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SCOUTING INFORMATION BY REGION REGIONAL
NOTES
- Southeast Region (Hanson) – General Conditions: Hanson received 3.8 inches of rain the past two weeks. Soils are moist. Silver maple, Helleborus foetidus, Adonis vernalis (winter aconites), snow drops, Hamamelis mollis 'Pallida' and Hamamelis x intermidia 'Arnold Promise' are in full bloom. Helleborus x hybridus and Helleborus niger have pushed up flower buds and are showingcolor. Last year at this time the hellebore flowers were dead from cold injury. In Boston, Helleborus niger was in full bloom on Commonwealth Avenue. Crocus are in bloom in some areas of Plymouth County and Cornus mas buds are fat, swollen and starting to show color. The fruit of cranberry viburnum, the berries of many hollies, and the bark of Acer griseum are still providing color and interest in the landscape. The black-winged blackbirds have been back for a few weeks, and lawns abound with robins. Pests/Problems: Be on the lookout for deer ticks on warmer days. Deer continue to browse. Vole damage to trees has been reported. There were no other pest problems to report. East Region (Boston) – Pests/Problems: Soils are saturated. Metro West (Hopkinton) – General Conditions: There was 3.2 inches of rain during the storm that started on the 7th of March and ended on the 9th. Snowdrops and crocus are in flower now. Pests/Problems: Some winter desiccation is now becoming noticeable on Taxus and Chamaecyparis. Metro West (Waltham) – General Conditions: Spring bulbs are starting to emerge. The snow is mostly gone. I think we are officially in the mud season. Central Region (Boylston) – General Conditions: The snow is slowly melting and early bloomers like Christmas Rose (Helleborus niger), Snow Drops (Galanthus nivalis), Crocus and Aconite (Adonis amurensis) are beginning to show color. Pests/Problems: Deer damage continues. Pioneer Valley Region ( Amherst) - General Conditions: The snow is gradually melting with the mild daytime temperatures and heavy rainfall. Cold nights (below freezing) and cool days (above freezing) were the pattern, which is great for maple syrup collecting. All plant life continues to appear dormant except a slight greening of lawns and foliage of bulbous plants beginning to erupt through the soil. Pests/Problems: There is pooling of water on areas with saturated soil. No significant pests or disease problems to report. Berkshire Region (Great Barrington) - General Conditions: Cold and damp weather continues to dominate. The past two weeks were a very wet period. There are very few signs of spring renewal. Snowdrops, pussy willow, and witchhazel are in bloom. Early crocus are in bloom in sheltered locations. Pests/Problems: Other than deer browsing and wind damage to trees and shrubs, there is not much to report. Heavy rains resulted in some flooding and standing water is common on poorly drained sites and in depressions where soil remains frozen. The following growing-degree-day (GDD) and precipitation data was collected for two-week period, March 5, 2008 through March 18, 2008. Soil temperature and phenological indicators were observed on March 18, 2007. Accumulated GDDs represent the heating units above a 50° F baseline temperature collected via our instruments from the beginning of the current calendar year. This information is intended for use as a guide for monitoring the developmental stages of pests in your location and planning management strategies accordingly.
The phenological indicators are a visual tool for correlating plant development with pest development. The following are the indicator plants and the stages of bloom observed for this period:
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. METRO WEST REGION – Mark Sawyer, Horticulturist, Weston Nurseries, Hopkinton. METRO WEST REGION – James Martin, Consulting Arborist, reporting from the UMass Extension Center, Waltham. CENTRAL REGION - Joann Vieira, Superintendent of Horticulture, Tower Hill Botanic Garden, Boylston. PIONEER VALLEY - Dan Gillman, Plant Pathologist, UMass Extension Plant Diagnostic Lab, UMass, Amherst. BERKSHIRES - Ron Kujawski, Specialist, UMass Extension Landscape, Nursery & Urban Forestry Program, Amherst.
Reported by Robert Childs, Entomologist, UMass Extension Landscape, Nursery and Urban Forestry Program, Amherst
Reported by Dan Gillman, Plant Pathologist, UMass Extension Plant Diagnostic Lab, Amherst
Reported by Randall Prostak, Weed Specialist, UMass Extension Landscape, Nursery and Urban Forestry Program, Amherst.
IMPORTANT INFORMATIONAL RESOURCES For a complete listing of upcoming events, see our Conferences and Workshops page. Attention Massachusetts Schools
and Daycare Facilities:
Training for Grounds Managers and Public Officials on the
Implementation of Cost Effective IPM Guidelines for Turf,
Landscapes and Indoor Pests
This program is EEC approved (5 credits) and meets the requirement under 102 CMR 7.08(4)(e)(1)(b). Two pesticide contact hours will be awarded in categories 36, 37, 41 and Applicators License.
Contact UMass Extension at (413) 545-0895 or eweeks@umext.umass.edu. Don't forget to visit the UMass Extension Online Weed Herbarium! 2008-2009 Professional Management Guide
for Insects, Diseases and Weeds of Trees and Shrubs in New
England - Pesticide label
registration changes every year in all states and you can only
legally apply pesticides according to the current year's label.
This updated 2008-09 guide tells you what is current and legal
for use in all the New England states and is the way for you
to stay current with pesticide information. If you already
have the 2003 version, this is the updated supplement for pesticide
information. Remember, if you're a pesticide applicator, it's
the law! Created by UMass Extension professionals, this manual
offers the latest on virtually all the insects, diseases, and
weeds of woody plants in New England; current and legal listings
of chemical compounds labeled for the management of these pests;
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) considerations for most of
these pests; environmentally friendly alternatives in pest
management such as horticultural oils, soaps, biologicals,
etc.; and Growing Degree Day (GDD) information for most of
the insect pests of woody plants. Click
here to order online from the UMass Extension Bookstore Planting and Maintaining Sustainable
Landscapes: A Guide for Public Officials and the Green Industry -
An updated and reprinted collection of fact sheets, including
Trees and Shrubs for Low Maintenance Landscapes; Recommendations
for Planting and Maintaining Trees and Shrubs; Integrated
Pest Management and Plant Health Care; Streetscape Design
and Planting; Selecting Turfgrasses for Low Maintenance Sites;
Turf Pesticides and the Environment; Children's Protection
Act and School IPM Plans; and Guidelines for Planting within
the 100 Foot Wetland Buffer. Click
here to order online from the UMass Extension Bookstore DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES UMass Laboratory Diagnoses 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 Soil and Plant Tissue Testing - The University
of Massachusetts Soil and Plant Tissue Testing Laboratory is
located on the campus of The University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Testing services are available to all. The function of the Soil
and Plant Tissue Testing Laboratory is to provide test results
and recommendations that lead to the wise and economical use
of soils and soil amendments. For complete information, visit
the UMass Soil and Plant tissue Testing Laboratory web site at: http://www.umass.edu/plsoils/soiltest NEXT UPDATE: The next issue will be available on April 3, 2008. This message is produced by the UMASS Extension, Landscape, Nursery and Urban Forestry Program. The copy is prepared by Anna Greene 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. DISCLAIMER. This message is intended for commercial use. UMass Extension assumes no liability for recommendations. It is the responsibility of the applicator to verify the registration status of any pesticide BEFORE applying it. Different states have different regulations as well. The use of trade names (™) does not imply endorsement. Similarly, there may be other products you prefer to use. Comments or suggestions in regard to the Landscape Message? Please e-mail the webmaster. Missed a previous message? Visit the Landscape Message Archive. |
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Populations of this pest are resurging in the state
after several years of being reduced in numbers. Sudden
cold in January of 2000, after a mild entry into winter,
reduced HWA populations in MA significantly. Then,
the extended and deep cold during the winter of 2005, again,
reduced their numbers by as much as 90% in some areas. However,
early indications are that HWA is once again rebounding in
high numbers. Monitor for building populations and
treat in the spring when the weather is conducive for the
application of dormant oil sprays or the
application of a systemic imidacloprid product. Dr.
Joseph Elkinton at UMass Amherst is currently working on
a new predatory beetle which, initially, shows great promise
as being a natural control for hemlock woolly adelgid in
MA. For more
information on the Laricobius
nigrinus beetle, visit the following web site: 