Well we knew we could not avoid it forever.  The fall temperatures have been enjoyable.  Last night in NW Ohio, temperatures dipped to 25F.  Our average first freeze of the fall season occurs about three weeks earlier, and our first average measurable snowfall is just 2 weeks away.  Last night's low temperatures should have finally taken out those annuals and tender perennials that we have gotten to enjoy for an extended time this year.

While there were a couple frosts prior to last night's freeze, many herbaceous plants where still going strong.  It has been wonderful to...

  Note: As you await tonight’s Election results, situated in front of your TV or at watch parties, here is something horticultural for you to vote upon: should you plant Viburnum nudum?  Read on.  

  On October 28, 2016 we did a bygl-alert for the Shrub of the Week as Viburnum nudum (http://bygl.osu.edu/node/627). Quickly we had some responses noting that, for example “…it might be helpful to include V. nudum's susceptibility to infestation by the Viburnum Leaf Beetle. ...

  Never-to-be-forgotten fall color continued this past Saturday in Wayne County in northeast Ohio – and I suspect, elsewhere. The red maple (Acer rubrum) above and the other images were all from Saturday morning, November 5, in my yard and the nearby Johnson Woods Nature Preserve near Orrville five miles away.

  Maples held sway in their many iterations, from the luminosity of sugar maples (Acer saccharum) at Johnson Woods, to the unusually foliated hornbeam maple (Acer carpinifolium) in the ChatScape.

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  {This bygl-alert was written by Paul Snyder, horticulturist with OSU’s Secrest Arboretum at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center in Wooster. Two pictures were added by Jim Chatfield.  

  Members of the genus Hamamelis open and close the season for woody flowering plants. Flowering begins with Hamamelis vernalis and Hamamelis x intermedia hybrids in the spring and end with the flowering of Hamamelis virginiana in the fall and Hamamelis mollis in early winter. One Hamamelis mollis selection, ‘...

  This tree resides in my front yard, and was a gift from Rich Larson of Dawes Arboretum almost three decades ago after I gave a talk on pests and diseases of trees. Fortunately, this tree in general has few insects or infectious diseases and my gift tree and its multi-stemmed trunks has now grown about 40 feet tall in those 29 years. It is a native tree, but fairly unusual in Ohio woodlands. This tree has intensely lemon-yellow changing to burnt gold fall foliage which was spectacular from late October and now into the first few days of November this year. ...

  A recent bygl-mail correspondent, Beth Deimling from Lakeland Nursery in Indiana, recently wrote “As wonderfully entertaining authors of BYGL, I thought you might be appreciative of this sign that my husband and I saw while on vacation last month in Wisconsin. Of course, as world travelers, you may have already seen it, or something similar. Thanks for all of your stories, photos, and attempts at educating us!”

  It is a telling sign, as other locales deal with Emerald Ash Borer encroachments. The sign stirs up some memories of other signs of the times:  here are a few...

You won't want to miss this year's Trees on Tap preconference workshop as part of this year's OSU Green Industry Short Course (GISC), formally the OSU Nursery Short Course. 

The preconference workshop will be held on Monday, December 5, 2016 at the Columbus Convention Center.  Registration will be begin at 9:00 am, with the program starting at 9:30 am.  The workshop ends at 4:45 pm, with a workshop reception to follow. 

The workshop's agenda include the following topics:  Why Trees Matter; Treesources Must-Haves...

  Ever since Kenny Cochran of Secrest Arboretum introduced me to Korean or purple-bloom maple, Acer pseudosieboldianum, and I planted one in my backyard, I have been in wonder of its features. Fall foliage color, of course (more on that later), but years ago after the first years in our laissez-faire landscape, and with it almost making it look like I knew what I was doing, with its elegant form and overarching branches, I brought this up to horticulturist extraordinaire Ethan Johnson of Holden Arboretum. 

  Ethan agreed on the fall color, but noted that in his experience...

   The text and images for this bygl-alert are by Paul Snyder, horticulturist with OSU’s Secreest Arboretum at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center in Wooster}

  It is typical this time of year to have many tour groups visit Secrest. Planted along some of the paths is a plant that makes everyone stop and say, ‘Wow, what is it?” If you are thinking it is a selection of Malus you are mistaken.

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Fall is an important time in landscape maintenance.  Many pest problems and diseases encountered this season may survive until next season on or in plant debris.  Cultural practices completed prior to the beginning of winter will ensure a healthier landscape for next spring. 

Some of the fall crops can still be left in the garden for a while, however warm season vegetables are about done for the season.  Remove all annual vegetable plants from garden beds in order to prevent overwintering insect and diseases.  Diseased plants should not be composted unless the compost pile reaches...