for the last 2 summers I had coneflowers that would 'piggyback', but they were not the "piggyback" varieties and had never done this before. mine usually stayed green when they did this, but sometimes they would turn purple
'piggyback' freak
here it is turning a little purple
I just read about this somehere else. They said it was a virus and you should destroy the affected plant. Wish I could remember where I read that. Let me go look for a name of someone who would,
Contact bigcityal. I think he is into coneflowers and may even be the one who had this same problem last year.
Hi Corgi,
interesting, I do know that there is a borer that will cause little growths on top of older flowerheads. I have not heard of it keeping the heads green.
Aster yellows is a disease that will cause stems to die and look like the plant needs water until it's blackened.
It is entirely possible that these are just mutations that echinacea's have.
I will try to do some research on it.
Al
Well, if the plants aren't sick I think it's pretty cool! I wonder if that trait would breed true?
My Cambridge Scarlet Monarda just started to piggy back this past summer is that a problem?
Corgi I looked into it again for all of us!
stole this pic
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/agustydustyw3g/detail?.dir=a1fe&.dnm=b3e5.jpg&.src=ph
Here are the symptoms of aster yellows, I've had the first 2 , but not the last - yours
http://www.extension.umn.edu/projects/yardandgarden/diagnostics/asteryellows.html
sorry for the news, you could of course have your extension office send them in for testing also.
Al
Zen, I think Piggy Backing happens with Monarda (Bee Balm).
I had one last season.
Kinda cool.
Andy P
I am glad the piggy backing is ok with the monarda I really love it.
your piggybacking monarda looks "normal" as far as bloom color and size, where as mine were stunted and the petals never fully formed. Most visitors thought they were cute, but I didn't know whether to leave them or not. Now I think I should have pulled them up. If I have any more I will at least send one in to the extension office as Al suggested to see if they suggest destroying all of them.
Al, I had never heard of 'aster yellows' before. Even if I had I probably would have thought it pertained just to asters !!! Silly me. Thanks for letting us know about this !!!
Sorry, Corgi. It always breaks my heart to lose a plant. Darn bugs, anyway! I haven't had any bug problems here since the first year I moved in. It was Aphid City! Periodically, maybe 3 or 4 times during the summer, I just mix dishsoap with water and spray my plants. Doesn't seem to bother the bumble bees or butterflies, But I haven't seen any aphids. I just start itching thing about them. The H2O2 folks say that a peroxide and water spray does the same thing.
I have to think the aster in aster yellows pertains to the family asteraceae. Some of those symptoms look like mosiac virus - a nasty viral infection.
this does cause me some concern because I am rearranging a bed that I want to put 17 kinds of coneflowers in and it sort of makes me nervous to put all my eggs in one basket. No that's not all I have , but a lot of them.
If it's spread by leafhoppers, at least you can do something to prevent it. I'd be concerned bringing in a new plant. I know I have two new coneflowers coming this spring. Maybe they should be put in pots and kept away from the general garden area.
I worry about that virus spread by aphids that can cause broken colors in tulips. It can also affect lilies and I have lots of those. The only thing you can do is destroy the plant and hope it doesn't spread.
what do you do for the leafhoppers? I know I have seen a few, but not that many. I have 3 acres, with plants scattered across the entire area. I cannot spray everything.
I have a whole hill of purple cone and saw one of these on one plant last year, gosh hope the whole hill isn't infected this year, the bugs are going to be bad this year I'm afraid too, due to the weather being so warm this winter, this hill is full of rocks it's going to be hard to dig the plants out, wonder how deep the roots grow down?
Guess I’m going to be looking for some ‘oat straw’ the info on the link says that might help.
Lea
I'm sticking to the dishsoap unless things get out-of-hand. I'd be worried about the beneficial bugs (those are the ones that don't make me itch). That first year with aphids, I used chemicals and more than once. Got rid of the aphids and everything else. I even had to keep the dogs out of that area for awhile. Don't like using them if I don't have to.
What else would help is to keep the weeds down, if that's possible.
I have a gardening book that recommends household products for use on plants. One recommendation for bugs is spraying on lemonaide made from powdered mix. Well I have gotten rid of the unwanted bugs and kept the good ones using this for 3 years now. It smells great too.
Pauline
Sounds down right yummy !!! What strength? And do your bugs prefer a particular brand of lemonaide????
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/460616/
Here's where we discussed this a couple years ago...hope it helps.
thanks melody ! i'm still curious as to what lemonaide recipe zen used. my neighbors think i am strange enough because I give my dogs rides through the neighborhood (ok, so it is illegal, but we only have 3 streets, all deadends and almost no traffic !!!) on my golfcart, but if they see me sharing a pitcher of lemonaide with my coneflowers........
thanks Melody
the more information the better
Al
Well I use Crystal Light and just make it to the proportions on the container then put it in a spray bottle. The book said Country Time Lemonaide, everything is listed by brand like Jif Peanutbutter and Dixie cups so I figured that they got some money for printing the book by advertising so I used the brand my family likes to drink.
My neighbors did think I was a bit crazy already so the lemonaide just confirmed it for them. I must be a great source of ammusement since I get so many questions about what I am doing now!
I haven't tried the suggestion in the book to use a dust buster to get the bugs off of plants I think that would be too much for my neighbors. I am not sure I am convinced about it either. It says to put a cotton ball with listerine on it inside the dust buster to kill the bugs. If any of you try it let us know if it works.
Pauline
Pauline, sounds like we might be a little kin there !!!! Nope, haven't tried that dust buster thing. Got a friend that uses it on her cat and the cat loves it. Persian just rolls over and purrs!!! Mine animals either run and hide or (like my corgis) take after it and try to "herd" it !!!
corgimom, my cats head for the hills when the vacuum comes on, we don't have a dust buster. We use to have a boarder collie and he was always trying to herd everything. We couldn't change the furniture around since when we did he would have a very difficult time trying to get it back where is belonged.
I just read in another thread, not sure where, that someone was using a vacumm to suck up aphids. Whatever floats your boat, I guess.
My issue is to prevent them from visiting in the first place. If they are carrying these viruses, once they land, it's all over but the crying.
Zen, do you use the lemonade as a preventive or as a cure? I haven't seen aphids (there I go itching again!) in nine years and I just go around about once a month and spritz the plants with dishsoap/water solution. Doesn't seem to bother visiting butterflies or bees, but to tell the truth, I don't generally see too many other bugs.
I'm going back to read Melody's post, maybe that answers my question.
Nope, that didn't help. I thought it was more about the lemonade treatment.
Zen, another question about the lemonade. Doesn't it draw ants?
I havae used the lemonade for both preventative and as a cure. So far it hasn't drawn ants, which suprised me at first.
I have used the dishsoap and water as well. I still do in the house. Somehow spraying lemonaide around the house doesn't appeal to me.