particular is to resolve the problem with my seven euonymus plants, one of which has reached the eaves trough at the rear of the house and is trying to snatch shingles off the roof.
I usually get the ladder out in mid summer and go at it with the shears, but that may no longer be necessary. The way things look, one more season and I’ll be going at it with more than shears; it will be chainsaws at dawn.
The problem is euonymus scale, armoured insects that suck the life out of plants. It probably started last year, but I never noticed and now I fear it’s too late. I should have been paying closer attention, especially as I wrote a column back in 2008 in response to queries about this pest.
Pest? It’s not a pest, a pest is an irritant, an annoyance, something that can be ignored or dealt with. If not caught early, euonymus scale is as relentless as the barbarian hordes that sacked Rome.
When I did write about euonymus scale, with hopeful suggestions on how to deal with it, I casually suggested I should issue a code red alert, but what did I do — I ignored my own advice.
I blame it on the new bifocals — took a while to get used to, which may be why I didn’t seem to have any insects pest in the garden for the previous year or so, at least not ones as small as scale insects. Lily beetles, Japanese beetles, rabbits; they were easy to spot, even fat aphids. But euonymus scale? Forget it.
The first symptom is falling leaves in summer. A closer look will reveal elongated, greyish-white bumps, about a couple of millimetres or so long on leaves and stems.
Had I caught it sooner, I may have been able to save the plants. The usual treatment is to cut out the infected parts and give the whole plant a dormant oil treatment in late winter, then a soap spray in May or June when the larvae are active.
I will try the above on the least affected of my plants in hope of getting another year or two out of them, but I’m not feeling overwhelmed with optimism.
Euonymus scale is becoming a major concern in some areas, so do check your plants. It can also be a problem on English ivy, American Bittersweet, and Japanese Pachysandra, and will sometimes affect boxwood and holly. So I’d take a good look at these plants if you’ve noticed any leaf drop or yellowing of leaves in summer. Catch it early and you might just save them.
It’s a shame that I may be losing my euonymus, but the loss opens up all kinds of possibilities for replacement. I won’t say I’ve grown tired of them, but I do have seven, which is plenty for anyone, so the chance to grow something different will be interesting.
But what? One possibility for the shady side of the house is a climbing hydrangea. They can ultimately reach 15 metres, which is more height than I need, but they are slow growing and can be kept under control. On the sunny side of the house, I can always add a couple more clematis to my collection, or perhaps a rare honeysuckle to add a little more fragrance.
By spring I should have a plan in place. Meanwhile, there are a few leaves that need raking. How exciting!
