Rusty Shoes (and Toes) Syndrome

Rust on turfgrass has been a hot topic during recent Tuesday morning BYGL Zoom Inservices. Amy Stone (OSU Extension, Lucas County) reported that she’s getting numerous reports of “rusty shoes” in her part of Ohio. Dave Shetlar (Professor Emeritus, OSU Entomology) noted that the shoes worn by participants in a recent outdoor turfgrass training event held in the central part of the state acquired an ocherous glow. The tangerine dream shoes pictured below were worn by yours truly (Adidas rust?).
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Authors
Joe Boggs

Rising Bulletgalls

Rough oak bulletgalls are rising from oak stems in Ohio accompanied by their entourage of bodyguards. The galls are found on oaks in the white oak group with burr (Quercus macrocarpa) and swamp white oak (Q. bicolor) most commonly affected. The "mature" galls are commonly covered in black sooty mold.
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Authors
Joe Boggs

Periodical Cicada Damage Look-A-Like

Tip dieback on oaks that is a look-a-like for periodical cicada oviposition damage is appearing outside of the areas in Ohio where Brood X (10) of the 17-year periodical cicadas appeared (wreaked havoc?) earlier this season. The damage is being caused by a very small beetle belonging to the genus, Agrilus (family Buprestidae). We’re not certain of the beetle's exact identity, so we’re calling it the “Agrilus Oak Twig Pruner.”
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Authors
Joe Boggs
Dave Shetlar

Coneflower Conundrums

Coneflowers (Echinacea spp., family Asteraceae) have long been a popular perennial favored for use in naturalized areas and mass plantings in landscapes because of their attractiveness to pollinators of all sorts. However, coneflowers may suffer from two problems that will only get worse next season unless they are properly managed.
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Authors
Joe Boggs
Dave Shetlar

Creeping Slime Molds

Last week, Pat Migliozzi (State Service Forester [extraordinaire], Ohio Department of Natural Resources) and I looked at an oak tree showing a most unusual symptom. The base of the tree looked like it had been dipped in white paint.
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Authors
Joe Boggs