GOOD NEWS! The recent cold snap is having a negative impact on the invasive hemlock wooly adelgids in the Smokies. Since 2002 this insect has killed millions of hemlock trees in the U.S. Biologists in the Great Smoky Mountains report that the recent spell of frigid temperatures has killed off overwintering hemlock adelgids. Over 15 […]
Archive for the ‘Environmental issues’ Category
Pest Alert: Deep Freeze Negatively Impacts Hemlock Adelgid Populations in the Smokies
Posted by Hugh on January 12th, 2018
Posted in Environmental issues, Garden Problems, Hemlock (Tsuga), Hemlock adelgid, Hemlock woolly adelgid, Insect (Pest) Problems, Insect suseptible, Pests, Purchasing Plants, Southern Appalachian Region 
Comments Off on Pest Alert: Deep Freeze Negatively Impacts Hemlock Adelgid Populations in the SmokiesTree Cultivars That Do Not Produce Seeds Or Fruits
Posted by Hugh on January 4th, 2018
Perhaps you don’t like picking up messy fruits and seeds from your lawn in the fall and winter. Choose landscape trees that have seedless cultivars. A true seedless variety is an easy choice to avoid fruit cleanup. Below are a few non-fruiting or seedless cultivars available at nurseries. Not all plants listed are recommended for all home […]
Posted in Ash (Fraxinus), Black locust (Robinia), Breeding Plants, Crabapple, Environmental issues, Flowering, Garden Maintenance, Ginkgo biloba, Honeylocust (Gleditsia), Horse chestnut (Aesculus), Ilex (hollies), Kentucky coffeetree, Kwanzan cherry, Landscape ideas, Messy Fruits, Mulberry (Morus), Native Plant, Ornamental fruit, Osage Orange (Maclura), Pawpaw (Asimina), Persimmon (Diospyros), Planting tips, Pollination needs, Propagation(grafting), Pruning, Sassafras albidum, Southern Appalachian Region, Sweetgum (Liquidambar), Trees & Shrubs Comments Off on Tree Cultivars That Do Not Produce Seeds Or FruitsProtect New Trees From Winter Sunscald
Posted by Hugh on December 13th, 2017
Across the northern U.S. and Canada, cold temperatures can damage many plants. Wide fluctuations in temperature can be particularly detrimental to newly planted landscape and fruit trees from late fall to early spring. Street trees are particularly susceptible. Sun scald is described by elongated, sunken, dried, or cracked areas of dead bark, usually on the […]
Posted in apple orchard, Apple tree, Asian Pears, Cherries, Cold tolerance, Crabapple, Environmental issues, Garden Problems, Honeylocust (Gleditsia), Landscape ideas, Linden (Tilia), Maples (Acer), Mountain ash (Sorbus), Peach, Pear (Pyrus spp.), Plum, Purchasing Plants, Southern Appalachian Region, Street tree, Sun scald, Trees & Shrubs, Wind protection, Winter bark, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Protect New Trees From Winter SunscaldProtect Young Trees and Shrubs From Voles, Rabbits And Other Critters
Posted by Hugh on November 27th, 2017
Rabbits, chipmunks, and voles (field mice) need a home for the winter. They often choose to nestle up near newly planted trees and shrubs and gnaw on their sweet sapwood, girdling the trunk and essentially killing the tree. Fruit-bearing plants often damaged by critters over their first 1-2 winters include: apple, pear, peach, redbud, blueberry, and cane fruits. Young […]
Posted in Apple tree, Asian Pears, Azalea (deciduous), Azaleas (evergreen), Blackberries, Blueberries, Deciduous Azaleas, Encore azaleas, Environmental issues, Evergreens, Fencing, Landscape Construction, Landscape ideas, mulching, Peach, Pear (Ornamental), Pear (Pyrus spp.), Pests, Planting tips, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Rabbit/deer Protection, Raspberries, Redbud, Sanitation, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Wildlife attractant, winter injury, Winter Protection Comments Off on Protect Young Trees and Shrubs From Voles, Rabbits And Other Critters‘Sunshine’ Privet: A Great Accent Shrub and It’s Not Invasive
Posted by Hugh on September 12th, 2017
For generations ligustrum (privet) had been a landscape plant in East Coast and Southern gardens. However, in several states, privets have become declared as an notoriously invasive species . Unfortunately, you should never brand all privet cultivars the same way. Sunshine privet (Ligustrum sinensis ‘Sunshine’) is likely to change your mind (USDA hardiness zones […]
Posted in acidic soil, compact shrub, Container growing, container shrub, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Environmental issues, Fertilizing plants, Green Privacy Screen, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, Ligustrum (Privet), mulching, Planting tips, Privacy Screen, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Rabbit/deer Protection, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on ‘Sunshine’ Privet: A Great Accent Shrub and It’s Not InvasiveAvoid Dreaded Tulip Fire Disease
Posted by Hugh on August 14th, 2017
For over a one-half century Kingwood Center in Mansfield, Ohio has been widely known for their fabulous tulip displays every spring. Over the past few years Kingwood’s garden staff had noted a decline in bloom because of a disease identified as “Tulip Fire” (Botrytis tulipae). This fungal botrytis disease tends to accumulate in the soil […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bees and other pollinators, Botrytis disease, Container garden, Crop rotation, Disease prone, Disease resistant, Environmental issues, Flowering Bulb, Hyacinth, Landscape ideas, mulching, Perennials, Pesticide recommendations, Planting tips, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Spring flowering bulbs, Tulips, Voles Comments Off on Avoid Dreaded Tulip Fire DiseaseCauses of Sudden Leaf Scorch
Posted by Hugh on July 7th, 2017
Leaf scorch or foliage burn is caused primarily by environmental stress factors such as drying winds, drought, mechanical root injury, and winter injury . Natural pathogens, such as viruses, fungi, or bacteria, can be secondary causes. Spraying the wrong pesticide or accidentally allowing spray to drift onto a nearby susceptible landscape plant can result in chemical foliar […]
Posted in Environmental issues, Fertilizing plants, Heat Tolerance, Japanese maple, mulching, Perennials, Planting tips, Pruning, root injury, Shade Gardening, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Virus diseases, Wind protection, winter hardiness, winter injury Comments Off on Causes of Sudden Leaf ScorchSummer Lawn Care Tips
Posted by Hugh on June 17th, 2017
“Summertime and the living is easy”. That’s a good adage to follow for home lawn care as well. Most lawn care chores, such as fertilizing, seeding, thatch management, and weed cleanup, should be delayed until late August through early October in most locales (USDA zones 4-7). During the heat of summer, proper mowing and irrigation are […]
Posted in Drought tolerant, Environmental Conservation, Environmental issues, Fertilizing, Fertilizing plants, Heat Tolerance, Herbicide management, Irrigation, Kentucky bluegrass, Lawn Care, Mowing, Red fescue, Soil drainage, Summer heat tolerant, Tall Fescue, Thatch management, Weed control, Weed management Comments Off on Summer Lawn Care TipsRain Barrels Save Water!
Posted by Hugh on May 29th, 2017
The following is a guest blog from Joy Stewart, a good friend who gardens in Bristol, Tennessee. Photos taken at her garden. Regional droughts and potential water shortages are causing people to turn to a centuries old practice of collecting rain as an alternative source of water. By collecting rainwater from your home’s roof, you have […]
Posted in Environmental Conservation, Environmental issues, Garden ecology, Garden Maintenance, Irrigation, Landscape Construction, Landscape ideas, Rain barrel, Uncategorized, watering evergreens, watering hydrangeas, watering iris, watering tips Comments Off on Rain Barrels Save Water!How Drought Affects Our Landscape Trees*
Posted by Hugh on May 20th, 2017
Long term drought can be devastating on landscape and woodland trees. An environmentally stressed tree must expend additional energy to survive. Extremes of drought leads to decreases in trunk diameter and height growth, declining resistance to pests and diseases, less food production via photosynthesis, and in flower and fruit production. Symptoms of drought stress include wilted […]
Posted in American Beech (F. grandifolia), Ash (Fraxinus), Bald cypress (Taxodium), Bur oak (Q. macrocarpa), Disease prone, Disease resistant, Dogwood (Cornus), Drought tolerant, Environmental issues, Evergreens, Firs (Abies), Garden Maintenance, Heat Tolerance, Hickory (Carya spp.), Hophornbeam (Ostrya), Hornbeam (Carpinus), Landscape ideas, Leaf retention, Linden (Tilia), Magnolia grandiflora, Maples (Acer), mulching, Native Plant, Oaks (Quercus spp.), Pests, pin oak, Pines (Pinus spp.), Planting tips, Poplar (Populus spp.), Purchasing Plants, Redbud, root injury, Small landscape tree, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Sweetgum (Liquidambar), Sycamore (Platanus), Transplant problem, Trees & Shrubs, Tulip tree (Liriodendron), watering tips, Willow oak (Quercus), Winter Protection Comments Off on How Drought Affects Our Landscape Trees*
