UMass Extension Landscape Message #26
November 10, 2006

Quick Info Menu ------------------------------- ENVIRONMENTAL DATA REGIONAL NOTES - Cape Cod - Southeast - East - Central - Pioneer Valley - Berkshire PHENOLOGY WOODY ORNAMENTALS - Insects - Diseases - Lab Report - Weeds TURFGRASS - Insects - Diseases - Weeds INFO RESOURCES DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES Use this menu to instantly jump to any portion of the message!

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 has updated this issue to provide timely pest management information and the latest regional news and environmental data throughout Massachusetts. During the period November to February, this newsletter will be updated monthly. The next update will be available in early December. Missed a previous message? Visit the Landscape Message Archive. Interested in additional turf-oriented content? UMass Extension Turf Program Management Updates

ENVIRONMENTAL DATA

The following growing-degree-day (GDD) and precipitation data was collected for a ~four-week period, October 5, 2006 through November 8, 2006. Soil temperature and phenological indicators were observed on November 8, 2006. Accumulated GDDs represent the heating units above a 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 month of October was generally mild, with temperatures averaging in the mid-60 F range. Several days reached into the low 70’s and the overall weather pattern was dry. In open areas of the upper Cape, light frosts occurred on October 14th, with frost occurring on the lower Cape late in the month. Fall color has been quite nice on the Cape this year. There appear to be a heavy berry set on Ilex species. Pests/Problems: None significant.

Southeast Region (Hanson) - General Conditions: Cooler days and nights with some perfect fall days have prevailed the past month. The Hanson area had two frosts but landscape roses, some garden Phlox, Corydalis lutea, monkshood and fall mums are still in bloom. Hanson received 3.9 inch of rain. The foliage of magnolia, beech, birch, dogwoods, many maples (Japanese, paperbark), forsythia, red oaks, and Metasequoia are all adding color to the landscape. The red fruits of many plants are adding color to the landscape including Kousa dogwood, cotoneaster, Viburnum trilobum and hollies. Pests/Problems: Deer ticks are active. Check frequently especially after fall cleanups. Fall invaders, like ladybugs and western conifer seed bugs, have started to enter buildings. Bruce spanworm moths have started to emerge in western MA. We may see them soon in the southeast region along with fall cankerworm moths and maybe winter moths, which usually start to appear around Thanksgiving. Now is a good time for fall cleanup especially those areas that had significant plant disease problems like powdery mildew, apple scab, black spot, anthracnose, etc. There are no other insects or diseases to report.

East Region (Boston) - General Conditions: No report.

Central Region (Boylston) - General Conditions: No report.

Pioneer Valley Region (Amherst) - General Conditions: Alas, the first frosts of autumn amid the heavy rains brought a colorful albeit soggy autumn to the Pioneer Valley. There is still a fair amount of fall color in the Valley. Oaks, Norway maple, ginkgo, and others are showing yellow to shades of tan-brown. Regular rainfall in the Pioneer Valley throughout the month of October kept lawns in the area a rich green, and September lawn renovations/seeding established well. Pests/Problems: The yellowing of Norway maple leaves made the tar spot disease more obvious than it already was on the green leaves. The six-plus inches of rainfall this month left the soil quite saturated in the Valley with “vernal” pools forming in lowland areas.

Berkshire Region (Great Barrington) - General Conditions: No report.

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, UMass Extension Plant Diagnostic Lab, UMass, Amherst.

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

WOODY ORNAMENTALS

INSECTS

The vast majority of insects are now dormant. However, a few remain and a few others are about to have their last period of activity for this year.

• Red-headed Pine Sawfly may still be active in the more moderated climates (coastline) where cold weather has not yet been enough to cease their activity. However, they are virtually through for this year.

• House invaders are still very active. These include: Asian ladybird beetles (ladybugs), western conifer seedbug, boxelder bugs, mimosa webworm caterpillars, others. Work to prevent them entering the home by fixing screening and caulking.
  
• Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) has become active and will continue to feed and develop from now until next March whereupon new eggs will be produced and then a second generation of adelgids will become active. Last winter’s unprecedented cold spell greatly reduced the numbers of this pest but they will rebound. Monitor for developing populations and earmark them for treatment next spring.
  
• Fall Cankerworm and Winter Moth adults will appear starting around Thanksgiving time. Flight may continue into December if temperatures remain mild. Both species have winged males that can fly and wingless females that do not fly. Eggs will be laid and will remain dormant until the spring. Last year’s population of winter moth was extremely high and male moth emergence was often described as “a blizzard of moths”. Both species are active night fliers and are attracted to lights. Many trees in the Plymouth County area, which have been defoliated for several consecutive years by winter moth, started displaying signs of decline this last growing season. Make note of such trees and be prepared to provide them with some extra TLC next spring, if possible.
  
• Forest Tent Caterpillar and Eastern Tent Caterpillar populations have been on the rise in MA as well as in much of southern New England. Monitor host plants for their egg masses and be prepared to intervene early next spring in those areas of high populations.
  
• Gypsy moth is also showing signs of increasing in numbers across the state. Monitor for their egg masses as well.

Nuisance Pests:

• Boxelder bug will soon be leaving its preferred host, female boxelder, where it feeds primarily on the seeds, and will seek shelter in protected areas, such as your house. When infested trees grow within close proximity to homes, thousands of these black bugs with red markings will cluster on the sides of homes.

• Birch catkin bug is still active and feeding on seeds of birch. These very small and tan-colored bugs also can be a nuisance when infested plants are close to homes or other often utilized buildings.

• Western conifer seedbug, which has been feeding mostly on seeds of conifers all summer, will soon seek shelter, often in homes. These bugs are rather large (approx. 3/4"), dark in color and rather slow movers. They emit a foul-smelling odor when handled.

• Asian ladybird beetle (ladybugs) will seek winter shelter within the next month, depending on the weather. These dull-orange-colored beetles have between zero and 19 black spots and can invade by the thousands. Although very beneficial through much of the growing season by feeding on scale insects and aphids, they become a horrific nuisance when they invade houses. When handled, this insect exudes an orange colored liquid that is not only noxious, it can stain fabrics and other surfaces.
  
• Management of House Invaders - The following are guidelines for management of insects that seek shelter indoors for the winter:
  • inspect and fix all caulking around windows, doors and attic vents.
  • repair all screening.
  • repair loose siding that may act as entry points.
  • once they are inside, vacuum up the invaders and then remove the bag from the cleaner and place outside. Otherwise, they will crawl out of the vacuum and re-invade the house.
  • “bug bomb” type treatments can be utilized; but if the above precautions are utilized, these pests will be prevented from invading in the first place.

Reported by Robert Childs, Entomologist, UMass Extension Landscape, Nursery and Urban Forestry Program, Amherst.

Dormant season care of deciduous trees and shrubs - As the plants go dormant, 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 fungi will be present in the area to initiate infections next spring. In addition, if leaf spots and blights are recurring, unsightly problems, resistant varieties, or other plants better adapted to the site may be available to replace them.

Black spot on rose can be ugly and destructive to highly susceptible plants. Black, rounded spots develop on infected leaves and rose hips. Infected first year canes have lesions that are reddish colored initially and then turn black. Black, pinhead-sized fruiting structures develop in the center of the spots and infected leaves turn yellow and drop off prematurely. Remove and dispose of infected leaves and canes. If black spot is severe and replacement is an option, many beautiful, resistant varieties are available.

Tar spot on maple is especially obvious on Norway maple leaves as black, tar-like fruiting structures on the yellowing leaves. Tar spot infections do not threaten the fitness of an otherwise healthy tree. Most of the leaf area remained green throughout the summer so the tree had plenty of leaf area to photosynthesize and produce what it needs to thrive. Reduce the potential for next year’s infections by collecting and disposing of diseased leaves as they fall. This reduces the amount of inoculum available when conditions are cool and moist next spring and the fungus spores can infect young maple leaves. Applications of protective fungicides are unnecessary except to preserve the appearance of high value trees.

Ramorum Blight, also known as Sudden Oak Death (SOD). Since the early 1990’s, oaks and tanoaks were 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. The first positive identification of the disease was in 1995 on tanoak in Mill Valley (Marin County), California. Since that time, surveys confirmed Phytophthora ramorum on various native hosts and nursery plants in several locations in California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. When nursery surveys find infected plants, prompt quarantine and/or eradication activities ensue. Research conducted by the Agriculture Research Service, US Forest Service, universities, and others is under way to better identify hosts, improve methods of detection, and develop effective treatments. USDA APHIS currently regulates 84 plants, two of which are at the genus level (Camellia and Rhododendron). There are no chemical treatments currently available to eliminate Phytophthora ramorum from infected plants.

Status of Phytophthora ramorum 2006 Monitoring Surveys:

Federal Order, State Inspection, National Survey, and Other Finds. The Federal Order, State Inspection, National Survey, and/or other detections identified 62 positive sites in 11 states. Alabama , Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Maine, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania had one positive each; California had twenty-seven positives; Florida had three positives; Oregon had thirteen positives; and Washington had eight positives.

National Nursery Survey. As of October 16, the forty-six participating states reported on their National Nursery Survey results. Alaska , Iowa, Missouri, and Puerto Rico are not participating in the National Survey, and Wisconsin is looking for P. ramorum as part of their regular nursery inspection. Inspectors visited 4,284 nurseries and collected 111,084 samples. Lab evaluation confirmed that 362 of the samples collected were positive for infection by P. ramorum.

Forest Detection Survey. The United States Forest Service (USFS) and states are conducting nursery perimeter and general forest detection surveys. As of October 16, USFS reports 637 nursery perimeter surveys in 29 states with 1842 samples collected. USFS also conducted 366 general forest surveys in 29 states, with 922 samples collected.

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

WEEDS

No report: Visit the Landscape Message Archive for previous messages.

TURFGRASS

Insects: No report: Visit the Landscape Message Archive for previous messages.

Weeds: No report: Visit the Landscape Message Archive for previous messages.

Don't forget to visit the UMass Extension Online Weed Herbarium!

The freshly revised 2006-2007 Professional Guide for IPM in Turf for Massachusetts features the latest techniques critical to environmentally sensitive, integrated management of lawns, athletic fields, and golf courses. The guide, intended for use by professionals, presents research-based material regarding turfgrass selection and water conservation, as well as current approaches for managing disease, insect, weed, and nematode problems. Municipal and school officials charged with establishing IPM programs in their communities and gardeners and homeowners serious about sensibly caring for their properties will find unique and critical information in the guide as well.

The 2006-2007 Professional Guide can be used effectively in a wide range of management schemes: from organic, to low-maintenance, to high-intensity care of high-use turf. Alternative and cultural pest control options are highlighted, and pesticide selection advice is based on least environmental impact. While certain portions of the guide are specific to Massachusetts, much of the information is applicable throughout New England. Initially developed in 1991, this revision for 2006-2007 marks the 8th edition of this popular publication.

To obtain a copy, order online from the Outreach Bookstore (http://umassoutreachbookstore.com); or call the UMass Outreach Bookstore. The phone number is (413) 545-2717. In either case, payment may be made by credit card. Alternatively, you may visit the UMass Outreach Bookstore during normal business hours; Monday through Thursday from 9AM-3PM, closed Friday. The bookstore is located in Draper Hall on the UMass campus.

UMass Extension’s Turf Management Guide and IPM Facts: For more information about the turf pests mentioned in this message, you will need to refer to the following publications: the freshly revised Professional Guide for IPM in Turf for Massachusetts, 2006-2007 edition and Turf IPM Facts . Call (413) 545-2717 to order these publications from the UMASS Outreach 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

Lyme Disease Diagnostics - UMass Extension, in cooperation with researchers at UMass Amherst, will assess deer ticks for the presence of Lyme Disease. There is a fee of $35 per sample. To submit a sample, follow the directions at the UMass Extension tick diagnostics website at http://www.umass.edu/agland/diagnostics/lyme_disease.htm (or Google: UMass Extension Tick). After submission, results will be reported within 10 business days. Be advised: If someone has been infected by a tick bite, symptoms may begin to occur even before the results of tick testing are available. People should not wait for tick testing results before seeking medical advice should any symptoms develop. For specific information, contact: Dr. Craig Hollingsworth, (413) 545-1055, chollingsworth@umext.umass.edu.

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NEXT UPDATE: The next issue will be available in early December.

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 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. 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.

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