As weather warms...and it will - the calendar says it is officially spring - people will hopefully be spending an increasing amount of time outdoors. As they are outside, they may notice some things that they had not observed last year, and it may catch them by surprise and they may begin seeking answers. We had just the situation in the OSU Lucas County Extension office when a resident stopped by to ask what happened to their tree over the winter.  Their verbal description of "vertical raised lines" on the main trunk of some of their trees in their landscape, and photos on their cell phone...

The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) in collaboration with the USDA, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced yesterday that a 5.2 square mile area that includes portions of East Fork State Park and Tate Township has been removed from the ALB quarantined area.

The first day of Spring is synonymous with the Vernal Equinox, meaning equal day and equal night: 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. The daylight hours are increasing. In the garden, Spring is marked by the emergence of crocuses, daffodils, hyacinths and eventually tulips. But another plant is blooming; Vernal Witchhazel.

Brood XIV (14) of the 17-year periodical cicadas (Magicicada spp.) will appear this spring with high populations over a wide geographical area that includes southern Ohio. A newly posted OSU fact sheet describes what to expect.

Several years ago, I authored two articles titled ‘Crimes against Trees.’ Safety around large trees is important. Cutting all heavy branches back to a stub may seem to make sense. But overall, the tree becomes even more hazardous to people and property.

We are nearing the end of winter. You may be thinking of adding a tree or shrub to your landscape. Besides researching what plant you should consider, you may want to consider site selection. Especially if you are replacing a plant that died. The “Why” behind why plants die can be related to site selection. An NOW is the time to go out in your yard and dig a hole. Soil Percolation Rates and Percolation Tests can help guide you planting decisions.

Hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), Adelges tsugae, is an invasive insect that causes tree decline and mortality of eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) and Carolina hemlock (Tsuga caroliniana) in eastern North America. It was first detected in Virginia in 1951 and has since spread through much of the eastern United States and into southern Canada.

This past summer, the BEHT Team inspected a tree where a pile of sawdust had accumulated around the base of the trunk.  It was carpenter ants, (Camponotus spp.) working within a compromised tree. 

When the snow melts, you may find a surprise! VOLE TRAILS in your lawn.