UMass Extension Landscape Message #14
June 5, 2008

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Quick Info Menu ------------------------------- SCOUTING INFORMATION REGIONAL NOTES - Cape Cod - Southeast - East - Metro West Waltham - Metro West Hopkinton - Central - Pioneer Valley - Berkshire ENVIRONMENTAL DATA PHENOLOGY WOODY ORNAMENTALS - Insects - Diseases - Weeds LANDSCAPE TURF 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 months of May and June this newsletter will be updated weekly. The next update will be available on June 12, 2008. Missed a previous message? Visit the Landscape Message Archive. Interested in additional turf-oriented content? UMass Extension Turf Program Management Updates

SCOUTING INFORMATION BY REGION

REGIONAL NOTES -

Cape Cod Region (Barnstable) – General Conditions: The past reporting period featured bright sunny weather with a passing shower over the weekend.  Soils are actually a bit on the dry side, and newly planted material will wilt if not watered regularly.  Many shrubs are in glorious bloom, and late spring perennials are also blooming at this time.  Pests/Problems:  Deer tick nymphs are active.  Be sure to do tick checks throughout the day if you are working in grassy and brushy areas.  Cicadas have emerged in Falmouth, Mashpee, Sandwich and Barnstable.  The chorus has yet to begin; but with the onset of a warm weather forecast, the singing will be loud and clear.  Winter moth caterpillars are beginning to spin down for pupation in the ground.  We have pockets of defoliation, most notably along the Route 28 corridor from Centerville to Mashpee. Overall, defoliation is scattered, with one street having bare trees and the next with trees fully foliated.  Asiatic garden beetles are active.  Earwigs are eating seedlings.  Carpenter bees have been reported.  Scab and cedar apple rust are visible on susceptible crabapple trees.  Azalea gall is prevalent, especially on Exbury hybrid azaleas.

Southeast Region (Hanson) – General Conditions: Hanson received 0.6 inches of rain the past week from a brief thunderstorm on Sunday, June 1.  Soils were very dry prior to the rain and could still use more. Remind clients to water newly planted trees and shrubs.  Cooler weather has prolonged bloom of many spring blooming plants.  It has been a banner year for rhododendrons and azaleas.  Amsonia, Geranium sp., Dicentra eximia, Baptisia sp., Vinca, Corydalis lutea, bleeding heart, Euphorbia polychroma, Brunnera macrophylla, Solomon's seal, Lunaria, Phlox subulata, Phlox divaricata, Phlox stolonifera,  Dianthus, Doronicum sp., sweet woodruff, columbine, viburnums, black locust, hawthorn, Wisteria, Styrax obassia, beautybush, Rosa rugosa, mockorange, Laburnum sp. (Goldenchaintree), Rutgers hybrid dogwoods, wild cherry, Weigela, Daphne x burkwoodii  'Carol Mackie', clematis, Siberian iris and bearded iris are in full bloom.  Depending on location, some Kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa) are in full bloom and others have expanded bracts but no color, yet.  Climbing hydrangea, Chionanthus virginicus and Lilac 'Miss Kim' arebeginning bloom.  Pests/Problems:  Winter moth caterpillars have started to pupate.  Damage does not appear to be as severe as the last few years although, some areas of Hull, Brockton, Easton, Taunton and Mansfield have reported high densities of winter moth. Asiatic garden beetles are actively feeding at night on a wide range of plant material.  European chafer beetle adults were found in soil.  Cottony camellia scale on Taxus, hemlock woolly adelgid, boxwood psyllid, azalea sawfly, lily leaf beetles, wasps and hornets, carpenter bees, mosquitoes, and ticks are all active.  Buttery-yellow mustard sallow caterpillars are feeding on witchhazel 'Arnold Promise'.  Roseslug sawfly larvae are feeding on the undersides of rose foliage.  If left unchecked, these larvae will skeletonize the foliage.  Deer tick nymphs are active.  At this stage, these ticks are very small, hard to detect, and often responsible for transmitting lyme disease. Frequent tick checks are recommended for everyone active out-of-doors.  We continue to see few gypsy moth and forest tent caterpillars.  Eastern tent caterpillar webs are quite visible.  Beneficial insects are active.  Buttercups, ground ivy and veronica are in full bloom.  Oriental bittersweet, another Massachusetts invasive plant, is in bloom.  Removing the plants now will help to prevent seed production and dispersal.  Oak leaf blister is showing up on oaks.  Dogwood anthracnose has shown up on susceptible flowering dogwoods.  Sycamore anthracnose has been observed on sycamores.  Azalea leaf gall (Exobasidium vaccinii) is showing up on deciduous azaleas.  Pollen count has been high.  Plymouth County Extension does not spray for mosquitoes.  The Plymouth County Mosquito Control in Kingston, MA sprays for mosquitoes.  The number for Plymouth County residents to call is 781-585-5450.

East Region (Boston) – General Conditions: Cool, breezy, and pleasant.

Metro West (Waltham) – General Conditions: Continuing to gradually warm up.  Rain has not been uniform over the area.  The soil in some places appears to be a bit dry.

Metro West (Hopkinton) – General Conditions: No conditions report available.

Central Region (Boylston) – General Conditions: Dry!

Pioneer Valley Region (Amherst) - General Conditions: Except for a shower on Saturday, this was a dry week and soil moisture is adequate but drying.  The Valley received about 2½ inches of rain in May.  Several observers noted the remarkable bloom of rhododendrons and lilacs this month.  They bloomed prolifically, and they were long lasting.  Iris and Oriental poppy are quite colorful in gardens.  Lawns remain green but show evidence of the lack of moisture.  Most conifers and deciduous trees continue to fill out their crowns.  Pests/Problems:  Mosquitoes are quite common along with houseflies, deer ticks, and dog ticks.  Close inspection of susceptible crabapples found the upper surface of the leaves had pea-sized yellow-orange lesions from a Gymnosporangium rust, probably cedar-apple rust.  Dime-sized splotches of powdery mildew and pea-sized horsechestnut (Guignardia) leaf blotch lesions are visible on lower and inner leaves of red horsechestnuts.

Berkshire Region (Great Barrington) - General Conditions: Plant growth and development are progressing rapidly.  Soil moisture is adequate.  Pests/Problems:  Dog and deer ticks, hornets and wasps, carpenter bees, gnats, mosquitoes, gypsy moth caterpillars, canker worms, pine spittle bug, boxwood pysllid, and roseslug larvae are currently present in landscapes.  

ENVIRONMENTAL DATA -

The following growing-degree-day (GDD) and precipitation data was collected for a one-week period, May 28, 2008 through June 3, 2008.  Soil temperature and phenological indicators were observed on June 3, 2008.  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.

PHENOLOGY -

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:

Indicator Plants - Stages of Flowering (begin, b/full, full, f/end, end)
PLANT NAME (Botanic/Common)	CAPE	SOUTH EAST	EAST	METRO W.		CENT.	P.V.	BERK.
				Waltham	Hopkinton
Rosa multiflora (Multiflora Rose)	*	*	begin	*	*	*	*	*
Philadelphus spp. (Mock Orange)	*	full	begin	*	*	*	*	*
Syringa reticulata (Japanese Tree Lilac)	*	*	full	*	*	*	*	*
Kalmia latifolia (Mountain Laurel)	begin	*	full	*	*	*	*	*
Cornus kousa (Kousa Dogwood)	begin	b/full	begin	begin	*	begin	b/full	begin
Chionanthus virginicus (Fringe Tree)	begin	begin	full	*	*	full	full	b/full
Wiegela florida (Wiegela)	begin	full	f/end	full	*	*	full	b/full
Kolkwitzia amabilis (Beautybush)	*	full	f/end	*	*	full	*	b/full
Deutzia spp. (Deutzia species)	b/full	full	full	*	*	full	*	b/full
Robinia pseudoacacia (Black Locust)	begin	full	full	full	*	full	*	full
Syringa meyeri (Korean Lilac)	begin	full	begin	full	*	full	full	full
Spirea x vanhouttei (Vanhoutte Spirea)	full	full	full	full	*	full	full	full
R. catawbiense (Catawba Rododendron)	full	full	full	full	*	full	full	full
Enkianthus. campanulatus (Redvein Enkianthus)	full	full	full	end	*	f/end	f/end	full
Aesculus hippocastanum (Horsechestnut)	full	full	full	*	*	full	f/end	f/end
Syringa vulgaris (Common Lilac)	f/end	end	f/end	end	*	end	f/end	f/end
* = no activity to report/information not available

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 – James Martin, Consulting Arborist, reporting from the UMass Extension Center, Waltham.

METRO WEST REGION – Mark Sawyer, Horticulturist, Weston Nurseries, Hopkinton.

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 -

Lepidopteran Caterpillars:

• Gypsy Moth - No reports of large numbers of this pest in MA have been received, yet.  It is assumed that numbers are low and that this pest will be of little concern this year.
  
  
• Forest Tent Caterpillar - Very few reports of problems with this species have been received this year.  This native species appears to be low in numbers, overall, across the state.  In the Amherst area, some FTC larvae are beginning to die from the fungus, Entomophaga sp.  If large and healthy populations are found, treat with a product that contains spinosad.
  
  
• Eastern Tent Caterpillar - This caterpillar is quickly nearing its pupation time.  Therefore, if noticeable population sizes and feeding injury have not yet been encountered, then treatments are not necessary.  Once pupation starts it will proceed quickly.  Any caterpillars found lingering on the silken web after pupation time are most likely parasitized and should be left alone.  These caterpillars are now incubators for natural control factors, and killing the caterpillars now will kill the parasites within them. 
  
  
• Fall Cankerworm - Population numbers appear to be very low statewide.  No reports have been received, yet.  If necessary, treat with a spinosad product or with one of the registered pyrethroid insecticides.
  
  
• Winter Moth - In the warmer regions, this caterpillar began dropping to the soil and pupating late last week.  This process will be stretched out for another 5-7 days given that winter moth hatching was staggered over a 10-14 day period due to cooler than normal spring temperatures and regional variations in climate.  Overall, winter moth was not at extreme levels this year but did exist in large enough numbers in certain random areas to warrant treatments.
  
  
• Euonymus Caterpillar is active and attacks several different forms of euonymus.  The tree form is often the preferred host, but others are susceptible.  This yellow caterpillar with black spots is “smooth-skinned” and initially appears sawfly-like, but closer inspection of the numbers of pairs of prolegs lets us know that it is in the lepidoptera and not the hymenoptera.  When occurring in large numbers, this caterpillar produces copious amounts of silk throughout the whole plant.  The silk and caterpillars are now very noticeable.  Much defoliation can occur.  Treat the same as the other lepidoptera caterpillars; however, it is now too late for B.t. to be effective.  This pest overwinters as a young larva and resumes activity once the new foliage appears in the spring. 
  

Hymenoptera Sawfly (Caterpillar) Larvae:

• Dogwood Sawflies − When we encounter this pest in MA on gray dogwood as well as redoisier dogwood, it is one of the dogwood sawfly species known as Macremphytus tarsatus.  The larvae of this particular specie starts appearing approximately mid July, and their activity can extend into the autumn months.  As the larva of these sawflies age, they begin producing a white wax over their bodies.  This, along with their tendency to sit on the foliage in a curled body shape, gives them the appearance of a bird dropping.  It is suspected that this is a defensive posture that they have evolved to avoid predation; no known parasites or predators have been detected for this species.  One report from Plymouth County was received early this week about sawfly caterpillars on dogwood.  It is too early in the season for it to be M. tarsatus.  However, there is another “dogwood sawfly” (M. varianus) that appears to be little known.  It does occur earlier in the growing season than M. tarsatus, and it can share the same host plants.  It is suspected that this is what was found.  Both species consume all but the main veins of the host foliage.  If necessary, treat either species with a product that contains spinosad.  Very young larvae can be treated with an insecticidal soap spray.
  
  
• European Pine Sawfly − This sawfly caterpillar is now active on such host plants as mugo and scots pines.  Once the dark green larvae hatch, they tend to cluster in large numbers on the tips of needles and continue to feed gregariously.  As they become larger (they grow quickly), they will consume the needle down to the fascicles.  The very young larvae are easily controlled with insecticidal soap OR horticultural oil sprays.  For the larger larvae, consider using a product that contains spinosad OR one of the pyrethroid insecticides.  This pest usually does not kill its host, but it can greatly impact the aesthetic value of the plant.  Small populations on individual branches can be pruned away and destroyed.
  
  
• Azalea Sawfly Caterpillar − This green sawfly caterpillar, which is virtually the same color as the host plant foliage, is now nearing the end of its feeding activity for the year.
  
  
• Birch Sawfly − The caterpillars of this pest will be observed soon wrapped around the margins of foliage of birches as they consume all but the main veins of the leaves.  Although not abundantly common in the state, it does appear somewhere here every year and is capable of causing serious defoliation if not treated.  Spinosad products or one of the registered pyrethroids work well.  Also, insecticidal soap works well when the larvae are still quite small. 
  

Beetles:

• Lily Leaf Beetle - First instar larvae were first seen in the Amherst area starting late last week.  As they feed by skeletonizing the foliage, they begin to cover their bodies with their own excrement.  Entire plants can be consumed to the soil if this pest is not treated.  NEEM works well for the larvae, once they appear, but needs to be reapplied every 10-14 days.  Spinosad products also work very well for the larvae.  Adult lily leaf beetle is best controlled with a pyrethroid insecticide.
  
  
• Viburnum Leaf Beetle is established in western MA (randomly throughout Berkshire County) and is expected to become a serious pest there.  Two reports from the town of Stockbridge (Berkshire County) were received late last week.   It is expected that this pest will continue to expand its invasion of MA given that it is in CT, RI, VT, NH, ME, and NY state.  Inspect all viburnum plants brought into the region from areas that already have this pest.  The larvae are active now and will continue to feed until late June.  Report any new finds in MA to: Bob Childs rchilds@psis.umass.edu or 413-545-1053.  Treat the same as for lily leaf beetle. For current information about this pest, visit the Cornell web site at http://www.hort.cornell.edu/vlb
  
  
• Imported Willow Leaf Beetle has been active for a few weeks and its damage is starting to become noticeable.  The adult beetle is rather small, rounded, and metallic green/blue in color.  The adult beetles will chew holes into the foliage, but it is the small black-colored larvae that create most of the injury.  Larvae will line up together on the foliage and scrape the upper layers.  This action causes the still-intact leaf to eventually die and turn brown.  This pest has multiple generations per year, and its damage can become severe by August when virtually all of the foliage on a willow will appear bronze in color, as if fire-swept.  All willows are susceptible.  Treating the adult beetle requires a pyrethroid insecticide while a product that contains spinosad works well for the larvae. 

Piercing-Sucking Pests:

• Lacebugs are becoming active now.  These serious pests always feed from the underside of the foliage, but they create the fine, yellow stippling feeding injury on the upper surface of the leaves.  Look at the bottom leaf surface of such affected leaves for the telltale signs of the brown fecal spots and the lacebugs themselves.  Inspect common host plants for this pest for last year’s damage.  Common hosts are:  Japanese andromeda, evergreen azaleas, rhododendron, cotoneaster, and hawthorn.  Systemic imidacloprid appears to be quite effective for managing this pest.  Also, horticultural oil sprays or insecticidal soap sprays that are targeted to the foliage underside is also effective for the small nymphs.   Susceptible plants growing in sunny areas will experience more damage given that heat greatly encourages lacebug populations. 
  
  
• Miscellaneous Aphid species are appearing now and building in numbers.  Monitor for honeydew and sooty mold.  Treat if necessary.  Systemic imidacloprid, or insecticidal soap sprays, or horticultural oil sprays are all effective treatments.  Maples, catalpa, tuliptree, lindens, and many others are common hosts.
  
  
• Taxus Mealybug is active.  Move the foliage of Taxus (Yew) back and inspect the inner branches and smaller stems for white, cottony masses.  This insect produces honeydew, which leads to the unsightly build-up of sooty molds.  Also, large populations can cause stunting and chlorosis of the foliage.  Treat with a systemic imidacloprid product or spray the inner branches and stems with a horticultural oil spray or with one of the registered pyrethroid insecticides.
  
  
• Spider Mites - Inspect spruce, hemlock, fir, and others for the signs of last year’s feeding damage by these tiny but very prolific and potentially damaging pests.  Inspect very closely for the now-active mites, which will require a good hand lens or microscope.  If found, treat with an oil spray or with one of the new mite growth regulators.  Monitor for the actual mites by shaking a branch over a white piece of paper and then inspecting with a hand lens for the mobile mites.
  
  
• Clover Mites − A few calls have been received recently concerning this occasional pest.  Clover mites become active in the spring and feed on a wide range of host plants.  They are very small and usually go unnoticed.  However, they have the potential to invade homes and become a nuisance.  They do not bite people, but their numbers, when occurring indoors, often causes alarm.  Preventing them from invading is the best overall strategy.  It is recommended that grass, weeds and other lush vegetation be kept 18-24 inches from the house around the foundation, especially on the sunnier sides.  It is claimed that clover mites will not cross over bare ground.  Many pesticide products are also labeled for the control of this mite.  As always, make sure that the recommended pesticides are labeled for use in your state and always, read, understand and follow all labeled directions for use of such products. Ohio Extension has a very informative fact sheet concerning this pest that can be obtained at the following web site:  http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2095.html
  
  
• Hemlock Woolly Adelgid - This pest is on the rebound in MA after several years of occuring in low numbers due to the exceptionally cold winter of 2005.  However, it reproduces quickly and not much else controls its number naturally here.  Inspect for the new cottony egg masses that have been appearing for the past couple of weeks.  A horticultural oil spray, at the summer rate (be careful of tender new foliage now emerging), systemic imidacloprid or systemic dinotefuran (Safari™ ), are all effective against this very serious pest.   NOTE: Safari™ is a State Restricted Use pesticide in Massachusetts.  (See Elongate Hemlock Scale, which appears next.)
  
  
• Elongate Hemlock Scale (aka Fiorinia Scale) − Inspect hemlocks closely for this pest.  If the plant appears weakened or sickly and has hemlock woolly adelgid, which is very obvious, take the extra time to closely inspect the undersides of the needles for this scale.  Fiorinia scale is very small, brown and mostly oval in shape.  Many of these may be present per needle (on the underside only).  In some cases, it will be the primary reason that a hemlock looks to be in ill-health.  Imidicloprid, which works pretty well systemically for hemlock woolly adelgid, does not have much of an impact on this scale.  Horticultural oil sprays, which also work well on Hemlock woolly adelgid tends to provide minimal control for this scale.  Safari™ (dinotefuran), a relatively new neonicotinoid, does show good promise for Fiorinia scale and works well when utilized as a systemic.  However, in Massachusetts, it has a “State Restricted Use” labeling due to groundwater concerns.   Fiorinia scale is difficult to control.  Unlike most armored scales in the Northeast, it produces crawlers throughout much of the growing season.  If found, treat it aggressively.  Fiorinia scale is a very serious pest of hemlock and can occur on conifers other than hemlock.  
  
  
• Cryptomeria Scale was found on Cape Cod last fall as well as in Rhode Island (not far from the MA border.  This was the first time that this scale has been found in MA.  Both finds were on Christmas trees in the nursery (plantation).  This scale attacks various conifers and has the potential to be a serious pest; our finds were both on fir.  Inspect needles for yellowing (stippling) and the presence of the scale on the needle undersides.  Treat with a horticultural oil if found. 
  
  
• Cottony Camellia Scale (aka Cottony Taxus Scale) remains active.  Inspect the foliage of Taxus and certain hollies for white, oval and waxy scale coverings.  If found, inspect foliage further for the tiny yellow nymphs, which have overwintered on the twigs and have now migrated to the foliage.  This pest has been actively feeding already this spring.  If this pest was active last year, then look for the buildup of sooty molds as well.  Larger population numbers can contribute to poor plant growth and unsightly sooty mold.  Systemic imidacloprid or dintotefuran (Safari™) should be effective.  Oil sprays, also, are effective but be careful with their use on hollies, which may be sensitive to oils.
  
  
• Boxwood Psyllid causes cupping of the new foliage that remains on the host plant for a year or more.  It does not result in yellow stippling injury.  Inspect susceptible boxwoods now for new, cupped foliage and the white wax that is produced by the tiny psyllids.  Contact insecticides, such as soap and oils may not provide good controls given that the pest is protected within the cupped foliage.  Certain pyrethroids are labeled for this pest.

Leaf Miners:

• Birch Leafminer − Mature larvae are now dropping to the soil to pupate.  There is no longer a concern about this species for this year.
  
  
• Arborvitae Leafminer − There are two species of what is commonly called “arborvitae leafminer” in Massachusetts.  The more common species remains within the foliage as a larva until early to mid June whereupon it pupates (within the foliage), and the tiny off-white moths then appear around mid to late June.  The adult moths are not attracted to yellow sticky cards, so gently shake foliage to dislodge the moths.  Treat with a pyrethroid insecticide when the adults are found to prevent re-infestation.  The other species, which is more common in coastal areas of MA, emerges early in the season and spins a small silken cocoon that slightly resembles a fuzzy grain of rice.  In large numbers, there may be countless numbers of these cocoons visible on the foliage.  Again, wait for the adults to emerge and treat the same as the other species.  Eggs of both species are deposited on the foliage and not within the foliage.  A well-timed horticultural oil spray may be effective for managing these eggs but timing is essential.  Most eggs (both species) will be on the undersides of the foliage.
  
  
• Native Holly Leafminer − This pest of American holly has been in the foliage as a larva since last June.  It creates a serpentine (winding) mine initially, and then it settles in one part of the leaf and makes a large blotch mine.  Several mines may be present per leaf when it occurs in large numbers.  Pupation will begin soon, and the adult flies start to emerge around mid June.  Monitor for the adult flies with yellow sticky cards and treat with a pyrethroid insecticide when present to prevent re-infestation.
  
  

Cool Stuff:

• Periodical Cicada − Reports began coming in late last week about the beginning emergence of this unique insect, which takes 17 years to reach the adult stage.  Cool weather has delayed its emergence, but it is now on the verge of exploding.  Thousands upon thousands of cicadas will emerge within one to two days time at the peak.

Miscellaneous Stuff:

• Ground Bees - Many calls have been received this year concerning solitary bees nesting in turf, which includes home lawns, parks, athletic fields and school grounds.  When these bees are prevalent, such as this year, they can cause alarm.  However, most of these are fairly docile and only sting (or in some cases, bite) when seriously provoked.  There are many types of these ground bees ranging from digger bees, mining bees, cicada killers, leaf-cutting bees and others.  Overall, these bees appear more problematic than they actually are, and most will greatly subside in activity by early to mid June.  Occasionally, controls may be necessary, primarily on athletic fields, where encounters between humans and bees may become significant and also where rare but very large numbers of these bees may soften the playing surface to the point of risking injury to players.Ohio Extension has a very informative fact sheet on the topic which can be obtained at the following web site: http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2143.html
  
  
• Linden Bark Borer Moth − This obscure insect is rarely noticed, but the adult moths of the species are about to become active.  The larvae spend a year feeding within the bark (not under the bark in the cambium but in the bark).  It seems to create no problems, but their activity at this time of the year causes a fine red sawdust to be pushed out into the bark furrows, and this can be quite noticeable.  The adult moth is rather small but is quite attractive (black, red and white markings).  Controls are not necessary.

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

LANDSCAPE TURF

WEEDS -

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 Alternatively, call the lab at (413) 545-2311.

NEXT UPDATE: The next issue will be available on June 12, 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.

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