~Hudson Valley Horticulture~
Cornell Cooperative Extension of the Hudson Valley
~~~~~Commercial Horticulture Electronic Newsletter~~~~~
Volume 7, Issue 2
February 20, 2007

Participating Counties: Dutchess * Orange * Putnam * Rockland * Sullivan * Ulster * Westchester *
Editor: Teresa Rusinek
http://www.cce.cornell.edu

In this issue
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*AAS Announces 2007 Winners
*The National Arbor Day Foundation Redraws Zone Map
*Old-Time Mosquito Remedy May Work Against Ticks, Too
*EPA Rules Out Wood Preservative ACC for Residential Use (News Brief)
*Announcing 2006 Cornell Annual trials website
*Society of Municipal Arborists Announces 2007 Tree of The Year: Baldcypress (Taxodium distichum)
*Will Warm Winter Wither Plants?
*2007 Pest Management Guide for Commercial Production and Maintenance of Trees and Shrubs now available
*2007 Selected List of Vegetable Varieties available
*Horticulture Programs for Professionals
*Programs of Interest
*Westchester Update

AAS Announces 2007 Winners
All-American Selections winners for 2007 are ‘Celosia Fresh Look Gold’ in the flower category, Petunia ‘Opera Supreme Pink Morn’ and Vinca ‘Pacifica Burgundy Halo’ in the bedding plant category and Pepper ‘Holy Mole’ in the vegetable category. For more information on the winners go to www.all-americaselections.org/Winners.asp.

Submitted by Anna Snider, Cornell Cooperative Extension Westchester County

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The National Arbor Day Foundation Redraws Zone Map
The USDA has long been the authority on hardiness zones; however the current USDA Hardiness Zone Map has not been updated since 1990. Climate trends have changed in the last 16 years and the USDA is in the process of redrawing the map. In the meantime, the National Arbor Day Foundation has made a map of their own using more recent climate data. Many areas have seen an increase (and in some cases a decrease) of one hardiness zone or more. To see the new map go to www.arborday.org/media/zones.cfm.
Submitted by Anna Snider, Cornell Cooperative Extension Westchester County

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Old-Time Mosquito Remedy May Work Against Ticks, Too
A granddad's wisdom, already helpful in the fight against mosquitoes, may also prove useful in battling disease-spreading ticks. Last year, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Oxford, Miss., isolated compounds from a plant called American beautyberry that enable it’s crushed leaves to repel mosquitoes.

This work, led by chemist Charles Cantrell at the ARS Natural Products Utilization Research Unit in Oxford, was inspired by a tip another ARS scientist-botanist Charles Bryson in Stoneville, Mississippi - got long ago from his grandfather: that beautyberry was used in northeastern Mississippi to protect people and farm-work animals from biting bugs. Now ARS scientists in Beltsville, Md., have shown that two beautyberry compounds - callicarpenal and intermedeol - may effectively repel blacklegged ticks as well. Blacklegged ticks are the principal carrier of bacteria that in humans causes Lyme disease, an affliction known for its fevers, headaches and bull's-eye rash. Left untreated, this disease can cause severe and chronic illness.

ARS entomologists tested the compounds by administering them to cloth strips wrapped around a person's finger in dosages at which the commercial repellent DEET repels ticks. The treated strips repelled more than 95 percent of blacklegged tick nymphs. Callicarpenal did especially well in a separate duration test, repelling all the blacklegged ticks tested for three hours after application, and 53 percent after four hours. The researchers also tested the natural compounds against nymphs of lone star ticks, which transmit potentially serious human diseases known as ehrlichioses. The two compounds, as well as DEET, were considerably more potent against blacklegged ticks than against lone star ticks. An experimental repellent developed by ARS and known as SS220 was most effective against the lone star variety.

While the findings are preliminary, the beautyberry compounds' usage history leads Carroll to believe that callicarpenal and intermedeol have potential for human use.

Written by Lius Pons, USDA-ARS Staff Writer. To read more, visit: www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2007/070126.htm
Submitted by Rick Harper, Cornell Cooperative Extension Westchester County

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EPA Rules Out Wood Preservative ACC for Residential Use (News Brief)
(Washington, D.C. - Jan. 8, 2007) EPA is taking legal action to deny the registration for acid copper chromate, commonly known as ACC, for residential use. "The U.S. continues to set the gold standard for pesticide safety," said EPA Assistant Administrator Jim Gulliford. "Today's decision protects American families, workers and the environment."

EPA's scientific review process concluded that the risks associated with residential uses of ACC outweigh the minimal benefits. The proposed residential uses of ACC would pose a cancer risk to treatment and manufacturing workers, as well as non-cancer risks to homeowners, children and contractors.
In addition, disposal of the ACC-treated wood could require that it be handled and disposed of as a hazardous waste since the wood may contain high levels of chromium. ACC contains hexavalent chromium, a known human carcinogen when inhaled and a dermal irritant and sensitizer.
Under the federal pesticide law, EPA is following the administrative process to finalize this decision.
More information: www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/chemicals/acid_copper_chromate.htm
Submitted by Dianne Olsen, Cornell Cooperative Extension Putnam County

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Announcing 2006 Cornell Annual trials website
The 2006 Cornell Annual trials website is now up!!! The link to our site is: www.hort.cornell.edu/department/faculty/wmiller/bglannuals/

You will find links for general trial information, and specific data and photographs for the past three seasons. In response to many requests, we have added a new recognition system. Titles that were awarded included "Best Overall" and "Best in Category."

Thank you to all our participating companies, Board Members, and all who helped with this during the year. Mark your calendars for July 24, 2007 for the next field day.

Written by Melissa Kitchen, Trial coordinator and Bill Miller, Professor

Submitted by Gary Couch, Ornamentals and Community IPM Specialist, NYS IPM

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Society of Municipal Arborists Announces 2007 Tree of The Year:
Baldcypress (Taxodium distichum)
Members of the Society of Municipal Arborists from several states and two nations agree: Baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) deserves the title of the 2007 Tree of The Year!

Baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) is a deciduous conifer that grows on saturated and seasonally inundated soils of the southeastern and Gulf coastal plains. Commonly called baldcypress, cypress, southern-cypress and swamp-cypress, its natural range extends westward into Texas and northward into Illinois and Indiana. Baldcypress are monoecious and are one of the few conifer species that produce sprouts. Although reputed to be slow growing and very long-lived, during some growing seasons, perhaps in response to soil-moisture fluctuations, many baldcypress trees appear to produce more than one ring of stemwood. Counting these false rings in with true annual rings has led to overestimations of ages and consequently to underestimations of growth rates.
Baldcypress seedlings develop and maintain a taproot. Older, naturally seeded baldcypress in swamps develop several descending roots that provide anchorage, and numerous lateral roots from which rise peculiar conical structures known as knees that vary in height from a few inches to over 12 feet, depending apparently upon the average water level of the site. Research has found no physiological function for cypress knees; however, they may be beneficial as aeration organs. It is also speculated that knees may also help to anchor trees because they develop large masses of roots.

According to professionals that work with this tree:

“I’m thrilled to see Taxodium distichum receive the well-deserved respect and notoriety it will receive as the Society of Municipal Arborists (SMA’s) Tree of the Year. I’m amazed at the range of this southern tree. Baldcypress performs admirably in hot or cold, and wet or dry region, and makes it look easy thanks to its sturdy structure and rapid growth.” Steve Cothrel, Superintendent of Parks & Forestry, City of Upper Arlington, OH.

“I recommend Taxodium as a focal point or single specimen in park gardens primarily because its shorter and more quickly develops a pleasing rounded crown with soft feathery foliage. In winter, and especially where they arise from water, baldcypress trees create a singularly attractive scene.” Douglas Justice, Associate Director and Curator of Collections, University of British Colombia, Botanical Garden & Centre for Plant Research.

Among Baldcypress many noteworthy attributes:

* It is a low maintenance tree with few pest problems.
* It can survive tough urban and environmental stresses.
* In the summer it features soft green foliage that turns orange-brown before being cast in the fall.
* In the winter, its pleasing form and attractive reddish-brown bark are easily visible.
Every year the Society of Municipal Arborists conducts the 'Urban Tree of the Year' competition to illustrate the importance of selecting proper street trees before they are established. One objective of this award is to highlight deserving trees so that municipal arborists are encouraged to plant those species in suitable sites. A high-quality urban tree, after all, is a better investment than a cheap, ill-suited, high-maintenance tree.

For more information (and some great pictures of Baldcypress!), visit the Society of Municipal Arborists website at www.urban-forestry.com and click on SMA 2007 Tree of the Year. For more information about Baldcypress visit www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/silvics_manual/Volume_1/taxodium/distichum.htm .
Sources: Society of Municipal Arborists. Silvics of North America, Vol.1 by Burns & Honkala.
Written by Rick Harper, Cornell Cooperative Extension Westchester County

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Will Warm Winter Wither Plants?
From Cornell News Service article Ithaca, NY

With record warmth throughout the Northeast in December and early January, gardeners and commercial growers are asking: "Will the warm weather wither my plants?"

The quick answer is: It depends.

In addition to the particular plants involved and your location, how your plants fare depends on how quickly cold temperatures return, how cold it gets, and other environmental factors.

"I don't think we've seen the extremes yet that would cause a lot of long-term damage to trees and shrubs," says George Good, professor emeritus in Cornell University's Department of Horticulture, and a landscape plant expert who has seen many unusual winters during his long career.

A sudden drop to subzero temperatures following the warm weather in early January would have severely stressed many plants, observes Good. But most plants should acclimate OK with a gradual return to more normal winter temperatures, which appears to be happening as of this writing in mid-January.

"Some flower buds will be killed. So we may see fewer blooms on flowering trees and shrubs this spring," predicts Good. That has commercial fruit growers concerned, as they will harvest less fruit if too many flower buds die. But for most of us, it just means we'll see fewer flowers.

The long haul

In the future, chances are good we will see more warm winters like this one, says David Wolfe, a Department of Horticulture scientist who is studying how climate change, caused in part by increasing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, is affecting agriculture in the northeast.

"We may still have some very cold winters," says Wolfe. "But all the climate models point to a warming trend and nature is already responding to the warmer conditions."

In the northeast, lilacs are blooming four days earlier on average than they did in the 1960s, Wolfe points out. Warmer temperatures are also affecting cultivated crops like grapes (blooming six days earlier) and apples (blooming eight days earlier). These examples are just the tip of the iceberg in the mounting evidence that the climate is warming.

Studying long-term climate trends can't pinpoint what the weather will be like next week or next winter. But Wolfe details what gardeners and growers can expect as the northeast climate warms over the long haul:

* Warmer winters may allow gardeners to grow some plants that before could only grow in milder climes. The wine grape industry, which relies on varieties that are only marginally cold-hardy in upstate New York, may benefit from warmer winters.
* On the other hand, aggressive weeds and invasive plants will also move north. Studies show those species are better equipped than crops to take advantage of the increasing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere that are driving warming, notes Wolfe.
* Pests and diseases that were held in check by the cold may become more of a problem. Lifecycles of beneficial insects may get out of synch with the pests they help control.
* Natural ecosystems will shift north, with oak-pine forests replacing maple-beech-birch forests in some places, for example.
* Less reliable winter snow cover may hurt over-wintering of some perennial crops and flowers.
* Hotter summers may cause heat stress even in warm-season crops such as tomatoes.
It's uncertain if weather variability will increase along with temperatures. But most models predict fewer but more concentrated precipitation events, causing more flooding and drought.

For gardeners, adapting to a changing climate may be as simple finding better-adapted tomato varieties or other plants to grow. But for commercial growers, changes are likely to be more involved. "Everyone is going to have to invest some to respond to climate changes," says Wolfe. For more information, visit: www.climateandfarming.org .
Submitted By Rose Baglia, Cornell Cooperative Extension Orange County

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2007 Pest Management Guide for Commercial Production and Maintenance of Trees and Shrubs now available
The 2007 Pest Management Guide for Commercial Production and Maintenance of Trees and Shrubs includes the most up-to-date information currently available for managing pests in ornamental trees and shrubs. Highlighted revisions include updated pesticide applicator record keeping information, updated disease identification references, and revised pesticide listings. The Guide has been designed as a practical reference for producers, pesticide dealers, and others involved in production and maintenance of ornamental trees and shrubs. If your county Cooperative Extension office does not stock this publication, you can order one as directed below. Updates and additional information for this Guideline are available at http://ipmguidelines.org/treesandshrubs/

Ordering Information: Item Code: TS-07, List Price: $25.00 (shipping INCLUDED)
Customers may submit orders directly via: Phone at (607) 255-7282 or Fax at (607) 255-7311 or E-mail at patorder@cornell.edu.
Customers may also submit orders via our new on-line store at http://store.cce.cornell.edu/pmep.

Submitted by Rose Baglia, Cornell Cooperative Extension Orange County

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2007 Selected List of Vegetable Varieties available
Every year greenhouse growers ask which vegetable varieties are on the new list recommended by Cornell. Knowing which varieties customers will be looking for helps in selecting which varieties to grow as greenhouse transplants for the season. The recommended varieties should be well adapted for New York State home garden use, offer relatively high quality, be dependable, possess disease and insect resistance when possible, and have a relatively long harvest period. The list for 2007 is available at www.gardening.cornell.edu/vegetables/vegvar.pdf.
Submitted by Rose Baglia, Cornell Cooperative Extension Orange County

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Cornell Cooperative Extension
2006-2007 Horticulture Programs for Professionals
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Cornell Cooperative Extension of the Hudson Valley provides educational programs that can help you improve your skills in horticulture, pest management and business management. Updated brochures with specific information about each program will be mailed to you beforehand only if you are on your county's Cooperative Extension mailing list. If you wish to be added to that list, have questions or need further information about these programs, contact your local Cooperative Extension office listed below. Pesticide Recertification Credits will be awarded at programs marked * pending NYS DEC approval. All dates subject to change.

Arborist Certification Training
February 14, 21, 28, 2007 12:30 - 5 PM
March 07, 2007 from 12:30 - 5 PM
Certification Exam: March 30, 2007 at 8:30 AM
Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County
2715 Route 44, Millbrook, NY 12545
Contact: Rick Harper (914) 285-2622 or Stephanie Mallozzi (845) 677-8223 x104
A training program designed to assist green industry professionals in obtaining the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist designation. Topics will include tree biology, pruning, pest management, and safe work practices. Sessions will also offer ISA Continuing Education Units (CEU's) and NYS DEC Pesticide Recertification credits for certified arborists and licensed pesticide applicators. In addition, the USDA Forest Service is offering scholarships to qualified individuals. Contact Stephanie or Rick to obtain an application.

Pesticide CORE/Apprentice Training
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Villa Borghese, Wappingers Falls, NY
Contact: Marianna Quartararo (845) 292-6180 x112
This course will introduce the basic CORE concepts and principles necessary for individuals who wish to become NYSDEC Commercial Pesticide Apprentices. Commercial Pesticide Technicians and Applicators may also attend this course for review and NYS DEC Pesticide Applicator Recertification Credits.

Garden Center Employee Training
Date TBA
Contact: Dianne Olsen (845) 278-6738 or Marianna Quartararo (845) 292-6180 x112

Christmas Tree Twilight Meeting
July, 2007 – TBA
Contact: Stephanie Mallozzi (845) 677-8223 x104 or Teresa Rusinek (845) 340-3990
This is a hands on, in-the-field program focusing on professional Christmas tree production issues

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Other Professional Horticulture Programs of Interest

NYS ReLeaf Conference
July 19-21, 2007, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY
For more information contact: Mary Kramarchyk at 518-402-9412 or email: mckramar@gw.dec.state.ny.us
Join fellow urban and community foresters, municipal officials, community organizations, arborists, and affiliated industry professionals for a conference that offers workshops and tours on urban and community forestry issues.

Certified Landscape Technician Training
Contact: New York State Turf and Landscape Association, (914) 961-2535, www.nystla.com
An optional national testing program to recognize proficiency of qualified landscape professionals.

Certified Nursery Professional Training Program
Dutchess, Putnam & Westchester: Scott Olivieri (914) 682-4224
Orange, Rockland & Ulster: Mark Masseo (845) 658-9148
By passing this exam you can earn the title Certified Nursery Professional (CNP). Contact your New York State Nursery and Landscape Association representative, listed above, for more details.

Pesticide Certification
If you apply pesticides, including weed-killers, weed and feed products, insecticides, fungicides, or tick control products to customer's properties for hire, you or someone in your company must be a New York State Certified Pesticide Applicator through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and have your business registered. There are now three levels of commercial certification: applicator, technician, and apprentice.

For Commercial Applicators
To be eligible to take the exams to become certified, you must meet one of the following requirements:

* 3 out of the past 5 years of verifiable experience as an apprentice working in the category applicant is seeking certification in; or
* 3 out of the past 5 years as a certified private applicator in a corresponding private category; or
* Certification in another State with which New York has reciprocity; or
* if seeking certification in the Sales Category - At least 3 years experience in the sale of pesticides, or can demonstrate, through applicable training certifications or education degrees, that one possesses appropriate technical background.

Certified Pesticide Technician* be at least 17 years of age.
* 2 years of verifiable experience as an apprentice; or
* completion of a 30-hr. training course, approved by the Department or a baccalaureate or associate degree from an accredited college or university in the area seeking certification. These are offered at the following:

Westchester Community College: (914) 785-6830
Dutchess Community College: (845) 431-8904
Colorado Correspondence Course: (800) 525-4950

Technicians, once certified, desiring full applicator status the following documentation is required: a letter indicating 2 yrs. of experience or 1 yr. of experience plus 12 recertification credits. Experience and recertification credits must be category or sub-category specific.

Pesticide Apprentice* Must be at least 16 years of age.
* Must receive 40 hours of pesticide use experience under supervision of a certified applicator and a minimum of 8 hours of instruction on topics outlined in Section 325.18 of Part 325 Rules & Regulations relating to the application of pesticides, before being able to apply general use pesticides under the off-site direct supervision of a certified applicator.
* Documentation of the above must be maintained by the certified applicator, and include: name & address of apprentice; date(s) of instruction or observation; content of training and certification category; instructor's name and certification

* Must be at least 17 years old.identification number; and an evaluation of the competency of the apprentice.

For Private Applicators:
* Have at least one year of full-time experience within the last three years in the use of pesticides in the category in which certification is requested – OR
* Has completed a 30-hr. training course, or has received an associate's or higher level college degree in the area of which certification is requested.

For further information on eligibility rules and regulations, and fees, contact the NYSDEC Region 3 Pesticide Staff at (845) 256-3097.

Eligible candidates for certification must attend a training session, and pass two examinations, administered by the NYSDEC and held in conjunction with Cornell Cooperative Extension. Once you determine you are eligible for certification, contact your county's Cornell Cooperative Extension office for information on registering for the training class and exams. Contact your local CCE educator to find out training and exam dates for your county in the Hudson Valley.

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The Native Plant Center at Westchester Community College and New Directions in the American Landscape (NDAL) Presents...

The Layered Landscape - Creating Natural Gardens from the Ground Up

While garden plans are often static two-dimensional documents, our native landscapes consist of interwoven and multi-layered tapestries that transform dramatically over time. In this conference we will illustrate how plants grow and proliferate in their native habitats, and how that information can be used to create more dynamic landscape gardens.

Date/Location/Schedule: March 15, 2007 (Snow Date: March 16, 2007)
at Westchester Community College, 75 Grasslands Road, Valhalla, NY
Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. Conference is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Fees: Conference Fee $118 non-member, $110 NPC member (includes continental breakfast, breaks and lunch)

For more information please see attached Word document & Conference Brochure in PDF format or visit: http://nativeplantcenter.org/NDAL%202007%20Brochure.pdf

Questions may also be directed to: Vivian Scott Frommer at vfrommer@optonline.net or 914-332-1923

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Westchester/Putnam Spring Pesticide Exam and Training

For Green Industry Professionals who wish to pursue obtaining a New York State professional pesticide application license.

Dates & Location:
Training: Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Exam: Thursday, April 12, 2007

Hilltop Hanover Farm Environmental and Agricultural Resource Center
1271 Hanover Street
Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
http://www.hilltophanoverfarm.org/

Produced by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Westchester & Putnam Counties in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC).

For registration information (including directions), please contact Cornell Cooperative Extension of Putnam County at 845-278-6738. For questions about eligibility to take the pesticide applicator examination please contact NYS DEC Region III at 845-256-3097

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2007 Cornell University Branching Out Subscription Forms Now Available!

Subscription forms for the 2007 growing season for this popular Cornell University timely landscape ornamentals publication are now being made available to green industry professionals. Early subscribers (postmarked by February 28, 2007) will receive a discounted rate of $35.00 from the 2007 subscription price of $40.00. Also, for a limited time (from December 01, 2006 - February 28, 2007) the 2006 issues will be available on the web site for a free preview - just visit BranchingOut.Cornell.edu

For more information about this publication, or to request a subscription form, please contact:

Mail: Branching Out, 334 Plant Science Building, Cornell Univeristy, Ithaca, NY 14853
Email / Telephone: ddo1@cornell.edu / 607-255-4162

OR contact your local Cornell Cooperative Extension office.
Posted by Rick Harper, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Westchester County

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Mention of trade names and commercial products is for educational purposes; no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by Cornell Cooperative Extension or Cornell University is implied.

Pesticide recommendations are for informational purposes only and manufacturers' recommendations change. Read the manufacturers' instructions carefully before use. Cornell Cooperative Extension and Cornell University assume no responsibility for the use of any pesticide or chemicals.

Some of the links provided are not maintained by Cornell Cooperative Extension and Cornell University. Cornell Cooperative Extension and Cornell University are not responsible for information on these websites. They are included for information purposes only and no endorsement by Cornell Cooperative Extension or Cornell University is implied.

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