The good news is that oak wilt, a serious disease for oak trees, hasn’t been spotted in Western New York yet. The bad news is that it has been identified in Ontario County, southeast of Rochester, as well as in other parts of New York State. See a map here. The good news is that if oak wilt is found, steps can be taken to keep it from spreading. July and August is the time to spot oak wilt disease,…
by Connie Oswald Stofko We buy plants with our eyes, said Ken Parker, CNLP, native plant expert and consultant. But when we choose plants that are edible as well as beautiful, we make our garden functional. “Plants are not just for aesthetics,” Parker said. And the edible plants that he recommends also attract pollinators, “so it’s win, win, win.” In this article, he shares some recommendations for trees and plants that that not only look attractive in our landscape, they…
by Connie Oswald Stofko Last year we told you about two invasive insects that could cause problems in your garden: the red lily leaf beetle and the brown marmorated stink bug. The red lily leaf beetle is the one that causes the most concern right now. It eats lilies and did extensive damage in some gardens last year. If you had lily leaf beetles last year, expect to have them this year. Start watching for the red lily leaf beetle…
by Connie Oswald Stofko “The wetness we had early in the season has caused disease issues that will show up the rest of the season,” said John Farfaglia, extension educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension in Niagara County. These issues include mildew and blight. How you handle it depends on the particular plant that is affected as well as on your gardening preferences. Some plants that get a fungal disease don’t need to be treated at all. If a lilac bush…
by Connie Oswald Stofko The 2015 Gardens & Landscapes Day will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 7 in the Katharine Jackson Carnahan Center at Jamestown Community College, 525 Falconer St., Jamestown. The event is geared to home gardeners at all interest levels, from the casual gardener to the advanced Master Gardener. It will include four main workshops in addition to mini workshops during lunch. I’m honored that I have been invited to give the keynote talk….
You don’t have to have a college degree to help advance scientific learning in plant and nature topics. You can help scientists collect data on a number of local and national projects. Here are a few projects that might interest you. __________ Let scientists know where squirrels are & where they aren’t Take a look around your home, office, school or other location and, whether you see squirrels or not, enter your observations at the Project Squirrel website. Scientists want…
Pool owners can participate in the third annual Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) Swimming Pool Survey now through Aug. 29 to help detect these exotic, invasive beetles before they cause serious damage to our forests and street trees. The survey is held by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) at this time of year when ALBs are expected to become adults, emerge from the trees they are infesting and become active outside those trees. ALBs are originally from…
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is accepting applications for urban forestry project grants. The deadline is Dec. 5. Communities can apply for tree planting, maintenance grants or invasive pest studies in cases involving an infestation of the emerald ash borer or the Asian long horned beetle. Grants are available to municipalities, public benefit corporations, public authorities, school districts and not-for-profit organizations that have a public ownership interest in the property or are acting on behalf of…
Gardening Events for January to mid-September 2013 (For events from mid-September 2013 to yesterday, see Past Events.) Sunday, September 22 Sunday Kids Program at Botanical Gardens 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Children ages 4 to 12 will enjoy these hands-on activities held in the new indoor Wegmans Family Garden at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Avenue, Buffalo. The activities are included with admission. Sunday, September 22 Hydrangea wreath workshop at Lockwood’s Designers…
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