Pollution – Who Wants It?

This seems like an easy question to answer – No one, right?  Well, this is probably true, but really, it’s more like some are anti-pollution and some are well…apathetic about it.  Right here, smack dab in the middle of Pollution Prevention Week aka P2 Week, my goal is to try to convince the folks who…

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Ash Tree Bolete

We’ve been receiving multiple samples and questions about the Ash Tree Bolete.  We are proud to have Professor Emeritus Tom Weber from University of Nebraska – Omaha as an Extension Master Gardener share his insights with this particular fungi. The first organism on the list of ash tree associates, good or evil, that pops up…

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Fall is For Planting

A term in the green industry – an oldie, but a goodie – is “Fall is For Planting”.  The term sort of begs the questions: Planting what? And why?  Good questions, because some things are more suited than others.  In short, the items for planting are: trees, shrubs, turf, perennials, some veggies and even transplanting…

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Puffballs

They are oddly shaped, can smell funny and look like an alien life form arising from the soil.  These oddities of nature are puffballs, fungi that appear in late summer and early fall. Puffballs can range in size from 1 inch across up to 24 inches and weigh up to 10 pounds. They can be…

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Fertilizer in Fall

Is your lawn hungry?  After a long summer of bugs and fungus, it could be.  September is an ideal time to feed turfs, because the cool nights and warm days favor its growth and development.  Because bluegrasses naturally send out more rhizomes in fall than in summer, lawn recovery is enhanced with fall fertilization. Apply…

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So Emerald Ash Borer Has Been Found In My Area—Now What?

Last week’s finding of the emerald ash borer (EAB) west of Fremont has ash tree owners wondering what to do next.  There are several options but first it’s helpful to know if your ash tree lies within a 15 mile radius. What is the importance of knowing if your ash lies within this radius, you…

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Two More Weeds

I have a soft spot for weeds.  I get asked on a weekly occurrence if a plant is a weed or a flower.  I know it is frustrating to answer a question with a question but I like to ask the client if it is growing where it belongs.  When you think about it bluegrass…

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Late Summer in the Landscape

Late summer/early fall brings us a host of “to-do’s and not to-do’s” in the landscape.  First, a couple of not to dos: *Avoid fertilization of trees, shrubs and perennial flowers.  Fertilization at this time tends to promote new growth, which would likely be injured by upcoming fall frosts. *Don’t water with the same frequency and…

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Iron Chlorosis

Pin oak and river birch are trees that can suffer from iron chlorosis, a condition of yellow leaves due to a lack of sufficient iron in the plant.  Iron is necessary for good plant health and soils in this area have sufficient iron in the soil.  The glitch comes in when the soil’s pH (the…

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