Citrus Crisis

Citrus Crisis

Citrus Greening Citrus greening is a bacterial disease that threatens the entirety of the citrus industry in the U.S. and has already killed 90,000 trees in the state of Florida. The disease progresses rapidly and blocks the trees’ ability to translocate water and nutrients. One symptom of the progressive disease is the emergence of partially…

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Ecological Entente

Ecological Entente

Green Space and Good Health The connection between green space and community health has been discussed, researched and extensively studied for some time. The conclusion is that the amount of open, green space in the form agricultural, urban or natural green space definitely has an effect on the surrounding community. However, analysis shows that relationship varies based…

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The Secret of Soft Grass

Seasonal Stress

Lawn Lessons Soil temperature can be a determining factor in the health and wellbeing of your lawn. Intense summer heat creates stressful growing conditions for your grass season mixes. Cool season grass mixes, used a lot in the north and mid-atlantic regions, experience optimal growth conditions when soil temperatures are between 60 to 75 degrees,…

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National Pollinator Week!

National Pollinator Week!

National Pollinator Week, celebrated from June 16 through the 22 this year, was initiated by the Pollinator Partnership and unanimously approved by the Senate seven years ago. This marked an important step in addressing the desperate issue of pollinator population decline. This week has now grown to be an international celebration of the necessary role…

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Fresh-Cut Flower Fancy

Fresh-Cut Flower Fancy

Posy Popularity Consumers in the United States spent over 27 billion dollars on fresh-cut flowers, cut cultivated greens, potted flowering plants, foliage plants and garden plants in 2012. Floriculture is the 3rd largest agricultural product in this country. The industry consists of more than 60,000 small businesses including wholesalers, retailers, growers, distributors and imported. Both women and men…

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From the Sanitary City to the Sustainable City: the Baltimore Ecosystem Study

The Baltimore Ecosystem Study is part of the National Science Foundation‘s Long Term Ecological Research network. The Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network was created by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in 1980 to conduct research on ecological issues that can last decades and span huge geographical areas. In the 1990’s , NSF realized we…

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The Word on Weeds

The Word on Weeds

Current Conditions The weather so far this month has actually been quite pleasant and mild, with some hot and humid days  and some cool, breezy ones thrown in for good measure. Although the average rain amounts across the region have been moderate with a little less than an inch of accumulated precipitation, some areas experienced unsettled weather…

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