Honeylocusts and Mastodons

This is a great time of the year to slow down, sit down, and contemplate answers to big questions. Like, what do honeylocusts and pronghorns have in common? Why do Osage orange trees, Kentucky coffeetrees, and avocado trees have such large seed packages? In all cases, what we see now was shaped by animals that no longer exist; they are extinct.
Published on
Authors
Joe Boggs

USDA Posts New Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB) Newsletter

Earlier today (12/29/2017), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) posted an eNewsletter designed to keep everyone up-to-date with Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) eradication efforts in the US. While some BYGL readers might receive the eNewsletter directly from USDA, we wanted to make sure as many people are in the "ALB-know" as possible. 

 

Presently, there are active eradication programs operating in three states including New York, Massachusetts and Ohio.

 

While information on eradication efforts in each state is valuable to follow and stay up-...

Published on
Authors
Amy Stone
That May Not Be Snow on Those Alders! boggs.47@osu.edu Thu, 12/21/2017 - 15:01
BYGL reports become sparse at this time of the year with cold temperatures suppressing our subject matter. So, I was surprised last Thursday when I got an e-mail from John Martini, University of Cincinnati's Landscape Architect, with an image taken by UC Planner Joe Willging showing collections of white fluffy material on the branches of an alder (Alnus sp.).
Published on
Authors
Joe Boggs

Scouting for Scale at Snowy Solstice

Scouting for scale in the Winter is great use of your time. 

Scale comes in many shapes, sizes and varieties. Last year we saw Oyster Shell, Calico, Juniper, Greedy, Bamboo, Fletcher, Japanese maple, Pine Needle, Brown, Putnam, Euonymus and Magnolia Scale.

Scale is sometimes hard to see when a plant is in full foliage. But in the winter with no leaves on trees and shrubs, except evergreen, scale are easier to see.

Scouting scale in the winter makes sense because there is less to care for outside in the landscape. The following pictures are Scale images on the...

Published on
Authors
Thomas deHaas

Ohio Turfgrass Foundation (OTF) Conference and Tradeshow and OSU Green Industry Short Course

Looking to earn your recertification credits before the end of the year?  The Ohio Turfgrass Foundation Conference and Tradeshow and the Ohio State University Green Industry Short Course is a great educational opportunity. 

 

The conference is December 5 - 7, 2017 in Columbus at the Convention Center.  There will be plenty of opportunities to attend educational classes, earn a variety of credits and time to network.  Check out the show website including the educational sessions, tradeshow schedule, and registration information.  Pre-registration deadline is Tuesday,...

Published on
Authors
Amy Stone

It's a Girl! (YUCK!)

This tree has been around a little while in the Snyder Park Gardens and Arboretum.  In fact, it's one of my favorite trees.  It's such a popular tree in this garden that we even decided to move the location of a sidewalk while developing our master landscape design in order to preserve this tree.  However, now that it has revealed its identity, I am not sure what we will do.

 

Yes, this particular tree is a ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) and it's a girl.  We had no idea.  For at least the last three years while we have been hanging out at this site, creating a landscape...

Published on
Authors
Pam Bennett

Disease, Demystified

What are control strategies for managing oak wilt disease? What do we know about beech leaf disease? Does rose rosette virus affect ‘Knockout’ roses? Which crabapples have good genetic resistance to apple scab disease and how does this compare to 20 years ago? Does apple scab on the fruit matter (as seen on the lead slide for this bygl-alert)?

 

...
Published on
Authors
Jim Chatfield
Erik Draper

The Beauty of Bottlebrush Buckeye

My, oh my, buckeyes, oh my, the weekend beckons, but for now, let us praise Aesculus parviflora. “No better plant could be recommended as a lawn shrub”, according to W.J. Bean, as quoted in Michael Dirr’s Manual of Woody Landscape Plants. Bottlebrush buckeye, is my favorite shrub” from an unnamed source in Holden Arboretum’s Plant Profiles, probably Brian Parsons.

 

 

  I concur. Palmately compound leaves with 5-7 leaflets, lovely in spring, summer and fall. Multi-stemmed...

Published on
Authors
Jim Chatfield