A new OSU Turfgrass Team Times is online and ready for your viewing pleasure! The latest video was recorded on Friday, April 26.

Gnarly-looking leaf galls are appearing on pin oaks in southwest Ohio. The unsightly, lumpy growths are produced by a gnat-like gall-midge, so I’ve commonly called the plant growths Gnarled Oak Leaf Midge Galls. Not very creative, but descriptive.

Maples in central and southwest Ohio, particularly red maple are producing heavy seed (samara) loads. Excessive seed production can temporarily cause maples to have stunted leaves or no leaves, particularly towards the top of seedy trees. Consequently, the thin canopies coupled with brown samaras can cause homeowners to ask, “What’s wrong with my maple trees?”

Overwintered Calico Scale females in S.W. Ohio are “puffing up” and pumping out copious quantities of sticky, sugary, honeydew; the calling card of phloem-sucking insects. This is a type of soft scale” owing to the females covering themselves in a soft shell that can be mashed.

Spotted Lanternfly nymphs have been confirmed emerging in Cincinnati today, April 24, 2024.

Zig Zag Sawfly adults have been trapped this week emerging in Central Ohio.

Box Tree Moth (BTM) (Cydalima perspectalis, family Crambidae) is in the news prompting home gardeners to ask questions about treatments. Infestations have only been found in S.W. Ohio and boxwoods should only be treated if infested. This Alert provides a list of insecticides.

The Lorain County Public Library system hosted four workshops for patrons on houseplants. The program just began to scratch the surface on Houseplants. This area of Horticulture is in a world of its own, mostly ‘Tropical’.

Box tree moth (BTM) caterpillars in southwest Ohio have awakened from their winter slumber meaning Ohio’s BTM hunting season is now open. There is no bag limit. This means it's time to take a close look at boxwoods to find, report, and manage BTM.

Springtime temperatures keep the biological calendar moving right along. While the progression of blooms and the activity of insects aren't tied to specific dates on the calendar, but rather, it is a sequence of activity that aligns in the same order year after year.