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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October 05, 2006
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This is the twenty-seventh 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 October 03, 2006 conference included: Pam Bennett (Clark); Barb Bloetscher (Entomology/C. Wayne Ellett Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic (CWEPPDC)); Joe Boggs (Center at Piketon/Hamilton); Erik Draper (Geauga); Dave Goerig (Mahoning); Dave Dyke (Hamilton); Tim Malinich (Lorain); Dave Shetlar, (Entomology); Amy Stone (Lucas); and Curtis Young (Allen)..
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 weather summary includes information from 4 OARDC weather stations across the buckeye state and includes data from January 1-October 4, 2006, just over 9 months of recorded data. Note that total precipitation is higher than the normal at each of the four stations.
| 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 |
62.5 |
46.4 |
------
|
NA |
46.88" |
------ |
| Hoytville |
NW |
65.6 |
45.0 |
54.9 |
52.8 |
30.67"
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25.94" |
| Miami |
SW |
69.0 |
49.0 |
58.6 |
55.1 |
33.73" |
27.87"
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| Jackson |
South |
69.1 |
45.4 |
57.1 |
55.1 |
13.14" |
33.73" |
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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BYGL FRIEND HAS PASSED ON
The BYGL writers received word last week that Monte Clayton passed away suddenly. Monte first started calling into the BYGL conference call about 4 years ago. He worked for Pettiti's Garden Center and diagnosed plant problems daily. He was a consistent voice of the Green Industry, sharing his thoughts as to what plant problems he saw, and the reasons for the decline. He was always willing to share slides with us for presentations of plant diagnostics. We shall surely miss his insights into the Green Industry. Our thoughts, hopes and prayers are for his friends and family.
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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 PLANT OF THE WEEK. Blue mist shrub (Caryopteris x clandonensis) is quite striking in the fall perennial garden at this time. This dense, mound forming, 3' shrub grows as a perennial or tender shrub. The leaves are gray-green and the blue or purple-blue flowers really shine in the garden in the later summer and fall. It's also excellent for attracting butterflies and bees.
*WOODY PLANT OF THE WEEK. Compact burning bush (Euonymus alatus and hybrids) is the standard for hot red fall color in the landscape. The species can get around 25' tall and the compact cultivar grows around 6-10' in height. It is a very adaptable shrub; however, soil moisture extremes may result in some dieback. The green foliage has relatively few pest problems during the season and explodes into a variety of reds for the fall - depending upon the cultivar. The winged stems add winter interest as well.
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SHOTCUN/ARTILLERY FUNGUS
SHOTGUN /ARTILLERY FUNGUS is showing up on houses, decks and lawn furniture this fall. The fungus, Sphaerobolus spp., is commonly found in mulched gardens. It is one of the many organisms responsible for decomposing organic matter in the landscape. Mulched beds provide perfect conditions for it to thrive. The problem arises when the fungus produces small cup-shaped fruiting structures that shoot spore masses high into the air. These 1/10" diameter black globules remain stuck to anything they touch. They can pepper houses, decks, grills or any outdoor surface with tiny black marks resembling spots of tar.
To prevent the problem, landscapers and gardeners can try using a border of non-organic mulch, such as stone, next to houses or other at-risk areas. Bark mulch is less likely to stimulate shotgun fungus than hardwood mulch. Be sure not to over mulch or let mulch accumulate in garden beds. Cultivation can speed decomposition of organic matter already accumulated in the beds.
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WARM SEASON VEGGIES SLOW DOWN
Erik Draper reported that those overcast cool temperatures of the past week really slowed the ripening process for tender garden vegetables. Plants like tomatoes, peppers, summer squash and cucumbers showed little to no change in fruit ripening. On the other hand, the cool-season crops, vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, peas, etc., are just loving those cool moist temperatures. Don't give up on those tomatoes yet! With some warmer temperatures, in combination with some sunshine, those tomatoes and peppers should still ripen. If not, well just remember that fried, green tomatoes can be delicious too.
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BUG BYTES
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MAGNOLIA SCALE
Participants at the Buckeye-Bluegrass BYGLive! observed a heavy infestation of magnolia scale (Neolecanium cornuparvum) with nymphs still emerging from the females. This is one of the largest "soft scales" with mature females measuring as much as 1/2" in diameter. The brownish-purple females give birth to live young (nymphs = crawlers) that hatch from eggs contained within the female's body.
Production of crawlers occurs over an extended period of time, with new crawlers present from late-July into early October. This presents a serious challenge when using topical insecticide applications to manage this sucking insect, since multiple applications are required. Research conducted by Dan Herms (OSU Entomology) and others has shown that a single soil drench application of the systemic insecticide imidacloprid (e.g. Merit) made in the spring or fall is effective in reducing or eliminating populations.
 
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HAWTHORN APHIDS BACK
Once again, millions of the FOUR-SPOTTED HAWTHORN APHID (Utamphorphora crataegi) have been sighted in Columbus, Ohio, marching up and down the trunk and branches of hawthorn trees, as well as the ground, fence, mailbox, and any other object nearby. Interestingly, these aphids were reported last year in October as well.
Fortunately, despite the heavy infestation, the tree is not normally damaged. At times, large numbers of this aphid can cause curled and moldy leaves, from the copious amounts of honeydew the aphids excrete.
The four-spotted hawthorn aphid is yellow-green and slightly ovoid, with four rectangular dark green spots on its back. The spots are arranged like the points of a rectangle. This aphid undertakes mass migrations in the fall as the hawthorn leaves turn color and the yellow-green spots stand out on the rough bark.
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WOOLLY BEAR PREDICTIONS
The woolly bears, Pyrrharctia Isabella, caterpillar of the Isabella tiger moth, have been sighted in flower gardens and trail paths, and naturally, renewed the perennial discussion of their winter weather predictions. Depending upon the source, most believe that the thinner the brown band in the center, the longer and colder the winter shall persist. Vermillion Ohio actually celebrates this spurious predictor each fall at the Woolly Bear Festival.
The problem with this legend is that woolly bears lose black setae after each successive molt, so the later instars that overwinter as a caterpillar, will have a wider band than those seen scurrying across the sidewalk in October. Woolly bears also have 4 different color-morphs, the familiar banded woolly bear plus a brown, blonde, rust and tan version. Interestingly, the first generation of caterpillars that appear in the spring are rarely noticed. Perhaps they can predict the length of the drought in August?
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WHITE PINE SAWFLY STILL ACTIVE
Joe Boggs received a sample of white pine sawfly larvae (Neodiprion pinetum) from an arborist from SE Indiana, just across the river from Cincinnati, Ohio. This sawfly is a pale yellow to white colored larva with a black head and four rows of black spots along its body. It feeds primarily on white pine but will attack red, Mugo, and other short-needled pines. Larvae are present between mid-June and late-July, and sometimes for a second generation between mid-August and late-September. The larvae feed on both old and new foliage, so their feeding may result in complete defoliation of branches. Depending on how severe the defoliation is, the tree might be able to grow new needles next spring or it might die before the next growing season. If the stripped branches do produce needles, the trees might look odd because of the lack of old needles behind the new needles.
Sawfly larvae can be managed with insecticides such as Orthene or Sevin. Treatment should have been made when larvae were small and first began feeding on needles. Older larvae are susceptible to these sprays, but the damage to the host plants is already done. This is a pest to watch for next season, beginning in July.
Photo: cd0006-387 horizontal
Keyword: White Pine Sawfly
More Information:
http://www.forestpests.org/vermont/whitesawfly.html
www.entomology.umn.edu/cues/Web/218WhitePineSawfly.pdf
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CEDAR BEETLES MATING?
Curtis Young reported observing large beetles flying into and out of a pair of arborvitae shrubs. Once one was captured for closer examination, the beetle was identified as a cedar beetle (Sandalus niger). The beetles actively flying were mostly males, based on the type of antennae they had- large lamellate (plate-like) antennae. In addition to the lamellate antennae, males usually have reddish-brown front wings, but can be black, with antennae 1/2" long. Females are black, about 3/4" in length and have pectinate (comb-like) antennae. Within a day of finding the cedar beetles, Curtis received two additional requests for identification of this insect from Allen and Morrow Counties. Dave Shetlar also observed this beetle in Columbus, Ohio, however Dave encountered many more individuals which were in a mating frenzy. These fanatically mating beetles were observed on ash, linden, maple and oak.
The extraordinary characteristic of this beetle is that the immature beetles (grubs=larvae) are parasites of cicada nymphs. Apparently, the adults may emerge from any species of tree or shrub under which cicada nymphs may be feeding on the roots. Another interesting fact about the cedar beetle is it was studied closely and reported upon in The Annals of the Entomological Society of America: Volume 34, Number 2, 1941, pp. 458-466 from a population that was discovered on The Ohio State University campus in Columbus, Ohio. One of the amazing characteristics of the cedar beetle reported in the publication is that one female laid more than 16,000 eggs while she was held in captivity.
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WINDSHIELD WIPES
BYGLers also ran into several other insect and mite problems this week including:
* Dan Potter (University of Kentucky, Entomology) alerted Buckeye-Bluegrass BYGLive! participants to a developing problem with the ELM LEAF-MINING WEEVIL in Kentucky landscapes. The exact identification of this weevil is uncertain, but attention is currently focusing on a European species (Rhynchaenus alni) as a possible culprit. The weevil has also been reported in Ohio as well as Illinois. Adults produce small holes in the leaves and larvae produce large blotch mines that become very evident on elm leaves in mid-summer.
* Dan reported that damage caused by MAPLE SHOOT BEETLE (Proteoteras aesculana) to maples in Kentucky nurseries was very common this past season, and overall moth populations appear to be on the rise. The moth caterpillars bore into the current year's shoots, often killing them and preventing terminal growth. Infestations to the main leader require training a new leader, at the expense of production time.
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TURF TIPS
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GRUB NEMESIS ON THE WING
Joe Boggs observed the parastoid BLUEWINGED WASP (Scolia dubia) swarming goldenrod at the University of Kentucky and Lexington-Fayette County Arboretum. While the solitary wasps may be found feeding on nectar and pollen, they may also be observed cruising a few inches above turfgrass, often in loops or figure-8 patterns, searching for white grub indicators. The wasp will parasitize all white grubs, but is particularly fond of GREEN JUNE BEETLE (Continus nitida) grubs.
Once grub activity is located, the wasp will dig into the soil, or simply enter the green June beetle grub's burrow. It first stings and paralyzes the grub, then it lays an egg in the grub's body. When the egg hatches, the wasp larva first consumes the non-essential parts of the paralyzed grub, keeping the hapless grub alive and "unspoiled." Later, the ravenous larva applies the coup de grace, killing the grub. The immature wasp pupates inside the carcass from which a new wasp emerges.
The bluewinged wasp is around 1 1/4" in length. As the common name implies the wings as well as the head, thorax, legs, and first two abdominal segments are dark blue. The third abdominal segment is orangish-red with two side-by-side yellow spots on a black background. The remaining abdominal segments are orangish-red, and all segments are somewhat hairy.
These hairy solitary wasps may be found cruising turfgrass from June through early-October. They are excellent flyers and their flight plans sometimes cause them to be mistaken for the much larger, and different colored CICADA KILLER WASP. Bluewinged wasps are not aggressive, and they are one of the "good bugs," so they should be conserved, not destroyed. Indeed, high wasp populations have been known to parasitize green June beetles to the extent that beetle populations drop below pest threshold levels.
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INDUSTRY INSIGHT
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EMERALD ASH BORER DETECTED IN 4 NEW AREAS
On Tuesday, October 3rd, the Ohio Department of Agriculture announced the expansion of the state's Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) quarantine to include the Lake Erie Islands (Ottawa County) and all of Cuyahoga, Seneca, and Warren counties. Officials expanded the quarantine to halt the movement of ash tree material and all hardwood firewood out of areas where the ash tree-killing insect was recently discovered.
Department officials, while examining detection trees across the state, discovered an infested ash tree on Kelleys Island and Middle Bass Island in Ottawa County, in Thompson Township in Seneca County, near the intersection of Interstate highways 75 and 73 in Warren County, and near the intersection of Interstate highways 71 and 480 in the Cleveland area in Cuyahoga County. As a result, Erie, Cuyahoga, Seneca, Ottawa, and Warren counties are now entirely quarantined to stop the continued spread of the pest through potentially infested materials.
"Weve just started to examine our 10,000 detection trees across the state to better gauge the extent of this devastating pest in Ohio," said Agriculture Director Fred L. Dailey. "Detection is the first step in responding to this insect through quarantines to limit its spread. The Emerald Ash Borer has moved to these areas with our help, and now we need to step up to the plate to help slow its spread and protect our ash trees by not moving firewood."
Currently, department officials are inspecting detection trees across all of Ohio looking for EAB populations resulting from the movement of infested materials. The survey should be completed around the beginning of next year.
Firewood dealers, businesses, or woodlot owners interested in marketing and transporting ash trees or firewood out of quarantined areas can do so only with a department-approved compliance agreement. These agreements stipulate handling practices that mitigate the spread of EAB. Contact 1-888-OHIO-EAB for compliance information.
Since it was first discovered in Ohio in 2003, EAB has been identified in 21 counties: Auglaize, Cuyahoga, Delaware, Defiance, Erie, Franklin, Fulton, Hancock, Henry, Huron, Lorain, Lucas, Marion, Miami, Sandusky, Seneca, Ottawa, Warren, Williams, Wood, and Wyandot counties. For more information on the latest quarantine map, go to http://www.ohioagriculture.gov/eab/, or call 1-888-OHIO-EAB. You can also check-out Ohio's EAB related fact sheets at http://ashalert.osu.edu
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BUCKEYE-BLUEGRASS BYGLIVE!
The 9th Annual Buckeye-Bluegrass BYGLive! was held this Monday at Ashford Stud in Versailles, Kentucky, and at the University of Kentucky and Lexington-Fayette County Arboretum on the UK Campus. Thanks to Larry Hanks (Pampered Properties, Inc., Lexington, KY), who organized the event, the program was an outstanding success. Participants were intrigued by research updates, courtesy of a cadre of University of Kentucky (UK) and OSU Extension specialists, and they were captivated by beautiful thoroughbred horses, courtesy of Ashford Stud.
Ashford Stud is a unique Kentucky thoroughbred breeding farm since it is part of Coolmore America with farms in Ireland (5,000 acres) and Australia (7,000 acres). Ashford covers 1,800 contiguous acres. Clay Brannen, Chief Horticulturist, provided a glimpse into the horticultural workings of the farm including tree and shrub nurseries that include more than 5,000 specimens that are being grown for planting on the farm. Among the numerous fascinating features of the farm was a 1.2 mile 'Shasta' doublefile viburnum hedge. There were numerous hedgerows reflecting the Irish roots of Coolmore America.
Participants were intrigued by the plant selection criteria necessitated by the business of the farm horses. The business end of the farm was driven home with a private showing of one of the most sought after residents of the farm, Giant's Causeway. This 9 year old stud earns Ashford $300,000 each time he gets acquainted with a mare, and he gets acquainted 200 times a year.
In 2001 and 2002, the business end of the Kentucky thoroughbred industry lost over $425 to Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome (MRLS). Ashford lost $2 million. Once MRLS was unequivocally connected to eastern tent caterpillar (Malacosoma americanum), the farm changed their plant selection criteria to exclude primary hosts of the caterpillar. They removed all cherries and crabapples from their farm, including over 500 crabapples from their nursery. Jim Chatfield and Erik Draper were devastated by this news!
The group moved from Ashford to the UK and Lexington-Fayette County Arboretum on the UK Campus to hear cutting-edge research and extension updates. The updates are sprinkled throughout this week's BYGL and were provided by: Dan Potter (UK, Entomology); John Hartman (UK, Plant Pathology); Julie Beale (UK, Plant Pathology); and Bill Fountain (UK, Horticulture). Our very own Jim Chatfield gave updates on a number of pest and disease challenges faced by the Ohio Green Industry this season, and Joe Boggs gave an emerald ash borer update, spurred by the new finds in Ohio.
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SEASONAL NEEDLE YELLOWING OF EVERGREENS
Every fall BYGLers are reminded of the need to trot out one of our favorite quotes from Wisconsin naturalist and conservationist Aldo Leopold, namely, his eloquent quote regarding the normal seasonal inner needle yellowing of evergreen conifers such as pine and spruce. Every year, we receive questions concerning why these inner needles are yellowing, browning and eventually dropping. Aldo Leopold's answer is:
"Pines have earned the reputation of being 'evergreen' by the same device that governments use to achieve the appearance of perpetuity: overlapping terms of office. By taking on new needles on the new growth of each year, and discarding old needles at longer intervals, they have led the casual onlooker to believe that needles remain forever green."
"Each species of pine [and spruce, and fir, etc.] has its own constitution, which prescribes a term of office for needles appropriate for its way of life. Thus the white pine retains its needles for a year and a half; the red and the jack pines for two years and a half. Incoming needles take office each June and outgoing needles write their farewell addresses in October. All write the same thing, in the same tawny yellow ink, which by November turns brown. Then the needles fall, and are filed in the duff to enrich the wisdom of the stand. It is this accumulated wisdom that hushes the footsteps of whoever walks under pines."
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COMING ATTRACTIONS
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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 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.
The keynote address will be 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.
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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"I have often thought that if heaven had given me choice of my position and calling, it should have been on a rich spot of earth, well watered, and near a good market for the productions of the garden. No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, and no culture comparable to that of the garden." Thomas Jefferson
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