After surveying 72 sites across Indiana and Illinois in the coldest part of our states where bagworms are found, we determined that while many bagworms were killed, enough survived to keep bagworms near the top of our landscape problem list. NOW is the time to inspect your plants for bagworms. For details on the cold…Read more about Winter of 2018 killed some, but not all of the bagworms[Read More]
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Landscape Report
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Fungi are a unique group of organisms—so unique that they are put into a separate category called a ‘Kingdom’. In Kingdom Fungi, some members cause rust, scab, powdery mildew, leaf spots and blights (to name but a few!). When these fungi are ‘out of control’ many people turn to fungicides. What are fungicides and how…Read more about Kingdom Fungi[Read More]
The Purdue Plant and Pest Diagnostic Lab (PPDL) recently received samples of Mugo Pine and Spruce that exhibited reddish-brown bands on needles of lower branches (Figs 1 & 2). Microscopic examination of needles confirmed the presence of Dothistroma,(Fig 3) a fungus that causes red band needle blight. Needles infected with Dothistroma first exhibit dark green…Read more about Red Band (Dothistroma) Needle Blight[Read More]
Biology: Broadleaf plantain (Plantago major) is a perennial, broadleaf weed that can be found in nutrient-poor soils; however, they prefer nutrient rich-soils that are moist and often high in calcium. Broadleaf plantain is a common weed in turfgrass, nurseries, and landscapes. It germinates from seed in late spring through mid-to-late summer and occasionally in the…Read more about Spotlight on Weeds: Broadleaf plantain (Plantago major)[Read More]
Arborvitae varieties (Thuja spp.) provide some of our most beautiful and versatile evergreens for landscapes, with an extensive selection of sizes and types. Unless they get proper care, they also give us some frustrating failures. Here is my list of the most frequently encountered ‘Arborvitae Aggravations’, based on the samples and questions we get in…Read more about Top Arborvitae Aggravations[Read More]
Some landscape plants produce vigorous, upright stems that become troublesome as they out compete better-formed branches and shade out the rest of the plant. These remarkably fast growing, upright stems are called “suckers” if they come from the root system, and “watersprouts” if they originate from other stems. Ornamental crabapples are among the most notorious…Read more about So Long Suckers![Read More]
On May 2nd an apartment fire in Greenwood occurred that reportedly originated in the mulched landscape beds. Unfortunately 56 renters were displaced that day, but fortunately no injuries were reported. Several Indianapolis news organizations reported on the origins of the fire that included a couple of quotes that were not entirely accurate. One of…Read more about Did mulch cause apartment fire?[Read More]
Xanthomonas is both an unfortunate, but regular occurrence in the greenhouse industry. Despite the efforts from numerous companies to supply ‘clean plants’, Xanthomonas (and other bacterial pathogens) regularly slip through. This year, it came in on begonia. The pathogen. Xanthomonas is a genus of yellow colored bacteria that infect many species of plants (approximately 400!),…Read more about Begonia Bacteria Brouhaha[Read More]
The recent jump from Winter to Summer (with 2-3 days of Spring somewhere in there) got folks out looking at Tulips in full bloom now in northern Indiana. The only thing marring the view in one local planting was an outbreak of tulip fire, caused by the fungus Botrytis tulipae. The disease first shows up…Read more about Tulip Fire[Read More]
Translated by: Dania Rivera, Ornamental Horticulture Extension Specialist, University of Puerto Rico “El mejor momento para sembrar un árbol es veinte años atrás. El segundo mejor momento es ahora” Anónimo Si vas a hacer algo, hazlo correctamente la primera vez. Esto es cierto para muchos aspectos de la vida, pero, cuando se refiere a la…Read more about Purdue Landscape Report En Espanol: Lo barato sale caro: Profundidad de siembra adecuada = éxito a largo plazo[Read More]
Biology: Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) is a common winter annual broadleaf weed found throughout the United States. It can often be mistaken for another closely related winter annual broadleaf, purple deadnettle. Both can be observed by their showy pink to purple flowers which are primarily produced in April, but can appear from March to November in Indiana….Read more about Spotlight on Weeds: Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule)[Read More]
Three different rust fungi cause gall-like protrusions on eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) trees. The bright orange gelatinous galls with tendril-like protrusions (Fig 1) resembling ‘koosh balls’ are caused by Gymnosporangium juniperi-virginianae. This fungal disease is known as Cedar Apple Rust. The galls develop on the cedar tree (Fig 2) and ‘sprout’ fungal spore-bearing tendrils during…Read more about Orange ‘Koosh’ Galls on Eastern Red Cedar[Read More]
Everyone loves big, veteran trees. They have a certain distinction and royalty in our forests and landscapes. The first question asked is, “I wonder how old that tree is?” Determination of the actual age of a standing, tree is difficult. There are many methods and techniques. Some are fairly accurate and many are just good guesses.
A group of samples of several varieties of blue holly (Ilex x meservae) arrived in the lab from a commercial nursery in late January with a common problem, yellowing and rapidly dropping leaves and general poor growth (Fig. 1). After ruling out disease and insects on the foliage we next checked the root systems. After…Read more about PPDL Case Study #2: Sickly blue holly[Read More]
Q) I have a maple tree (it is either an ‘October Glory’ or ‘Autumn Blaze’) that has what I assume to be a rather large sucker at the bottom. The diameter of the sucker is about 2″ and the tree trunk itself is 7″ in diameter. I have attached pictures of it from different angles. …Read more about When To Remove Maple Tree Sucker[Read More]
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