Names Of Shrubs

Watering fruit and new trees and shrubs — Plunge a screwdriver or wooden dowel into the soil around fruit plants and recently planted trees and shrubs, gauging how moist they are by the resistance you meet. They should be moist about 12 inches down.

Deep, infrequent watering and mulching can help trees become established, Ward Upham of Kansas State says. You can set a hose to drip at the base of a tree for a few hours. Upham also gives this recommendation:

"Newly transplanted trees need at least 10 gallons of water per week, and on sandy soils they will need that much applied twice a week. The secret is getting that water to soak deeply into the soil, so it evaporates more slowly and is available to the tree's roots longer.

"One way to do this is to punch a small hole in the side of a 5-gallon bucket and fill it with water. Let the water dribble out slowly next to the tree. Refill the bucket once, and you have applied 10 gallons. Very large transplanted trees and trees that were transplanted two to three years ago will require more water."

Spider mites _ The first signs of both spider mites and leaf diseases in tomatoes are being seen in the demo garden at the Extension Center, extension agent Rebecca McMahon reports _ "which I suppose means that summer is really here!"

Spider mite damage appears as pale yellow or white stippling (very fine dots) on the leaves, she says. Severe infestations will leave webbing in the leaves, which will turn yellow. Manage mites by spraying a hard stream of water on the undersides of the leaves, or spraying under the leaves with a neem oil or horticultural oil, Rebecca says.

Tomato disease _ The leaf diseases usually appear as small black spots or larger brown 1/2-inch lesions on lower leaves of tomatoes, Rebecca says. The leaves quickly turn yellow and die, and the disease continues up the plants. Make sure your plants are caged or staked and mulched well, she says, and that you aren't getting the leaves wet in the evenings.

"The diseases spread by splashing water. Plants can be sprayed with chlorothalonil or a copper-based fungicide to prevent the spread of the disease."

Squash bugs — Squash bugs are the gray, shield-shaped bugs that feed on squash and pumpkin plants. Upham says. An insecticide such as permethrin, malathion, rotenone, or methoxychlor will provide control if it is directly applied to young, soft-bodied squash bugs, Upham says. This means that you MUST spray or dust the underside of the leaves, because this is where the insects live.