Identifying a plant problem is the first step to improve the health of plants in the landscape. We created a series of short (5 to 7 min) YouTube videos to help you learn or just brush up your plant diagnostic skills. Each video guides you through the diagnostic process in real landscapes, reviews pest biology[Read More…]
Resources for landscapes and gardens in the Midwest
Landscape Report
Horticulture
Identificar qué problema tiene la planta es el primer paso para mejorar la salud de las plantas en el jardín. Hemos creado una serie de videos cortos (5 a 7 minutos de duración) en YouTube. Esto lo hemos hecho para ayudarlo a aprender o simplemente mejorar sus habilidades de diagnóstico de plantas. Cada video te[Read More…]
Gardeners are bombarded with sayings like save the stems, leave the leaves, and no mow May. These sayings are rooted in the same goal of protecting pollinators, but often leave gardeners with more questions. Let’s dig into each of the sayings. Save the stems: The first question that often arises from this saying is: “When[Read More…]
Blight, Leafminers, and Moths: The Plight of Boxwoods Boxwoods (Buxus spp.) were introduced into the United States during colonial times, and still today they are one of the most popular evergreen shrubs used in landscapes. They are frequently selected for hedges and topiaries because they are easily trimmed into geometric shapes. They were also easy[Read More…]
Vascular streak dieback is an emerging issue on woody ornamentals in the nursery industry. We have provided information on this topic as the situation has been unfolding (https://www.purduelandscapereport.org/article/vascular-streak-dieback-of-redbud-what-plant-pathologists-know-so-far/; https://indianagreenexpo.com/sessions/vascular-streak-dieback-an-emerging-issue-in-nursery-stock/). Researchers and Collaborators working on vascular streak dieback will be presenting up-to-date information during the tHRIve webinar hosted by Horticultural Research Institute on Thursday, April 11,[Read More…]
I think white pines are beautiful trees, especially at maturity, and they have the added advantage that they are one of the few conifers that don’t try to kill you with their needles. Besides working with the foliage, have you ever had to “rescue” a child who climbed too high in a spike-infested deathtrap of[Read More…]
Welcome to the 2024 Purdue Landscape Report! We’ll be sending out the newsletter every other week throughout the growing season. New in 2024 we’ll be featuring bi-weekly articles from the Indiana State Climate Office. As we all know, the ‘new normal’ for weather is now ‘abnormal’. The State Climate Office will be providing a recap[Read More…]
Inonotus dryadeus is one of the more common wood decay fungi we receive at the diagnostic lab in association with declining trees, specifically oaks. Inonotus is found so frequently on oaks it has the common name oak bracket fungus, but it can cause root rot of a number of other hardwood trees (including maples, sweet[Read More…]
Temperatures are finally dropping and leaves are changing color. Autumn is progressing well in my opinion. Before you know it winter will be here, and some people will be wondering is there anything to be done to better protect the trees around you? The answer is yes, and I applaud you for your initiative to[Read More…]
The Women of the Green Industry will be offering two, free educational opportunities on November 7th and December 5th on Zoom: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/95932197520?pwd=KysxUHFPSzZiOTlwcmFZU3hUSXFpZz09 November 7th will feature Karen Mitchell, Purdue Consumer Horticulture Specialist, to present ‘The Social Side of Seeds: Growing Your Community’ December 5th will feature Pedra Sage, owner of Sage Garden Designs, who[Read More…]
Dead man’s fingers is an apt moniker for a gruesome-looking fungus (Xylaria polymorpha and related species) that produces club-shaped fungal fruiting bodies that appear as fingers growing around the base of dying or dead woody plants and even wooden objects in soil (Fig. 1). With more than 25 species of Xylaria, generalizations are difficult to[Read More…]
The 2023 Purdue Turf and Landscape Seminar will be held on November 16th and 17th at the W.H. Daniel Turfgrass Research and Diagnostic Center in West Lafayette, IN. This event is designed for intermediate and advanced turf and landscape professionals, providing them with the latest technology for managing turf and landscape systems, and to maintain[Read More…]
Planting may not be the first chore that comes to mind when considering the fall garden, but as Purdue Urban Forestry Specialist, Ben McCallister mentioned in the last issue, it’s an excellent time to install a new tree1. However, trees aren’t the only thing that can be added to the garden this time of year. [Read More…]
Many areas around the Midwest continue to creep towards an increasing drought situation (Fig. 1). Currently almost 80% of the Midwest is listed as being abnormally dry to exceptional drought (Fig. 2). Current soil moisture data indicates that most of the Midwest is very dry (Fig. 3). Going into the fall it’s very important[Read More…]
Many trees are planted for their beautiful fall color, especially in locations where the climate provides reliable autumn weather. I have said this multiple times during extension talks and conversations with submitters to the PPDL, but I seem to have not experienced a ‘normal’ fall since moving to Indiana with how erratic the weather has[Read More…]
When I was a kid, if you’d asked me what my favorite season was it would always immediately be summer. No school, time for playing outdoors, swimming, hiking, and late nights playing flashlight tag. Now, if I ranked the seasons from worst to best, they’d be Summer in last, followed by Winter (yes, I choose[Read More…]
Wet summer weather always brings in a surplus of plant diseases, but few are as dramatic as clematis blight, caused by the fungus now called Calophoma clematidina (formerly Ascochyta or Phoma clematidina) (Fig. 1). The rest of us simply call it clematis blight or clematis wilt. Why the confusion with both the common and Latin[Read More…]
Stop me if you’ve heard this one…. A tree is in a slow decline year after year. You are called to your client’s property only to find the root flare well below grade. Most professionals in the Green Industry have encountered this at some point in their career. The most common reason for the slow[Read More…]
Trees stressed by prolonged drought are more subject to attack by boring insects. This article provides tips and a video link on how to manage pines for borers. Record breaking heat and sporadic rainfall during July of 2023 took their toll on landscape trees. Cone bearing evergreens, like white pines, are especially susceptible to drought[Read More…]
This series will highlight unique and interesting landscape plants that are not as common in the landscape. Many of these plants aren’t readily available at your local nursery or garden center. If you are interested in purchasing one of these plants, I recommend contacting your local nursery or garden center about availability. Japanese Painted[Read More…]
Sign-up to receive email news and alerts from Purdue Landscape Working Group:
