New Sprayer Technologies and Best Spraying Practices Workshop: Nurseries, Orchards, & Vineyards

During my slog through Hades last Thursday, I found a group of native false milkweed bugs frolicking on their favorite host, false sunflowers. At the time, I didn’t give much thought to the absurdity of those common names because I was too busy thinking about my poor life choice.

I came across a colony of Walnut Caterpillars yesterday as I was slogging out of a local park in Butler County around the time the “feels like” temperature hit self-ignition. Of course, photography took precedence over survival instinct. Natural selection has lost leverage; I have grandchildren.

While it may be “old news” to some, it is important to keep informed about Emerald Ash Borer because, even though the initial infestation wave has long passed, it is still present in our forests and landscapes infesting new ash seedlings. There are still lingering ash at risk, and any trees that were previously protected by insecticides could be at risk if treatment is discontinued. 

So-called Walnut Petiole Galls produced by the Black Walnut Petiole Mite may be found on black walnut trees in Ohio. The eriophyid gall mite is specific to black walnut and occurs throughout its native range.

I recently received an email from a park naturalist located in eastern Ohio who asked about ferns showing tightly curled, ball-like tips. A casual observer could possibly mistake the odd structures for emerging frond fiddleheads.

Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius, family Rosaceae) has become a popular deciduous woody ornamental in Ohio landscapes. The native deciduous shrub is valued for its horticultural appeal and durability over a wide range of environmental conditions.

Participants in the 102nd Ohio Plant Diagnostic Workshop held on Wednesday in the OSU CFAES Secrest Arboretum, Wooster, OH, observed first-hand the wide host range of Hickory Tussock Moth (HTM). In fact, HTM was the most common general defoliating caterpillar found during the diagnostic walkabout portion of the Workshop.

Samples from May and June showed a wide range of plant health issues across crops, with both diseases and abiotic factors involved that, in some cases, played a central role in favoring opportunistic fungi. Conifers, in particular, frequently exhibited needle blights related to environmental stresses. The flow of the diagnostic samples is definitely increasing and weather conditions with strong rains have contributed to the appearance of bacterial diseases.

Guignardia Leaf Blotch of Aesculus is a fungal disease that is commonly observed on buckeyes and horsechestnuts in Ohio at this time of the year. However, don’t leap to the conclusion that all leaf blotches are symptomatic of this disease.