Landscape, Ornamentals, Nursery, and Turf Edition
Seasonal updates on ornamental, nursery, and turf pests.
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EPA Requires Cancellation of Pentachlorophenol to Protect Human Health
2022 NJ Ag Convention & Trade Show Update – Pesticide Credits Posted
The final program agenda for the educational sessions of the 2022 NJ Ag Convention & Trade Show with assigned pesticide re-certification credits has been posted at the Vegetable Growers Association of NJ website: vganj.com on the ‘Schedule’ tab. Pesticide credits will only be issued to those attending and signing the roster in the educational sessions in Atlantic City. There are no options for viewing presentations online.
There has been some confusion about COVID-19 protocols for attending. The NJ Department of Agriculture/State Board of Agriculture sessions and meal functions (luncheons and banquet) will have strict masking and pre-testing requirements to enter those rooms per memo from Secretary of Agriculture Doug Fisher earlier this week. There will be some on-site testing opportunities available in case you are unable to be tested before getting to Atlantic City.
However, these mandates are not requirements, though highly recommended, for attending the educational sessions or the trade show portions of this event. There will be some masks available throughout the conference venue.
Hope to see you there!
Next Tuesday 2/8 – Nursery Sessions at the Atlantic City Agricultural Convention and Tradeshow
Please join us on Tuesday 2/8 – for a full day of nursery and ornamental educational sessions
NJ Agricultural Convention and Tradeshow – Nursery and Ornamental Sessions (Atlantic City – in-person) This upcoming Tuesday
- See here for a full list of speakers and here to register
- Speaker highlight – If you have issues with Red-headed flea beetle you don’t want to miss our guest speaker Danny Lauderdale (NC State), he will be discussing control options for adults and larvae. We are EXTREMELY lucky to have this opportunity – Don’t miss this, he basically wrote the book on this pest.
- Pesticide credits requested
Upcoming educational and credit opportunities – either Rutgers led or in cooperation with Rutgers RCE
There are numerous educational opportunities in the next few weeks that are either led directly by Rutgers RCE faculty or Rutgers faculty served on the association’s Educational Committee
Rutgers Led Programing:
1. This Saturday (1/29 – 12:00 – 1:30pm) – NJ Christmas Tree Growers Association – Annual Winter Meeting – Virtual – Open to anyone but you must register – click here (Must upload IDs to a Rutgers Connect Secure Folder – click here to upload Gov. ID and Pesticide license for this meeting only!)
- 12:00 – 12:45pm – Tim Waller and Bill Errickson – Detection and Management of Phytophthora in Christmas Trees – update from summer research
- 12:45-1:30pm – George Hamilton – Pesticide Safety and Regulations Update
- Pesticide credits (1x CORE, PP2, 3A, 10)
2. (2/8 – Morning and Afternoon Sessions) – NJ Agricultural Convention and Tradeshow – Nursery and Ornamental Sessions (Atlantic City – in-person)
- See here for a full list of speakers and here to register
- Speaker highlight – If you have issues with Red-headed flea beetle you don’t want to miss our guest speaker Danny Lauderdale (NC State), he will be discussing control options for adults and larvae. We are EXTREMELY lucky to have this opportunity – Don’t miss this, he basically wrote the book on this pest.
- Pesticide credits available
Rutgers advisory to associations’ Educational Committee Events:
1. (2/2 and 2/3) – NJ Nursery and Landscape Association – Total Pro Expo (in-person)
- See here for a full list of speakers and here to register
- RCE speakers include Tim Waller, Bill Errickson, Steve Rettke, Rich Buckley, and Raul Cabrera
- Multiple forms of recertification credits
2. (2/23) – NJ Landscape Contractors Association – Landscape New Jersey (in-person)
- See here for a full list of speakers and here for more information
- RCE speakers include Tim Waller, Bill Errickson, Lauren Errickson, Rich Buckley, Sabrina Tirpak, George Hamilton, Raul Cabrera and Christina Kaunzinger
We look forward to seeing everyone at these virtual or in-person events soon! Stay tuned for more programing as the seasons develops.
Rutgers is dedicated to protecting your privacy and keeping your personal information safe. Upon upload, your files will be encrypted and stored to Rutgers Connect. Your information will be kept strictly confidential; used solely to meet NJDEP ID verification protocol for recertification credit; and will not be used for any other purpose. Your files will be deleted within 60 days after the training event.
On-line Ordering of Free COVID-19 At-Home Test Kits Now Open
Per the National Association of Community Health Workers <https://nachw.org/>,
“The COVID-19 pandemic shows no signs of slowing down, especially given the rise of the Omicron variant. … It is more important than ever … to have the necessary tools to safeguard … against the disease. As a result, NACHW [is] be supporting the Biden-Harris Administration’s rapid test distribution [program] … to equitably distribut[e] over 500 million tests, with the end goal of the initiative being the proliferation of testing and vaccine resources to our hardest-hit and highest-risk communities.
Ordering for free at-home COVID-19 tests is now open. When you click on the order link below, you will be asked for your zip code. Ordering today will be available to zip codes with the highest vulnerability to COVID-19. Starting this Wednesday (January 19), ordering for free at-home COVID-19 tests through this program will be open to everyone. There is a limit of 4 tests per household address and kits will be shipped by the end of January via the US Postal Service.
Use this link to order – https://nachw.org/covidtests/
Tree-of-Heaven: Best Herbicide Treatment and Removal Timing
Removing the Tree-of-Heaven (TOH):
During the winter, arborist companies will often take advantage of the slow season and perform needed tree removal services for clients. However, these professionals know when dealing with the tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima) the off-season is only a suitable time for removal if a previous herbicide treatment was applied during the late summer or early fall seasons (i.e., mid-July to mid-October). Then during the off-season, the trees can be cut & removed from mid-November thru April (Figure 1).

(Fig. 1) The cutting & removal of this cluster of tree-of-heaven trees should only be done in the winter if herbicide treatments were applied during the late summer or fall seasons. (Photo Credit: Steven K. Rettke, Rutgers Coop. Ext.)
If a tree-of-heaven (TOH) is cut & removed without first using an herbicide & waiting at least 30 days, then the tree will respond with potentially dozens of trunk sprouts & root suckers that could emerge 50-feet from a large parent tree. Applying the herbicide during mid-July to mid-October when the tree is most actively translocating photosynthates to the root system will allow the herbicide to move further distances most effectively through the phloem. This will help reduce problems with trunk sprouts & root suckers which this tree species is notoriously known to produce (Figure 2).