Landscape, Ornamentals, Nursery, and Turf Edition
Seasonal updates on ornamental, nursery, and turf pests.
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Licensing for Mosquito Control – Category 8B
Answers to Emerald Ash Borer Questions
The NJ Emerald Ash Borer Task Force has agreed upon the following in response to EAB management questions in NJ:
- All ash trees in NJ should be considered at high risk for EAB.
- It is appropriate to begin treatment of high value ash trees throughout NJ now.
- For any questions about treatment methods, we should refer to the “Insecticide Options for Protecting Ash Trees from Emerald Ash Borer” bulletin on the website (emeraldashborer.nj.gov).
- We should recommend that people work with a Certified (Licensed) Tree Expert or Approved Consulting Forester to help them determine whether or not their ash trees are good candidates for a treatment program (vs. removal), and that they should contract a Certified Pesticide Applicator to complete any chemical treatments.
- Any trees determined to be of high safety risk should be removed immediately.
- Any actively infested trees should be cut down and chipped as soon as possible and then left on site (in the municipality).
- For all other ash, it is best to complete removals in the fall and winter. The material must be processed (chipped or de-barked) before emergence (by late April).
- For municipalities, we should recommend triage of the ash resource to spread out ash removals over several years.
Rich Buckley at the Rutgers Plant Diagnostic Lab has agreed to examine samples for EAB at no charge as long as they are brought to the lab.
Anyone interested should be directed to contact the Rutgers Plant Diagnostic Lab, and should bring the beetle, larvae, or sample of symptomatic tissue (chunk of bark with exit wound).
The NJ EAB Task Force is comprised of representatives from the NJ Department of Agriculture, NJ State Forest Service, USDA APHIS, Rutgers University, and the US Forest Service. The Task Force works to collaborate on EAB management decisions and advice, and to consolidate and disburse information and resources relevant to EAB in New Jersey.
Ladies and Gentlemen: Start Your Engines!
In February, I was scheduled to speak at a landscape program in Rockville, MD. Before I went on, I had a chance to chat with one of the other speakers–the esteemed entomologist from the University of Maryland, Dr. Mike Raupp–who said concerning the Emerald Ash Borer, “nobody believes you until the trees start dying.”
Greenhouse Production Short Course
Date: March 7 and 8, 2016
Location: NJ EcoComplex, Bordentown, NJCome learn about the exciting world of greenhouse production! In this two-day class, our team of expert instructors will cover the core topics you need to either get your greenhouse off the ground or improve an existing program. The class will include a tour of the EcoComplex greenhouse and a mini trade show featuring greenhouse structures and supplies.
This class will cover the topics below and more!
• Greenhouse Structures
• Heating
• Ventilation
• Cooling
• Supplemental Lighting
• Shading
• Control Systems
• High Tunnel Production
• Crop Production
• Hydroponics
• Irrigation
• Nutrient Management
• Pests and Diseases
• Aquaponics
• Specialty Crop Production
• Business Plan Basics
• Marketing and Sales
Killing Freezes… Finally
Many people are pleased that typical winter temperatures have taken so long to show up. Below are some interesting observations from early- to mid-winter in New Brunswick. Relatively warm soil temperatures (as high as mid-60s °F) stimulated growth late into December.
Dandelion bloom on 15 December 2015 in New Brunswick.
Primer: Landscape Dormant Oil Applications & Target Pests
In New Jersey, dormant oils (3-4%) are typically applied during March & April. However, many landscapers also apply dormant oils during the late fall months. Dormant oils have proven to be an effective material against a wide range of insect/mite pests & their eggs. Typical landscape pests targeted include spruce spider mites/eggs, southern red spider mites/eggs, oak spider mite eggs, aphid eggs, soft scales, armored scales (to a lesser degree), hemlock rust mites, spruce gall adelgids, lace bugs (deciduous plants), cankerworm eggs, psyllids, plant bugs, etc.