Regarding the "Storm over Goldsturm", I agree with the idea of advising
the client to wait until next year. The last time our purple coneflowers were
hit by Aster Yellows (2001), I pondered removing all of the infected plants
(which would have amounted to nearly all of them). Instead, running out of
time, I left the infected plants in place (which should have provided
inoculant to infest more plants, you would think, right?). Last year and this
year these plants and other coneflowers have looked great - no signs of
Aster Yellows! I'm convinced that the good looking plants cannot have
been from seedlings either.
Additionally, the Zagrev (sp?) Coreopsis that looked so sad during its
second year in the garden has performed beautifully these past two years.
It seems to show that the more one gardens, the more new things one
learns. The plants just don't always seem to consult the research-based
literature.
Greg Lecker
Hennepin County MG
