It’s Back!

Boxwood samples have been coming into the Plant Diagnostic Laboratory on a daily basis since the winter. Most of them have been diagnosed with winter damage, boxwood leafminer, or Volutella stem and leaf blight. Yesterday, we got our first sample with boxwood blight! The situation was typical of several others in New Jersey – new transplants this spring and then a bunch of dead shrubs mid-summer.

Boxwood blight infected sample is in the black plastic bag. Winter damaged boxwood sample is on the counter. Photo: Richard Buckley, Rutgers PDL

Boxwood blight infected sample is on the floor in the black plastic bag. Winter damaged boxwood sample is on the counter. Photo: Richard Buckley, Rutgers PDL

Just a short note today to keep you on your toes! And by the way, please notice how the sample was submitted – an entire plant, double-bagged…

What is that on my shoe?

Some may call it endoplasmic reticulum, some may run screaming from the blob, and still others might simply say that the dog just yacked in the yard. Me, I just call them cool and with all the rain and humidity in the last couple weeks, the Plant Diagnostic Lab has had a run on slime molds.

Slime mold (Physarum) plasmodia on Kentucky bluegrass. Photo: Becky Sesnowich, Tinton Falls

Slime mold (Physarum sp.) plasmodium on Kentucky bluegrass. Photo: Becky Sesnowich, Tinton Falls

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Golf Turf Diseases of the Week: Here Comes the Fuzz!

For the most part, late spring and early summer this year has been reasonable, weather-wise. So goes the weather, so goes the turfgrass. So far, the turfgrass submissions to the Plant Diagnostic Laboratory have been slow and steady… until last week, that is. Golf turf suddenly realized it was summer and the party started with some dollar spot.

Dollar spot sample. You know things are crazy in the field when we get samples of dollar spot from golf guys! Photo: Sabrina Tirpak, Rutgers PDL

Dollar spot sample. You know things are crazy in the field when we get samples of dollar spot from golf guys! Photo: Sabrina Tirpak, Rutgers PDL

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Rusty, but never Crusty

Last week I had the pleasure of attending New Jersey Christmas Tree Growers’ Association Annual Twilight Meeting at Black Oak Farm in Asbury, New Jersey.

New Jersey Christmas Tree growers share tips on tree care during NJCTGA twilight meeting at Black Oak Farm. Photo: Tim Dunne

New Jersey Christmas Tree growers share tips on tree care during NJCTGA twilight meeting last week at Black Oak Farm. Photo: Tim Dunne

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They’re Everywhere! They’re Everywhere!

Asian Longhorned Beetle and now the Emerald Ash Borer garner all the attention, but a group of tiny exotic wood boring beetles, known as “Asian Ambrosia Beetles,” has been quietly invading the state for the last decade. First appearing in our laboratory database in 2006, by 2008 these beetles had found widespread distribution in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast region.

Larva, pupa, and adult granulate ambrosia beetle. Photo: Sabrina Tirpak, Rutgers PDL

Larva, pupa, and adult granulate ambrosia beetle. Photo: Sabrina Tirpak, Rutgers PDL

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Golf Turf Disease of the Week: Anthracnose Basal Crown Rot

Surprise, surprise! Our old friend anthracnose basal crown rot just came home to roost! An unexpected influx of putting green samples diagnosed with anthracnose were submitted to Rutgers Plant Diagnostic Lab this week.

Sample of a mixed bent grass and annual bluegrass putting green with anthracnose basal crown rot. Photo: Sabrina Tirpak, Rutgers PDL

Sample of a mixed bent grass and annual bluegrass putting green with anthracnose basal crown rot. Photo: Sabrina Tirpak, Rutgers PDL

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