We receive a lot of ailing conifers at the Plant and Pest Diagnostic Laboratory each year. We received 870 ornamental plant samples in 2020 and 190 (21.8%) of them were conifers. While arborvitaes (Thuja spp.) do not beat out spruce in the number of samples we receive in a given year, they make up 20% of our conifer samples (39 in total[Read More…]
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Landscape Report
Found 458 Articles
Finally, spring has sprung and summer is on its way. The hot days and warm nights are welcome for us, but summer isn’t always so kind to our trees, especially in our urban forest and landscapes. Trees are dynamic living organisms that respond to external stimuli in very strategic ways and each season presents its[Read More…]
Early summer is a great time to protect trees and shrubs from bagworms. By this time, they have had a few weeks to feed and have become large enough to find, even though they try to hide by covering themselves with leaves. Typically, these insects are found on evergreen trees and shrubs, like junipers, spruce,[Read More…]
What happened Now is an important time to take a close look at your boxwoods. Plants infested with the invasive box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis) may have been accidentally transported into Indiana. This moth is native to Asia and has long been the scourge of boxwoods (Buxus sp.) in Europe. It was first detected in[Read More…]
The Purdue Turf and Landscape Field Day will be back July 13th! Join us at the Daniel Turfgrass Research and Diagnostic Center on the Purdue University West Lafayette campus. The Purdue Turf and Landscape Field Day is an annual one-day event with the objective of providing professional turf and landscape managers exposure and educational opportunities[Read More…]
There are many age-old, philosophical questions that people have been arguing over for many years. What is the meaning of life? Nature or nurture? Do aliens exist? Should I remove the wire and burlap from B&B plant material? The last question has been debated for many years, with almost everyone having a different opinion. There[Read More…]
Whether it be a hail storm, late frost, or an early season pest, springtime is when Mother Nature tests the patience of even the most experienced gardeners. While many gardeners have learned the hard way not to plant during a warm spell two weeks before the frost-free date, many more are unable to resist the[Read More…]
Rhizomatous bearded iris (Iris x germanica) is a favorite early spring perennial; however, it is routinely troubled by a fungal leaf spot that tends to appear soon after flowering (Figure 1). These start as small wet-looking lesions that may quickly enlarge into larger spots with brownish edges, tan centers and yellow margins (Figure 2). When[Read More…]
Pruning is an important maintenance practice on trees that is discussed a great deal. An essential part of making the pruning cut properly is the ability to identify the parts of a branch. Identification of the branch bark ridge and branch collar are vital to severing the branch in a place that facilitates fast and[Read More…]
While fungi are responsible for many of our foliar disease problems, different fungal pathogens present as problems throughout the country, depending upon the host plant grown and the environmental conditions. This is a brief overview of several common types of fungal leaf diseases occur in Indiana and throughout North America (and Europe). Recognizing the symptoms[Read More…]
The indirect effects of the pandemic are continuing to plague the Green Industry. In addition to the on-going, severe labor deficiencies that are plaguing most companies, many plants are in short supply or completely unavailable. In my recent travels, several nurseries and landscapers have discussed some of the specific issues they have been facing regarding[Read More…]
Tobacco rattle virus (TRV) is a very important pathogen in the ornamental industry. Don’t let the name fool you. Much like Tomato spotted wilt virus and Alfalfa mosaic virus, TRV has a wide host range that includes more than 400 plant species, and is not restricted to Tobacco or vegetables. Plant viruses are named after[Read More…]
PART 2 – The Importance of Chemical Soil Testing To determine soil fertility, soil acidity (pH), and organic matter percentages, it is absolutely essential to test your soil. A soil test will tell you how much, if any, organic matter, lime, sulfur, and or fertilizer your soil needs. Determining whether or not your soil needs[Read More…]
Pesticide drift can occur virtually anywhere — between neighboring farms, farms and residential properties, or neighboring residential properties. Whether it’s a next-door neighbor or a farmer who owns the field adjacent to your property, they have the legal right to apply pesticides to their property or property they lease. However, pesticide applicators also have the[Read More…]
Dianthus is a much-admired perennial, but occasionally it develops serious disease problems. The most dramatic of these is anthracnose, caused by the fungus Colletotrichum. The disease may spread rapidly on greenhouse benches or in landscape plantings of susceptible dianthus varieties. The old-fashioned ‘Sweet William’ varieties seem to tolerate this disease fairly well and may only[Read More…]
The Purdue Landscape Report Virtual educational series begins the second season on May 5th at 10:00 am (Eastern). Various speakers will present timely information during the growing season for the Green Industry. You have the opportunity to ask questions and interact with the speakers at each event. The 2020 educational events can be found on[Read More…]
The hard freeze last week had many homeowners concerned about their perennial and annual plants in their landscape. For the vast majority of perennial plants, there aren’t many issues long-term of concern. Some foliage and flowers have significant damage, but the plants will recover, and possibly release new vegetative buds in severe cases. The plants[Read More…]
PART 1 – The Importance of “Physical” Soil Testing In my 40 years of teaching and consulting, one of the biggest and most frustrating problems I continually encounter is when so called “landscape professionals” and homeowners continue to apply annual soil fertilizers, lime, and other soil amendments without ever conducting a professional soils test. Before[Read More…]
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