Ag Newsletter

The holiday weekend has come to an end, but for many it's the start of summer break. Around our office, summer means fair time! Porter County Fair is July 22-August 1, and we are hustling and bustling to prepare for a fantastic fair! June for me is newsletter time. I just released my first Ag Newsletter, titled Cows, Plows, Sows, & More! I release newsletters quarterly, and encourage everyone to read it to stay up-to-date on events around the county. It is not just for the farmers, but also for the local community and home-owners. You can easily access the newsletter from our Porter County Extension homepage under Ag Newsletters along the left-hand column. www.ag.purdue.edu/counties/porter

COMMUNITY UPDATE:
As of June 1, we concluded our spring Master Gardener course with 28 graduates!! I am currently working on organizing the next Master Gardener class to start in the fall. Stay tuned with updates or visit our website to sign-up.


PLANT PESTS & DISEASES:
Around the office, we have been getting lots of calls about Apple trees and Crabapple trees losing their leaves. Apple Scab is a fungal disease that is common to the Malus genus. If you would like more information about the cause, treatment, resistant varities, etc. please read the Purdue Publication, Apple Scab of Flowering Crabapples, available online. (Source listed below) Other curiosities are about the webs recently seen in trees. Eastern Tent Caterpillars form webs in the crotch angles of most flowering trees. At night, the caterpillars leave the web to feed on the leaves of the trees. To find out more information please read the Purdue Publication, Eastern Tent Caterpillar A Problem Again in 2010, available online. (Source listed below)
Information about common pests and diseases can be found in The Morton Arboretum's Plant Health Care Report. It is a weekly report available online. (Source listed below) This is a great source that provides pictures, facts, and tips about what you should be aware of in your own yard and around your community.


Don't forget to tell your friends and neighbors about Purdue Extension! Help us spread the word and get others to visit our extension website www.ag.purdue.edu/counties/porter and read our blog! We are here as a resource for you and your community.

Source List:
http://www.mortonarb.org/tree-plant-advice/category/97/plant-health-care-reports.html
http://www.ces.purdue.edu/extmedia/BP/BP_39_W.pdf
http://extension.entm.purdue.edu/publications/HN-68.pdf
http://www.ag.purdue.edu/counties/porter