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…
Current Conditions Weather for the beginning of June has actually been quite pleasant and mild, with some hot and humid days thrown in for good measure. Although the average across the region has been moderate with a little less than an inch of accumulated precipitation, some areas experienced unsettled weather including some strong thunderstorms. Soils in…
Rose Rosette disease Rose rosette is a novel threat to seemingly all cultivars of roses, even those previously known and used specifically for their disease resistance. Losses due to this disease have been documented on home and commercial landscapes, in nurseries as well as botanical gardens. Look for symptoms at the beginning of the season, but…
Current Conditions In the past couple of weeks the weather has fluctuated from mild, seasonal temperatures with about an inch of rain, then more recent cold, wet snap and back to summery feeling highs. Seasonable day time highs, during the sunny period, and consistently cool night time lows along with the accumulated rainfall overall have been…
Managed Microcosm Maintaining your lawn and landscape and protecting them from pests and disease provides more benefits than just aesthetic value. Landscape conservation, pest control, disease prevention and lawn maintenance are beneficial to your household financially and aesthetically, but they also provide ecological benefits to your local community and region as well as for wildlife…
Strange Suspect There has been a lot of talk on this blog about colony collapse, pollinator problems and the various causal factors. It would seem there is a convergence of issues affecting pollinator populations today, which may on their own or, more likely, combined, are contributing to the stress and reduction of honey bees and pollinator…
Current Conditions Our slow to start and fluctuating spring has earned the region an average of 82 growing degree days. The cool, overcast, damp days have given way to warmer than average temperatures but are forecasted to level out into average weather for the time of year. Soil temperatures have increased and are able to…
Blight Breakdown Fruit trees can be a beautiful and productive asset on any landscape; tenacious, sweet smelling blooms provide aesthetic appeal while also attracting pollinators and fruit can be harvested or left as wildlife forage. However, they can be susceptible to diseases which will compromise aesthetic value, growth and fruit production. Detection, identification, prevention and…
Vector Vexation Depending on where you live different species of mosquitoes will be prevalent and they can carry various diseases. Mosquitoes are one of the most common and virulent vectors (insects or organisms which transmit pathogens). They are responsible for spreading diseases like malaria, West Nile encephalitis, western equine encephalitis and dengue fever. Mosquitoes can also…
Floral Fungus When it comes to plants and shrubs, especially fruit trees and landscape quality cultivars, disease can frequently be attributed to fungus. Some of the more common fungal diseases includes root rot, cankers, black knot, anthracnose, cedar-apple rust, apple scab and various blights. Various conditions favor disease development; warm, damp weather can be very…
