Greenscape Gardens Green Blog

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER, THOUGHT FOR THE DAY!
Every flower must grow..........through dirt!

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LEWIS & CLARK EXPEDITION 200 YEARS AGO TODAY 12/30/1804

Many Indians visit Fort Mandan today and they are amazed at the forge's bellows despite of the cold -20 F day outside.

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STATE AGRICULTURE OFFICIALS WORKING TO TRACE OAK DISEASE

The Missouri Department of Agriculture announced they were stepping up surveillance at Missouri nurseries for the plant disease Phytophthora ramorum in response to recent identification of the disease in a southern California nursery.

"Our inspectors are visiting nurseries and dealers looking at plants for potential symptoms," said state entomologist, Mike Brown. "At this point, we're not sure if infected stock reached the borders of our state, but we're working with officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to conduct trace forwards."

The fungus-like disease, which leads to a condition often referred to as "sudden oak death," was first discovered in June 2000 in northern California. It has since been linked to the loss of ten of thousands of oak trees in California and Oregon forests. Thought to thrive only in wet environments typical of the coastal region, the discovery of the disease in southern California, an area with a very dry, desert-like climate, was unexpected and concerning.

"Until this discovery, scientific evidence suggested the disease couldn't establish itself in dryer climates like those found in the interior of the United States," Brown said. "But this discovery may change that way of thinking."

The plant stock in question was sent from Monrovia Nursery in Azusa, California, a 500 acre facility that ships millions of plants every year to nurseries across the United States and throughout Canada. The disease was confirmed among a supply of camellias at the nursery. Samples have been taken from additional California nurseries, and officials are waiting for confirmation from plant pathologists.

Brown noted the disease may have been introduced to several sites across the country, given that many of the plants thought to have been affected were shipped in 2003. Identification of the disease could be hampered by the similarity of the symptoms, such as bark cankers and browning leaves, to other plant diseases.

"We're vigilant and staying informed, and that's important at this stage," Brown said. "There's really no cause for alarm at this time."

The USDA expanded its quarantine in California, restricting the movement of all known host plants and associated stock, including rhododendrons, camellias and others. The quarantine applies to the entire state of California. Nurseries are not allowed to ship known host plants until they've been inspected and found free of the disease. In addition to the quarantine, a national survey will be conducted to determine the scope and distribution of the disease.

Brown says officials are still trying to determine the impact the disease would have on Missouri's oak forest should it become established. Lab tests indicate the state's species of oak trees are susceptible to the disease, but it's not clear if the environment will support it.

For additional information about sudden oak death, contact the department's Plant Industries Division at 573-751-5505. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has established a web site listing plants susceptible to the disease. That list can be downloaded at www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/ispm/sod.

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LAWN FACTS

Front lawns of just eight average houses have the cooling effect of about 70 tons of air conditioning, while the average home size cntral air unit has only a 3 to 4 ton capacity.

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CEDAR APPLE RUST

When the warmer weather of spring arrives, it also announces cedar apple rust in both apples and flowering crabs.

This fungus has two different hosts in the disease cycle. The fungus, Gymnosporangium juniper-virginianae, infects red cedar or the common juniper during late summer and produces small greenish-brown galls at the base of the needdles. They enlarge up to 1 to 2 inches in diameter. In the spring, during warm wet weather of April and May, the galls develop conspicuous orange-brown jelly-like structures know as “telial horns”, one half to 2 inches in length. Spores are wind blown from these structures to apples or flowering crabs. Infections on the apple leaves occur throughout the early part of the season. Small yellow spots develop on the upper surfaces of the apple leaves of susceptible varieties.

In late summer, spores (aeciospores) are produced on the lower surfaces of the spots on the apple leaves, and are carried by wind back to red cedars to complete the disease cycle. Cedar apple rust can be controlled by keeping apples and cedar trees sufficiently far apart from each other to reduce potential infections. Homeowners may not be able to have this benefit when a neighbor has a red cedar or juniper.

Fungicide applications to the apples can be made to reduce infections on the leaves. There are several labeled fungicides available. For maximum control, consult an urban forester or tree care company to have these valuable trees properly cared for.

For additional information concerning Apple Cedar Rust and some great photos go to the Ohio State website at

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/3000/3005.html

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GREENSCAPE GARDENS JOKE OF THE DAY!

A little boy forgot his lines in a Sunday School presentation. His
mother, sitting in the front row to prompt him, gestured and formed the words silently with her lips, but it didn't help. Her son's memory was blank.

Finally she leaned forward and whispered the cue, "I am the light
of the world.

"The child beamed and with great feeling and a loud, clear
voice said, "My mother is the light of the world."