Boxwoods (Buxus spp.) in Ohio continue to be “in the news” this season as a result of the carry-over of several challenges experienced last season. Those challenges have caused some to question the continued reliance on a long-reliable plant. However, is rejecting boxwoods based on perception or reality?

Many of our BYGL readers, like yourself, are interested in the health of our forests, whether that be large expansive woodlands, or individual plants in urban areas. We were recently contacted by Anna Funk and Rachel Kappler with Holden Arboretum and the Great Lakes Basin Forest Health Collaborative. Below you will find information written by Anna and Rachel to introduce you, in a Q and A approach, to the collaborative and most importantly what you can do to help.

 

This week's Turfgrass Team Times (TTT) includes timely updates from Dr. Ed Nangle, Dr. David Gardner, Dr. Tyler Carr, and Dr. Shaohui Wu. 

 

Highlights include: preemergent and post emergent weed management; spring seeding; winter annual purple deadnettle; cool season grasses; annual bluegrass weevil; and warm season grass still dormant.

 

Click on the link to view this week's recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPChReuSXlA

 

 

The Ohio Forest Pests: A Field Guide, a resource that was printed and has been distributed at targeted programs, is now available online.

The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) is issuing a quarantine for six counties in southwest Ohio to prevent the spread of an invasive insect – the box tree moth.

Bostrichus capucinus is a ‘worldwide traveler’ and was recently found in a log sample imported from Italy. The beetle is a secondary pest of many trees and wood products including sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) and horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) which are widely planted in US landscapes.

The impact of the sheer numbers of flowering pear can go unnoticed. But not this time of year. As one of the first flowering trees of the season, now is a great time to tag them for later removal. The key is to know what trees should be removed before they set fruit. So, you have time.

The Plant Phenology and Growing Degree Day (GDD) posts and impacts have been a Buckeye Yard and Garden onLine (BYGL) staple for years. GDD will continue to be an important part of the blog written to assist green industry professionals, Extension professionals, Extension volunteers, and people with a passion for plants and pests too.

The latest edition of the Ohio Fruit News (OFN) was recently distributed, and I thought there might be some BYGL readers out there that are not current subscribers, but would find this resource useful. The newsletter is developed by a team of Ohio State University Small Fruit and Tree Fruit State Specialists, and Extension Educators and Staff, with support from the Ohio Vegetable and Small Fruit Research and Development Program and the Department of Plant Pathology - Fruit Pathology Program. Ohio Fruit News provides fruit growers with the most current and relevant information for managing...

Would you like to learn more about one of Ohio's newest invasive species? Check out this week's presentation on Box Tree Moth as part of Emerald Ash Borer University (EABU). The EABU presenter will be Ohio's very own, Joe Boggs. Joe is the Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator in Hamilton County and Associated Faculty in OSU's Department of Entomology.