What is the worst girdle? A girdling root or roots. These seemingly harmless roots will eventually weaken, strangling and in many cases kill the tree. Or, girdling roots will weaken the tree to a point making it susceptible to break off in the wind.

Brian Heinz (Horticulturist, Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum) recently sent me pictures showing a dawn redwood with the bark on the main stem stripped in patches. The damage extended from a few feet above the ground to around 20 – 25' up the tree.

Lesser Celandine plants are starting to rise in southern Ohio. This non-native is known as a "spring ephemeral" owing to the time of year when the short-lived plants and flowers are present. The majority of this weed's hide-and-seek life-cycle is spent hidden from view as underground tubers.

Today, February 25, 2019 kicks-off National Invasive Species Awareness Week! While meetings, programs, and events are scheduled in Washington DC, we can use the week as a way to raise awareness right here in the buckeye state. Please share this alert with your colleagues, clients, friends and family to help spread the word about invasive species. 

The USDA recently updated and distributed the emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis). The map is dated February 2019. 

I think it is safe to say everyone is watching the weather forecast, specifically the bone-chilling temperatures that are making their way towards Ohio. Temperatures are predicted to be below zero and falling into the double digits beginning this evening (01.29.2019) through Thursday (01.31.2019). Wind chills are expected to be in the negative twenties, and could reach the negative forties depending upon location.

Damage to trees and shrubs by heavy snow and ice accumulation, or by snow removal efforts, may produce plant symptoms that don't become evident until late spring or early summer. Connecting cause with effect can be difficult because the source of the damage is long gone by the time symptoms appear.

The Tri-State Green Industry Conference (GIC) has been offered annually for over 85 years. From its humble beginnings in a greenhouse head house, the GIC has grown to become a premier regional training event with 7 educational tracks.

The Ohio Invasive Plant Council (OIPC) recently released information on the assessment of 9 new plant species for inclusion on their list of invasive plants. With this announcement also begins a 6-month public comment period for the new additions to the list.  Comments, suggestions or questions during this period should be directed to Theresa Culley (theresa.culley@uc.edu).  

The gypsy moth is a non-native pest that feeds on leaves and needles of over 300 different trees in the buckeye state. The feeding injury occurs in the spring and early summer when populations are present. The early season feeding, when heavy, causes the plants to push new leaves that ultimately are the food-factories for the rest of the year. Healthy deciduous trees can usually recover as long as there isn't repeat defoliation year after year. Evergreens can die in a single season.