Gardening season is underway, and you may have questions. To ask one, simply go to the OSU Extension website, type it in and include the county where you live. A photo is very helpful.
These are brown marmorated stink bugs just hatching.OSU Extension Service
We found these hatching brown marmorated stink bugs. Now what?
Q: I just now found and (with help) identified a collection of what we believe to be approximately 53 baby brown marmorated stink bugs in various stages of hatching on one of my cherry trees in my back yard here in an urban environment.
They were found on the underside of a leaf, which I have since collected and placed into a small container with a lid, with some small holes punched in the top.
I understand you may be interested in collecting live specimens. You’re welcome to have these if you want them. – Multnomah County
A: Yes, those are brown marmorated stink bugs just hatching. There is no need to send them anywhere, as we all have lots of them on our own plants lately. You can drop the whole thing in a cup of soapy water and save your cherry trees and the neighbor’s fruit trees from some damage. As an invasive pest they are a pain, but birds, bats, spiders and a few other predatory bugs will eat them. They cause great damage to fruit crops around here so thank you for destroying at least one hatch. And feel free to repeat if you get more. – Rhonda Frick-Wright
A healthy tree should naturally scab over a wound from a lost limb.OSU Extension Service
What should we do with tree wound fallen limb leaves behind?
Q: Our fig tree lost a large limb with a gust of wind yesterday. We’re wondering what, if anything, we should do with the wound that the limb left behind. – Multnomah County
A: Since there doesn’t appear to be any dangerous tree tissue remaining, the best advice is to do nothing except provide adequate water this summer to keep what is left healthy. A healthy tree will naturally try to scab over the wound, so don’t apply anything over it. You will need to monitor the tree, since such a substantial wound may invite insects and diseases. You might want to consider hiring a certified arborist to examine and advise. Here is more advice from Purdue University – Kris LaMar, OSU Extension Master Gardener
Will Allen’s hummingbirds extend their range?
Q: I live in Eugene and created a hummingbird garden three years ago. This year what I thought were Rufous hummers started showing up in numbers about a week ago. This is six weeks earlier than last year. I think Allen’s hummingbirds may never extend their range. What do you think? – Lane County
A: During their long migrations, rufous hummingbirds make a clockwise circuit of western North America each year. They move up the Pacific Coast in late winter and spring, reaching Washington and British Columbia by May. As early as July they may start south again, traveling down the chain of the Rocky Mountains. People first realized this pattern after examining detailed field notes and specimens, noting the birds’ characteristic dates of arrival on each part of the circuit. Although the Allen’s is difficult to tell from the Rufous, its migration is not known beyond southern Oregon. – Pat Patterson, OSU Extension horticulturist, retired
Is it safe to leave landscape fabric around weeping cherry tree?
Q: We have some type of weeping cherry tree in our yard that is most likely around 20 years old. My husband recently put down black landscape fabric all around it, in an effort to control the dandelions and other plants that were growing beneath it. He left an approximately 6-inch circle free of fabric around the trunk and piled 3-4 inches of fir bark dust on top of the fabric. I love this tree, and just wanted to verify that the use of landscape fabric as described may not be likely to have ill consequences for the tree. Should we remove the fabric after a period of time or is it safe to leave it in place indefinitely? – Polk County
A: The answer to your question is somewhat complicated. It sounds like you did the right things for now, but you will want to monitor your tree in the years to come.
Is the landscape fabric permeable to water? Based on what you said, I assume that you mean fabric and not the black plastic that is sold as a weed barrier. (The black plastic can also suffocate roots.) If it is not permeable or not permeable enough, your tree may not get enough water. Over time, the small holes in fabrics can clog up, reducing the amount of water that can get through.
My advice is to:
· Keep an eye on whether your tree is getting enough water. If it seems to be not getting enough water, check how well water moves through the fabric.
· Watch for weeds growing on top of the barrier through the mulch. When they get into the landscape barrier, they become much more difficult to remove.
· Monitor the structural integrity of the fabric; it can break apart as it spends more time in the garden.
· When any of the above become true, you may want to evaluate replacing the fabric.
· Be sure the mulch does not touch the trunk. Pathogens can pass from the mulch to the tree, and it can create a space for disease to grow.
Resources:
“Selecting, Planting, and Caring for a New Tree”: Page 14 of this document has good advice for how to mulch new trees. The same principles apply to your older tree.
“Mulching Woody Ornamentals with Organic Materials” | OSU Extension Catalog | Oregon State University: Pay particular attention to the section called “Do geotextile fabrics or plastic barriers under mulch effectively control weeds?”
The disadvantages of landscape fabric | Illinois Extension | UIUC – Leo Sherry, OSU Extension Master Gardener