Page 20 - MNLGA Free State Summer 2021

IT’S TIME FOR SHARING (Continued)

achieved particularly good
control on two sides of the
plant in line with the drip
tube. Plants and their roots
are ‘geographic’. That
is the roots on one side
support the plant on that
side generally. Root feeder
injection on 4 sides gave us
100% control.
Aerial treatment
During the third week of
June, 2009 (scale crawlers
were detected here on June
19 that year) we hired a
helicopter service, shown in Treating a dense stand of dogwoods for Japanese maple scale proved exceptionally effective.
the photo on page 18, to determine the efficacy of aerial
application in various canopies. We spent several hours
spraying just water with spray indicator cards located
deep in various plants. Different nozzles and different
heights for spraying were employed.

Ground treatment with handguns
In 2009 we determined scale infestations were increasing
and control measures were needed immediately. Due to
treatment timing requirements we had to react quickly.
When it was determined that aerial application was
not effective on dense broadleaf plants, and that timely
application was of paramount importance, we hand
sprayed various blocks of plants for Taxus/Camellia scale
problems. Ultimately, we perfected machine praying and
continue to be successful ‘managing’ scale insects today.

Summary
Scale insects are here to stay; there may be an ebb and
flow over time. For the present, we are faced with intense Hand spraying is expensive and tedious but provides excellent coverage.
and costly control measures. The average consumer,
landscape contractor, rewholesaler, and retailer have no Jerry Faulring
idea what we go through to provide high value plants. Waverly Farm
1931 Greenfield Road
The name of the game for now is extreme scouting; locate Adamstown, MD 21710
even small infestations and manage them aggressively. 310-874-8300
Much more information is available in the weekly IPM
reports and numerous publications from the University of
Maryland Extension office. A

20 SUMMER 2021 • Free State News