Landscape, Ornamentals, Nursery, and Turf Edition
Seasonal updates on ornamental, nursery, and turf pests.
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February 27, 2017 Jim Murphy
Warm Air, Cool Soil
Warm air temperatures build anticipation of plant growth but keep in mind that cool soil temperatures will strongly moderate growth during the spring. Turf growth typically will be very slow until soil temperatures exceed 50 °F throughout most of the day. Thus, N fertilizer applied to cool soils will not stimulate a lot of growth until the […]
February 26, 2017 Jim Murphy
Winter Damage
While the warm weather has allowed many of us to get out and enjoy the outdoors, you may have noticed the winter damage in many landscapes. Winter traffic problems can be dramatic. Sod displacement is very common in turf grown along sidewalks, parking lots and streets where snow removal is […]
February 26, 2017 Jim Murphy
Winter Damage
While the warm weather has allowed many of us to get out and enjoy the outdoors, you may have noticed the winter damage in many landscapes. Winter traffic problems can be dramatic. Sod displacement is very common in turf grown along sidewalks, parking lots and streets where snow removal is […]
February 20, 2017 Matthew Elmore
Annual Bluegrass Seedhead Suppression
In weed management on golf courses, annual bluegrass (Poa annua) seedhead (inflorescence) suppression often kicks off the growing season. Plant growth regulators can be used to suppress seedhead production if applications are properly timed. Much like pre-emergence herbicides that are not effective if applied after weed emergence, PGRs are less effective if applied too late. […]
February 16, 2017 Dan Kluchinski
SADC Cost-Sharing for Deer Fence on Permanently Preserved Farms
Whitetail deer. Photo courtesy USDA NRCS.
The NJ State Agriculture Development Committee (SADC) recently dedicated $500,000 of funding for 50% cost-share grants to farmers for installing high tensile woven-wire fencing on permanently preserved farms. The cost share applies to fencing materials and installation. An applicant can apply for a cost-share of up to $200/acre, with a total award amount capped at $20,000. As a ballpark estimate: accounting for the farmer’s 50% contribution, the maximum level of funding would support fence installation around roughly 20+ acres.
To be eligible for the program: [Read more…]
October 17, 2016 Nick Polanin
Credits! Get Your Credits!
Looking at the October calendar, many NJ licensed pesticide applicators finally realize that their 5-year license is almost at an end, and there’s hardly enough time or programs available to make their credit recertification requirements. Panic starts to set in and hurried calls are made across the state to find any source of recertification credits, whether CORE or in a specific category.
But wait – there’s the internet! Back in 2002, Rutgers Cooperative Extension launched an interactive web site, www.recert.rutgers.edu, to provide training and online licensure recertification opportunities in the CORE area of pesticide safety and storage. Two CORE credits have been made available from two separate online modules for commercial applicators in NJ, NY, PA, and MD. The web site features written and narrated script along with digital imagery designed for the general public (non-credit) and licensed professional audiences. Pre- and Post- questions are also imbedded online to assess user knowledge prior to using the site, knowledge gained following completion, and the overall learning value of the site beyond the licensure credit.
Since 2002, nearly 500 individual licensed applicators have attained nearly 700 CORE credits through this web site for their state recertification needs. In addition, nearly 4,800 general use (non-credit) public views of the web site occur annually.
The NJDEP also hosts a list of approved online providers of CORE and category credits for NJ licensed applicators at www.nj.gov/dep/enforcement/pcp/bpo-recert.htm. NJ licensed applicators should have received their annual statement in the mail recently, so you know where you stand and how many (more) credits you need for recertification, whether it expires this October 31 or in the near future.
So get on your computer and spend some quality time online adding to your knowledge of pesticide safety and category expertise (from turf to mosquitoes to trees, etc.), follow each site’s instructions, and avoid missing your recertification deadline. You’ll be glad you did, and so will the NJDEP!
