November Newsletter

• Add organic matter (decaying animal or plant material) such as compost, green manure, leaf mold or animal manure. These are beneficial soil amendments that improve the structure of the soil.
• Avoid fertilizing. Adding fertilizer late in the fall promotes new growth that will be damaged in winter weather.
• Keep beds moist until a freeze.
• Avoid pruning trees or evergreen shrubs as this also promotes new growth.
• Plant bulbs such as amaryllis, anemone, calla lily, freesia, oxalis and lilies.
• Add mulch to tender perennials or newly planted shrubs or trees. This will help insulate root systems from changing temperatures and prevent damage to the above ground parts of the plants.

• Add organic matter (decaying animal or plant material) such as compost, green manure, leaf mold or animal manure. These are beneficial soil amendments that improve the structure of the soil.
• Avoid fertilizing. Adding fertilizer late in the fall promotes new growth that will be damaged in winter weather.
• Keep beds moist until a freeze.
• Avoid pruning trees or evergreen shrubs as this also promotes new growth.
• Plant bulbs such as amaryllis, anemone, calla lily, freesia, oxalis and lilies.
• Add mulch to tender perennials or newly planted shrubs or trees. This will help insulate root systems from changing temperatures and prevent damage to the above ground parts of the plants.

Fall armyworms are the larvae form, or caterpillar, of adult moths. The caterpillar is pale green to yellowish-brown, feed mostly at night and if disturbed, may curl up.

Adults emerge in early spring and lay clusters of eggs on host plants. Eggs hatch in approximately 10 days and together the larvae start feeding on the egg mass and host plant, skeletonizing the leaf foliage, while older caterpillars consume entire leaves, beginning at the outer edges. They can be found in large numbers, traveling together like and army, devouring all parts of the plant above ground.

Management with insecticides is most effective in early stages of the life cycle. If they’re allowed to develop, applications are not as effective and may need to be repeated.