Problems in Landscaping

PHOTOS OF PROBLEMS IN LANDSCAPING
INDEX Cold damage Dead branches Drought damage Efflorescence Herbicide Damage Invasive_weeds Landslides Lawn problems Lightning Mulch problems Raccoon Damage Shedding Needles Splitting Wind throw
Cold damage
Cold damage on the new growth of this weeping beech was caused by two consecutive nights of below-freezing temperatures. It is easy to protect plants from frost damage by covering them, but freezing temperatures are a much more serious problem.
Dead branches
Cytospora Canker Colorado Spruce trees are hardy and reliable, but their 'Achilles heel' is a fungus that attacks lower branches first, and works its way up the tree. Here we see a Spruce in advanced stages of the disease. Branches will have white sap on them with the appearance of bird droppings. When pruning an affected tree, sterilize pruning tools between branch cuts with rubbing alcohol.
Drought damage
Curb Burnout Even home lawns with irrigation systems tend to burnout along street curbs during summer drought. Curb areas usually have shallow soil zones due to heavy gravel bases beneath the curbs. Add in the heat factor from the hot pavement and you'll often see lawn burnout.
Efflorescence
White Haze Unfortunately, some precast stone products begin to show efflorescence after a few years. Efflorescence is the growth of salt crystals, appearing as a white powder on the surface of some precast walls as well as other masonry products. While it can be easily removed with power washing, it will usually reappear within a year.
Herbicide Damage
Nontarget Plants Improper application of a broadleaf weed killer to a lawn can result in damage to nearby plants.
Invasive weeds

Above: Weed control is much more difficult when weeds are mixed with ornamental plants, since you can't get an herbicide spray on the weeds without hitting the desirable plants. Here we see thistle and grass growing up through spreading junipers. Sometimes the weeds can be 'wiped' with an herbicide without contacting the desirable plants. Below: This home lawn has patches of lighter colored undesirable turf, that was probably brought in with the seed or the sod. Usually the only solution is to spray the unwanted turf patches with a nonselective herbicide labeled for this use, and replant these areas. Always read and follow label directions.


Landslides
Mudslide Wet weather greatly increases the chance of mudslides. An effort should be made to divert water at the top of a slope so no extra water is added to the slope face.
Lawn problems
Self inflicted - Wrong application rate - Wrong weed killer Diseases - Red Thread
Wrong application rate Calibration Error Applying a fertilizer/herbicide combination product at the wrong rate can spell disaster. Calibrate your spreader before making an application, since too much herbicide will kill the weeds and the grass you're trying to make look better.
Wrong weed killer Nonselective Herbicides Some lawn herbicides are "selective" killing only the broadleaf weeds and not the turfgrass. Other herbicides are "non selective" killing everything. Guess which one this homeowner selected? [also see Weed Control]
Red Thread *Red Thread* This lawn disease prefers red fescue and is clearly visible in the morning when there is dew on the grass. It's one of the few lawn diseases where fertilization is part of the cure.

Lightning
Lightning Damage This large Norway Spruce was struck by lightning, causing the bark and wood to explode off one side of the tree. Notice the small vertical crack in the middle of the trunk toward the top of the photo. When the tree was cut down, it turned out the crack extended all the way through the trunk, as seen in the cross section below.


Mulch problems
artillery fungus killer bark puff balls slime mold termites in mulch *New!*
*Yuk! What is it?* *Physarum, Fuligo, or Stemonitis* Most people call this creamy to orange colored blob 'puke fungus' or 'dog vomit' fungus. It is relatively harmless to plants unless the 'blob' blankets plant foliage. Scoop it into the garbage to get rid of it. Technically, it is between a bacterium and a fungus.
Slime Mold on shredded wood mulch June 2002	Slime Mold up a Pin Oak trunk July 2002
Photos: Donnan Landscape Services
'Artillery' or 'Shotgun' Fungus Sphaerobolus stellatus Artillery fungus spores on a painted surface "The fruiting body points itself toward strong light sources such as sun-reflecting glass and light colored buildings and cars. Five hours after opening, the inner cup inverts and violently ejects the spore mass as far as 20 feet... The spore masses, which are sometimes mistaken for insect frass, adhere to any surfaces they contact." More from Penn State
	BIRD'S NEST FUNGUS Don't confuse this larger variety of mulch fungus (photo on left) with artillery fungus. The artillery fungus spore is about the size of a pinhead.
Artillery or Shotgun Fungus 2003 was a damp year around Pittsburgh with it raining often. This set the stage for a banner year with artillery fungus. This fungus loves mulch and most decaying wood products, and shoots a sticky ‘tar spot’ onto bright surfaces several feet away. It’s almost impossible to get these spots completely off house siding, but according to Penn State researcher Don Davis, they can be painted over. Some insurance companies are even starting to specifically exclude coverage for artillery fungus from homeowner’s policies. Did anyone mention it also gets on cars? So what does this enemy artillery prefer? It prefers the mulch on the north side of your house since it tends to be moister there. If you’re like most homeowners these days, you buy the double or triple shredded mulches for their nicer appearance. Unfortunately, these finer ground mulches tend to stay wet longer, thereby encouraging artillery fungus to thrive. Professor Davis went on to relate some of the things five years of research has shown during our 20-minute phone conversation in late-January. He said beds that are mulched every year are less likely to see problems. It appears to be the later stages of decay, as seen in beds that are only mulched every two to three years, that have the most problems with artillery fungus. Professor Davis said the Penn State mulch studies conducted since the mid-90’s have indicated that some mulches are less likely to get the fungus, but all wood mulches will get it eventually. Their studies indicated the mulches most resistant to artillery fungus are: Large Pine Bark Nuggets, Cypress mulches and Cedar mulches. The ‘total solution’ involves removing all the mulch from beds and replacing it with stone underlain with plastic. This is more critical in beds right next to a house or driveway than farther out in the yard. Penn State’s latest research involves Mushroom Manure (new term is SMS—spent mushroom substrate). PSU researchers are mixing varying amounts of mushroom manure with wood mulch products. Early indications are mushroom manure used as a mulch by itself may be resistant to artillery fungus. However, when it is mixed with wood mulches, it may actually stimulate artillery fungus growth on the wood. Disadvantages of using mushroom manure mulch include: ready availability, higher cost, manure smell, creating ‘sweet’ soil pH, and a shorter life providing less weed control. Annual flowers sure love it! Whether or not you decide to continue using wood based mulches is ultimately up to you.

*'Killer Bark' or 'Hot Mulch'* When shredded wood mulch is piled up for long periods of time and left undisturbed, the anaerobic (without air) decomposition process leads to the buildup of toxic fumes within the mulch pile. This mulch is usually dark in color and has a telltale odor similar to that of household ammonia. If it is spread around newly planted flowers it will 'cook' the foliage and kill the plants. It also damages turfgrasses and ornamental plants, some more than others. Needle burn on the lower branches of Mugho Pine is a common symptom. If you insist on using Killer Bark (for that dark color everyone loves) spreading it out before using it in shrub beds will help dissipate the toxic fumes. Some believe using a garden hose to water down freshly spread Killer Bark will help knock down the toxic fumes and alleviate major burn problems on plants.
Puff Balls Smoking mushrooms These puff balls are thriving under the dyed brown rubber mulch the home builder installed with the foundation plantings the previous year. The holes in the tops of the Puff Balls indicate that thousands of powdery green spores were released prior to this photo. Physical removal, with a shovel, eliminated these clusters.
Raccoon Damage
Digging for Insects This sort of damage usually occurs during dry summer months. Raccoons will visit well-watered and heavily-mulched shrub beds and lawns during the night, turning-over large areas of mulch or turf. In the process, small plants (like the petunias above) are uprooted. The worst part is that raccoons usually come back.

Shedding Needles

Sometime from late summer into early fall, pines will shed their older needles. The timing and amount of needle shed depends on the year's weather. If the needle shed resembles the pine above, this is a normal occurrence. However, if the growing tips are also brown, there is just cause for alarm.

Splitting

High winds caused these Bradford Pears to split-out. We DO NOT recommend planting Bradford Pears since they are subject to splitting, usually from wind or ice storms. Preventative measures would include thinning and reducing the size of these trees every few years.
(Photos above and below) High winds in Peters Township July 2003
Wind throw

High winds on Mothers Day 2002 damaged this spruce (above) and other trees in Peters Township Other than keeping older trees healthy, your best defense against 'wind throw' is to have your trees thinned-out by a professional tree service. Thinned trees allow the wind to pass through instead of acting like a sail. Another spruce dropped by high winds (below)

Links
Other problems Ficus leaf drop Fungus gnats inside the house Peonies won't bloom Soluble salts on clay pots More photos intro to photos on this site bulbs for fall plantings chrysanthemums daylilies grasses for the landscape mulches of all types orchid show perennial photos pests and pest damage seasonal pictures shrub photos tree pictures violet blossoms

PHOTOS OF PROBLEMS IN LANDSCAPING