White pine weevil (Pissodes strobi) larval feeding damage is now becoming very evident in southern Ohio.  This means that localized weevil populations may be reduced by removing and destroying infested conifer terminals.  Overwintered females deposit eggs in early spring in the terminals of a wide range of conifers including Douglas-fir, all spruces, as well as Scotch, jack, red, pitch, and eastern white pines.  After the eggs hatch, the resulting white, legless, slightly curved, grub-like larvae tunnel downward just beneath the bark feeding on phloem tissue until pupation.  The...

One of my all-time favorite plant galls is the appropriately named Translucent Oak Gall.  The galls are produced by the gall-wasp, Amphibolips nubilipennis (family Cynipidae).  They arise from a leaf vein on the lower leaf surface and measure around 1/2 - 3/4" in diameter.  Their shape and color causes them to strongly resemble tiny, pink balloons or pink grapes hanging beneath the leaves of red, scarlet, and black oaks. 

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Recently in Northeast Ohio, the fungal disease known as Orange Rust is beginning to rear its unique, but strange symptoms on brambles, which are also known as cane berries.  Specifically, this fungus most often infects black and purple raspberries and sometimes is found on thornless blackberries, but is not known to infect red raspberries.

For me personally, this is the first time in my 24 years as an Extension Educator, that I have seen this disease on thornless blackberries.  Most often, this fungus is evident on either thorned blackberries or purple raspberries.  It is...

On June 18 I sent a byglalert about maple anthracnose diagnosed earlier this spring. The plant disease symptoms (see below) for that byglalert item included discolored blotches on the foliage which coalesced along leaf veins. The sample above for this alert today, sent from OSU Extension in Morrow County, show symptoms of leaf discoloration between the veins. This is the classic difference between physiological leaf scorch (this case) and anthracnose fungal disease (the previous case). The difference is all in the details. Physiological leaf scorch can be caused by many...

Save these Dates - December 5, 6, 7 and 8, 2016!

The 89th Annual OSU Green Industry Short Course is partnering the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation (OTF) to present cutting-edge education on a wide range of horticultural topics at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.  Four days of amazing programming  includes a  pre-conference session called  Trees on Tap on December 5th.  Don't miss this opportunity for networking, up-to-date information and continuing education credits.  Mark your calendars and  save December 5, 6, 7 and 8th now and we will send you updates on the...

See-through-trees?  What could it be? 

Upon closer inspection of this building's foundation planting in Toledo, Ohio, the crabapple and beech trees were being fed upon by gypsy moth catepillars.  It appears they began their feeding frenzy on the crabapple, and once those leaves were eaten, they quickly moved out and began feeding on the beech trees on either side.  What you don't see in the photo are several spruce trees that are also a caterpillar favorite.  The tree that was missing at this location and is the caterpillar's favorite, is the oak.  But even without its...

This is a Media Release from the Ohio Department of Agriculture, Brett Gates, Deputy Communication Director . 

As Columbus commuters and residents go about their routines on Tuesday, June 21, they are likely to notice these yellow airplanes gracing the skies of the capital city:

The Ohio Department of Agriculture wants to make folks aware that these airplanes are fighting back against the gypsy moth, a pest that can wreak havoc on over 300 different types of our trees and shrubs while feeding on their foliage. The gypsy moth has been such a pest...

At the end of June and into the first few weeks of July, something happens to Ohio's goose population. Homeowners that have been harassing (or scaring) geese off their property may notice that now, the geese just aren't flying away. There is a reason your property has become a no-fly zone - the adults are molting their flight feathers. This process takes a few weeks during which, the adults are unable to fly. Couple that with a clutch of young goslings that are not able to spread their wings yet, and you have several sitting ducks (or in this case, geese!). Unfortunately, damage (and the...

SSSSSSSSSNAKES IN THE GARDEN. It is not uncommon this time of year to encounter a slithery visitor in gardens, landscapes, and backyards. There are several species of snakes happy to live their lives in backyards, but one of the most common is the eastern gartern snake. Named for the 3 light stripes that run along the length of its black, brown, gray, or olive body, the garter snake is sometimes nicknamed the 'garden' snake because that is where unsuspecting gardeners often encounter them. The stripes running vertically along the length of the snake's body resemble the once...