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Boxwood Blight Invades North America [Origin A Puzzle]
ScienceNews.org ^ | January 20th, 2012 | Susan Milius

Posted on 01/22/2012 10:21:44 PM PST by fight_truth_decay

Devastating fungus has already stripped shrubbery in Europe and New Zealand.

Shrubs may be trembling by doorsteps across North America as an aggressive fungus disease of boxwood invades the continent.

Boxwood blight, caused by a Cylindrocladium fungus, was unknown to science before 2000 but has now spread through Europe and New Zealand. In October, U.S. authorities confirmed that the blight had jumped continents, with infections confirmed in North Carolina and Connecticut. By mid-January, with growers and pathologists on alert, the fungus had turned up in at least five more states — Virginia, Maryland, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Oregon — and British Columbia.

The blight starts with spots on leaves and black streaks on twigs. Within a few weeks, a plump shrub can turn into a clump of bare sticks.

(Excerpt) Read more at sciencenews.org ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: boxwoodblight; environment; food; fruit; garden; gardening; plants; swd
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To: wardaddy
Largest ones I have seen were in the Hamptons, on Long Island and those were being trimmed by illegals? They have tall ladders to the tops, and work off those that are privacy pivots which surround the homes--is that the same thing as boxwoods as they are all sheared like box-woods. I am not an expert just learn as I do--and know what I like the looks of.

In fact I buy down there, as they are less money, larger from a longer growing season and still fare well further north in a lower zone. They also keep their shapes pretty much are so thick and stay green, just have a row around a center section in a more protected courtyard; which I wish I could trim more precisely. Forget ever doing some topiary type animal!!

Home Depot early on in the season has some nice big healthy ones.

The illegals stand on the corners or at the food marts in the Hamptons, in groups and get picked up for massive ground care work. They are good at shearing/shaping.

21 posted on 01/23/2012 9:47:44 AM PST by fight_truth_decay
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To: fight_truth_decay
Most of my boxwoods that were here when I purchased this place are now dead or dying, and I am in Kansas.

While it makes me sad that they are dying, it will give me an opportunity to replace them with something more useful.

22 posted on 01/23/2012 9:51:53 AM PST by teenyelliott (Obama warned if he loses the election it could herald a new, painful era of self-reliance)
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To: Eva

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/31/science/concerns-raised-about-genetically-engineered-mosquitoes.html?pagewanted=all

the lab-reared, genetically modified insects, dengue fever focus over malaria as one type of mosquito bites during the day so nets not a partial solution.


23 posted on 01/23/2012 9:58:00 AM PST by fight_truth_decay
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To: left that other site
our state bird is the mosquito
24 posted on 01/23/2012 10:00:53 AM PST by fight_truth_decay
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To: Eva

There was a lot of agricultural spraying where I grew up. There is also a high level of radium in the water. I haven’t heard of an increase in cancers but many have fertility problems. Don’t know if there’s a link but I’ve always thought there might be.


25 posted on 01/23/2012 10:01:57 AM PST by bgill (The Obama administration is staging a coup. Wake up, America, before it's too late.)
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To: fight_truth_decay

Boxwood is my favorite hedge. Lost ours when we put in the new patio. The idiot contractor trashed them and we never had the money to replace them.


26 posted on 01/23/2012 10:04:56 AM PST by bgill (The Obama administration is staging a coup. Wake up, America, before it's too late.)
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To: rightly_dividing

You better hang on to that boxwood puller ... you’re gonna need it for the okra. lol


27 posted on 01/23/2012 12:14:02 PM PST by JustaDumbBlonde (Don't wish doom on your enemies ... plan it.)
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To: fight_truth_decay
http://junkscience.com/ddt/

This is well worth the read (links), and exposes yet another activist alarm-ism over DDT. It tracks borderline or unprovable studies that have been used to vilify DDT.

Obviously all pesticide needs judicial and conscientious application, but, stretching the true or outright lying is not helping people where it can and does do good.

28 posted on 01/23/2012 12:15:51 PM PST by Puckster
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To: rightly_dividing

I like your approach. Would you like to swing by my house? I have 6-8 I need to nuke.


29 posted on 01/23/2012 12:22:33 PM PST by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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To: fight_truth_decay
shrubbery in Europe

Ni!


30 posted on 01/23/2012 12:36:04 PM PST by Moltke (Always retaliate first.)
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To: JustaDumbBlonde

I haven’t forgotten that. The okra is going to a site of it’s own that has plenty of room for pulling!


31 posted on 01/23/2012 12:46:56 PM PST by rightly_dividing (ICor. 15:1-4)
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To: Redleg Duke

I’m very sorry.


32 posted on 01/23/2012 1:36:07 PM PST by TASMANIANRED (We kneel to no prince but the Prince of Peace)
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To: fight_truth_decay

Thank you, fascinating.


33 posted on 01/23/2012 9:21:54 PM PST by dervish (female candidates: the last frontier)
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To: Redleg Duke

I’m sorry for your troubles.


34 posted on 01/23/2012 9:26:19 PM PST by dervish (female candidates: the last frontier)
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To: Redleg Duke

So sad.


35 posted on 01/24/2012 12:36:06 PM PST by tillacum
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To: tillacum
Barb ordered six Indian Runner ducklings this afternoon. Five hens and a hopefully enthusiastic drake.

Life goes on.

36 posted on 01/24/2012 12:46:58 PM PST by Redleg Duke ("Madison, Wisconsin is 30 square miles surrounded by reality.", L. S. Dryfus)
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To: Redleg Duke

That’s good to hear. Will the ducks be penned with the chickens? If I raised them, I don’t think I could have them in a meal. I love duck eggs, they are especially good in cakes. When we ran mamma cows, it was hard for me, when the trailers came for the calfs. It was the same way when hubby sold the Llamas.


37 posted on 01/25/2012 6:24:53 AM PST by tillacum
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To: tillacum
We kept our ducks in the same poultry yard as the chickens, but the ducks were bullies. We had separate coop areas for the two breeds.

Based on some observations Barb made, I haven't ruled out arson as the cause of the fire. We had a neighbor who anonomously complained to the town about our coop last year.

The problem is the evidence is circumstantial. The back door to the duck dorm was insulated and lined inside and out, and also latched on the outside, but when Barb went around to try and release the ducks, the door was open/gone and it shouldn't have been burned through so soon.

I guess we will never know, but I will be taking steps to increase security with our next coop, to include ballistic capabilities from the bedroom window.

38 posted on 01/25/2012 10:36:01 AM PST by Redleg Duke ("Madison, Wisconsin is 30 square miles surrounded by reality.", L. S. Dryfus)
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To: Redleg Duke

There are people like that. When we retired from the AF, we began a wood business, quite by accident. We live in a small town. Rog was an engineer, I was a nurse. We began playing at the ranch, cutting trees and stacking the wood, then people began buying it. OH MY, what was whispered around, was not all that nice. 2 educated people cutting and selling wood. We eventially sold to AAFES, then large restaurents, chain stores, overseas, Austrailia. THEN, we became “respectable”. At first I was burned and ready to leave this place. I’ve cooled down and retired. I’m now in the process of starting a community garden. I’ve had the land cleared, and am now waiting for the Sr Center and the realestate woman to come to a financial agreement, then look out...cause we’re ready to move. I have a lot of help from the Soil conservation people and county agent, plus a couple of ag teachers. This is going to be fun and interesting.


39 posted on 01/25/2012 1:03:10 PM PST by tillacum
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