Taking an environmentally sensitive approach to pest management
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Adding Landscape Plants in Summer (7/07/26)
Read Time 6 MIN
An ancient Chinese proverb maintains that "the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago; the second-best time is today." Just because July has arrived, there is no need to stop planting trees and shrubs...learn more
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When Evergreens Turn Brown: Drought, Winter Injury, and Needle Blights on Landscape Conifers (6/30/26)
Peng Tian | Read Time 6 MINOver the past few months, we have seen a dramatic influx of evergreen inquiries regarding branch browning, tip dieback, and full-canopy decline. While it is tempting to blame a single aggressive fungal disease, we are witnessing a classic disease pyramid where severe environmental and cultural stress directly paves the way for opportunistic pathogens, causing disease pressures on certain susceptible trees...learn more
Spring Infections, Summer Stress: Foliar Diseases of Deciduous Shade Trees (6/25/26)
Peng Tian | Read Time 3 MINWith a cool, wet spring behind us, we have observed a heavy presence of foliar disease problems across Missouri's deciduous shade trees. While infections occur during a damp spring when leaves are first emerging, the fallout continues to persist into the summer months...learn more
Protecting Missouri's Oaks: Free Disease Testing Continues for 2026 (6/22/26)
Peng Tian | Read Time 2 MINThe MU Plant Diagnostic Clinic continues its partnership with the Missouri Department of Conservation to offer FREE testing services for all common oak tree diseases in 2026...learn more
Cool Off with Hot Peppers (6/02/26)
David Trinklein | Read Time 9 MINThere is a somewhat questionable line of reasoning that suggests eating something hot makes a warm summer day seem a bit cooler. If there is truth in the preceding philosophy, then there are hot peppers now available to home gardeners that might prompt one to reach for a jacket after eating them...learn more
June Gardening Tips (5/15/26)
Donna Aufdenberg | Read Time 1 MINThe plants are growing like weeds! Find these tips and tasks to keep you busy in and around the garden in the month of June...learn more
Nectarine: The Fuzzless Peach (5/05/26)
David Trinklein | Read Time 6 MINA horticultural urban legend that has persisted over the years is that a nectarine is a cross between a peach and a plum. Such is not the case...learn more
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REVISED: March 14, 2022