Spiders... Friends or Foe?

There are many things that come across the Penn Master Gardener’s desk, pest or insect identification is one of the more unpredictable. Some are easy to identify, some have lots of legs and eyes and wings and segmented body parts, and some are just plain scary. One of the more misunderstood varieties is the spider. Are they really all that bad? Depends on whom you ask. It is important that any understanding must come from research based information.

As scary as these eight-legged creatures are, they are beneficial to us, our homes, and our gardens. In and around the house, spiders consume large amounts of other pests long before the human residents see them. Spiders are not a sign of poor housekeeping.

Most spiders indigenous to Pennsylvania will enter the home. Found often in crawl spaces and basements, the common house spider, Achaearanea tepidariorum, is known to cause grief. It frequently abandons one web to build a new one nearby and produces many webs in a short period of time.

Even though spiders can be helpful, it is unsettling to see them around. Consider preventative measures before reaching for the can of insecticide. Sprays are rarely effective in controlling the population, and are harmful indoors. Except in the rare occasion of a black widow or brown recluse (contact a registered insect control company or us about these two), there are easy steps you can take to manage these eight-footers.

• Vacuum - Instead of spraying vacuum both the webs and the spiders. The dust inside the bag will suffocate the spiders.
• Get rid of the web - If you can tolerate the idea of sharing your home with these beneficial bugs, you can just vacuum the web and leave the spiders to do their pest control work.
• Reduce their food supply – This time of year, most often fruit flies are the spiders’ meal. Keep fruit in a closed paper bag.
• Transplant – If you come across a spider, give it a change of scenery. Capture the spider in a container and release it outside.

Often misunderstood and intimidating, the spider is a good neighbor to have around. With some low impact management practices, we can have them working for us. For more information on spiders, contact the Penn State Master Gardeners in Lackawanna County at (570) 963-6842 and request “Commonly Encountered Pennsylvania Spiders.” This publication is also available in PDF format, email us at LackawannaMG@psu.edu and we can send it electronically.


Steve Ward
Master Gardener Coordinator
Penn State Cooperative Extension in Lackawanna County
Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce.

Pruning Fruit Trees

Late February and March are the best times to prune apple trees in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Prune peach trees in early April. Here are some basic rules that will help produce a healthy tree and quality apples.

•Remove all dead or diseased wood.
•Remove limbs that cross over and rub other limbs.
•Remove shoots that grow straight up.
•Remove low growing branches that will touch the ground when they bend with the weight of fruit.
•Reduce the density of the tree by removing shoots and branches at their base to open the tree up to allow sunlight and air movement in. The more light a branch gets the more fruit it will produce.
•Reduce the number of fruit spurs on spur type trees that have a history of setting too much fruit.
•Keep the top of the tree from overgrowing and overshadowing the lower branches. This can be accomplished by cutting the leader back to a smaller side shoot.

If you had fire blight in your tree last year, like I did, prune when the temperature is below 45 degrees to prevent spreading the blight. Remove the limb at least 8” below the infected area.

For more information contact your local cooperative extension office. In Lackawanna County call 963-6842 and ask for the Garden Helpline or email LackawannaMG@psu.edu


John Esslinger, Extension Educator
Penn State Cooperative Extension
Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce.

Watering House Plants

Here are some watering tips for your houseplants. If you ever notice that your houseplants aren’t performing as expected or look less than desirable, start by making small changes to their environment and observe whether the plant is responding before making drastic alterations.

Always use room-temperature water to avoid shock to the root system.

Check plants often enough to ensure that the potting mix is moist, but avoid keeping it too wet or not wet enough. Stick a finger into the media up to the first knuckle and feel whether it is wet below the surface. Water the plant if the potting mix feels dry, and then wait to water again until the media feels slightly moist, but not too dry.

Check the soil for dryness more often if the plants are:

• Larger or have large leaves
• In higher light or low relative humidity conditions
• Rapidly growing
• In a smaller pot (consider repotting!) or in a porous pot like clay
• In a potting mix that dries quickly
  

If leaf cover is dense and makes watering difficult, place the container in a pan of room temperature water for about 30 minutes while the potting mix absorbs water though the container’s drainage holes. This method works well for plant species such as cyclamen whose leaves or crown can become damaged if they get wet.

For the complete fact sheet on houseplant care, go to: http://consumerhorticulture.psu.edu/files/caring_for_houseplants.pdf or contact your local extension office. In Lackawanna County call the Garden Helpline at 963-6842 or email LackawannaMG@psu.edu.


Terry Schettini, Extension Educator
Penn State Cooperative Extension in Lackawanna County
Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce.

Cut Flowers

A colorful bouquet of flowers can say more than mere words. It can communicate sentiment, emotion, and even regret. “Sorry I forgot our anniversary”, “I didn’t mean to stay out ‘til 3 am”, or a simple “I love you” are means of expressing how we feel through fresh flowers. One, if not the biggest time for cut-flowers is approaching quickly -- Valentine’s Day. Whether it is the classic and timeless dozen red roses, or a last-minute-dash-to-the-store type arrangement (because I forgot it was February 14th AGAIN), here are a few things to remember in choosing cut flowers:

• Look at the petals - there should be no marked, damaged, or brown areas
• Look at the foliage - there should be no be wilting, and it should be crisp
• Look at the stem - there should be no slime and it should be in clean water
  

To make your bouquet last the longest, bring the flowers home as soon as possible. Remember, the stem is the bloom’s source of vitality. Cut a small portion of the stem off, underwater, and place them your choice of a vase filled with fresh water. Most floral shops provide a preservative to enhance the life of the bouquet. Be sure to use it, as aspirin, wine, pennies, mouthwash, and other lore, do not extend the bloom time and may be harmful. Finding a suitable location helps, too. Choose one with bright lighting, even temperatures, and no draft. Proper care can extend your colorful expression up to two weeks.

If you would like your arrangement to last even longer, consider drying your flowers for sentimental or decorative use. The Penn State Master Gardeners have information to help you do that. Please call 570-963-6842 or email LackawannaMG@psu.edu and request “Drying and Preserving Flowers”.



Steve Ward
Master Gardener Coordinator
Penn State Cooperative Extension in Lackawanna County
Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce