Pam Bennett, Barb Bloetscher, Joe Boggs, Jim Chatfield, Erik Draper, Dave Dyke, Dave Goerig, Tim Malinich, Jane Martin, Amy Stone, and Curtis Young
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September 07, 2006
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This is the Twenty-third 2006 edition of the Buckeye Yard and Garden Line (BYGL).
BYGL is developed from a Tuesday morning conference call of Extension
agents, specialists and other contributors in Ohio.
BYGL is also made available on the Internet from the Ohio State University
Horticulture and Crop Science (HCS) in Virtual Perspective website
(http://bygl.osu.edu). Additional fact sheet information on any of
these articles may be found through the OSU fact sheet database (http://plantfacts.osu.edu).
BYGL is a service of OSU Extension and is aided by major support
from the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association (ONLA), with additional
funding from the Ohio Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture
(ISA) to the OSU Extension Nursery Landscape, and Turf Team (ENLTT).
Participants in the September 05, 2006 conference included: Carolyn Allen (Clark); Pam Bennett (Clark); Barb Bloetscher (Entomology/C. Wayne Ellett Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic (CWEPPDC)); Joe Boggs (Center at Piketon/Hamilton); Jim Chatfield (Center at Wooster/HCS); Erik Draper (Geauga); Dave Dyke (Hamilton); Dave Goerig (Mahoning); Joe Rimelspach (Plant Pathology); Dave Shetlar (HCS); Amy Stone (Lucas); Nancy Taylor (CWEPPDC); Curtis Young (Allen); and Randy Zondag (Lake)..
Additional factsheet information on any of these articles may be found
through the OSU Factsheet Database (http://plantfacts.ohio-state.edu/)
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WEATHER WATCH
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This week's weather summary includes data from September 1 - September 5, 2006. This weather summary has information from 4 OARDC weather stations across the buckeye state. While 3 of the 4 weather stations are reporting lower than normal precipitation totals for the month already, year-to-date totals are on the plus side. The exception is Jackson, where the precipitation total for the year is down, but for the month of September they are above average.
| Weather Station |
Region of Ohio |
Ave. High Temp F | Ave. Low Temp F | Ave. Temp F | Normal Ave. Temp F | Total Precip " | Normal Precip " | | Perry |
NE |
68.9 |
56.2 |
-----
|
NA |
0.62" |
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| Hoytville |
NW |
74.0 |
54.6 |
63.0 |
68.7 |
0.61"
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0.47" |
| Miami |
SW |
74.3 |
59.4 |
66.0 |
68.5 |
0.28" |
0.41"
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| Jackson |
South |
67.8 |
56.0 |
61.8 |
70.0 |
1.47" |
0.62" |
Below is a quick rainfall comparison of actual vs. normal or average for three of the four areas for the first 8 months of the year (January 1 - August 31, 2006): Hoytville, 27.35" vs. 22.98"; Miami, 29.17" vs. 25.12"; and Jackson, 27.63" vs. 30.28".
For a link to the OARDC Weather Stations, check out: http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/centernet/weather.htm
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HORT SHORTS
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PLANTS OF THE WEEK
Read all about perennials and landscape trees and shrubs in the ONLA publications "Perennial Plants for Ohio" and "Landscape Plants for Ohio." The descriptions and photographs of plants were provided for these publications by the OSU ENLT Team along with other industry plant lovers. These full-color publications are available at http://Buckeyegardening.com for $5.00. Click on "garden store" and then "onla plant guides." ONLA members can purchase these in quantities at a reduced price at http://onla.org .
*PERENNIAL OF THE WEEK. Japanese maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis.). This upright clumping grass is putting on a show in central Ohio at this time. Depending upon the cultivar, it grows around 5-8' tall. Leaves are 3-4' long, arching and the pinkish to whitish flowers are held in loose clusters that are 8-10" long. 'Malepartus' is know for it silver flowers that become fluffy white as they dry; it grows 6-7' tall. 'Strictus' has horizontal yellow bands across the leaves and grows 8' tall while 'Variegatus' has leaves with white margins and grows 5-7' tall.
*WOODY PLANT OF THE WEEK. Baldcypress (Taxodium distichum). This elegant tree is one of Ohio's four types of "deciduous conifer" trees (the others are larch, goldenlarch and dawnredwood), which have both cones and needles, yet display fall color and needle-drop each autumn. Baldcypress is an excellent slender pyramidal conifer (50-70') for wet sites but with tolerance of drier locations. It has attractive reddish-brown bark with buttressed trunks. Soft green fern-like foliage turns reddish-brown and drops each fall. Cypress "knees" develop in wet soils; plant as groves near water. Best if grown in acid soil sites.
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BUG BYTES
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HOME-SPACE INVADERS
In last week's BYGL (2006-22, 8/31/06), it was reported that Extension offices are receiving calls concerning the gnat-like HACKBERRY GALL PSYLLIDS (Pachypslla spp). Recent cool nights are now causing several insects to appear on the doorsteps of Ohio homes looking for a warm, cozy place to spend the winter. The additional home invaders include: CLOVER MITES (Bryobia praetiosa); BOXELDER BUGS (Boisea trivittatus); WESTERN PINE CONE LEAFFOOTED BUGS (Leptoglassus occidentalis); ATTIC FLIES (a.k.a. CLUSTER FLIES) (Pollenia rudis); FACE FLIES (Musca autumnalis); ELM LEAF BEETLES (Xanthogaleruca luteola); and the most notorious of all, MULTICOLORED ASIAN LADY BEETLES (Harmonia axyridis).
The best way to deal with these home-space invaders is to prevent them from gaining entry in the first place. Find and seal-off entry points such as cracks around windows, doors, or utility pipes. Poorly attached home siding and rips in window screens provide an open invitation. Check attics for unscreened attic vents, or unprotected vents that lead directly into the home, such as bathroom and kitchen vents. Also, while in the attic, look for openings around soffits.
Once inside the home, the best method to manage the offending invader is to "Hooverize'em." Swatting or otherwise smashing the invader could cause more damage than leaving them alone since fluids inside their bodies may leave permanent stains on surfaces. Thus, the vacuum cleaner is the preferred method for giving the invader the bums rush.
Make certain, however, that the vacuum cleaner is a "by-pass" type, meaning refuse is not passed through an impeller. Otherwise, you create a horrifying bug-blender. For further details on the vacuuming approach, and other helpful tips on excluding home insect invaders, see OSU Extension FactSheet HGY-2158-01, "Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle."
 
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MEDITATING MANTIDS APPEAR TO BE PLENTIFUL
Several BYGLers noted encountering numerous PRAYING MANTIDS (Order: Mantodea) hanging out on shrubs and perennials in the garden. It is the time of the season that the mantids are nearing the adult stage and can be seen more easily than in early summer when they were very tiny. As adults, mantids are large insects with some 5-6" in length. Females tend to be larger than males and their abdomens are swollen with eggs to be laid. The mantids range in color from all brown to green with brown wings to solid green. Their front legs are highly modified for grabbing and holding prey. Their common name is derived from the position they lie in waiting for prey to stray within striking distance; they appear to be praying.
There are only a few species that exist in Ohio and the most common species are the Carolina mantid, a native species (Stagmomantis Carolina), the European mantid, an introduced species (Mantis religiosa), and the Chinese mantid, also an introduced species (Tenodera aridifolia sinensis). The Carolina mantid is the smallest of the three and the Chinese mantid is the largest. Mantids are plentiful in numbers and are not endangered species nor protected by Ohio or federal law. Some BYGLers speculated that there appear to be higher numbers of them this year than in the past; maybe or maybe not. Their numbers are influenced by the amount of prey they can find to eat; prey has been readily available this year.
Mantids are highly touted as biological control agents; however there are usually not enough of them in one particular area to keep damaging insect populations in check. Additionally, mantids do not discriminate between destructive insects and beneficial insects. They can, in some instances, be quite destructive themselves. For instance, if they are around a beehive, they may have a real feast on honeybees going in and out of the hive. The females have been known to be rather ruthless toward their mates and consume their mate right after mating or while still in the act.
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CARBING UP!
This is that time of the year when the dietary cravings of social wasps switch from "where's the meat?" to "candy is dandy." Unfortunately, all too many people have learned about this change in dietary preference the hard way by getting stung by a wasp attracted to a location where sweets are found. When it comes to many of our outdoor festivities, they usually involve substances containing lots of sugar. These substances become even more attractive when they are accompanied by floral, fruity or yeasty smells (i.e., fruit drinks, pop and beer). One of the most common culprits searching for sweets is the YELLOW JACKET WASP (Paravespula spp.). These pesky little stingers are not limited to fairs and festivals, they are also found in the backyard.
Yellow jackets and the other social wasps are highly attracted to fruit, especially over-ripe fruit and windfalls. Leaving these fruits lay around yards can become a hazard to the individuals having to mow lawns and to children and pets playing in the yard. A third attractant to the wasps can be other insects or more appropriately, the waste products of other insects (e.g. honeydew). Numerous wasps flying in and around landscape plants may indicate an infestation of aphids or scale insects. Two examples of this type of interaction are MAGNOLIA SCALE (Neolecanium cornuparvum) and TULIPTREE APHID (Illinoia liriodendri) which both produce copious quantities of honeydew on their respective host plants.
Avoid negative interactions with these wasps with the following practices. Keep garbage cans clean and emptied as often as possible during public activities; use cans with a lid. Be careful when eating or drinking at outdoor events. Be sure that an unwanted guest has not crawled into or on the food and drink being consumed; avoid drinking out of a can where one cannot see into the container. Use a straw or open topped container; a mouthful of wasp is no fun. Immediately wash off spilled fruit drinks because the wasps are attracted to floral and fruit scents. Avoid wearing floral scented perfumes. Wear plain, light colored clothing and above all, don't panic if you see a wasp. Simply walk away, even if it lands on your clothing; it will soon fly away when it finds that you are not really food. Clean up and dispose of over-ripe fruit and windfalls and manage scale and aphid populations on landscape plants.
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BOOGIE-WOOGIE APHIDS
The BEECH BLIGHT APHID (Grylloprociphilus imbricator) has waltzed through the BYGL on a number of occasions in past years.
This week, the aphid once again leapt into BYGL reports with Jim Chatfield noting that large colonies are pirouetting on American beech branches in northeast Ohio. Jim indicated he recently had to high-step over sticky morasses of honeydew mixed with dead aphids and black sooty molds on a boardwalk running beneath infested trees in a wooded area. He noted that such deposits were also obvious on fallen leaves beneath colonized trees away from the boardwalk.
This woolly aphid enshrouds itself in a profuse mass of white, wool-like filaments. The aphids gather together in prominent colonies on twigs, branches, or on the underside of leaves of American beech trees. When a colony is disturbed, they pulse their posterior ends in unison. This peculiar behavior has been very accurately described in past BYGL reports as making the aphids look like "dancing dust balls shaking their rear ends to the boogie woogie."
Aphid colonies are usually relegated to a few branches. However, they are prolific producers of honeydew causing branches, sidewalks, parked cars, slow-moving gardeners, etc., beneath the colonies to become covered in sticky goo. The honeydew may become heavily colonized by black sooty molds converting the gummy accretions into blackish heaps. Despite their malevolent sounding common name, the aphids appear to cause no approachable harm to the overall health of infested trees. On small trees, they are easily controlled with a focused stream of water converting the aphids dance into a cascading water ballet.
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THOSE TRICKY CATERPILLARS!
Several discussions have ensued among BYGLers this season regarding the color changes between different stages of caterpillars. Typical examples are the yellow necked caterpillars and the walnut caterpillars, which exchange colored coats several times during instar development, while other caterpillar transformations are less familiar. The hickory horned devil, Citheronia regalis, for example, is usually seen in the last instar with its impressive 5" long green body and 4 red, projecting horns, however earlier instars are far less remarkable, with a drab, brown body. Even the lovely black swallowtail caterpillar loses its dark "bird-dropping" appearance to become black and white striped with yellow spots in later instars.
The problem with using reference books and pictures to identify these tricky caterpillars, is that most books show the last instar stage of the caterpillar only; they show no hint of earlier stages. What should one do in this predicament? BYGLers suggest calling other agents and specialists, or checking various butterfly websites. If all else fails, try to rear the caterpillar. Always take note of the plant on which caterpillars are found, as almost all of them are host specific and will not switch diets during development. Give the caterpillar a fresh supply of leaves daily, as they will not eat dried leaves, and keep the caterpillar out of the sun, heat, and away from curious cats. Caterpillars kept outdoors should be in a covered container to keep wasps and other predators out. Do not kill caterpillars if you can not identify them. If necessary, take a few pictures of them and send them to specialists, then release the caterpillar where it was originally found.
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DISEASE DIGEST
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MOIST CHAMBER
Common diseases reported by BYGLers this time of year include Guignardia leaf blotch on horsechestnuts and susceptible buckeyes, Septoria leaf spot on shrub dogwoods and on the lower leaves of tomato plants, Verticillium wilt resulting in branch dieback of maples, Sphaeropsis tip blight on Austrian, Scots, red, and mugo pines, and powdery mildews on magnolia, lilac, black-eyed Susan and many other plants.
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TURF TIPS
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HOLY TOLEDO! GRAY LEAF SPOT!
Gray leaf spot (GLS) was found and confirmed in Perrysburg Ohio, which is about 100 miles north of any previously confirmed cases of GLS in Ohio. GLS is a disease of perennial ryegrass which normally occurs in late summer and fall, under cool, rainy conditions. For more information on this disease refer to the International Sports Turf Website at:
http://hcs.osu.edu/sportsturf/international/display.lasso?-Search=Action&-Table=forumposts&-Database=forums&-KeyValue=959&-KeyField=id
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VAGABOND SOD WEBWORMS FLYING
Dave Shetlar stated that the vagabond sod webworms are starting to fly. These are most noticeable in the evenings as one walks across the turfgrass. Although many want to grab the insecticide, don't as the caterpillars are not considered to be harmful to turfgrass. They feed in late fall when the turfgrass roots are actively growing. Other species of sod webworm caterpillars may be active at this time, but in most cases, do not require treatment at this time of year in high cut turfgrass.
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INDUSTRY INSIGHT
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COYOTES AND SQUIRRELS AND DEER, OH MY!
Nuisance wildlife reports were a topic of discussion this week on the BYGL conference call. Dave Goerig reported a call regarding a sighting of a coyote in an urban area. Randy Zondag mentioned that the Lake County nurserymen have seen evidence of domestic dogs running with coyotes. The conversation digressed BYGLers imagined groomed poodles and spaniels running through a block of shade trees along side of old Wil'e coyote. Eventually, a more orderly discussion continued concerning rodents and whether their population numbers are up this year, going into the winter.
Rodents are mammals in the order Rodentia possessing large incisors that are adapted for gnawing. These creatures are yearly threats to plant material over-wintering in nurseries, garden centers and home landscapes. Rodents include various species of white-footed, deer and house mice, as well as chipmunks, squirrels, Norway rats, muskrats, rabbits, voles, and woodchucks (groundhogs). Most are general seed and plant eaters, however, some gobble up high protein snacks of insects and animal matter if the opportunity presents itself. In late summer and fall, some are seen gathering seeds, tubers, bulbs, and rhizomes to store and eat throughout the winter. If populations are high and winter is long and the ground is snow-covered, rodents eat bark on woody plants to survive.
According to Dan McMillian, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife, based in Akron, "Winter does have an effect on rodent population but generally, rodent population fluctuations are responding to the habitat we put out there." He was not aware of any dramatic increase in the rodent population state wide, but didn't rule out the fact that populations of different species could be up in a township, county or a region of the state where habitat has improved. There is a formal method for tracking game species numbers using the bag harvest survey, but non-game population numbers are only tracked informally by the department using sightings by officers and road kill tallies.
Rodents are similar to other living creatures in that they only survive in areas that provide them with the basics of life; these basics are water, food and shelter. Keeping Dan's words of wisdom in mind, BYGL'ers recommend that nursery and garden center staff take the time now to scout the areas of the business and search out potential natural and man-made spots that could provide opportune habitat for these wild animals. Along with habitat modification, the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach to managing population numbers of rodents include various methods of exclusion, frightening devises, repellents, baits, trapping and shooting. If you're using the dog to help with some of these control approaches, keep it fenced in or you may wake up some morning and see it rubbing noses with the local coyote!
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COMING ATTRACTIONS
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BYGLIVE! IN CINCINNATI
The 6th 2006 BYGLive! Diagnostic Walk-About will be held Monday, September 11, at Spring Grove Cemetery & Arboretum from 12:00 - 3:00 p.m. This monthly hands-on training program focuses on diagnosing plant pest, disease, and physiological problems.
Directions to the meeting location: Enter Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum through the main entrance off Spring Grove Avenue; straight ahead is an underpass - drive through the underpass; turn right at the first intersection; turn left at the first "Y" intersection; and travel approximately 100 yard to the meeting parking/gathering point on your right. For more information, contact Joe Boggs at 513-946-8993.
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ANLA-WNGA KICK THE DIRT TOUR
Don't miss this great program in Lake County Ohio, which will run from September 19 - 22. It will connect production, research, and economics. Registration is through the ANLA office at www.anla.org .
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OSU/ONLA NURSERY LANDSCAPE RESEARCH DAY
This outstanding program is presented by The Ohio State University and the Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association. It will be held October 3, 2006 at the Wittmeyer Conference Room, OSU Waterman Farm, 2490 Carmack Road Columbus, Ohio.
Please RSVP by September 25, 2006. There is a $10 registration (lunch) fee. Pre-registration is required. Please fax or mail RSVP & payment to Cheryl Cuthbert, 256D Howlett Hall, 2001 Fyffe Ct, Columbus, OH 43210 (Fax: 614-292-3505). Payment: Cash, check, or 100W forms, and please make checks payable to "The Ohio State University." Please send questions to: cuthbert.9@osu.edu or 614-247-4353.
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TREE SURVIVAL SCHOOL
This is a cooperative program with OSU Extension and Associated Industries. The three-day program occurs on October 4 - 6, 2006, at Community House, 303 Cahoon Road, Bay Village, OH. Instructors include the dynamic-duo of Alan Siewert (ODNR) and Randy Zondag (OSU).
The school will be helpful to anyone who purchases, plants or cares for trees in a commercial or public landscape. The three days are divided between classroom and hands-on outdoor learning experiences. City service directors, tree commission members, cemetery workers, professional groundskeepers, and school groundskeepers are invited. Participants should to dress for the weather and bring proper pruning tools (pruning saw, hand pruners, pole pruners, pole saw) and eye protection. Participants will be making a nursery visit and planting a tree. The class is limited to 35 applicants. The class is worth 15 ISA Credits for Certified Arborists, and 1 hour ODA Pesticide License Credit. ONLA Credits, & ASLA Credits are applied for. If you have questions, call Alan Siewert at (440) 632-5299. For registration questions or directions call (440) 225-7613.
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60TH PLANT DIAGNOSTIC WORKSHOP FOR THE GREEN INDUSTRY
Thursday and Friday, October 5-6 marks the annual flagship 2-day Ohio Plant Diagnostic Workshop, held this year in Wooster, Ohio at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Secrest Arboretum and OSU Extension Center at Wooster.
The program this year features: Dave Shetlar: Of Mites and Men; Hannah Mathers/Randy Zondag: Diagnosis of Nutrient Disorders and Herbicide Injury; Dennis Lewandowski: Symptoms of Viral Diseases; Landon Rhodes: Common Decay Fungi of Landscape Plants; Joe Boggs and Jim Chatfield: Plant Galls from Both Sides Now; The Season of 2006 in Samples and Examples; Night Diagnostic Walk and Bonfire at Secrest Arboretum; Clinic Catharsis Sample Sharing, Diagnostic Walks, Field Trips and Gourmet Lunches.
Cost for the two day program is $50 or $30 for single day registration, either day. Various recertification credits are available. For more information, contact Sue Beasley at the OSU Extension Center at Wooster for registration details. Her information is: beasley.37@osu.edu, (330) 263-3799 (FAX = 3667), Extension Center at Wooster, 1680 Madison Avenue, Wooster, OH 44691.
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OCTOBER 11 TREE FORUM
The "Why Trees Matter" Community Tree Forum, featuring the "Environmental, Economic and Social Benefits and Impacts of Community Forests" will be held on October 11 at OSU's OARDC in Wooster. This forum is a program of the OSU Next STEP (Street Tree Evaluation Program), OSU's Secrest Arboretum, and the OSU's Extension Center at Wooster. "Why Trees Matter" is for all those interested in Ohio's community forests, including street tree commissions, mayors, arborists and urban foresters, utility companies, economic development and resource managers, nurserymen and landscapers, and all citizens of Ohio interested in the resource of trees in our urban and suburban areas.
The keynote address is by Dr. David V. Bloniarz, the project coordinator of the USDA Forest Service's Northeast Center for Urban and Community Forestry at the University of Massachusetts/Amherst. Dr. Bloniarz has worked on numerous urban forestry projects throughout the northeast U.S., including volunteer street inventories in communities of various sizes in Massachusetts and in New York City. He is a key scientist in developing models and software for determining values of streetscape trees, developing volunteer-driven inventories of urban forests, and in community and natural resource management in community forests. Dr. Bloniarz will address "Why Trees Matter" in terms of current and emerging research of environmental, social and economic benefits of trees.
Additional discussions at the Forum will include the current and future Street Tree Evaluation Program of OSU partnering with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry and the development of the new OSU Community Tree research plots at Secrest Arboretum and in communities throughout Ohio. For further information and registration materials for October 11, contact Sue Beasley at the OSU Extension Center at Wooster (beasley.37@osu.edu) 330-263-3799, fax = 330-263-3667, 1680 Madison Avenue, Wooster, OH 44691).
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BYGLOSOPHY
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"You can bury a lot of troubles by digging in the dirt." - Unknown
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