Recent News

Verticilium Wilt

Verticillium wilt is a serious disease caused by two fungal species, Verticillium dahliae and V. albo-atrum, which altogether can infect over 400 plant species.

Summer Leaf Drop on Trees

Wasps Are Not So Bad

Keep an Eye Out for the Zebra Swallowtail

The zebra swallowtail butterfly (Eurytides marcellus) is one of six species of swallowtails found in Iowa. While you are much more likely to find them in the southeastern part of the

Use of Mulch in the Home Landscape

Mulches provide numerous benefits to the home landscape; they suppress weeds, conserve soil moisture and protect plants from mechanical damage among other things.  Read more about mulches for

Euonymus Caterpillars Munch Through Windbreak

In late April the PIDC received a sample and pictures of caterpillars causing impressive damage to a European euonymus windbreak in Dubuque County. We determined that they were a species of er

Bee Balm is a Perennial Favorite

Bee balms come in a variety of colors and are a reliable perennial for the home or commercial landscape.  See the IS

Caddisflies - Another One Of Life's Frustrations

Peony Care in the Home Garden

The garden peony is a popular, long-lived perennial that provides abundant flowers in spring and attractive foliage throughout the growing season.

Oak Leaf Blister is Common Now

This week we have seen and heard of several oak trees with blister-like growths and deformities on leaves.

Giant Ichneumon Wasps

Woodboring Beetles in Landscape Trees

There are three major groups of wood boring beetles; the longhorned beetles, the metallic woodboring beetles, and the bark beetles. The longhorned beetles and metallic woodboring beetles have

Prevent Birds from Flying into Windows and Doors

It can be disconcerting for homeowners who have birds fly into glass doors or windows again and again.

Red Admiral Butterfly Spring Population Boom

There has been a lot of talk this spring about the early arrival and outstanding numbers of the red admiral butterfly (Vanessa atalanta) seen around the state. Annual butterfly populati

An Early Assessment of Frost Injury on Grapes

On the mornings of April 10 and 11, most of Iowa experienced freezing temperatures low enough to injure emerging grape shoots.

Daffodil Care in the Home Garden

Daffodils are a welcome sign of spring, but what do you do after they have bloomed?

Perennials for the Home Garden

Perennials, flowering plants that live for many years and come up from the ground each spring, can be the backbone of your landscape and can be grown in nearly any garden location – sunny, shady, wet, dry, border or background. See the ISU Extension and Outreach Yard & Garden news release from April 4, 2012 for information on perennial maintenance and recommend perennials to meet specifications of many gardeners.

Ticks Are Plentiful This Spring

As we head outdoors to enjoy the warm weather you should also bear in mind the insects are also responding to the warm temperatures and becoming active as well. Ticks have been active for several weeks already this year.  So far this year the Plant & Insect Diagnostic Clinic has received only samples of the black-legged tick (also called the deer tick) which is a known carrier of Lyme disease. 

Mild Winter Weather and Plant Diseases

We have been receiving questions about the effect of unseasonably high temperatures on plant diseases this year.

Application of Preemergence Herbicides to Lawns in 2012