Cornell Cooperative Extension of the
~~~Commercial Horticulture Electronic Newsletter~~~
Volume 7, Issue 10
October 29, 2007
Participating Counties: Orange * Dutchess * Putnam *
Editor: Rosemarie S. Baglia
http://www.cce.cornell.edu
In this Issue:
Regional Updates
o Westchester
· Pesticide Certification Exam
Schedule
· About Pesticide
Certification
· Tri-County Nursery Landscape
Association Events
2007 Empire State Green Industry Show
The largest green industry show in New York State, the Empire State Green
Industry Show, hosted by the New York State Nursery and Landscape Association,
New York State Turfgrass Association, New York State
Arborists and New York State Flower Industries, will be held at the Rochester
Riverside Convention Center on November 13 - 15, 2007.
Accredited Education: This is a great educational opportunity for all aspects
of the Green Industry. The Empire State Green Industry Show features
accredited education sessions for all green industry professionals and a Trade
Show with over 120 exhibitors. A total of 42 DEC credits will be available. ISA
and CNLP credits will also be available.
Registration: Conference registration and hotel reservations are now being
accepted! It's not too early to book! To register, go to The Empire State Green
Industry Show website at www.nysta.org/greenshow/2007_dates.html
to download exhibitor and conference registration brochures.
Submitted by Brian Eshenaur,
Western New York Ornamentals Specialist
Rules of Thumb for Windbreaks With Emphasis on Density
Windbreaks can serve an important purpose in a landscape. It is
the arrangement of leaves, twigs, branches and trunks which determine how air
moves through a plant and the effect that arrangement has on wind speed.
Windbreaks are commonly used for living snow fences, crop protection and
environmental conservation. Different types of windbreaks may require a
specific planting density. A new publication from the
For specific design and tree species recommendations go to: http://www.unl.edu/nac/agroforestrynotes/an36w03.pdf
Written by Stephanie D. Mallozzi, Cornell
Cooperative Extension of Dutchess County
Adding Green Energy to Your Greenhouse Operation
A new webpage developed by the University of Massachusetts offers
links and information regarding the process of adding green energy to your
greenhouse operation. The site contains useful information as well as
links concerning: solar, wind, biomass and geothermal energy sources, finding a
contractor, tax incentives (you may have to check NYS Department of Taxation
for incentives which may be specific to NYS), energy efficiency and a list of
Massachusetts businesses using green energy.
For specific information go to: http://www.umassvegetable.org/food_farming_systems/green_energy/index.html
Source: LI Horticulture News October 2007.
Written by Stephanie D. Mallozzi, Cornell
Cooperative Extension of Dutchess County
The Basics of
Alternative Herbicides
The NYS IPM Program has created a series of fact sheets on alternative
pesticides and herbicides. Corn gluten meal, eugenol
oil and acetic acid are three common alternative herbicide products currently
on the market. These fact sheets offer practical information regarding
the products they are derived from and their mode of action. These
"no-nonsense" fact sheets offer both the advantages and disadvantages
of these products. For the herbicide fact sheet and insecticide fact
sheets go to:
http://www.entomology.cornell.edu/Extension/Woodys/LandscapeHortPWT/AlternativePesticideFactSheets.html
Written by Stephanie D. Mallozzi, Cornell
Cooperative Extension of Dutchess County
Cornell Cooperative Extension Publishes Sustainable Viticulture Workbook
By Joe Ogrodnick
Geneva, N.Y.: Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) has published a 125-page
self-assessment workbook on sustainable agriculture for grape growers. The
workbook, New York Guide To Sustainable Viticulture
Practices, is now available in both print and online versions.
New York Guide To Sustainable Viticulture Practices offers
grape growers in
After answering the questions, growers can develop an action plan based on the
results of their self-assessment. The action plan addresses those practices
they believe can be effectively modified within the financial and management
capacity of their farm.
Copies of New York Guide To Sustainable Viticulture
Practices can be purchased online for $30.00 through the NYSAES bookstore at: https://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/store/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=40
. The online version is available at: http://www.vinebalance.com.
The above press release can be viewed in its’ entirety on the Cornell
University New York State Agricultural Experiment Station's website @ http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/pubs/press/2007/071005SusVit.html
Submitted by Rick Harper, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Westchester
County
Ticks Don't Come Out in the Wash
Before venturing into tick-infested territory, you used a topical repellant on
exposed skin and outer clothing. When you returned, you did a body check and
threw your clothes in the wash. But clean clothes may not be tick-free clothes.
When he found a live lone star tick (Amblyomma
americanum) on the agitator of his washing
machine, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) entomologist
John Carroll decided to find out how tough ticks are. So he bagged up
nymphs from two species of the lone star tick and the deer tick, (Ixodes scapularis),
the creature that transmits Lyme disease and put them in the washing machine.
Carroll used a combination of water temperature settings and detergent types to
wash the ticks. The majority of lone star ticks survived all the
water-detergent combinations with no obvious side effects. Most of the deer
ticks lived through the cold and warm water settings as well. But when one type
of detergent was used with a hot water setting, only 25 percent of the deer
ticks survived.
When it came time to dry, all the ticks of both species died
after an hour of tumbling around at high heat. But when the dryer was
set to "no heat," about one-third of the deer ticks and more than
half of the lone star ticks survived.
Carroll placed the ticks in mesh bags, which kept them from draining away
during the rinse cycle and perhaps increased their odds for survival. However,
ticks might also survive a sudsy interlude by sheltering in the folds and
crevices of a typical load of laundry. Some tick species have been observed to
survive hours of submersion in fresh water.
Both adult ticks and nymphs can transmit disease. Carrolls research reinforces recommendations by the
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to wash and dry clothes at high
temperatures after spending time in areas known to harbor ticks.
Written by Ann Perry, USDA-ARS, October 2007
To read more, visit: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2007/071005.htm
Submitted by Rick Harper, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Westchester
County
Use of Compost in Turf Maintenance and Landscape Construction
Compost can be used in many situations to add nutrients and organic matter
to soils on new construction sites and existing sites. Often the topsoil
has been removed and subsoil remaining is nutrient deficient and severely
compacted. Compost can be used to break up compaction and amend soil texture-
particularly important in heavy clay soil. The results of a compost study on turfgrass maintenance and landscape construction conducted
by Cornell Waste Management Institute and the Department of Horticulture are
available at: http://cwmi.css.cornell.edu/composttv.htm.
The site provides links to a fact sheet, two articles in BioCycle,
and a final report.
Written by Rose Baglia, Cornell Cooperative
Extension,
Wanted: Trees for Urban Landscapes
Imagine this "wanted" ad: Horticulturalists in search of small-
to medium-sized, pest-resistant, low-maintenance trees that thrive in the face
of environmental extremes. Must be able to tolerate foot
traffic, storms, drought, car exhaust, insects and dogs. Good
looks--springtime blossoms, shapely crowns, brilliant fall foliage--a plus.
Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientist John Hammond set out to make a
lifelong match: trees that can survive years of service shading city sidewalks
or traffic median strips. Hammond, who heads the ARS Floral and Nursery Plants
Research Unit in
For four years,
Hammond and other ARS scientists are also investigating how a trees early cultivation
method--either in a nursery container or by in-ground planting--affects its
street survival. In initial tests, container-started trees outperformed
in-ground trees, in part because container-grown trees don’t undergo root
damage from being dug up and bound in burlap for transport. The researchers
will now assess whether these early performance indicators are maintained as
the trees mature.
With a bit of help, trees will continue to provide the tangible and intangible
benefits that people expect--and enjoy--from their green surroundings.
Read more about this research in the October 2007 issue of Agricultural
Research magazine, available online at:
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/oct07/trees1007.htm
ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency.
View this report online, plus photos and related stories, at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr
Submitted Elizabeth M. Lamb, New York State Integrated Pest Management
Program
Coordinator, Ornamentals IPM
Regional Updates
Westchester County
As we have recently moved from one season to another, many of us look back
and evaluate what type of summer we experienced. Weather readings from
On our commercial field site-visits that we performed this summer, we have
noted continuing issues related to mulching around landscape
plants. Each year, landscape shrubs and trees continue to have too
much mulch placed around their base and in direct contact with the
stem. Although the individuals that do this may be
well-intentioned, the effects of misapplied mulch - especially over the long
term - can indeed be detrimental to plant health. The typical
recommendation is to apply mulch at a depth of 1-3", as wide as reasonably
possible (hence the expression "mulch wide and not deep"), and to
avoid contacting the stem of the plant. So, while the benefits of using
mulch properly are numerous and well-documented, misapplication may actually
harm and not necessarily help the plant(s) in question.
Although a lot of insect and disease pests are not generally as active at this
point in the year, some lingering spruce spider mite populations (and the
damage they inflict) may still be notable on susceptible hosts like arborvitae
and
http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/lawn/almanac/september.htm
Written by Rick Harper, Cornell Cooperative Extension of
Pesticide
Certification Exam Schedule
Fall 2007 – Region 3
COUNTY
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Ulster
(845-340-3990)
Dutchess
(845-677-8223)
Sullivan
(845-292-6180)
Orange
(845-344-1234)
Westchester/Putnam (845-278-6738)
Rockland
(845-429-7085)
Seating may be limited. Reservations are required by all counties.
Contact the Cornell Cooperative Extension office where you wish to attend to
sign up.
The DEC charges $50 for the exam fee (If you are attending the pre-exam
training session, please bring a check or money order for the $50 exam with you
that day). For Commercial Applicators, upon passing the exam, the
certification fee is $225 for your first category (except $100 for cat. 3A or
3B only). This certification will be valid for a 3 year period (only 1
year for cat. 3A or 3B only). If adding a category, a letter of
experience or 12 recertification credits are needed to be allowed into the
test: also certification fee to be determined at the time of the exam dependent
on expiration date of current license. For Private Applicators, upon passing
the exam, the fee is $25 for the first applicator and $5 for additional
applicators at the same farm. This certification is good for 5 years.
For more information contact the New York State Department of Environment
Conservation, Division of Solid and Hazardous Materials, Region 3, 21 South
Putt Corners Road, New Paltz,
About 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
ATC: (845) 657-7027
For 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 identification
number; and an evaluation of the competency of the apprentice.
For Private Applicators:
· Must be at least 17 years
old.
· 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
Tri-County
Nursery/Landscape Association In Conjunction With
Cornell Cooperative Extension Present 2007 Calendar of Events
November 13 -15
Green Industry Show- Rochester
Jan Jansen (845) 651-4106
December 1
Holiday Party
Kevin Shuback (845) 651-4074, Jan Jansen (845)
651-4106
Cornell Cooperative Extension County Commercial Horticulture Educators
Dutchess: Stephanie Mallozzi, sdm10@cornell.edu, 845-677-8223 x 104
Orange: Rosemarie Baglia, rsb22@cornell.edu,
845-344-1234
Putnam: Jennifer Stengle, jjs95@cornell.edu,
845-278-6738
Rockland: Donna Cooke, dmc72@cornell.edu, 845-429-7085
Ulster: Teresa Rusinek, tr28@cornell.edu,
845-340-3990
Westchester: Rick Harper, rwh26@cornell.edu, 914-946-3005
Sullivan: Marianna Quartararo,
mdq2@cornell.edu, 845-292-6180 x 112
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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commercial products is for educational purposes; no discrimination is intended
and no endorsement by Cornell Cooperative Extension or
Pesticide recommendations are for informational purposes only and
manufacturers' recommendations change. Read the manufacturers'
instructions carefully before use. Cornell Cooperative Extension and
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