Yard & Garden Line News Volume 2 Number 14                                                              August 15, 2000

Features this issue: Tree Legalities Osage Oranges; Not for Dessert Share Garden Surplus Water Stress in Trees and Shrubs It's a Hummingbird, It's a Moth, It's a What? Sphecid Wasps Fall Webworms Squash Bugs Editorial Notes

Tree Legalities
Lorrie Stromme, Attorney and U of M Extension Service Master Gardener
This article originally appeared in the 9/9/99 Mpls. Star Tribune. Reprinted with permission.

One of the joys of trees--leaf litter. Photo credit: Beth Jarvis

The roots of your neighbor's fifty-year old elm tree have caused the sidewalk to buckle by the side door of your home. What can you do? And what does the law allow you to do? Yes, the law. There are legal ramifications when it comes to how you treat your neighbors' trees, and vice versa.

So, before you start chopping away at those invading roots, ask yourself: Whose tree is it? What happens if I cut the roots without telling my neighbor? Who pays for the removal? What will it do to the tree? Will I be liable for damaging the tree?

These are all good questions. The law in Minnesota can answer some of your questions, but the law is a bit murky, too. And don't ask your father-in-law in Montana how he'd handle the situation with your neighbor's elm tree. The law varies from state to state.

There are two basic types of laws: statutes and common law created by court decisions. Each year state legislatures, the U.S. Congress, and city councils pass new laws. Each day the courts hand down decisions that interpret those laws. And to further the confusion, the statutes and court decisions are different in each state. We'll deal with tree law in Minnesota.

Whose Tree Is It?
Follow the trunk. If the tree trunk stands completely in your neighbor's yard, it's your neighbor's tree: branches, flowers, fruit, and all. The tree is your neighbor's property - and her responsibility if a weak limb blows down in a windstorm, crushing your garage. Likewise, your neighbor can decide to cut down the tree that partially shaded your yard, and you have no recourse against her for suddenly exposing your prize Hosta bed to all-day sun.

Trees that grow on the boundary line between two properties have special rules. There are diverging opinions on boundary trees. In some states, trees standing along a boundary line are the common property of the neighbors on either side of the boundary, and neither neighbor can remove the tree without the consent of the other. This includes the tree that starts out in one yard and grows into the boundary with the neighbor's yard.

In Minnesota, it takes something more than the mere presence of a tree trunk on the boundary line to determine who is responsible for it. Instead, trees are boundary trees if they were planted jointly or treated as common property, either by an agreement or by actions to care for the tree. For example, adjoining owners who split the costs of pruning and maintaining a boundary tree - or even a hedge - would probably be considered co-owners of the tree or hedge.

Most people don't ever give it any thought. The boundary tree was there when they moved in. They maintain the grass growing at the base of the tree in their yard, pick up the leaves that fall on their side of the boundary, and trim branches that swat them in the face as they mow. Their neighbor does the same thing in her yard. Courts would probably interpret this pattern of conduct as demonstrating co-ownership of a boundary tree. So, when a broken limb or a tree disease becomes a problem, the co-owners share responsibility for the cost of fixing the problem.

Encroaching Branches or Roots.
Property owners in every state have the right to prune branches or roots of a neighbor's tree that encroach onto their property. This is known as "self-help."

But there are limitations:
· You can prune only up to the boundary line - at your own expense.
· You need permission to enter onto the neighbor's property to do the pruning, unless the encroaching branches or roots threaten to cause imminent harm to your property. Without permission, you are trespassing.
· You cannot cut down a tree whose trunk is located on your neighbor's property, even if the branches stray onto your property.
· Most Important: You cannot jeopardize the health of the tree - especially the roots - by your actions. For example, pruning an oak tree from April through September could make the tree vulnerable to oak wilt. Or pruning a tree's roots could destabilize the tree and cause it to topple over.

If you cause serious injury to the tree while doing the pruning, you can be held liable to the tree owner for any harm done.

A leading Minnesota court case involved tree roots that pushed up a neighbor's sidewalk, causing water leakage in the neighbor's basement. The court declared the tree a nuisance and ordered the tree cut down, because the alternative - severe root pruning - would have weakened the tree or caused the tree to die and endangered the neighbor's home if the tree blew over in a windstorm.

Preventing a problem before it gets to the point of pushing up pavement is almost always a preferable - and less expensive - option. Talk to your neighbor about the problem before it escalates. Seek the opinion of an arborist, a specialist in the care of individual trees, about the tree's condition. Ask someone you trust for a referral or look in the Yellow Pages under "tree service." Look for the arborist's membership in professional organizations, such as the Minnesota Society of Arboriculture (MSA), the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), or the National Arborist Association (NAA).

Even if the limbs you want to prune pose a danger to your property, common sense, common courtesy, and simple neighborliness suggest that you tell your neighbor before you do any major pruning on her tree. Your neighbor may well want to chip in for the pruning cost, to preserve the tree's symmetry, for example.

Who Owns the Fruit?

Gingko fruit are generally unwanted. Photo credit: Beth Jarvis

Technically, the tree owner owns the fruit of the tree, as well. If the tree stands next door, then the next door owner owns the fruit, even if it hangs over into your yard. The adage is that you can trim pesky branches from your neighbor's apple tree, but your neighbor gets to make the pie. This result is logical: if the owner of the overhanging branches is responsible for damage to your property caused by invading branches, then it's only right that the owner is entitled to any fruit on those same branches.

The tree owner may have a problem, however, if you forbid her from entering your yard to pick the fruit. After all, that would be trespassing. The law is unclear on how to resolve this. Based on similar cases, the courts would probably weigh your right to keep trespassers out of your yard against the tree owner's right to harvest the fruit of her tree. The orchard owner whose livelihood depends upon the harvest probably has a stronger claim than an urban gardener.

What about Fallen Fruit?
The law is unclear on this issue, as well. As a practical matter, it would not be worthwhile for your neighbor to sue you for keeping fallen fruit, because it would have nominal value. Also, ripening fruit is a predictable event. The courts would probably hold the tree owner responsible for making advance arrangements to harvest the fruit if it had sufficient value to bother with. You are probably safe to keep the fallen fruit if your neighbor says nothing about it.

The other side of the problem is the stuff that falls off the tree that nobody wants: the rotting apples, the dead leaves, and the faded blossoms. The law doesn't give you much guidance here, either. Going to court to have your neighbor ordered to pick up the debris that has fallen in your yard is not practical or economical. That's probably why there haven't been precedent-setting court cases on this issue.

The safest rule to follow: Avoid conflict; talk with your neighbor about your concerns. Ask your neighbor's permission to harvest fruit or to prune overhanging branches. Or talk to your neighbor if cleaning up the fallen debris from her tree becomes a burden for you. The courts encourage property owners to resolve their differences, to avoid clogging up an already crowded court docket.

'Hazard' Trees and Limbs

Streetside tree with targets. Photo credit: Beth Jarvis

If your neighbor's tree is unsound and threatens your property, your neighbor is liable to you for any damage that occurs. The test is whether the tree owner knew or should have known that damage was likely. A tree owner is not expected to be a tree expert, but she is expected to recognize obvious symptoms of a problem, such as the unseasonal lack of leaves, a dead limb, visible decay, or a tree leaning dangerously to one side. Courts consider these trees to be a nuisance. Urban foresters sometimes consider these trees to be a hazard. A "hazard tree" is a tree with a defect plus a target, like the swingset in your yard, your garage, or your house. If the potential for damage is foreseeable and if the tree owner fails to take corrective action, the courts will likely hold the owner legally responsible for damage caused to others' property.

What should you do if your neighbor fails to address a problem tree?
· Give your neighbor written notice about the danger you foresee and ask her to fix the problem.
· Bolster your claim with an expert opinion about the tree's condition.
· Take photographs of the threatening condition.
· Mediate, using a neutral third party, to resolve the impasse.
· As a last resort, you can sue your neighbor. Small claims court is intended for claims up to $7,500, and lawyers aren't needed.
· Don't take the law into your own hands. Don't engage in stealth pruning or tree removal while your neighbor is gone. You risk being sued or arrested for trespassing or ordered to pay your neighbor money or "damages" to compensate her for the loss.

Wrongful Tree Removal
What are the consequences of entering someone else's property and cutting down or injuring a tree without the owner's consent? By Minnesota statute, the money damages owed to the tree owner are tripled ("treble damages"), if the wrongdoer acted intentionally. Even if the injury to the tree was "unintentional," the wrongdoer is nonetheless liable for "single damages."

An example of "unintentional" conduct is illustrated in a Minnesota court case where a driver had a heart attack and drove into a grove of Colorado Spruce trees. Although the tree damage or "trespass" was not malicious, it occurred without the permission of the trees' owner and the court awarded him single damages.

There are also misdemeanor penalties for criminal trespass and criminal damage to property.

Determining Damages
In deciding how to compensate a property owner for damaged trees, Minnesota courts have distinguished between ornamental trees and those that are not particularly desirable as shade trees. If trees that are ill-formed or serve merely to prevent erosion or curtail noise are injured, the courts have based damages on the difference in the land value before the injury and afterward. If trees are primarily ornamental or shade trees, the court has said that the jury can consider the cost to replace the injured trees as an alternative measure of damages.

Utility Company Pruning
A common urban sight is the row of trees under a power line cut to resemble an arboreal valley. Well, it's not the trees' fault for growing as tall as they were intended to grow. And it's not the utility company's fault for wanting to meet public demand to prevent power failures caused by fallen tree limbs during storms.

Utility companies have easements across property in order to provide electricity. An easement gives one person the right to use the land of another. Courts have recognized the right of utility companies to trim or remove trees within their easement, as long as the work is reasonable and necessary to construct, use, operate, or maintain power lines in the easement area. However, the utility company has a duty to remove power line obstructions in a way that causes the least damage to the property the power lines cross.

In a recent Minnesota case, the Supreme Court confirmed that a property owner has an interest in the trees on city land in front of her property. However, the court also found that this right is subordinate to a utility's right to trim or remove the trees to keep power lines clear. One answer to this dilemma is to plant trees whose mature height will not conflict with power lines. You will probably notice more flowering crabapples, Japanese tree lilacs, Amur maples, and other shorter-stature trees on boulevards in the future.

You and your trees probably won't run afoul of the law if you keep the trees in your yard healthy and stay on good terms with your neighbors. Communication and an ounce of prevention: isn't that the formula for success in most endeavors?

Osage Oranges; Not for Dessert
Deborah Brown, Extension Horticulturist

Osage orange. Photo credit: Iowa State

Already, in early August, my Rainbow grocery store is selling Osage oranges in the produce section, along with the onions and potatoes. The bushel basket of odd yellow-green, pebbly-skinned fruit was accompanied by a sign saying, "Hedge Apples. Not to be eaten. 99 cents each" But there was no word about what you do with them..... or why anyone would pay ninety-nine cents for the privilege of taking one home.

"Hedge apple" turns is just one of several common names these peculiar fruits go by. "Hedge ball" is another. I've always heard them called Osage oranges, first learning about them when people brought a few back from vacation and wanted them identified.

Not only are these unusual fruits the size and shape of oranges, with leathery skin -- they turn yellow-orange when they're fully ripe. That's where the comparison ends, though; Osage oranges are hard and woody, through and through. And definitely not edible.

Osage oranges develop on a rough, thorny tree, botanically known as Maclura pomifera. It is only hardy from southern Iowa on south, which is why the fruit appears so foreign to most Minnesotans.

Originally planted in hedge rows to mark property lines and keep cattle in, Osage orange trees are still a fairly common sight along roadsides in rural Nebraska, Kansas and Arkansas. However, the trees are not particularly valued as landscape plants due to their coarse appearance, thorny wood and messy habit of dropping these large, hard, heavy fruits each fall.

So why are green Osage oranges being sold in grocery stores? Somewhere along the line, these ugly fruits developed the reputation for keeping spiders out of people's basements. And that is what they're sold for today, despite the fact that nobody has been able to show scientifically that they're actually effective.

The easiest way to remove spiders from your basement is to just sweep them up, along with their webs. Since spiders are predators that feed on other insects in your basement, you shouldn't feel too bad if you see some even after you've tried to get rid of them. Their presence is somewhat seasonal anyway; fewer will make their way indoors as outdoor temperatures drop.

Share Garden Surplus
Beth Jarvis, Yard & Garden Line

Lettuce. Photo credit: Beth Jarvis

Did you kind of over-plant the lettuce?? Get carried away planting tomatoes??

Some of the local foodshelves would love to take that surplus off your hands! Produce should be of good quality--such as you'd give friends.

To find out which foodshelves have facilities to handle fresh produce, call the Minnesota Foodshelf Association:

Local number 612-870-9170
Out of Metro 1-800-782-6372

Water Stress in Trees and Shrubs
Patrick Weicherding, Anoka Co. Extension Educator, Horticulture

Drought-stressed tree. Photo credit: Patrick Weicherding

In the past decade precipitation in Minnesota has not been very stable. In some parts of the state we have had long periods when the soil has been excessively dry and in other parts of the state the soil has been saturated. Both extremes can have detrimental effects on woody ornamental plants, killing many established plants outright or badly damaging others. Unfortunately the effects of moisture stress in trees and shrubs are not always immediate. When your lawn is stressed the turf turns brown. When trees and shrubs are stressed the harm may not show up for several years until the tree or shrub begins to decline and die back.

Water stress in trees and shrubs may be observed in the form of:

· Temporary leaf wilt · Scorched leaf margins · Foliage that is off-color · Decreased annual growth · Increased insect / disease problems · Overall poor vigor · Loss of older leaves · Defoliation of scorched leaves · Early fall leaf color · Stunted leaf size · Death of lower, shaded branches · Increased winter injury It has been estimated that water makes up over 50% of the fresh weight of trees and shrubs. It is the single most limiting factor to growth and health. It does a lot of work in plant physiological functions: as a solvent; a reactant in photosynthesis; a carrier for nutrients and other materials; and in the maintenance of turgidity. It's no wonder that trees and shrubs suffer when they're experiencing moisture stress.

Water deficits occur when the rate of water loss through the leaves (transpiration) exceeds the rate it is taken up through the roots. Transpiration is highest during sunny days, low humidity, high temperatures, and high winds. Photosynthesis decreases under higher rates of transpiration. So, those endless summer days of breezy, blue skies that so many of us enjoy in Minnesota are actually not so great for tree and shrub growth. As the lack of water continues (drought stress), cell enlargement is decreased, and wilt appears, followed by leaf scorch and defoliation. The symptoms that appear will vary with the intensity and duration of the water stress. Long-term drought, where the moisture stress accumulates for more than one growing season, has the most importance for tree and shrub health.

If too little water is hard on trees and shrubs, too much can be just as bad. The same types of symptoms can occur when the soil is waterlogged: there is less oxygen in flooded soil; carbon dioxide uptake is decreased, which causes the stomata (pores) of the leaves to close; and the leaves wilt. Adding more water just makes it worse.

Waterlogged soils can cause root decay and the growth of adventitious roots in soil layers above the wet zone in some species including ash, oak, alder, poplar, and some spruce. Flood-induced roots are fleshier and more subject to damage than normal roots. The extent of the damage under these conditions depends upon: flood duration; the time of the year flooding occurred; water quality and water oxygen content; water depth; air and water temperature; and tree or shrub stage of life, structure and health.

Flooding. Photo credit: Patrick Weicherding

Finally, the sudden addition of frequent irrigation to established trees and shrubs can also result in stress, infection with root rot diseases, and death. This is a common problem where native trees and shrubs have been retained on new building sites, and where attempts are made to grow herbaceous plants or new turf under mature woody plants.

What factors affect water stress in trees and shrubs? Water stress is closely connected to issues related to soil, plant selection and placement, and root condition. Water stress will be greater where there are restricted soil volumes; in heavily compacted soils, particularly clay; in extremely sandy soils; and in flooded soils. In other words water stress is greater under those conditions that reduce moisture-holding capacity and / or aeration. However, soil condition can be the most limiting factor to water availability.

The adage of "putting the right tree in the right place" holds true here as well. A species native to a shaded environment (understory), placed in an exposed site will show more water stress symptoms than a plant adapted to full sun. Flood tolerant species such as river birch or willow are better choices for poorly drained sites. Finally match the mature size of the tree or shrub to the available soil volume. The bigger the tree or shrub, the more underground space needed.

Damage or other restriction to the root area will increase the potential for water stress. This includes root pruning due to transplanting or construction events, and trees growing in "containerized" locations like parking lot islands or narrow median strips and boulevards.

Are your trees or shrubs experiencing water stress? Look at the plants. Are the leaves normal in color, or dull? Do the youngest leaves wilt by afternoon, but recover overnight? Are interior leaves beginning to turn color? These temporary symptoms can be corrected with a good soaking of water. Chronic symptoms including stunted growth, annual premature fall color, and increased problems with pests, diseases, and winter injury are cause for great alarm. Once you start to see extensive leaf scorch and loss, or some of the chronic symptoms, you need to work on cultural practices to improve vigor for the next growing season. This includes mulching and well-timed irrigation prior to the appearance of chronic water stress symptoms.

Use a soil probe or trowel to look beneath the soil surface and feel the soil. How moist is it? What's the texture? Probe the soil to decide when and if water is needed, and after watering to see how deeply the water has soaked in (you will be surprised).

Also, check the rate water soaks into the soil by doing a percolation test and adjust the irrigation accordingly.

Don't forget to observe the soil condition at different times of the year. Is the planting site saturated or flooded at any time, or is it well drained? The more you probe, the better you'll know the soil, and what's needed. Poor drainage can often be corrected with drain tile and / or grade changes to move excess water away from the root zone. At the other extreme, improving aeration and adding organic matter will increase water-holding capacity of the soil.

How do you treat water stressed trees and shrubs to prevent damage in the future? Don't let the soil dry out too early in the growing season, when trees and shrubs require ample water for new growth. The best time of day to apply water is when transpiration levels are lowest - early morning, late in the day, or on overcast, damp days. Water infrequently but deeply (at least 6 to 8 inches in the soil) and allow the soil to dry out some between applications. Although it may seem (and look) a bit crazy, one of the best times to apply a deep watering is on cloudy days when there's just about enough rain to dampen the soil surface. Trees that were recently planted or have suffered other root damage will require more irrigation during the next two to three years. Treat trees and shrubs with chronic water stress symptoms with a few deep soakings concentrated in the early part of the growing season, before any symptoms appear. Again, be careful not to overwater established trees and avoid applying water directly to the trunk or stems.

Mulching is one of the best things you can do to improve plant health and reduce water stress. A generous tree ring mulched to a depth of about 4 inches helps eliminate competition from weeds and grass, helps retain soil moisture, moderates soil temperature, and slowly helps improve soil structure and fertility as it decays. Any material can be used but a coarse mulch surface allows better penetration of rain and irrigation water. Mulch can be applied any time of year, and wood chips are a great material to use. Just be sure to avoid "mulch volcanoes" by keeping the mulch from directly contacting the trunk or stems.

Managing water stress in trees and shrubs takes more than just watering then when they wilt. The range of cultural practices you provide throughout the year will ensure good tree health and will help avoid future water stress and its associated ills. So don't wait any longer to do something about your water stressed trees and shrubs!

It's a Hummingbird, It's a Moth, It's a What?
Jeffrey Hahn, Assistant Extension Entomologist

Hummingbird moth. Photo credit: Rod Elmstrand

Some people have been puzzled lately by a hummingbird-like moth in flower gardens. They have been watching a hummingbird moth. This common moth has a 1 ˝ to 2 1/4 inch wingspan. Sometimes called a hummingbird clearwing, this moth lacks scales on most of it wings except for a dark border around the edge of the wings. This moth hovers and darts about acrobatically in flower gardens, like a hummingbird. Instead of a long beak, a hummingbird moth has a long proboscis that it uses to feed on nectar while it is flying. Unlike most moths, a hummingbird moth flies during the day. There are two very closely related, very similar looking moths that are also found in Minnesota with the same behavior.

Another moth that may be seen hovering around flowers like a hummingbird is the whitelined sphinx moth. It is larger than a hummingbird moth with a wingspan between 2 and 3 ˝ inches. It has scales entirely covering its wings. The first pair of wings are dark colored with a white stripe running from the wingtip diagonally to the base of the wing. The second pair of wings is dark with a pinkish band. The whitelined sphinx moth is active during the day as well as at dusk. Like a hummingbird moth, it uses a long proboscis to feed on nectar.

Sphecid Wasps
Jeffrey Hahn, Assistant Extension Entomologist

Thread waisted wasp., Sphex sp.

Sand wasps, (Bembicini) Photo: Y & GL

When someone mentions wasps, you usually think of a social wasp, like a yellowjacket. But there are many types of wasps that are solitary, i.e. they live by themselves. A large, common group of solitary wasps are sphecid (SFEE-sid) wasps. They have been frequently observed during August.

This is quite a varied and interesting group of insects. Some species are just a fraction of an inch while others can be over an inch and half long. Although they live by themselves, some nest close to each other in nonsocial groups. Many sphecid wasps nest in the ground. Others nest above ground in cavities, such as in twigs or crevices, or in nests constructed of mud.

Sphecid wasps prey on other insects and spiders. They paralyze insects to feed to their young. They either drag the immobilized insects back to their nests or carry them while flying back. A particular sphecid wasp species usually attacks a specific type of insect.

Although sphecid wasps can sting, they are generally not aggressive towards people and mind their own business if they are left undisturbed. If their nests do not pose any threat, then leave them alone and they will go away on their own by the end of the summer. If there is concern about stings from a ground nest, pour soapy water into it. Use a ‘wasp and hornet' spray if there is a troublesome above ground nest.

Fall Webworms
Jeffrey Hahn, Assistant Extension Entomologist

Fall webworms in tree Photo credit: Jeff Hahn

While many caterpillars feed on trees during spring, fall webworm is an exception to that rule. This caterpillar is first active in July and feeds into September. These caterpillars feed on the leaves of over 100 different species of deciduous trees and shrubs. However, they do not feed on conifers. Fall webworms are yellowish or greenish with long, fine white hairs with two rows of black spots down their backs. However, it is much easier to recognize fall webworms by the webbing the produce.

They construct this silken webbing soon after they hatch. It covers the ends of branches (or the entire tree or shrub if it is small). This contrasts with the eastern tent caterpillar which feeds in the spring and constructs a web in the forks of limbs. Fall webworms feed gregariously, i.e. as a nonsocial group, inside the webbing. The webbing starts off small but becomes larger as the summer progresses, being as much as two to three feet across. When threatened, fall webworms will jerk their bodies simultaneously in an attempt to scare away any enemies.

Although common, fall webworm does not normally have much impact on the health of vigorously growing, well-established trees. Fall webworms are just an eyesore due to the webs they construct. Management is usually unnecessary because feeding at the end of summer has little impact on plant health. Also, natural enemies usually help keep fall webworms in check, preventing serious outbreaks.

If you don't like the webbing, try to pull it off the branches. Although it may be difficult to remove the entire web, you may be able to damage it enough to eliminate most of the fall webworms. If webbing is on a small branch, just prune out the limb. Do not attempt to burn webs while they are in the tree. This is more harmful to the tree than any control that you can achieve.

Fall webworms are vulnerable to insecticides for just a short time when young larvae are first constructing webs. Bacillus thuringiensis, a bacterial insecticide, is a selective product that is effective against fall webworm but is a very low risk to people, pets, and nontarget insects. Once webs are larger, sprays do not penetrate through the webbing very well.

Squash Bugs
Jeffrey Hahn, Assistant Extension Entomologist

Squash bug. Photo credit: Y   GL

Squash bugs are found occasionally in home gardens, feeding on squash, pumpkins, and other curcubits. Adult females start laying eggs from mid- to late June. Eggs are orange to yellow and are found on the underside of leaves between the veins.

When they first hatch, immature nymphs are wingless and pale green to white with reddish-brown legs and heads. As the grow, they become grayish-white with black legs. In about five to six weeks, squash bugs mature into winged adults. Adults are dark brown, ˝ to 3/4 inch long insects. There can be a partial second generation, although only unmated adults survive the winter.

Squash bugs use piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on plant sap. This feeding can cause yellowish spots on leaves which later turns brown. Squash bug injury on vines, can cause them to wilt, turn brown, and then black before completely drying up. Small plants can be killed if squash bugs are abundant. These symptoms also mimic bacterial wilt caused by cucumber beetles. However, if there is a lack of chewing damage on the leaves and squash bugs are present (make sure to check on the underside of leaves), then it is not likely to be bacterial wilt.

Squash bugs are more easily managed earlier in the season. You can protect your garden from small numbers of squash bugs by handpicking them. If larger numbers are present, protect plants with an insecticide, such as carbaryl (Sevin) or permethrin (Eight). Be sure to get thorough spray coverage. Plants are more susceptible to squash bug feeding when they are seedlings or recently transplanted. It is less important to reduce squash bug numbers late in the summer.

To minimize the number of squash bugs overwintering, keep your garden and adjacent areas cleared of accumulations of leaves, plant debris, brush piles, boards and other moist, protected areas that can give squash bugs favorable sites to hibernate.

Editorial Notes

Hollyhock. Photo credit: Beth Jarvis

Life's full of surprises. Last issue, I said there'd be herbicide information in this issue and there's nary a word. Roger Becker, our weed guru, was surprised with appendicitis. Happily, he's now back to work and will be writing about perennial lawn weeds for the next issue. Closer to spring, Roger has promised to do a piece on pre-emergents for crabgrass and annual weed control.

Jon Powell, turf pathologist, will return this fall to discuss other lawn diseases.

Remember the apple bagging experiment from last year? Larry Zilliox has completed a second year and has promised an update. He had more orchards more widely distributed over the state. This could be the best non-chemical apple production method yet--for homeowners, anyway.

This winter, Carl Rosen will discuss soluble salts test levels. Doug Foulk will talk about growing grapes in Minnesota and varieties to seek out when perusing garden catalogs. George Heimpel will return to talk about conservation biocontrol.

As soon as the data's analyzed, we'll also be hearing from Carl Rosen on using treated lumber in garden beds. He has a graduate student testing garden soils adjacent to treated lumber to see if arsenic leaching is a problem.

I rely on your comments and questions for ideas for future articles. Please, keep the story ideas coming! We really try to be responsive to your needs.

Please feel free to cut and paste any of the articles for use in your own newsletters. All we ask is that you give our authors credit.

Back issues Yard & Garden Line News are on the Yard & Garden Line home page at www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgarden/. Our home page has clickable links to most of the components of the Yard & Garden Line, such as Bell Museum of Natural History, INFO U and the Soil Testing Lab.

Deb Brown answers gardening questions on Minnesota Public Radio's (MPR) "Midmorning" program on the first Thursday of every month at 10 a.m. Katherine Lanpher hosts the program that is broadcast on KNOW 91.1 FM, and available state-wide on the MPR news radio stations.

If you have gardening questions, please call the Yard & Garden Line at (612) 624-4771.

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Happy gardening!

Beth Jarvis
Yard & Garden Line Project Coordinator

Websites
Sustainable Urban Landscape Information Series. This site contains everything from landscape design planning and lawncare to both herbaceous and woody plant selection databases. The URL is:http://www.sustland.umn.edu


For pesticide info, for both home owner and professionals, check out:

http://www.crc.agri.umn.edu/~mnhelps/

There's also some very interesting reading at Forest Products website. To get there from here, click on: http://www.cnr.umn.edu/FR/extension/
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