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April, 2010


Flowering pear season has begun! Yes, all of those blooming white flowering trees along the roadways, parks, and in the woods are invasive callery pear. I find that this is a new problem to most people that I talk to, but we are seeing the beginning of a new invasive plant. And yes, it is all callery pears. This is the Bradford pear, as well as all the cultivars that we have been planting like Cleveland Select, Aristocrat, Red Spire, Autumn Blaze, Capital, Trinity, etc.
Now you might be asking yourself that since many have spent good money on Callery pears, then these are just great free trees! Right? Well, no. Original cultivars of callery pear were self sterile and very desirable urban trees. But cross pollination among many individuals of varied cultivars resulted in pollination, fruiting and spread from urban areas into the countryside. The progeny tend to be stout, thorny and multiple stemmed and are not as appealing or attractive as the original cultivars. The European starling, a non-native invasive bird is associated with this tree. The starling can be a serious nuisance in urban areas.
One of the reasons that we liked flowering pears is that they are so tough and will thrive anywhere. They are colonizing waste areas and open fields, and it is very tough to control. Most of you are eyeing all of the greening bush honeysuckle this time of year. Look carefully and you will see that callery pear will pop up among the honeysuckle. Yes, callery pear is out competing exotic bush honeysuckle!
We are lucky to have a champion for us in SW Ohio, Theresa Culley with University of Cincinnati. Dr. Culley is doing research on callery pear. I have attached her research paper and her website so you can learn more about this new problem. I have also attached ODNR’s Weed of the Month handout that you are welcome to use and share. If you have flowering pear growing where it wasn’t planted, please take a moment to take a picture and tell me its location. This way we can get a better handle on how wide spread the problem is. I appreciate your help with this.
<<Callery%20pear.pdf>> <<weed of the month on Callery Pear.pdf>>
Theresa Culley’s Callery Pear research - http://www.biology.uc.edu/faculty/culley/theresa.html
What are invasive plants? – ODNR website http://ohiodnr.com/Forestry/tabid/21394/Default.aspx
Now I am by no means recommending that you go out and cut down all of your flowering pear trees. But what I would like each and every one of you to do is not to plant them, or not many more of them. There are so many flowering pear trees in our communities that there are lots of them to admire in your neighbor’s yard. Take this opportunity to plant a few other white flowering trees and there are lots of them to choose from. Also, when you are already out there removing honeysuckle and you see flowering pear, go ahead and remove the pear.

 

January 20, 2010

January 15, 2010



Ohio Department of Agriculture Expands Emerald Ash Borer Quarantine

Department adds 14 counties to existing quarantine

 

REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio (Jan. 14, 2010) – Ohio’s Emerald Ash Borer quarantine was expanded today by the Ohio Department of Agriculture to include 14 additional counties. The quarantine helps slow the spread of the ash tree-killing insect to uninfested parts of the state by prohibiting the movement of all hardwood firewood and ash tree materials.

While the invasive pest has not been detected in the following 14 counties, the department issues this quarantine to make the movement of ash trees, parts of ash trees and all hardwood firewood more practical among counties that are adjacent to previously quarantined areas. The following counties are now on the quarantine list: Adams, Ashtabula, Brown, Clinton, Coshocton, Fayette, Geauga, Highland, Holmes, Knox, Lake, Madison, Ross and Trumbull.

Since Emerald Ash Borer was first discovered in Ohio in 2003, the department has placed 67 counties under quarantine. The quarantine makes it illegal to transport ash trees, parts of ash trees and all hardwood firewood from any quarantined county into or through a non-quarantined county without a compliance agreement from the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Violation of this quarantine could result in fines up to $4,000. A federal quarantine makes it illegal to take these items out of the state of Ohio.

Firewood dealers, businesses or woodlot owners interested in marketing and transporting ash trees or firewood from quarantined areas can do so only with a department-approved compliance agreement.  These agreements define handling practices that reduce the artificial spread of Emerald Ash Borer.

Ash trees infested with Emerald Ash Borer typically die within five years. The pest belongs to a group of metallic wood-boring beetles. Adults are dark green, one-half inch in length, one-eighth inch wide, and fly from early May until September. Larvae spend the rest of the year beneath the bark of ash trees and leave D-shaped holes in the bark about one-eighth inch wide when they emerge as adults.

Suspected Emerald Ash Borer adults and larva can be confirmed by sending the suspected specimen(s) to the Ohio Department of Agriculture for identification using the form located on the department’s Web site. Visit www.agri.ohio.gov and click on “Emerald Ash Borer Program” located under the “Regulatory Programs” tab. The form is available by clicking “Submit a Sample” on the left-hand side.

For information on the Emerald Ash Borer, maps, compliance agreements, firewood restrictions and quarantine updates, visit www.agri.ohio.gov or call 1-888-OHIO-EAB.


October 16, 2009

Hello OAGC friends,

Here is something that just came across my email-desk! Our dear Wahkeena Nature Preserve, south of Lancaster, OH, is focused in the October issue of Histor-eNews, Ohio Historical Society's e-newsletter. I was at Wahkeena last week to meet with the Ohio Historical Society. It was the very same day the photographer for this article was there. He filled up his camera card with digital images and was overwhelmed by the site's beauty. This would be a great weekend wherever your are to take in the beauty Ohio has to offer! If you go to Wahkeena, take your OAGC membership card (or if you can't find it, mention your club affiliation to naturalist Robyn or site manager Tom) as it will give you free entry. Otherwise, the OHS entrance fee is $7 per car.

Just click on this link:
http://ohsweb.ohiohistory.org/enews/1009c.shtml

Vicki Ferguson, President
The Ohio Association of Garden Clubs, Inc.



October 15, 2009

I have some great news to pass along regarding our Bluestone Perennials fundraiser and the new fundraiser on the block: Brend and Becky's Bulbs.


Bluestone Perennials: www.bluestoneperennials.com
We continue our fundraising efforts with Ohio-based Bluestone Perennials but this year it will be different. OAGC will handle all publicity and mailing (through our Garden Path mailing). You do not have to wait until spring to place an order! For each order placed, regardless of discount offered, OAGC will earn $1.00! Just go to www.bluestoneperennials.com and look in the upper right corner for a "Quick Order" box. That is where you place the magic 755 code number that identifies your order as an OAGC order. Yes, I know it says 'Plant Code' in the box but if you hoover your curser over the box, it also notes that that is the box to key in your coupon code of 755. It will not work to type it in the other box for promotional codes. This code can be used with ordered placed either on the web, over the phone or by snail mail.

Bluestone Perennials still has another week or so for fall shipping and has some great items on sale. Check them out!

Brent & Becky's Bulbs: www.bloominbucks.com
Now, something new to our fundraising efforts are with another mail order company: Brent and Becky's Bulbs. They are offering qualifying non-profit organizations an earning of 25% on every order placed by visiting Brent & Becky's through a special web portal. Go to www.bloominbucks.com (not blooming, just bloomin). Select the Ohio Association of Garden Clubs from the pull down menu and you'll be take in to Brent and Becky's web site. Please note: Brent & Becky's fundraising offer is only available on line.

Pass the word on to your family and friends. These fundraisers are not limited to OAGC members and can be used multiple times!

I'm out of here - I'm off to start my shopping!!!

Vicki Ferguson, President
The Ohio Association of Garden Clubs, Inc.
www.oagc.org



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