Citrus Canker lesions on leaves. Photo Credit: Beth Bolles, UF IFAS Extension – Escambia County
Authors: Blake Thaxton & Mary Derrick, UF/IFAS Extension – Santa Rosa Co. Mikaela Anderson, FDACS Division of Plant Inspection
Citrus canker is a serious disease of citrus trees that was recently confirmed for the first time in southern Santa Rosa County. Canker is caused by the bacterial pathogen Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri. Citrus canker has been a major pest of citrus in south and central Florida. It is economically damaging to the commercial industry and is also problematic to homeowners because it causes premature fruit drop, discolored fruit, and eventually causes the tree to become unproductive.
Canker was first introduced in 1912 into Florida and was declared eradicated in 1933. The disease was found again in the Tampa area on citrus in 1986. It was declared eradicated in 1994, but once again was found in 1995 in Miami. This time, the disease was not successfully eradicated in part because hurricanes made the disease too widespread to control. Despite its prevalence in south and central Florida, this disease has not been known in the Panhandle. The University of Florida and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Division of Plant Industry will be assessing the extent of the disease in Santa Rosa County in the coming months.
Lesions growing through the channels formed by the Citrus Leafminer insect. Photo Credit: Beth Bolles, UF IFAS Extension – Escambia County
How might you know if your citrus is infected by canker? One of the best indicators of canker is the presence of lesions, diseased spots, on the upper and lower surfaces of the leaves. The lesions will be raised and have a rough surface and will be surrounded by yellow halos. Similar lesions may be present on the fruit and stems as well.
[important]If you suspect that your citrus trees may have citrus canker please contact the Division of Plant Industry’s Helpline Center at 1-888-397-1517before taking any action to reduce accidental spread of this disease. [/important]
Lesions formed on the stems. Photo Credit: Beth Bolles, UF IFAS Escambia County Extension
The disease is highly contagious to citrus only and spreads rapidly through wind, rain and via people on their hands, clothes, and tools. Do not transport any plant material that shows symptoms of canker. Decontamination practices should be used when going from one citrus tree to the next. Hand washing with soap and water for 20 seconds or more to eliminate bacterium on the skin should be practiced as well as using alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Pruning tools or other tools that come into contact with citrus should be disinfected by a fresh solution of 1 ounce of household bleach to 1 gallon of water. An old or dirty bleach solution is not able to disinfect because the chemical is no longer active.
[warning]Do Not Move a Plant Infected with Citrus Canker. Please Call your local Extension Office for further instructions[/warning]
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium or “The Swamp” – http://www.gatorzone.com/facilities/?venue=swamp&sport=footb
Generally as Extension Agents we do not write interest type articles for this newsletter, but I thought I would mix it up this week and write on two of my favorite things and how they relate. My first love growing up in north Alabama was college football. I would spend hours reading statistics about my favorite players and watching old recorded ball games when there was not a live game on. I was always a small guy so playing the sport I became enamored with as a child was not an option unless I craved pain, which I did not.
One of the greatest attributes of college football is the traditions that each school have formed along the way. This is where my education and discipline come into play. Horticulture is the major I chose in college. I did not have much experience in Horticulture prior to this decision, but I always enjoyed the outdoors and found it a satisfying thought to work there in the future. The way that college football and horticulture work together is more than just the care of the perfectly manicured athletic turf fields that are so commonly found in major college football. Horticulture is deeply ingrained into the traditions of college football and here are a few of my favorites.
The Ohio State Aesculus glabra‘s
Ohio State is one of the only college teams I know who’s team name is named after a species of tree. The tree of course being the Ohio Buckeye or Aesculus glabra. Settlers of Ohio found the tree to be the only one they were unfamiliar with in the forest. Although it may seem strange that they have named athletic teams after a tree the explanation is pretty good.
…in general, the trees and their nuts are of little practical use: the wood does not burn well, the bark has an unpleasant odor, and the bitter nut meat is mildly toxic. Still, the tree has grit. It grows where others cannot, is difficult to kill, and adapts to its circumstances. Daniel Drake, who gave a witty speech on behalf of the buckeye at a well attended dinner in Cincinnati in 1833, said, “In all our woods there is not a tree so hard to kill as the buckeye. The deepest girdling does not deaden it, and even after it is cut down and worked up into the side of a cabin it will send out young branches, denoting to all the world that Buckeyes are not easily conquered, and could with difficulty be destroyed.”
Tailgating at the Grove – http://www.olemisssports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/gameday-thegrove.html
Tailgating is as much a part of the Southeastern Conference is the actual football games. College football is an all day experience not just a 3-4 hour event in the south. From what I understand Ole Miss takes it to another level tailgating in the historic Grove. The Grove took some foresight by a Chancellor named Robert Fulton. Apparently Chancellor Fulton took much pride in the aesthetics of the University and when the library was built on the outer edge of campus in 1892 he extended the campus some ways to the railroad with plantings of trees and a privet hedge around what would be known as “The Grove”. Now on game days in Oxford, Mississippi the Grove will be found with hundreds of tailgating tents with fine china and chandeliers. This is a spectacle I have yet to see in my time as college football enthusiast, but I imagine it would be quite a sight for the horticulturist.
The Grove has 40 species according to the University’s map. An arboretum is what the grove is and it is a shame that Ole Miss does not have a degree in horticulture because this would be the ultimate outdoor classroom.
Under the Live Oaks that once stood on Toomer’s Corner – http://family.auburn.edu/profiles/blogs/president-jay-gogue-accepts-plan-to-plant-new-toomer-s-oaks
I am partial to this tradition and its significance as Auburn University is my Alma Mater and the college football team I loved as a child. I have great memories celebrating big wins at the corner of College St. and Magnolia St. throwing toilet paper into the Live Oaks that once graced the corner. Of course if you are not a fan of college football you may not know the story of how the beloved oaks were destroyed I will let you read elsewhere on how this occurred.
I have talked to fans and others associated with other colleges and they told me how the Toomer’s Oaks weren’t what they expected. The legend of Toomer’s corner has been spread far and wide by the media and when opposing fans come to see the corner where the University meets the town they found two Live Oaks that are not the most healthy looking trees and not near the size they imagined in their heads. Well the fact is that the Live Oak is not the best selection for a tree in Auburn, Alabama. Live Oaks are better adapted to coastal areas. Majestic large live Oaks can be found in Mobile, New Orleans, and Savannah; and that is probably why fans of visiting teams were somewhat disappointed by the Live Oaks that were so legendary. Although not the best selection those trees did hold a special place in many Auburn people’s hearts, but I am sure their replacement will be adored just as much once reaching mature size. Hopefully a better suited species will be chosen.
Georgia – “Between the Hedges”
Former UGA Football Coach and Horticulture enthusiast, Vince Dooley – http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4552978
“Between the Hedges” is a tough place to play football if your team is not named the Georgia Bulldogs. Sanford stadium in Athens, Georgia is the home field of the University of Georgia. When the stadium was being built Charlie Martin, an athletic department official, wanted to beautify the stadium with rose hedges like he had seen at the 1926 Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. Martin was given advice by several Horticulture professors that Rose hedges did not stand a chance in the climate that Athens, Georgia endures. The alternate was Chinese Privet, which most people would consider a weedy shrub. After a team comes into Sanford stadium and wins a big game it has become customary to clip off a piece of the hedge to take home.
One last tradition I would like to introduce you to that I find interesting and has a little bit of Horticulture inspiration is Kansas University’s “Waving the Wheat”. Just watch the video:
What are some traditions that have horticulture involved that I may have missed? Leave a comment below!
It has been a hot summer but Fall is right around the corner. Cooler temperatures and changing colors are a welcomed change in the panhandle of Florida. Fall can be a great time to spruce up your landscape with some new shrubs.
Image Credit UF / IFAS
It may be time for your landscape to receive a mini-makeover and to get a new look for fall and years to come. Perhaps some shrubs strategically placed will be what makes your outdoor living space pop. Proper selection and installation is key to health of the shrub moving forward.
Selection
There are several factors that need to be taken into account before buying shrubs to add to your landscape. Carefully selecting plants based on the following points will help with long term success of the plant:
Climate – Be sure that the species will tolerate the climate you live in.
Environment – Study the light level, acidity, and drainage of the planting site.
Space – Account for the mature size of the plant before planting. This will keep you from having to remove the plant if the space is not adequate.
Inspect the plant – Check for mechanical injury (scars and open wounds), cold injury, condition and shape of the canopy, and examine the root system.
Installation
Now that the proper plant has been selected it is time to give the shrub the best chance for survival with proper installation techniques. Fall and winter is an ideal time for planting shrubs. The roots can develop before the tops begin to grow in spring. The following are the keys to proper establishment of container shrubs.
Root ball preparation – Remove the container from the root ball and inspect for circling roots. If there are circling roots than make three or four cuts vertically to cut the roots. Pull some of the roots away so they will take on a new growth direction (massage the roots). Also find the top most roots as sometimes they are covered by extra potting media. Remove the extra potting media so the top most roots are exposed and become the top of the root ball.
Image Credits: UF/IFAS, Edward F. Gilman
Wider is better – Dig the hole two or three times the diameter of the root ball.
Proper depth – Make sure to dig the hole 10% less than the height of the root ball. In poorly drained soils dig the hole 25% less than the the height of the root ball. The top most roots should be slightly above the native soils.
Backfill – Fill the hole with existing soil half way and tamp the soil to settle. Again fill the rest of the hole with the existing soil and tamp again to settle the soil. Do not place any backfill soil or mulch over the root ball as it is crucial that water and air are able to be in contact with the the roots.
Aftercare – Irrigate daily for the first two weeks, followed by every other day for the next two months, and weekly until the shrub is established (For <2 inch caliper shrubs).
If these key points are followed regarding selection and installation, the shrubs will be well on their way to becoming established in the landscape. If you would like read more in detail about installation please read the following:
Gilman, E.F., (2011, August) Specifications for Planting Trees and Shrubs in the Southeastern U.S.. Retrieved from: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep112
Black, R.J. and Ruppert, K.C., (1998) Your Florida Landscape, A complete guide to planting & maintenance. Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida.
Being licensed means complying with the law – but it also means you can run your business better and smarter. The licensing course will provide you with information you will use every day – on issues like laws, safety, labeling, and integrated pest management. Even more, having a license will give you extra credibility with your clients, since they will know you have the expertise to maintain their property, and the environment, too.
Which License do I need? Try the link to figure out which license is for you. If you are still confised call your local extension agent and they will happy to assist you.
Limited Commercial Maintenance & Limited Lawn and Ornamental
Sept. 26th – Okaloosa County, General Standards CORE & Ornamental and Turf
Dec. 10th – Okaloosa County, General Standards CORE & Right of Way
Green Industry – Best Management Practices (GI-BMP)
Florida Statute 482.1562 states that all commercial fertilizer applicators must have a license from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) by January 1, 2014. To get this license, each Green Industry worker must be trained in the GI-BMPs and receive a certificate of completion from UF/IFAS and FDEP. Additionally, many non-commercial Green Industry applicators or other workers are required to pass the training by local ordinances or voluntarily participate in the program to better serve their clients.
Sept. 19th – Bay County
Oct. 1st – Okaloosa County
Oct. 4th – Leon County
Nov. 13th – Okaloosa County
Nov. 15th – Santa Rosa County
Dec. 11th – Jackson County
For Phone numbers to the County extension offices go to http://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/map/#map and click on the county you wish to contact.
