Landscape Message - Landscape Nursey and Urban Forestry

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The LANDSCAPE MESSAGE is an educational newsletter intended to guide landscape, nursery and urban forestry professionals in identifying pests in the landscape, monitoring their development, planning management strategies and creating site-specific records for future management reference. UMass Extension updates each issue to provide timely pest management information and the latest regional news and environmental data throughout Massachusetts.

From October 2005 through February 2006, the LANDSCAPE MESSAGE will be updated on a monthly basis. The next update will be issued early February 2006.

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ENVIRONMENTAL DATA

During the four-week period from December 1 through December 31, the following growing-degree-day (GDD) and precipitation data accumulated. The contributors observed the soil temperature and phenological indicators on or about January 9. Accumulated GDDs represent the heating units above the 50° F baseline temperature collected via our instruments since the beginning of the current growing season. This information is intended for use as a guide for monitoring the developmental stages of pests in your location and planning management strategies accordingly.

REGIONAL NOTES

Cape Cod Region (Barnstable) - General Conditions: The first half of December was windy, cold, and quite winter-like while the second half of the month was comparatively mild. Early in the month, several snow events left the Cape covered in white. In particular, on December 9, a steady rainfall changed in a split second to a whiteout blizzard with winds recorded at hurricane strength. Trees and power lines toppled right and left. In Orleans and Brewster, winds were recorded at 100 MPH. Cape Cod National Golf Course lost close to 200 trees while the Captains Golf Course lost over 400 trees. Nickerson State Park is thought to have over 1000 trees come down. The latter part of the month reverted to milder temperatures averaging in the 40’s during the day and dropping into the upper 20’s to low 30’s at night. Several drenching rainstorms occurred. The landscape is looking somewhat brown and drab with no snow cover. Pests/Problems: Large flights of winter moths during the latter part of the month foretell of defoliation in the coming spring. Many trees require pruning to correct damage from the storm of December 9.

Southeast Region (Hanson) - General Conditions: December saw intermittent rain and snow. Temperatures ranged from daytimes in the 40's to 9 degrees at night. On December 9, there was a brief but intense snowstorm with high winds and whiteout conditions. Hanson received 4" of snow that day, along with sleet and rain. Helleborus foetidus is beginning to bloom. The fruit of cranberry viburnum, the berries of many hollies, and the bark of Acer griseum are providing much needed color and interest in the winter landscape. Hanson received approximately 7 inches of snow and an undocumented amount of rain due to a frozen rain gauge. Pests/Problems: Winter moth flight was heavy on those December nights when the temperatures were above freezing. The cold weather on many days delayed flight, which was prolonged into early January, when we had above freezing temperatures. Heavy winter month flight was reported on Dec. 29, 30, and 31. Judging from the number of moths observed it is likely that winter moth caterpillars will continue to be a problem in the 2006 season. Deer are actively feeding on apple trees, Chamaecyparis and other yummy ornamentals.

Central Region (Boylston) - General Conditions: In Boylston at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, the weather is currently wet and mild – our January thaw, I suppose. Pests/Problems: There are no serious pest or disease problems other than persistent browsing by deer. Birds have also stripped much of the fruit from Viburnums, Ilex verticillata, and crabapples.

Pioneer Valley Region (Amherst) - General Conditions: Amherst received ~12 inches of snowfall during the period along with 2-3 icy mixed precipitation events. Average daily temperatures were quite variable with the first two-thirds of the month below normal and the last third generally above normal. Soil moisture is high. A vernal pond nearby is usually full from late March to early June, but it has been full since October and shows no sign of receding. Pests/Problems: Damage so far is minimal from deer browse, but some browsing may take place with additional snowfall.

Berkshire Region (Great Barrington) - General Conditions: Substantial snow cover is in place but with warm days this week and light rainfall, that snow is steadily diminishing. Since Christmas, temperatures have been above normal. Day time temperatures of late have been above freezing while night time temperatures drop below freezing. This would result in some heaving of plants in perennial borders and fall planted trees and shrubs except for the insulating snow cover. With the loss of snow cover, frost heaving could become a problem. In addition, snows since late December have been of the heavy wet variety and has caused some damage to stems and branches. Problems: Deer browsing has not been too bad yet. Vole runs have been quite noticeable and indicates a lot of activity. This may result in some damage to plants in the landscape.

CAPE COD REGION - Roberta Clark, Horticulturist for Barnstable County, Barnstable.

SOUTHEAST REGION - Deborah Swanson, Horticulturist for UMass Extension in Plymouth County, Hanson.

EAST REGION - James R. Allen, Horticulturist and Greenhouse Manager for UMass Biology Department, Boston.

CENTRAL REGION - Joann Vieira, Superintendent of Horticulture, Tower Hill Botanic Garden, Boylston.

PIONEER VALLEY - Dan Gillman, Plant Pathologist, Urban Forestry Diagnostic Lab, UMass, Amherst.

BERKSHIRES - Ron Kujawski, Specialist, UMass Extension Landscape, Nursery & Urban Forestry Program, Amherst.

The flight activity for several moth species began in earnest starting on November 8 and will continue through December whenever mild temperatures prevail.

Bruce Spanworm, a native moth that is in the same genus as winter moth, was the first to be seen. Mostly, they are observed at night in the view of headlights and they are also attracted to outdoor lighting. The rather drab-colored males often (but not always ) display fine wavy lines running across the wings near the posterior end. When viewed from the underside, a small black dot is usually visible in the center of the wings.

Winter Moth adults emerged in huge numbers just before Thanksgiving. All 6 New England states are now actively monitoring for this serious pest with pheromone traps. Thus far (12/8) only MA has reported findings. Joe Elkinton reports that Winter Moth males have been captured as far west in as the Connecticut River, although populations appear to be currently low the farther west one goes from the coast. No finds have yet been reported on the western side of the Connecticut River in MA. Winter moth population size appears to be quite large in Plymouth County, most of SE Massachusetts and Cape Cod. Identification of traps catches has just begun in MA and not at all in the other NE. Bruce Spanworm is most likely near the end of its flight period as is Fall Cankerworm. However, winter moth may be seen into January whenever warm weather prevails.

Winter Moth males do not have the wavy lines on their wings that Bruce Spanworm usually seems to have nor do they have the black dot in the middle of their wings on the undersides.

Fall Cankerworm males also began to fly around Thanksgiving. They are similar to the others mentioned above except that they have a faint light-colored patch on the front wing margin out near the end of the wing. They also have a black dot on the wing undersides.

Rhode Island is predicting that they will capture winter moths this year in all counties.

There is one not-yet-confirmed report that SE New Hampshire may also have winter moth.

Female Fall Cankerworm adult moths are completely wingless (Apterous).

Female Bruce Spanworm adult moths have very short wing remnants (Brachypterous).

Female Winter Moth adult moths are also brachypterous but their wing “stubs” are significantly larger than that of Bruce Spanworm.

Deciduous trees and shrubs - Plants and disease fungi and bacteria are dormant thus it is a good time to prune dead branches, and collect fallen leaves to reduce overwintering inoculum (the resting structures of leaf spot, blight and canker fungi). Remove this debris so fewer of these disease microbes will be present in the area to initiate infections next spring. In addition, if leaf spots and blights are recurring, unsightly problems, consider replacing them with resistant varieties or other plants better adapted to the site.

Ramorum Blight, also known as Sudden Oak Death (SOD). Since 1995, oaks and tanoaks have been dying in the coastal counties of California. Since then, other types of plants have been found to be infected or associated with this disease, referred to as Sudden Oak Death, ramorum leaf blight or ramorum dieback, or by regulation as Phytophthora ramorum. In 1995, forest pathologists identified SOD in Mill Valley ( Marin County) on tanoak. Since that time, there was confirmation of the disease on various native hosts in fourteen coastal California counties (Marin, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, Napa, San Mateo, Monterey, Santa Clara, Mendocino, Solano, Alameda, Contra Costa, Humboldt, Lake and San Francisco), and in Curry County, Oregon. Research conducted by the Agriculture Research Service, U. S. Forest Service, universities, and others is under way to better identify hosts, methods of detection and effective treatments. Currently, 64 plants are regulated, two of which at the genus level (Camellia and Rhododendron). There are no chemical treatments currently available to eliminate the disease in nursery stock.

Status of Phytophthora ramorum Monitoring Surveys - The 2005 National Nursery Survey involved 49 states and Puerto Rico. It reported that 3,790 nurseries have been visited and 68,275 samples collected. The surveys identified 56 positives sites in seven states. Overall, 99 positive sites have been reported this year. The breakdown by state is: CA (55), GA (4), LA (2), OR (20), TN (1), SC (1), and WA (16).

New Hosts Added - USDA PPQ issued a Federal Order on November 15 adding Abies concolor (white fir) and Viburnum opulus (= V. trilobum) (American cranberry viburnum) to the official USDA APHIS list of host and associated host plants. There are 84 plants now listed.

Dan Gillman, Plant Pathologist, based in the Urban Forestry Diagnostic Lab at UMass, Amherst.

Randall Prostak, Weed Specialist, UMass Extension, Plant, Insect & Soil Sciences Dept., Amherst

UPCOMING EVENTS

January 26, 2006
Lawn Care Seminar , Auburn, MA
Sponsored by UMass Extension and the Massachusetts Association of Lawn Care Professionals. Topics will include the impact of lawn care on the environment and aspects of turfgrass physiology. Lawn, landscape, and municipal turf professionals, athletic field managers, regulatory and environmental agency staff, and volunteers should attend as they gear up for the 2006 season. Pesticide contact hours for category 37 or commercial applicator will be awarded for all New England states. For more information contact the UMass Extension Turf Program at (508) 892-0382 or MALCP at (781) 274-7373 or visit http://www.umassturf.org

January 31 - February 2, 2006
New England Grows , Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, Boston, MA
Info at http://negrows.org

March 29, 2006
Potential Pests, Possible Solutions, Radisson Hotel, Brockton, MA
Caterpillar updates, including info on the winter moth project and what may be another potentially big year for gypsy moth.Five (5) MA pesticide contact hours available in categories 29, 36, and Applicator’s License. ISA, MCA, MCH, and MCLP credits have been requested. See our Conferences & Workshops page for registration information.

March 3 & 4
Ecological Landscaping Association’s Winter Conference and Eco-Marketplace
Royal Plaza Hotel, Marlborough, MA. Info at http://www.ecolandscaping.org or call (617) 436-5838.

March 23, 2006
Community Tree Conference, Growing Green – Strategies For Success
Stockbridge Hall, UMass Amherst
For arborists, tree wardens, municipal managers, city planners and landscape architects who are involved in the management of property, both private and municipal. We will have two keynote speakers from the Horticulture Department at Virginia Tech. University in Blacksburg, Virginia. Pesticide contact hours, ISA, MCA, SAF, MCH, MCLP and ASLA credits will be awarded. See our Conferences & Workshops page for registration information.

Insect Laboratory: Hands-on Identification and Management Strategies
April 20, 2006 - UMass Amherst
May 4, 2006 - Wareham, MA
Participants will examine actual specimens in a teaching lab with the use of microscopes with Bob Childs, UMass Extension Entomologist. This is an opportunity to hone your IPM monitoring skills and to become a better IPM and Plant Health Care practitioner. Five (5) pesticide contact hours in categories 29, 36, and applicator’s license; MCLP, MCA, and MCH credits will be offered. See our Conferences & Workshops page for registration information.

July 19, 2006 - Nursey & Landscape Summer Meeting & Trade Show - The day will offer horticulture education workshops presented by well known researchers and educators, a trade show and hands-on insect, disease, and weed laboratory. At press time, plans were underway to feature an actual outdoor set-up of garden center displays showing examples of today’s most successful marketing and plant branding strategies. Plans to organize class reunions for Stockbridge School of Agriculture and UMass alumni the day before and have University Admission officials on hand to answer questions about student applications are also in discussion. This special event will also showcase a “keynote” speaker. You will want to mark your calendars now. For more information, go to http://www.mnla.com , http://www.umassgreeninfo.org, or contact UMass Extension’s Landscape, Nursery and Urban Forestry Program at (413) 545-0895, eweeks@umext.umass.edu. Time: 9 AM to 3:00 p.m. Location: UMass Amherst Student Union and Metawampe Park.

IMPORTANT INFORMATIONAL RESOURCES

2006 UMass Extension Green Directory: Now Available! The 2006 UMass Extension Green Directory is a comprehensive guide to educational resources for Massachusetts Agriculture industry professionals. This 25 page guide is used as a reference document all year long! To receive a copy, send mailing address: email greeninfo@umext.umass.edu; fax requests to 413-577-1620. The complete directory is also available online in PDF format. Visit http://www.umass.edu/agland and click 'The Green Directory' link in the right hand menu.

Two UMass Extension Web Sites are specially designed to provide Green Industry professionals with resources, upcoming educational programs and events, and other relevant information. The Internet address for the Landscape, Nursery, and Urban Forestry Program is http://www.umassgreeninfo.org. The Turf Program address is http://www.umassturf.org .

UMass Extension’s Turf Management Guide and IPM Facts: For more information about the pests mentioned in this message, you will need to refer to the following publications: the Professional Guide for IPM in Turf for Massachusetts, 2003-2004

edition and Turf IPM Facts

. Call (413) 545-2717 to order these publications from the UMASS Extension Bookstore.

DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES

UMass Laboratory Diagnoses for Turf and Landscape Problems - Accurate diagnosis for a turf or landscape problem can often eliminate or reduce the need for pesticide use. The UMass Extension Plant Diagnostic Lab is available to serve commercial landscape contractors, turf managers, arborists, nurseries and other green industry professionals. It provides woody plant and turf disease analysis, woody plant and turf insect identification, turfgrass identification, weed identification, and offers a report of pest management strategies that are research based, economically sound and environmentally appropriate for the situation. Send specimens and payment (payable to the University of Massachusetts) to UMass Extension Plant Diagnostic Lab, Holdsworth Natural Resources Center, 160 Holdsworth Way, UMass, Amherst, MA 01003. The fee for a woody plant disease analysis is $50; the fee for turf disease analysis or nematode assay is $75. All insect, weed and turfgrass identification samples are $25 each. For more detailed submission instructions see http://www.umass.edu/agland/diagnostics

This message is produced by the UMASS Extension, Landscape, Nursery and Urban Forestry Program. The copy is prepared by Dan Gillman from data and reports provided by the staff and faculty of the UMass Landscape, Nursery and Urban Forestry Program and the UMASS Extension Turf Program as well as cooperating horticulturists and Green Industry professionals. The text is adapted for access via the internet by Jason Lanier and made available to subscribers via electronic transmittal by Ellen Weeks.

DISCLAIMER. This message is intended for commercial use. UMASS Extension assumes no liability for recommendations. The use of trade names does not imply endorsement. Similarly, there may be other products you prefer to use.

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UMass Extension Landscape Message #1 January 13, 2006

DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES

UMass Extension Landscape Message #1
January 13, 2006