2013

Lawn diseases have homeowners seeing red June 4, 2013: Every June lawns all over Pennsylvania break out in a rash of red blotches.
Weed of the Month: Catchweed bedstraw June 4, 2013: Catchweed bedstraw (Galium aparine) is an annual that can form dense mats of vegetation.
Managing Mites June 4, 2013: Mites are not insects. They are arachnids – eight legs not six, no antennae, no wings. They have four life stages: egg, larva (which has 6 legs), nymph, and then adult.
Calico Scale June 3, 2013: According to research at the University of Kentucky, calico scale differs from other soft scales since it is not well-controlled by oil sprays - either summer oil or dormant oil applications.
Name the Disease! June June 3, 2013: I make leaves wilt.
Shrub of the Month: This Is Not Your Father’s Ninebark June 3, 2013: Years ago, ornamental characteristics of ninebark were few and better plant options were available.
Tree of the Month – Sweetbay Magnolia: Magnolia virginiana June 3, 2013: This delightful flowering tree offers the joys of growing a magnolia with fewer liabilities than star or saucer magnolias.
Boxwood Blight found in Pennsylvania May 24, 2013: Boxwood blight was recently detected in a landscape in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. Boxwood blight was first detected in Pennsylvania in 2011 in Lancaster County.
Green Industry Disease Alert May 10, 2013: Expect foliar diseases this spring and summer UNLESS it stops raining and stays dry for a long period of time.
Shrub of the Month: Burkwood Viburnum May 1, 2013: One of the more popular spring flowering shrubs are the viburnums.
Name the Disease! May May 1, 2013: It's unanimous, I attack euonymus!
Guess the Pest! May 1, 2013: Who am I?
PEST ALERT – Viburnum Leaf Beetle April 30, 2013: Viburnum leaf beetle larvae have hatched.
Tree of the Month – White Fringetree: Chionanthus virginicus April 29, 2013: A mature white fringetree can stop traffic when in full bloom, usually early to mid-May. This small native tree is cloaked in lacy white petals from top to bottom, obscuring the emerging foliage with the fragrant six- to eight-inch long panicles.
What’s The Big Deal With Native Plants? April 26, 2013: Do you have customers who are interested in adding native plants to their landscapes? This may be a great niche market for diversifying your business. With Earth Day celebrations fresh in their minds, the general public is more aware of issues such as honeybee colony collapse disorder and attracting songbirds to their yards and gardens. It may be valuable for landscapers and garden centers to consider expanding the selection of native plants they offer.
Weed of the Month: Speedwell April 26, 2013: Like other key weeds, maintaining healthy turf is crucial to minimizing the amount of speedwell.
Spring: A Key Time for Plant Diseases and Disease Control April 1, 2013: Spring is a key time for disease control. This is especially true for many leaf, needle, and flower diseases, regardless of the type of plant involved.
USDA Announces Crop Insurance Deadline for Pennsylvania Nursery March 31, 2013: Raleigh, North Carolina, March 25, 2013---USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) announces Pennsylvania nursery producers should be aware that the final date for a new applicant to apply for 2014 nursery crop insurance is May 1, 2013.
Damage from De-icers March 31, 2013: During the early spring, questions arise about how to best deal with salt damage caused by de-icers.
What Killed This Tree? March 31, 2013: Site related problems in the landscape.
Tree of the Month: Carolina Silverbell (Halesia carolina) March 31, 2013: Carolina silverbell grows as an understory tree along streams in the southeastern United States.
Shrub of the Month: Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Diane’ March 31, 2013: While some early spring bulbs might bring some life to the barren landscape, nothing stops the wandering eyes over a bed than a flowering witchhazel.
Weed of the Month: Prostrate Knotweed March 31, 2013: Prostrate knotweed (Polygonum aviculare) is a common problem in high-traffic turf areas, and occasionally along the edge of ornamental plant beds.
Water Quality Checklist for Greenhouse Growers March 27, 2013: If you are a greenhouse grower, it may seem like the last thing you need in April is something else to do. But a quick check now of the quality of water you use for irrigation and pesticide application can save you time and headaches in the future. Using water that is balanced in pH and alkalinity, and is low in suspended solids and dissolved minerals, will improved the growth and quality of your plants and maximize the efficacy of pesticides you apply.
Growing Perennials March 15, 2013: Thinking about growing a few perennials in containers to sell? Maybe you are contemplating starting a small retail nursery. Or, maybe you'd like to grow ornamental perennials to use in your landscape installation jobs.
Tree of the Month – Acer rubrum: Red Maple March 5, 2013: Red maple is an adaptable species, native from Quebec to Florida, and west to Texas. This medium-to-large tree is relatively fast growing, maturing from 40-70 feet tall. Its growth habit is pyramidal in youth, with the crown becoming rounded to oval with age.
Weed of the Month: Yellow Woodsorrel March 4, 2013: Yellow woodsorrel can be a problematic weeds in ornamental planting beds, and also in turf areas.
Preemergence Herbicides for Landscape Use March 4, 2013: Preemerge herbicides reduce hand weeding and the need for post-emergence treatments.
Moss is greening up in Pennsylvania lawns March 4, 2013: Moss is one of the first plants to green-up in Pennsylvania lawns during early spring, and many homeowners consider it an annoying weed. This year, moss has made an early arrival, and homeowners are looking for answers on how to keep it from taking over their lawns.
What am I? March 4, 2013: I'm a native insect species.
Name the Disease: March March 4, 2013: Look out Rudbeckia, here I come!
Shrub of the Month: Coral bark willow, Salix alba 'Britzensis' March 1, 2013: Designing a landscape with color is not too difficult as perennial and annual flowers and various shades of tree and shrub foliage can meet that need.
Name the Disease! February 4, 2013: I love hawthorns! Who am I?
The Dynamic Plant Nutrition System February 4, 2013: This is the first in a series of articles discussing the Dynamic Plant Nutrition System. The goal of this series is to give a practical, working knowledge of the science of plant nutrition in substrates.
Tree of the Month – Paperbark Maple (Acer griseum) February 4, 2013: Paperbark maple is an ideal specimen tree, and is well suited for use in small yards. It can be grown at the edge of the woods, or possibly planted in small groves or allées.
Pesticide and Fertilizer Math: Calculations for Mixing Small Amounts of Pesticides January 28, 2013: Pesticide and fertilizer calculations are not a lot of fun for most people. They can be difficult, confusing, and even scary. But getting the math right when calibrating a sprayer, applying fertilizer, or converting large scale rates into rates for smaller applications is absolutely critical in producing a quality product, maintaining landscapes, and protecting the environment.
Shrub of the Month: Kerria japonica 'Golden Guinea' January 28, 2013: When designing a landscape for the spring, summer, and fall, you often include shrubs that have bright colors in flower and/or leaf. Bringing color into the winter landscape, excluding the evergreens, can be difficult.
2013 CHEMSWEEP Pesticide Disposal January 24, 2013: There are 21 Pennsylvania counties eligible for CHEMSWEEP in 2013.
Crop Insurance Covers Snow Damage: Federally Subsidized Nursery Insurance January 3, 2013: Two years ago heavy snows caused millions of dollars in losses for nursery producers. The losses could have been minimized, or even completely recovered, if those nursery producers had invested in crop insurance coverage.

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