We all love to bring a little of the outside in, especially coming on to winter when we ache for the greenery. However, we all end up with struggling, browning, leaf-dropping sicklings somehow. What are we doing wrong? Well, here are a few common errors people make in caring for our indoor green friends. Watering regime…
Coconut rhinoceros beetles (CRB) are native to the Asian tropics and were accidentally introduced to western and central Pacific islands, and now to Hawaii. They are known to be a major pest on palm trees in India, the Philippines, Guam, the Samoas and elsewhere. First detected on the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) military facility near…
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…
Scale insects, particularly those of the armored variety, are basically the bane of landscape managers’ existence. They are one of the toughest pests to control. Cryptomeria scale, Aspidiotus cryptomeriae, is one of these armored scales which is also incredibly hard to detect, because it is covered in a translucent, waxy coating. It can resemble the elongate hemlock scale,…
With the decline of wild habitat to support pollinators it should come as no small surprise that bees are swarming urban areas in search of high-quality, diverse food sources. Research by Gordon Frankie, urban entomologist at the University of California Berkeley, is probing the question of how often bees are foraging in urban areas. He…
We had a great visit last week with the Northern Kentucky Urban and Community Forestry Council (NKUCFC). NKUCFC had a grant from the US Forest Service, State & Private Forestry via the Kentucky Division of Forestry to obtain an urban tree canopy assessment and planting plan for Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties. NKUCFC selected the…
One of the major results of this week’s climate summit at the United Nations was a vow to stop deforestation globally by 2030. Included in this plan, dozens of nations, indigenous groups and corporations agreed to slow the rate of deforestation over the next six years and come to a full stop in the following…
The great migration has begun! While many birds migrate to southern climes to overwinter, the migration of monarch butterflies can be so dramatic and impressive, people gather at popular viewing sites to see the sky darken with winged beauties and swarms can be tracked by weather radar. In spite of a tough year, due to drought,…
Stone walls are ubiquitous in New England, most of us take them for granted, not giving them a second thought, yet there is a rich history regarding these seemingly innocuous structures. The book “Stone by Stone: The Magnificent History of New England’s Stone Walls”, written by University of Connecticut geology professor, Robert Thorson explores the…
