MIRAGE-Benchmark/MIRAGE huggingface dataset:
Trimming an oak tree

Question: Hello,

Recently, I had part of an oak tree come down. It was pretty good sized and it turns out it had been hollowed out and became weak. I had some tree tremors remove the broken part of the tree just a couple of days ago (mid February). I know that supposed to be an okay time to trim oak trees but since it's this large, is there something I could/should put on the wound so it puts less stress on the tree?

I'm attaching a photo.

Thanks,
Owen

responder: An Ask Extension Expert Replied February 19, 2023, 7:49 PM EST
response: Hi Owen, It's best for the wound /cut to be left alone.https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/g6867Keep an eye out for Oak Wilt. https://extension.umn.edu/plant-diseases/oak-wilt-minnesotaBest of luck,Sally GranathMaster Gardener Volunteer At LargeOn Sat, Feb 18, 2023 at 8:21 PM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:Hi Sally, Question #0090584 has been assigned to you by SYSTEM (Auto Assignment) Trimming an oak tree Hello, Recently, I had part of an oak tree come down. It was pretty good sized and it turns out it had been hollowed out and became weak. I had some tree tremors remove the broken part of the tree just a couple of days ago (mid February). I know that supposed to be an okay time to trim oak trees but since it's this large, is there something I could/should put on the wound so it puts less stress on the tree? I'm attaching a photo. Thanks, Owen From: oorthmannSubmitted: 02/18/2023 9:21 PM To view/respond to the question, please login. Please join the Ask Extension Experts group in Connect Extension. We will use that group to post updates about Ask Extension.This message was sent by Ask Extension. If you need help, please visit https://askhelp.extension.org/.

responder: The Question Asker Replied February 19, 2023, 9:13 PM EST
response: Thanks Sally!  Ask Extension Sunday, February 19, 2023 6:49 PM
What is this? Found in the woods in Hamamatsu, Japan.

Question: I stumbled upon this strange-looking pile of what look like pink maggots or larvae. Does anyone know what this is? I am very curious!

responder: David Shetlar (the BugDoc)  Replied February 21, 2023, 10:04 AM EST
response: I've was able to enlarge your images to see that all the critters involved appear to be one of the tiny shrimp species! My thoughts are that these were eaten by some animal and the animal regurgitated them in a mass. The title indicates that this was seen in Japan and there are small species of shrimp that live in fresh water and salt water at that location.  We have fresh water shrimps in North America, but they rarely reach high populations that would be easy for a racoon or other similar animal to engorge on.  It is also possible that these were collected by one of the filter-feeding birds and the bird regurgitated them.  BugDoc Dave

responder: The Question Asker Replied February 21, 2023, 10:52 AM EST
response: Hi BugDoc Dave, Thank you so much for your response! I thought that initially but couldn’t make sense of it. I can’t tell you how happy I am to have found this out, it’s been on my mind for nearly two weeks. Thank you very much, I hope you have an absolutely spectacular day! CheersLia On Tue, Feb 21, 2023 at 7:04 AM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: David Shetlar (the BugDoc)  Replied February 21, 2023, 12:17 PM EST
response: Glad to help!
bush and tree disease?

Question: hello - backyard seems to be experiencing some issue relating to bushes and a tree.
location: Cleveland Park. 3 blocks north of National Cathedral.

responder: The Question Asker Replied February 17, 2023, 4:39 PM EST
response: These are additional pics of disease (I think)
hello - backyard seems to be experiencing some issue relating to bushes and a tree.
location: Cleveland Park. 3 blocks north of National Cathedral.

responder: Answered by theHome and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied February 20, 2023, 1:20 PM EST
response: All but your last photo show what is commonly referred to as 'winterburn'. This happens on broadleaved evergreens in the winter when the ground is frozen. With wind and cold the leaves dessicate/dry out, and the plants are not able to pull water into the leaves. It is worse when the plants go into the winter with a water deficit.  Your third and fourth photo look look like Boxwood, and the injury just to the outer tips looks like it could have been cause by pruning in summer or later in the season, where the plant flushed out new growth that was tender and got zapped by the cold. The last photo shows 'bronzing' foliage, which is normal for trees like Leyland Cypress or Arborvitae in the winter.   Christine

responder: The Question Asker Replied February 20, 2023, 1:31 PM EST
response: Sounds like I’m in ok shape then. These were all ‘new’ to me, so relieved.  Thanks for your insight.   On 02/20/2023 1:20 PM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: Answered by theHome and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied February 20, 2023, 1:33 PM EST
response: You're welcome. We are happy to help.
RE: Prior Post 0082165

Question: Found this growth last year on an oak tree in my yard (swamp oak, I think). Wondering if I should be concerned.

responder: Elizabeth Betagole  Replied February 17, 2023, 8:50 AM EST
response: Hello,  The growth in this picture is an oak gall. I believe it is a horned oak gall or a gouty oak gall. This looks to be a young gall. The horned oak gall may take up to 33 months to develop.      Galls are formed when a wasp inserts chemicals and eggs into the oak stem. The tree's stem tissue is then directed by the chemicals deposited by the female wasp to form a gall or structure with the tiny wasp pupa protected inside of it. There may be several baby wasps inside of each gall. The wasp larvae will grow into adults by getting nourishment from the gall tissue. They will then emerge from the gall as adult wasps.  It is an interesting process which you may read about in the articles that I've listed below. In nature there are many kinds of galls to be found in trees and shrubs, caused by wasps, mites, bacteria, fungi or nematodes. Normally, a gall does not harm the plant and chemical management is not usually recommended.  Please write back if you should have more questions.  Thanks for asking Ask Extension.  Betsy B. - MGV    https://extension.psu.edu/galls-on-oak  https://bygl.osu.edu/node/1777  https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/OakGallInsects/  https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/insect-and-mite-galls

responder: The Question Asker Replied February 17, 2023, 10:22 AM EST
response: Thank you.  At least now I know the tree is not diseased.  However, my husband is extremely allergic to wasps and hornets so I will be sure to remove them when they appear on the trees. Shelby HarsanyOn Fri, Feb 17, 2023 at 8:50 AM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: Elizabeth Betagole  Replied February 17, 2023, 1:39 PM EST
response: You're welcome.
euonymus ? Wavy ligustrum  hedge dropping leaves. leaves have spots

Question: our euonymus hedge is dropping leaves and has brown spots.

responder: The Question Asker Replied February 15, 2023, 8:29 AM EST
response: More photos

responder: The Question Asker Replied February 15, 2023, 10:04 AM EST
response: euonymus ? Or Wavy ligustrum?

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied February 15, 2023, 4:37 PM EST
response: Yes, we agree these plants are Privet (Ligustrum, probably Ligustrum japonicum) and not Euonymus. Our plant pathologist took a look at the photos and does not recognize the leaf symptoms as belonging to a pest or disease issue known to damage privet. Instead, this appears to be environmental damage, which would mean they're a result of weather conditions or root health decline (such as from soil that got too dry or too wet at some point) contributing to the leaf lesions and shedding. Some of the leaf damage might be winterburn, which happens to many evergreens (especially those, like evergreen privets, which are closer to the limits of their cold tolerance in Maryland) during periods of freezing temperatures when dry winds or other conditions don't allow the plants to replace moisture being lost from their leaves. Leaf loss can be a more extreme manifestation of winterburn, but it can occur. Root dieback is another possibility as it too can cause leaf shedding. There is no treatment for winterburn after it occurs; the plant will simply have to replace lost foliage as it is able over the next one or several growing seasons. Preventing it going forward isn't always possible either, but monitoring the root zone for watering needs during mild winter weather can help minimize winterburn risk.  Since privet is invasive in Maryland, we suggest replacing the shrubs if you are able. (It can be done in stages if needed.) While other commonly-grown evergreen shrubs like Japanese Euonymus, Aucuba, Cherrylaurel, and several species of holly are similarly not native, few of them have proven invasive thus far. (There are a few native evergreen holly shrubs, though not many which would reach the size you prefer while retaining a dense complement of leaves.) If you are interested in using an alternative evergreen in these areas, we can suggest some candidates once we have more information about the site conditions and what restrictions you may have on mature size (without pruning) for the space available, and whether plantings need to be unpalatable to deer.  Miri
wood Species identity

Question: I'm just trying to identify this wood that I cut down in my yard. It died from a backfill due to flooding mitigation.

responder: Julie Crick  Replied February 15, 2023, 4:09 PM EST
response: These look like Northern white-cedar logs, which would make sense if they were growing in an area previously wet. They should smell wonderful when burning.  Thank you, -Julie

responder: The Question Asker Replied February 15, 2023, 4:13 PM EST
response: I forgot to mention they also had a lot of white grubs or some kind of caterpillar larvae in them. On Wed, Feb 15, 2023, 16:12 michael mouton <<personal data hidden>> wrote:Thank you for your response. They are not cedar as they are a broadleaf tree. It had a split trunk and the base of each trunk probably 18 to 24 in. On Wed, Feb 15, 2023, 16:09 Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: The Question Asker Replied February 15, 2023, 4:13 PM EST
response: Thank you for your response. They are not cedar as they are a broadleaf tree. It had a split trunk and the base of each trunk probably 18 to 24 in. On Wed, Feb 15, 2023, 16:09 Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: Julie Crick  Replied February 15, 2023, 4:21 PM EST
response: Large split trunk boadleaf tree that grew near a wet site....boxelder? Can you find any old "helicopter" seeds in the area? Boxelder is a maple, but has three leaves, similar to poison ivy.  I'm not sure about the grubs. Found the article at the link below that mentions grubs in boxelder (that live in decaying trees)? Do the grubs look like those pictured?  Thank you, -Julie

responder: The Question Asker Replied February 15, 2023, 4:45 PM EST
response: The tree's been dead too long for any helicopter seeds. The link you sent didn't come through but the picture I sent are grubs from the tree that I was splitting. On Wed, Feb 15, 2023, 16:21 Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: Julie Crick  Replied February 20, 2023, 9:58 AM EST
response: Sorry that I failed to post the link; it is below: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/flower_hermit_beetle_grubs  The wood is likely boxelder and the beetle is likely a secondary invader (as in, it may not have been responsible for killing the tree). So, likely nothing to worry about.  Thank you, -Julie
Brown Rot in Peaches?

Question: Last August peaches on our trees started showing signs of rot as they started ripening.  We've never seen this before on our 11 yr old 49er trees.  We spray fixed copper and dormant oil according to the OSU spray schedule.  Is this brown rot?  Ho do we treat the trees for it?

responder: An Ask Extension Expert Replied February 14, 2023, 6:42 PM EST
response: Hi There,   I am curious about the round holes in the center of the discolored area. Usually, a hole like that is associated with earwig feeding in stone fruits. Did you notice the holes before or after the discoloration?  The brown color doesn’t look like brown rot, which usually has spores. This brown discoloration could be from a secondary infection or oxidation if an insect made the hole first.

responder: The Question Asker Replied February 14, 2023, 10:44 PM EST
response: Hi - This past summer we did have a big problem with earwigs, squash bugs and cucumber beetles eating the peaches.  We have never had a problem like this before.  Maybe a few earwigs in years past but never squash bugs or cucumber beetles.  Many of our peaches had holes like this however not all of them got the brown rot like circle.  I did find about 8-10 peaches that had molded on the tree.  They were shriveled and fuzzy gray.  I don't recall if any of them had any holes.

responder: An Ask Extension Expert Replied February 15, 2023, 12:38 PM EST
response: It is difficult to say what exactly the issue is without photos of the shriveled, fuzzy fruit. It could be brown rot, but usually I associate brown rot with warm, humid conditions. Here is a nice article for home growers about brown rot: https://site.extension.uga.edu/bartow/brown-rot-on-peaches/. Hopefully this helps.

responder: The Question Asker Replied February 15, 2023, 1:54 PM EST
response: I appreciate your responses!  If it is a secondary infection from insect holes, is there an organic insecticide I can use to prevent further fruit damage during the ripening period?  Thank you so much!

responder: An Ask Extension Expert Replied February 15, 2023, 2:08 PM EST
response: There are a few organic insecticides that target earwigs. I would also suggest trapping them https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74102.html#:~:text=Dump%20captured%20earwigs%20and%20refill,soapy%20water%20in%20the%20morning.

responder: The Question Asker Replied February 15, 2023, 11:35 PM EST
response: Thank you so much for your responses!
Help for a rabbit girdled serviceberry

Question: Please help. I have an Autumn Blaze serviceberry in the front of the house that I am pretty attached to. The other day I saw that a rabbit, as evidenced by its droppings at the base of the tree, had pulled off the lower 2 feet of bark on all of the trunks, both large and small. Is there any way to save this tree? I’ve set up air layering on one small trunk, and I have taken some cuttings to attempt a bridge graft on a couple of the larger trunks, but I am not sure whether I need to cut down the rest of the other trunks or, because there is some cambium tissue present, maybe take another approach. Any advice, guidance or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! The damage on some of the trunks is not visible in the attached photos, so please let me know if more photos would be helpful. Thank you!

responder: An Ask Extension Expert Replied February 14, 2023, 5:58 PM EST
response: Stems with fifty percent or more of the bark remaining may recover.  Those with more extensive damage and those that are girdled should be removed.  Multi-stemmed serviceberries sucker, so it might be possible to renew the plant by cutting the entire clump to the ground.  Although this might seem like starting over, the established root system is likely to generate vigorous shoots that can be selected  and managed to replace the lost stems and produce a serviceable plant in 3-4 years.  The options are to salvage viable stems and encourage new shoots to restore the clump or hard prune to the ground.   Although the following is not a University of Minnesota approved video, it contains reliable information about how to deal with rabbit damaged plants.

responder: The Question Asker Replied February 15, 2023, 4:00 PM EST
response: Thank you for the very informative response. Do I need to wait until spring or should I take action now?JaneOn Feb 14, 2023, at 4:58 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:﻿

responder: An Ask Extension Expert Replied February 15, 2023, 9:36 PM EST
response: It's ok to wait until spring, but it's best to cut stems that need to be removed before new growth begins in April.
Sick pilea

Question: My pilea leaf gets brown crispy edge.

responder: An Ask Extension Expert Replied February 14, 2023, 2:34 PM EST
response: Thank you for your question.  Unfortunately, I don't have enough information to diagnose which of several problems your plant might have.  What other underside of the leaf look like?. Is this occurring on only one leaf or many?  How often do you water the plant?  Does the pot drain?  How often do you fertilize the plant, and with what?  How much light does it get?  Do you see any mold spores on the brown spots?  Can you attach a photo of the entire plant? Without more details, the best I provide is a general overview of houseplant problems:  https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74172.html Alternatively, you can send a plant sample to the OSU Plant Disease Clinic:  https://bpp.oregonstate.edu/plant-clinic/submit-sample/how-submit-plant-materials Good luck!

responder: The Question Asker Replied February 14, 2023, 3:32 PM EST
response: On Feb 14, 2023, at 11:34 AM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: An Ask Extension Expert Replied February 14, 2023, 3:39 PM EST
response: I am sorry, but nothing was attached to your response.
What bug is this?

Question: What bug is this?

responder: The Question Asker Replied February 15, 2023, 2:07 AM EST
response: I found these dead bugs in my home in a room closest to the front door. What are they and why would I have them or would they be in my home?

responder: An Ask Extension Expert Replied February 17, 2023, 11:34 AM EST
response: Hi -  I cannot see enough detailed resolution to confirm an exact identification of the insect. Saying that, it could be an ant or termite. If so, you could use this factsheet - https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/hyg-2064 - to help you confirm or deny this.  I encourage you to take the insects in a bottle or bag to your location Extension office. You can find details on them at https://cesanbernardino.ucanr.edu/ including their address which is 7863 Central Avenue, Highland, CA 92346. They can help you further with your question and are right there in your county.
Unidentified mushroom

Question: Any idea what this mushroom is - oddly found in our hot tub filter?

responder: Jill Pollok  Replied February 17, 2023, 1:20 PM EST
response: Hello, it's difficult to tell because this mushroom is decomposed itself. It may be a Clitocybe because it has decurrent gills. Basidiomycetes like this fungus are decomposers living on organic material. The solution is to thoroughly clean the filtration system--the chlorine should kill any remnant mycelium or spores.

responder: The Question Asker Replied February 17, 2023, 1:30 PM EST
response: Thank you  On Feb 17, 2023, at 1:21 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:    ﻿ CAUTION EXTERNAL EMAIL