Poison Ivy

/Poison Ivy/

Poison Ivy

This looks like poison ivy. The adage "leaves of 3, let it be" is important for poison ivy because it can be a shrub or a woody vine. Found most everywhere, it adapts to sun or shade conditions, various soil types, as well as wet or dry environments and can have different leaf shapes. When the plant is young, its stems are a light reddish-green to red and can be hairy or hairless. When the plant matures more, the stems become brown and woody. In the summer, the leaves tend to have a shiny coat, making it difficult to spray with a product to kill it. Also forms tiny flowers in the summer followed by berries. If it is growing in your garden, we suggest you dig it out and wear gloves. Dispose in the trash, not a compost pile, and do not burn as the toxins will become airborne.

By | 2016-03-13T17:56:02-07:00 March 13th, 2016|Weeds|0 Comments

Maple Bark With Lichen

This does look like the bark of a maple tree, and perhaps it's a swamp maple Acer rubrum, but without seeing leaves and stems it's impossible to be sure. Are you concerned about the green on the trunk? This is lichen, and isn't hurting the plant. Lichen grows on shrubs and trees but takes nothing from them. Lichen is an epiphyte, not a parasite, meaning that it lives on other plants but doesn't draw it's nutrients from them. The tree might have lost leaves early this year because much of the northeast has been drier and cooler than normal. Trees in Massachusetts have had fall color for over three weeks this year! To keep any mature tree healthier, water it deeply with a sprinkler every ten days to two weeks if Mother Nature hasn't supplied an inch of rain recently.

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:20-07:00 March 13th, 2016|Trees|0 Comments

Poison Ivy

The adage "leaves of 3, let it be" is important for poison ivy because it can be a shrub or a woody vine. Found most everywhere, it adapts to sun or shade conditions, various soil types, as well as wet or dry environments and can have different leaf shapes. When the plant is young, its stems are a light reddish-green to red and can be hairy or hairless. When the plant matures more, the stems become brown and woody. In the summer, the leaves tend have a shiny coat making it difficult to spray with a product to kill it. Also forms tiny flowers in the summer followed by berries. If it is growing in your garden , we suggest you dig it out and wear gloves. Dispose in the trash, not a compost pile and do not burn as the toxins will become airborne.

By | 2016-03-13T16:42:37-07:00 March 13th, 2016|Weeds|0 Comments

Mealybugs

Your infestation is mealybugs. You can tell by the fact that they have a cottony, fuzzy appearance and feel sticky. Mealybugs suck the nutrients out of the plant and will eventually kill it if left untreated. You have a pretty heavy infestation in the photo that you sent. First, we would suggest pruning out and disposing of the affected plant parts. Next you could try to wipe the insects off with a damp cloth dipped in alcohol and follow with a spray of insecticidal soap or pyrethrin by following the directions on the label. You can also spray with an organic control containing Spinosad that has a 7-10 day residual. Spinosad should be sprayed in the early evening after the bees have returned to their hives. Once the spray has dried, it is safe for beneficials.

By | 2016-03-13T14:22:58-07:00 March 13th, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments

Lilac Leaf Problem

There are at least 3 possible issues here. If the black will rub off on your finger, it is sooty mold which grows where tiny insects like aphids have been feeding. Suggest you wash the mold off with a light solution of soapy water and spray the plant with a pyrethrin or insecticidal soap to control the insects. If the black is in the leaf and spreading from the outside in, a fungus may be at work and we suggest you show a leaf to the horticulturist at your favorite garden center for an in person id and control suggestion. However, it is also possible that this leaf issue is the result of growing this shrub indoors in a dry environment or in a soil that is too rich in organic matter for this plant. If this last might be an issue, add lime when you repot.

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:20-07:00 March 13th, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments

Plumeria Problem

This may be compromised vascular system due to what seems to be past damage to the trunk. If the trunk is soft it may still be infected, with what might have been a bacterial problem. If that is the case we suggest you take a stem cutting at the top and re-propagate the plant. If the stem is hard then you might un-pot it and look at the roots. If they are good then and are not causing the problem then the vascular system in the stem may have been damaged in the past so that the plant can not get sufficient nutrients. Sometimes the plant can grow out of this and perhaps planting in the ground will help or re-potting in new soil. If neither of those work and it continue to not perform then we would suggest re-propagation.

By | 2016-03-13T13:03:42-07:00 March 13th, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments

Poison Ivy

The adage "leaves of 3, let it be" is important for poison ivy because it can be a shrub or a woody vine. Found most everywhere, it adapts to sun or shade conditions, various soil types, as well as wet or dry environments and can have different leaf shapes. When the plant is young, its stems are a light reddish-green to red and can be hairy or hairless. When the plant matures more, the stems become brown and woody. In the summer, the leaves tend to have a shiny coat, making it difficult to spray with a product to kill it. Also forms tiny flowers in the summer followed by berries. If it is growing in your garden , we suggest you dig it out and wear gloves. Dispose in the trash, not a compost pile, and do not burn as the toxins will become airborne.

By | 2016-03-13T12:38:09-07:00 March 13th, 2016|Weeds|0 Comments

Poison Ivy

We can't say for sure, but it looks like poison ivy. We need a better look at the plant to be certain; send another photo if you can and we will be glad to take another look. The adage "leaves of 3? let it be!" is important for poison ivy because it can be a clump, shrub or a woody vine. Found most everywhere, it adapts to sun or shade conditions, various soil types, as well as wet or dry environments and can have different leaf shapes. But usually when the plant is young, its stems are a light reddish-green and can be hairy or hairless. When the plant matures more, the stems become brown and woody. If it is growing in your garden as a volunteer, suggest you dig it out as a precaution and wear gloves in case it is poison ivy. Dispose in the trash, not a compost pile.

By | 2016-03-13T10:03:40-07:00 March 13th, 2016|Weeds|0 Comments

Arborvitae Dieback

From this shot, it looks like the plant is a pyramidalis arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis 'Fastigiata'). Check the trunk at the soil line to make sure it's not injured or damaged.

Occasionally pests such as spider mites are an issue - you can check for them by placing a white sheet of copy paper under a branch and shaking the branch slightly. If present, the spider mites will fall onto the paper and should be easily spotted. Look for other signs, such as webs for spiders, tunneling on the stems and leaves, leaf miners and wet sticky sap that might be a sign of aphids. If you discover a pest, your local garden center or nursery can help you determine effective solutions. (Never spray without knowing what your pest is, because that, too can cause browning!)

By | 2016-03-13T09:28:09-07:00 March 13th, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments

Spider Mites

This looks like spider mite damage. Do you see any evidence of other insects like aphids? Look for the fine webbing and small spider like mites on the leaves. The mites themselves are very difficult to see with the human eye, so hold a piece of paper below the leaf and tap or shake slightly to see if anything falls off, or, take a spray bottle of water and spray it in the leaf axils. A magnifying glass can also help. While the mites are very difficult to see, their webs catch the water and becomes more easily visible. You may wish to show your photo to a local garden center for confirmation of the problem, so they can help you select the right control. Horticultural oils and neem oil are natural controls for mites.

By | 2016-03-13T08:58:45-07:00 March 13th, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments