Got Nature? Blog

Most of us have probably heard or seen a lot about pollinators in the media recently. The reason why is that pollinators are really, really important. We simply can’t live without them. Researchers estimate that one out of every three bites of food we eat is made possible by pollinators. More than 100 food crops in the U.S. depend on pollinators, including almost all fruit and grain crops.

There are many different types of pollinators including native bees, butterflies and moths, beetles, flies, wasps, and of course hummingbirds. But perhaps one of the more interesting pollinators is the Monarch. Millions of Monarchs congregate in a relative small area in Mexico each winter. In March they start their journey north which has occurred over several generations. Unfortunately, the number of Monarchs counted in overwintering colonies has declined over the past 25 years.

In response, many states including Indiana have developed a state Monarch Conservation Plan. With input from many stakeholders over several years, the Indiana Monarch Conservation Plan was released in December 2020. One goal of the plan was to create an online resource that would act as a clearinghouse for Indiana monarch and pollinator conservation data, research, best management practices (BMPs), and events. I invite you to visit the Indiana Monarch and Pollinator Conservation Hub at https://indianawildlife.org/monarchs/.

You might be asking yourself, ‘Why is a wildlife specialist writing about pollinators?’ It turns out that quality habitat for wildlife is often quality habitat for pollinators. The diversity of wildflowers and structure that native grasslands, trees and shrubs benefit them all. Trees such as eastern redbud and Ohio buckeye provide early nectar sources. Native grasslands that have a diverse mixture of wildflowers provide food, bare ground, and structure desirable for a wide variety of pollinators.

Resources
Protecting Pollinators: Why Should We Care About Pollinators?, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Ask The Expert: What’s Buzzing or Not Buzzing About Pollinators , Purdue Extension – Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
Purdue Pollinator Protection publication series, Purdue Extension Entomology
Indiana Monarch & Pollinator Conservation Hub, Indiana Wildlife Federation
Monarch Watch, University of Kansas
100 Plants to Feed the Monarch/Other Resources Available, Xerxes Society for Invertebrate Conservation

Brian MacGowan, Wildlife Extension Specialist & Extension Coordinator
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

Purdue Landscape Report: PART 1 – The Importance of “Physical” Soil Testing
In my 40 years of teaching and consulting, one of the biggest and most frustrating problems I continually encounter is when so called “landscape professionals” and homeowners continue to apply annual soil fertilizers, lime, and other soil amendments without ever conducting a professional soils test.

Before planting long-lived trees, shrubs, flowering perennials and lawns, it is absolutely essential to have your soil tested for its physical, chemical, and biological properties. To have a beautiful landscape, an awesome lawn, or a very productive vegetable garden, we need to do soil tests because the health and vigor of everything we grow is directly dependent on the soil we are growing our plant’s roots in.

Figure 2: It is important to recognize the amount of sand, silt and clay in your landscape soils.

Figure1: A soil probe can be useful for soil testing and checking for moisture in the soil.

As an analogy, when you go to a family doctor or physician, why will they usually require a professional blood test from you?  They want to “show you the numbers” of your cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides, sodium, potassium, and a whole array of other very important blood tests. Again, if they prescribe you to take medications, but they are not helping and can actually hinder your health, lawsuits can definitely occur. I tell my students, before anything is applied on a client’s property, “show me the numbers”!

Although many intelligent homeowners and landscapers may have initially done a chemical soil test, many have never done a soil texture, soil compaction, and/or soil drainage test on their property or their clients. Why do we need to do these “physical” soil tests?  Think about it. For root growth, its not just about nutrient deficiencies, toxicities, or soil acidity problems, its about life giving oxygen in the root zone. Without oxygen, the entire ecosystem below ground will suffer. This is why I recommend you to determine your soil texture, (sand, silt, and clay %’s). Professional soils labs can determine your soil’s texture and that is very important, not only for knowing how much and when to water, but to determine what kind of fertilizers will work best for your soil. Many sandy soils are nutrient deficient because they have little negatively charged organic matter or clay to hold onto the positively charged nutrient fertilizers (cations). Excess rain and watering will leach many of the quick-release fertilizers, especially nitrate and potassium out of the root zone. This is why I recommend slow-release fertilizers on most soils so your plant’s roots will have available nutrients for a much longer time.

For full article >>>

Resources
Soil Sampling Guidelines, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Soil Testing for Lawns, The Education Store
Consumer Horticulture: Collecting Soil Samples for Testing, The Education Store
Certified Soil Testing Laboratories, Purdue Extension – Master Gardener Program
Example soil test form

In this edition of ID That Tree, Purdue Extension forester Lenny Farlee introduces you to the white oak group. In addition to identifying four common varieties of white oak by their leaves and acorns, he also explains how to differentiate them from their cousins, the red oaks.

If you have any questions regarding trees, forests, wildlife, wood products or other natural resource topics, feel free to contact us by using our Ask an Expert web page.

Resources
White Oak, The Education Store, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources
FNR Hardwood – White Oak, The Purdue Arboretum Explorer
White Oak, Native Trees of Indiana River Walk, Purdue – Fort Wayne
ID That Tree, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources Youtube Channel
A Woodland Management Moment, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources Youtube Channel
Investing in Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store

Lenny Farlee, Sustaining Hardwood Extension Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

In this edition of ID That Tree, we introduce you to the cucumber magnolia. This native Indiana species is much like other members of the magnolia family, except it has green cucumber like fruit and a unique bark. Learn more from Purdue Extension forester Lenny Farlee.

If you have any questions regarding wildlife, trees, forest management, wood products, natural resource planning or other natural resource topics, feel free to contact us by using our Ask an Expert web page.

Resources
Indiana’s Native Magnolias, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Cucumber Magnolia, Native Trees of Indiana River Walk, Purdue Fort Wayne
Magnolia Acuminata, The Purdue Arboretum Explorer
ID That Tree, Purdue Extension – Forestry & Natural Resources Playlist
A Woodland Management Moment, Playlist
Investing in Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store

Lenny Farlee, Sustaining Hardwood Extension Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resource

Join Purdue Extension forester Lenny Farlee and Dr. Carrie Pike, a forest regeneration specialist with the USDA Forest Service, as they share about conservation tree planting, what species are available to plant, where to get them and more.

If you have any questions regarding trees, forest management, wildlife, wood products or other natural resource topics, feel free to contact us by using our Ask an Expert web page.

Resources
Find An Indiana Forester Website
Reforestation, Nurseries and Genetics Resources Website (RNGR.NET)
A Nursery Guide for the Production of Bareroot Hardwood Seedlings, RNGR.NET
Landowner Information, Hardwood Tree Improvement Regeneration Center (HTIRC)
Ask An Expert, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube Channel
A Woodland Management Moment, Playlist
Ask An Expert: Tree Inspection, Video
Planting Forest Trees and Shrubs in Indiana, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Investing in Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Tree Appraisal and the Value of Trees, The Education Store
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store

Lenny Farlee, Sustaining Hardwood Extension Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resource

Calling all teachers and parents: Do you need some new ideas on how to get students out in nature or teach them science lessons?

We’ve got you covered with our Nature of Teaching program. We’ve created more than 40 sneak peek videos that introduce you to our lesson plans, offering a quick way for teachers and other K-12 leaders to view the lessons as well as the related activities.

Many of the lesson plans meet state specifications for Next Generation Science Standards and/or Core Standards, while also offering informal curriculum items and fun activities for all K-12 leaders.

The Nature of Teaching program offers three areas of formal and informal activity-based curricula centered around getting youth outside: wildlife, health and wellness, and food waste.

Sneak Peeks videos include topics ranging from producers, consumers and natural resources and food waste from farm to fork, to exploring nature with your senses and emotional vocabulary exploration, to trees of the Midwest and healthy water/happy home.

Subscribe to the Nature of Teaching YouTube Channel for more Wildlife, Food Waste, and Health and Wellness information.

Resources
Nature of Teaching Website
Nature of Teaching YouTube Channel
Nature of Teaching Program Receives Environmental Education Award, College of Agriculture, Purdue University
Resourceful Animal Relationships, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
The Nature of Teaching: Food Waste Solutions, The Education Store
Benefits of Connecting with Nature, The Education Store

Rod N Williams, Professor of Wildlife Science
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

The Purdue Landscape Report, a blog which provides science-based, timely information regarding Midwest landscapes to commercial growers, garden centers, landscapers, arborists and the general public, was recognized with the Extension Division Education Materials Award for Outstanding Blog at the American Society of Horticultural Science convention in August.

The Purdue Landscape Report is a collaborative effort between Purdue Extension specialists and diagnosticians in the areas of horticulture, entomology, plant pathology, urban forestry and turf science. Articles cover everything from tree maintenance to pest and disease problems and management to plant selection.

“Our Purdue Green Industry Team brings together many disciplines and expertise for the industry and homeowners as well as any other university in the country,” Nursey and Landscape Outreach Specialist Kyle Daniel said. “The research and outreach efforts of each member of the team contributes to helping the industry be more sustainable, efficient, environmentally conscious, and profitable. The Purdue Landscape Report is one way that we present science-based information to our stakeholders around the state. In addition to this information being distributed locally, there are many subscribers from across the country.”

The PLR team includes:

• Kyle Daniel – Nursey and Landscape Outreach Specialist, Purdue Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
• Rosie Lerner – Extension Consumer Horticulturist, Purdue Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
• Cliff Sadof – Professor, Entomology Extension Specialist
• Tom Creswell – Clinical Engagement Professor, Director of the Plant & Pest Diagnostic Laboratory; Purdue Botany and Plant Pathology
• Janna Beckerman – Professor of Botany and Plant Pathology
• John Bonkowski – Clerk, Purdue Botany and Plant Pathology
• Lindsey Purcell – Purdue Extension urban forester, Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources
• Gail Ruhl – Visiting Scholar, Purdue Biological Sciences
• Elizabeth Barnes – Exotic Forest Pest Educator, Purdue Entomology
• Todd Abrahamson – Purdue Plant & Pest Diagnostic Lab Secretary
• Lori Jolly-Brown – Extension Events and Communications Coordinator, Purdue Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
• Kirby Kalbaugh – Application and Systems Administrator, Purdue Horticulture and Landscape Architecture

Since launching in February 2018, the Purdue Landscape Report has included more than 144 articles. The website boasted more than 75,000 unique article downloads in 2019. PLR is also sent out in a bi-weekly email newsletter to more than 4,000 subscribers nationwide. The blog has brought in 137,000 unique visitors thus far in 2020.

In August, the Purdue Landscape Report staff also began a live, virtual series every other Wednesday, which addresses articles and hot topics. In just two months, that series has had more than 1,100 views.

Resources
Purdue Landscape Report Team Begins New Virtual Series, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources
The Purdue Landscape Report Issues, Purdue Landscape Report
Tree wounds and healing, Got Nature? Blog
Fall webworms: Should you manage them, Got Nature? Blog
Purdue Landscape Report Facebook Page

The Purdue Landscape Report

The Nature of Teaching, a Purdue Extension signature program, was honored as the third place finisher in the central region for the Environmental Education Award presented by the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Science (NEAFCS).

Question: Can tree roots cause damage to a home’s foundation? I have a 3’ in diameter pin oak tree that is within 10 feet of my house. A certified arborist took a look at it and said that he would like to use an Air Knife to expose the roots near the foundation (a walkout basement) to determine if the roots are causing damage and/or need to be pruned, or whether the tree needs to be removed since it is situated too close to the house. Before I spend $500 for them to use the Air Knife, I wondered if you thought it would be worthwhile or not necessary.

Answer: Tree roots can damage a house foundation, with an invitation to do so. Tree roots are very opportunistic and will only grow and penetrate where it is easiest to grow such as friable soils and mulch. Typically, when roots encounter solid, impervious surfaces such as pipes, sidewalks, curbs and foundations, they are redirected laterally or up and over. However, if there is a breach or a crack nearby, they can and will exploit those voids in search of moisture. Such as sewer pipes aren’t damaged by the roots, they are just very capable of finding those leaks and moving into the moist and often nutrient-rich pipe.

Roots normally grow horizontally and not very far beneath the soil surface. Sometimes when roots encounter the looser backfill soil near the foundation, they can abruptly start growing down. You may be able to locate these roots, if they exist, by excavating a foot or two down within a few feet of the foundation. If you find a suspect root, cut it off. Unfortunately, in some cases excavation down to the base of the foundation may be necessary. This may have to be done anyway to repair and stabilize it. Cutting the roots should prevent future problems, especially if a root barrier is installed to prevent re-growth.

Resources
Surface Root Syndrome, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
The Nature of Teaching: Trees of the Midwest, The Education Store
Tree Appraisal and the Value of Trees, The Education Store
Construction and Trees: Guidelines for Protection, The Education Store

Lindsey Purcell, Urban Forestry Specialist
Purdue University, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

In this edition of ID That Tree, Purdue Extension forester Lenny Farlee teaches you about the state tree of Indiana, the tulip tree. It is also known as the tulip poplar or yellow poplar, although it is more closely related to the magnolia. This tree is known for its simple tulip shaped leaves and colorful flowers in the spring, although they are often high up on the tree.

If you have any questions regarding trees, forests, wildlife, wood products or other natural resource topics, feel free to contact us by using our Ask an Expert web page.

Resources
Indiana’s State Tree is a Popular Landscape Choice, Purdue Extension
Tulip Tree Scale, Purdue Plant and Pest Diagnostic Laboratory
Finishing and Restoring Wood and Structures: Yellow-Poplar Lumber for Exterior Architectural Applications in New Construction and for Historical Restoration, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Investing in Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Tree Appraisal and the Value of Trees, The Education Store
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store
ID That Tree, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources Youtube Channel
A Woodland Management Moment, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources Youtube Channel

Lenny Farlee, Sustaining Hardwood Extension Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources