A massive emerald ash borer infestation has affected 9,000 trees on Grand River Conservation Authority property, a Canadian watershed management agency which is responsible for conservation and preservation in Southwestern Ontario to Port Maitland on Lake Erie. Officials are closely monitoring the situation in anticipation of more trees being damaged. The most difficult part of containing this…
Soil is the basic foundation for life on this planet; crops, livestock, wildlife and clean water all depend on it. Our soils are currently threatened by a myriad of reasons, not the least of which include deforestation, modern agricultural techniques, development and overgrazing. Data from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) indicates that over half the world’s topsoil…
The pathogen that causes boxwood blight, Calonectria pseudonaviculata, is able to infect every species in the Buxaceae family. A recent article in Plant Health Progress, authored by Dr. Jim LaMondia of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES), states that both Allegheny spurge, Pachysandra procumbens, and the more commonly planted Japanese spurge, Pachysandra terminalis, are potential hosts for…
Forest fragmentation, or habitat fragmentation, is the breakdown of habitat from a large, contiguous swath into smaller, distinct, discontinuous pieces. When habitat is broken apart three interrelated processes occur 1) reduction of the total amount of vegetation, in other words, habitat loss, 2) division of remaining vegetation into remnants or patches and 3) new land-use…
As October begins the soil surface temperatures have begun dropping, they have been detected at below 70 degrees at night. This happens to be ideal for the growth of cool season grasses, but it is a sign that colder soil (and air) temperatures are on the way. New growth and turf recovery will significantly slow…
According to historical data many of the northernmost states may have already experienced their first frost during the last 2 weeks of September. The rest of New England and the mid-atlantic will have their first frost soon; when temperatures dip to 29-32 degrees Fahrenheit overnight a light freeze will occur, killing tender plants, at 25-28…
According to research being conducted by scientists from Oregon State University (OSU), dramatic shifts in wildlife populations inhabiting Yellowstone National Park have the potential to alter the landscape, restoring it to conditions not seen in almost a century. Elk populations in their historic winter range in the northeastern corner of the park have decreased, while their…
Winter deer damage can be one of the biggest risks to landscapes and mature trees and shrubs in areas with high deer populations. As temperatures drop in late September the risk of deer browsing to woody ornamentals and evergreens begins to increase. These are plants that are normally not targeted by deer in the spring and summer, but become vulnerable…
While the summer is winding down, annual weeds have not yet disappeared and may be at their largest yet. At this point the best method for removal will have to be determined on a site-by-site basis, there are several available options and your arborist can help narrow it down. Newly planted areas may be the…
(Microstegium vimineum) is a shade tolerant, annual C4 grass. It is a straggling plant, usually 36” in height, and the reclining stems can grow up to 40” long. Its stems are typically branched, rooting at the lower nodes, and the nodes and internodes are smooth and hairless. The long narrow leaf blades are 2-4”…
