OK to prune OAKS. Now’s the time to schedule!

As we approach winter, and the Christmas season, here’s another thing to add to your list; Pruning your Oaks this Winter. There are several great reasons but the most important is to reduce the risk to your trees from contracting Oak Wilt. Let’s start with “What is Oak Wilt and why is now a good time to prune Oaks?”
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Authors
Thomas deHaas
Amy Stone

Buying a Live Christmas Tree this year! What to do before I put it in the stand?

It’s the time of year to start thinking about Christmas. And with Christmas comes decorations. And decorations mean Trees. Most growers and retailers will begin selling the live trees the day after Thanksgiving. So, what can you do to keep your live tree as fresh as possible?
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Authors
Thomas deHaas

Feeling a Little Parched, Anyone?

If your part of the state is anything like Fairfield County (southeast of Columbus), it has been quite some time since your last good soaker. In fact, in Lancaster, Ohio, where Fairfield County OSU Extension is headquartered, we haven’t had a single shower measuring greater than 0.2” since October 13th! It’s hard to walk outside without kicking up a bit of dust.

 

How long has it been since you’ve had rain? One good tool you can use to figure this out is a database called the ...

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Authors
Carrie Brown

Seven-Son-Flower is Still STUNNING!

 

Seven-son-flower or Heptacodium miconioides (HM) can be a large, rangy, irregular appearing, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub, but it can also be trained into a delightful, single-trunked tree.  HM typically grows 15-25 feet in height at maturity with a 10' spread.  As stems and trunks mature, the light brown to tan bark begins to peel off and shed in long strips creating plant interest, especially in the winter.  This incredible plant is in the Caprifoliaceae or honeysuckle family and its name is derived from the flowers it bears; specifically, Hepta...

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Authors
Erik Draper

Box Tree Moth Identified In 'The State Up North', Information Shared From Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD)

This BYGL Alert is an update on the box tree moth (BTM) (Cydalima perspectalis). On May 28, 2021, BYGL contributor Joe Boggs authored an alert about this invasive species that was on the radar, and continues to be on the radar for Ohio. The alert can be found at: https://bygl.osu.edu/index.php/node/1792
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Authors
Amy Stone

Christmas! Trees! Too Early?? Not if you are a grower! Or an Early shopper!

It’s not too early about starting to think about your live tree. Many “Cut Your Own” operations are going to a pre-tagging or reservation system. Time to go online to your local grower and see how their operation works. Most farms will be open the day after Thanksgiving, which is November 25th, 2022, this year. As in most things, the earlier you are, the better the selection.
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Authors
Thomas deHaas

Seeing is Believing: Ohio State University Extension Embarks on a Spotted Lanternfly Study Tour

Like many other states in the Midwest, Ohio is preparing for imminent infestations of Spotted Lanternfly (SLF). This invasive planthopper, first detected in Pennsylvania in 2014, poses a threat to the fruit production and plant growth of valuable specialty crops, most notably grapevines. Though infestations have already been confirmed in several counties throughout Ohio, history tells us that additional infestations will continue to appear and grow. Many eastern states have already been contending with this nuisance for the past few years and possess...

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Authors
Carrie Brown