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Purdue Landscape Report – Black Root Rot: Black root rot (BRR), caused by the fungus Thielaviopsis basicola,has a host range of several hundred plants. In the landscape, the most common hosts include pansies (Fig. 1), and vinca, along with calibrachoa and petunia. In perennial hosts, it often infects lavender, phlox, milkweed and butterfly-weed (Asclepius spp.). Even woody plants, like holly and elderflower (Sambucus spp.) can succumb.

Symptoms of black root rot are often mistaken for nutrient deficiencies.  Older leaves may develop symptoms that look like iron chlorosis, while young leaves become stunted.  Infected plants grow more slowly compared to healthy plants. Shoot length is reduced compared to healthy plants, and scattered dead shoots may be apparent. In pansy, one of the key symptoms of BRR is when seemingly ‘healthy’ plants may suddenly collapse when a brief hot spell occurs (Fig. 1).

Keep in mind that diagnosing any root rot requires observing the affected plant for symptoms, and collecting the infected tissue at the right time to culture out the pathogen or pathogens causing the problem.

Fortunately, the black root rot pathogen creates both symptoms and even signs that can be observed with a little patience and a good hand lens. Carefully excavate roots, and wash them. Roots will be intact, but have blackened areas that are easily observed(Fig. 2). Honking chlamydospores may even be visible with just a hand lens or dissecting scope (Fig. 3).

Full Article >>>

Resources:
Purdue Landscape Report
Root Rot in Landscape Plants, The Education Store
Ask The Expert: Tree Inspection, Purdue Extension- FNR YouTube Channel
Ask The Expert: Tree Selection and Planting, Purdue Extension- FNR YouTube Channel

Janna Beckerman, Professor
Purdue Botany and Plant Pathology

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In this edition of ID That Tree, learn how to tell Red Hickory apart from its cousins shellbark, shagbark and pignut hickory. Located typically in upland dry sites, red hickory stands out with compound leaves with seven leaflets, long running interlacing gray bark, buds and twigs free of hairs, and lastly nuts with a husk that separates all the way down the sides of the nut.

If you have any questions regarding wildlife, trees, forest management, wood products, natural resource planning or other natural resource topics, feel free to contact us by using our Ask an Expert web page.

Resources:
ID That Tree, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources Youtube Channel
A Woodland Management Moment, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR Youtube Channel
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Native Trees of the Midwest, The Education Store
Investing in Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store

Lenny Farlee, Sustaining Hardwood Extension Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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Purdue Landscape Report – Tip Blights of Juniper: Junipers have to be my favorite group of evergreens, behind a select few pine species. They have a fantastic fragrance, are evergreen, many can tolerate drought, are an ingredient in gin (definitely a bonus), and work well in a variety of landscape uses, including as a barrier plant. They look great year round, except when they have tip blight.

Tip blight is a common disease in nurseries and landscapes that cause branch tips to die back fairly quickly starting in the spring. Infected branches become chlorotic, progressing from light green to yellow, before turning brown as the season continues. Black fungal structures will develop in the transition zone between affected foliage and green, healthy tissue. Some of the infected scales may turn gray in color, surrounding these structures.

Two fungi cause tip blight, Kabatina and Phomopsis, and knowing which one you have is important to determine your management strategies. Both fungi produce similar symptoms and similar fungal structures,

so the presence of tiny black dots cannot help separate these diseases. Both fungi also infect a range of hosts, including arborvitae, cypress, Douglas fir, true firs, yew, Cryptomeria, and Chamaecyparis, but these are not as susceptible as juniper species.

Kabatina infects young, new growth during the growing season, but infected twigs remain green until winter and the following spring . . .

Full article > > >

Resources:
Borers of Pines and Other Needle Bearing Evergreens in Landscapes, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Ask an Expert Question: Blue Spruce dying, what can I do?, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources
Why Spruce Trees Lose Their Needles, Purdue Extension
Diseases Common in Blue Spruce, Purdue Extension
Purdue University Invasive Species

John Bonkowski, Plant Disease Diagnostician
Purdue Botany and Plant Pathology

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Question: My husband and I love to build wildlife habitat areas and have built a large pond with a strategic filtering system in the pond. We had to place a net five to six feet up to keep leaves and acorns out of the filtering system and now the frogs are jumping on the net. One specialist said they are trying to get to the woods to hibernate for winter and one shared that they can stay in the pond as long as it doesn’t freeze.  Which answer is correct?

Answer: Both of your answers could be correct. The following is from Michael Lannoo (2005) Amphibian Declines: The Conservation Status of United States Species. In summary, adults will hibernate in both water and on land, although underwater seems to be the most common site. The key is having available oxygen. However, hibernating amphibians when hibernating have extremely low oxygen requirements. So much so that most species get enough O2 from absorption through specialized patches of skin.

1. Seasonal Migrations. Green frogs probably do not migrate en masse to breeding sites. Lamoureux and Madison (1999) tracked 23 green frogs and found that they made extensive movements in late fall away from summer breeding ponds to areas of flowing water in streams and seeps. They suggested that flowing water is used because it remains unfrozen and provides adequate oxygen.
2. J. Torpor (Hibernation). Green frog tadpoles will typically, but not always, overwinter for 1 yr prior to metamorphosing the following spring (Martof, 1952; Richmond, 1964; Vogt, 1981). While overwintering, and despite cold temperatures, tadpoles remain active and likely feed (Getz, 1958). Tadpoles probably remain active and grow during the winter in Louisiana but do not transform until warm weather (Dundee and Rossman, 1989). In Maine, they remain under silt and dead vegetation during the winter (Hunter et al., 1999). Both tadpoles and adults require aquatic sites that do not completely freeze and that also maintain enough oxygen during the winter (Oldfield and Moriarty, 1994).

Green frog adults typically overwinter in water (Dickerson, 1906; Walker, 1946; Pope, 1947; Wright and Wright, 1949; Harding and Holman, 1999) but will occasionally overwinter on land (Bohnsack, 1951). The frog followed by Bohnsack (1951) was found beneath 5 cm (2 in) of compact leaf litter in an oak-hickory forest near Pickney, Michigan. Lannoo et al. (1998) cites an instance where a large number (25, including 4 gravid females) of green frogs were caught on land near a wetland during a cold snap in northern Wisconsin. Minton (1972) notes that adults near Indianapolis, Indiana, seek cover from early December to early March and that juveniles emerge earlier in the season than do adults. In Maine, green frogs hibernate either underwater or underground from October–March (Hunter et al., 1999). In Ohio, several hibernating individuals have been found in springs and in masses of leaves and aquatic vegetation on the bottom of small ponds (Walker, 1946).

Resources:
Mythbusters, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources
Frogs and Toads of Indiana, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Appreciating Reptiles and Amphibians in Nature, The Education Store
Forestry Management for Reptiles and Amphibians: A Technical Guide for the Midwest, The Education Store
The Nature of Teaching, Unit 3: Reptiles, Amphibians, and the Scientific Method, The Education Store
Frogs and Toads of Indiana, The Education Store
Snakes and Lizards of Indiana, The Education Store
Ask the Expert: Turtles and Snakes video, Got Nature? post

Brian MacGowan, Wildlife Extension Specialist
Purdue University, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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Find the answer in this free downloadable publication titled Rainbow Trout Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, FNR-622-W, along with culinary characteristics, cooking tips and a recipe for Grilled Rainbow Trout with Apricot Salsa.

This is the fourth in a series of consumer guides that describe fish and shellfish farmed in the Midwest region of the United States. (See FNR-608-W, Walleye Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, FNR-618-W, Yellow Perch Farmed Fish Fact Sheet and FNR-621-W, Tilapia Farmed Fish Fact Sheet).

Resources:
Fish: Healthy Protein Handout, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Walleye Farmed Fish Fact Sheet: A Guide for Seafood Consumers, The Education Store
Fish Cleaning with Purdue Extension County Extension Director, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR)
Eat Midwest Fish, Website
Sustainable Aquaculture: What does it mean to you?, The Education Store
Best Practices Guide for Charter Fishing and COVID-19, The Education Store
Pond Management: Managing Fish Populations, The Education Store
Aquatics & Fisheries, YouTube Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR

Amy Shambach, Aquaculture Marketing Outreach Associate
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources/Illinois Indiana Sea Grant Program

 

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Pacific white shrimp, also known as whiteleg shrimp, is a variety of prawn in the order Decapod. Pacific white shrimp have ten legs on the underside of their carapace (head), ten appendages (pleopods) on their abdomen for swimming, a pair of antennae, and can reach a maximum length of 9 inches (230 mm). Shrimp color can vary slightly depending on habitat, feed, and water turbidity, and tend to range in color from translucent white to reddish-brown. When cooked, they turn pink.

Shrimp is the most popular seafood product in the United States. However, the majority of farmed shrimp is grown in Asia. The Pacific white shrimp is the most common farm-raised shrimp species in the world, and it is well suited for pond and indoor production. In the Midwest and other parts of the U.S., Pacific white shrimp are grown in indoor environmental controlled systems. U.S. farm raised shrimp can be purchased at farmers markets, restaurants, and directly from farmers.

This publication, Pacific White Shrimp, FNR-623-W, is the fifth in a series of consumer guides that describe fish and shellfish farmed in the Midwest region of the United States. The fact sheet also includes culinary characteristics, cooking tips and a recipe for Sautéed Old Bay® Shrimp.

Resources:
Walleye Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, The Education Store
Yellow Perch Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, The Education Store
Tilapia Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, The Education Store
Rainbow Trout Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, The Education Store
Eat Midwest Fish, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant online resource hub
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG), Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant

Amy Shambach, Aquaculture Marketing Outreach Associate
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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In this episode of ID That Tree, Purdue Extension forester Lenny Farlee introduces the blue ash. This native Indiana ash species can be differentiated from other members of the ash family by corky edges on the twig, more branches lower on the stem and a platy, ashy gray bark.

If you have any questions regarding wildlife, trees, forest management, wood products, natural resource planning or other natural resource topics, feel free to contact us by using our Ask an Expert web page.

Resources:
ID That Tree, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources Youtube Channel
A Woodland Management Moment, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR Youtube Channel
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Native Trees of the Midwest, The Education Store
Investing in Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store

Lenny Farlee, Sustaining Hardwood Extension Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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MyDNR: Annually, more than 14,000 deer-vehicle collisions are reported in Indiana. If you live where deer are found, especially in suburban areas or where field and forest meet, it is important to know ways to reduce the likelihood of a collision and what to do if you are involved in one. While you can’t eliminate the possibility of running into a deer on the road, you can minimize the risk of severe damage to you or your vehicle.

Deer movements are not random, and the likelihood of seeing deer near roads varies by time of day and month. Deer are most active when many people are commuting to and from work, resulting in increased collisions. While your chance of hitting a deer varies, in general, deer-vehicle collisions are most likely to occur during these conditions:

• At dawn and dusk when deer are most active.
• From September through December, particularly October and November during deer mating season as bucks cross roads more frequently and are less cautious when crossing.

For more information view the Indiana DNR printable PDF (.144mb) Deer-Vehicle Collisions and You.

Resources:
Watch out for deer on the roads, Got Nature? Post, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR)
A Woodland Management Moment – Deer Fencing, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Video
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners: Managing Deer Damage to Young Trees, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Video
Ask an Expert: Wildlife Food Plots, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Video
How to Build a Plastic Mesh Deer Exclusion Fence, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Deer Harvest Data Collection, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
Handling Harvested Game: Episode 4, Cutting, Grinding & Packaging, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Video

Indiana Department of Natural Resources

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In this edition of ID That Tree, meet the Eastern Hop Hornbeam, so named because of its fruit which resembles hops. This small, native, shade tolerant tree also is identifiable by its simply finely toothed leaves on thin twigs as well as its brown flaky bark. Learn how to separate it from its cousin American Hornbeam inside.

If you have any questions regarding wildlife, trees, forest management, wood products, natural resource planning or other natural resource topics, feel free to contact us by using our Ask an Expert web page.

Resources:
ID That Tree, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources Youtube Channel
A Woodland Management Moment, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR Youtube Channel
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Native Trees of the Midwest, The Education Store
Investing in Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store

Lenny Farlee, Sustaining Hardwood Extension Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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This native tree comes with its own defense system in very large thorns on the stems and trunk. Meet the honey locust. Purdue Extension forester Lenny Farlee explains that large, long yellow seed pods that resemble bean pods, the option of single or doubly compound leaves on the same tree and smooth gray bark also help identify this species.

If you have any questions regarding wildlife, trees, forest management, wood products, natural resource planning or other natural resource topics, feel free to contact us by using our Ask an Expert web page.

Resources:
ID That Tree, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources Youtube Channel
A Woodland Management Moment, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR Youtube Channel
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Native Trees of the Midwest, The Education Store
Investing in Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store

Lenny Farlee, Sustaining Hardwood Extension Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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