FOR THE NORTHEAST FLORIDA GREEN INDUSTRY Serving Clay, Duval, and Nassau Counties

July-August 2016 Flooding & Salt Damage in the Landscape By Erin Harlow, Commercial Hor culture Agent

Many sites throughout Northeast Florida and across the state have recently experienced flooding due to Hurricane Irma. It is important to know what to expect and what can be done about soil that has been flooded by storm surge.

Get a soil test to check the electrical conductivity (EC) of the soil. The Duval Extension Office is providing free EC testing. You can also send you samples into UF’s Soil Testing Lab or a laboratory of your choice.

If storm surge did occur and salts in the soil are a concern, wait until the water recedes and leach the salts with irrigation or rain water. Water must be able to drain to properly leach salts. If you are in an area where storm surge occurred, then you will need to test the EC weekly or bi‐monthly for a couple of months and continue to leach the soils with irrigation water. It is recommended that the irrigation water also be tested if it is from a well to make sure that the salt is not being pulled back to the surface.

Turf typically turns yellow within a week or two and then depending on how stressed it was before the storm should recover. Plants can experience leaf burn, leaf drop and death due to salt damage. Check the plants to see if they are alive by scratching the bark. If the stem is still green underneath then they are still alive and should have new buds in a few weeks. If the stems are brown then the plant can be cut to the ground or removed. It is recommended to wait to remove the plant to see if it will come back at the base.

Many larger plants that suffered storm surge or flooding will initially appear to recover, but may have unseen root damage. The plants may suffer from root diseases and struggle to come out of dormancy in the spring. When temperatures become warm in the spring there tends to be a large number of plants, such as viburnum and large ligustrums that quickly die due to compromised root systems the following spring after a large storm. The roots just can’t support the canopy any longer and the plant dies. As mentioned before, a fungal root disease may also compound the problem.

Commercial Clippings October—November 2017

http://duval.ifas.ufl.edu

Flood and Salt Damage 1

Programs 2, 3

Tree Resources 4, 5

Mold and Mildew 6, 7

4-H Insect Camp 5

Contact Us 8

Inside this issue:

Salt damage from storm surge two weeks after Hurricane Irma, Cummer Museum.  Photo: Terry DelValle 

November 1 December 6 January 3 Wednesday (Duval)

Pesticide Testing - Agricultural, Limited, Certified Pest Operator and Public Health Exams 9:15 am Pre-register at https://aesecomm.freshfromflorida.com for all exams. For assistance with exam registration please call 904-255-7450 or email Sarah Freeman at sfreeman@coj.net. No walk-ins.

November 14 Tuesday (Lake City) December 20 Wednesday (Putnam) January 30 Tuesday (Duval) 3 LCLM 3 LLO 3 O&T 3 L&O 3 PVT 3 CORE (482)

Limited Commercial Landscape Maintenance Exam Preparation Workshop For NEW Applicators 8:15 am - 2:30 pm $30.00 pre-registered; $40 at the door Lunch included, textbooks not included The exam is administered at 3:00 pm. Please register for the exam at https://aesecomm.freshfrlomflorida.com prior to coming to class. This class is designed for people who do not have their license yet. If you are re-certifying your LCLM or LL&O you should consider attending a different class that offers those CEUs. There are many to choose from throughout the year. Lake City - (386) 752-5384 Putnam - (386) 329-0318 Duval - https://lclm_2018_january.eventbrite.com

November 14 Tuesday (Duval) 2 CORE 2 LUF 2 LCLM 2 LLO 2 L&O 2 O&T

Renewal for Urban Limited Landscape Licenses (Fertilizer, Round Up, and Limited Lawn) 8:15 am - 12:15 pm $20 pre-registered; $25 at the door Register at: https://renewal2017_november.eventbrite.com Class Location: Univar, 9143 Philips Hwy Suite 130 Hosted by: Univar - Environmental Sciences

November 30 Thursday 1 LCLM 1 LLO 1 L&O 1 ROW 1 O&T

Managing Palms - Webinar 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm FREE Join us for our inaugural webinar! You will be able to watch from the comfort of your office. Watch by yourself or with several of your employees. Registration: https://palmmgmt2017_webinar.eventbrite.com

WINTER WORKSHOPS 2017 

2 Commercial Clippings | October - November

October 18 Wednesday (Alachua) November 3 Friday (Putnam) November 16 Thursday (Lake City) 4 LA, 4 FNGLA 2 LCLM 2 CORE 2 L&O 2 LL&O 2 Pvt

Green Industries Best Management Practices for the Protection of Water Resources 8:15 am - 3:30 pm, Lunch provided $25 pre-registration; $35 at the door This class is the pre-requisite for the State of Florida’s Urban Fertilizer License. It is also a great class for people who are entering the industry. Registration: Alachua - (352) 955-2402 Lake City - (386) 752-5384 Putnam - (386) 329-0318 This workshop and quiz can also be taken online for $15 or you can order a free DVD. Both can be found at https://gibmp.ifas.ufl.edu.

December 13 Wednesday (Ft. Meyers) December 14 Thursday (Palm Beach) 1 LUF 6 L&O 6 O&T 6 LCLM 6 ROW 6 PVT

Evidence-Based Zoysiagrass Management Workshops 9:00 am - 4:00 pm $60 pre-registration; $75 at the door Join us for an advanced workshop on zoysiagrass management. You will gain insight into research, tools, and evidence-based practices from UF’s Turf Team. This is a class you don’t want to miss! Registration and Agendas: Fort Myers - http://uf_zoysiagrass_fortmyers.eventbrite.com West Palm Beach - http://uf_zoysiagrass_westpalmbeach.eventbrite.com

December 12 Tuesday (Yulee) 2 CORE, 2 LUF, 2 LCLM, 2 LLO 2 L&O, 2 O&T

Renewal for Urban Limited Landscape Licenses (Fertilizer, Round Up, and Limited Lawn) 8:15 am - 12:15 pm, $30 pre-registered; $40 at the door Call the Nassau County Extension Office to register at 904-530-6350. Class Location: 86026 Pages Dairy Road, Yulee

December 7 Thursday (Duval) ISA, FNGLA, LLO, L&O, LCLM, ROW

Beyond the Soil Surface 8:30 am - 11:30 am $10.00 This program will focus on situations that cause plants to fail in the landscape due to due to site conditions and landscape practices. Techniques for improved planting, how to deal with difficult soils, and fixing soil issues will be discussed. Registration coming soon! Check our website.

All classes require pre-registration

Unless stated classes will be held at the Duval County Extension Office, 1010 N McDuff Ave, Jacksonville, FL 32254

October - November | Commercial Clippings 3

4 Commercial Clippings | October - November

Resources for Storm Damage Preparedness and Recovery

ProForest and their partners have created a fantastic resource on their website http://proforesthealth.org/news/articles/resources-for-storm-damage-preparedness-and-recovery. We have listed all of their resources below to help you in storm damage recovery and preparedness.

Urban Forest Hurricane Recovery Program by UF/IFAS (with resources in Spanish) Trees and Hurricanes extension publications by UF/IFAS

Forest Recovery After a Hurricane by the Florida Forest Service

Assessing Hurricane and Tornado Storm Damaged Forest Stands by UGA

Forest Landowner Natural Disaster Desk Guide & Tool Kit by Mississippi Coastal Plains RC&D Council, Inc

Storm Planning and Recovery of Trees by the National Arbor Day Foundation

How to Evaluate and Manage Storm-Damaged Forest Areas by USDA Forest Service

Evaluating Hardwood Stands Following Storm Damage by North Carolina Forest Service

Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) by USDA

Decision-Making Guidelines for Storm-Damaged Trees by NC State University

Disaster recovery resources by MSU Extension

Storm damage resources by U of A Cooperative Extension Service

After the storm by Texas A&M Forest Service

Tree care kit by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

Dealing with Storm-damaged Trees In the Landscape by LSU AgCenter

Disaster Information Resource Series by LSU AgCenter

Storm cleanup – how to stay safe when nature strikes by Husqvarna

© Copyright 2017 Proactive Forest Health and Resilience

October - November | Commercial Clippings 5

Armillaria Root Rot is Ac ve!    By Erin Harlow  

Have you recently had woody shrubs or trees with branches or the en re plant die? You might have found

armillaria root rot. It is a fungus that is very ac ve in the landscape right now. It is most ac ve around the months

of October and in the spring around March. You may see the frui ng structures popping up around the base of

plants or even in the middle of yards. They are brown clumping mushrooms and will turn black and smelly a er a

week or so. When the mushrooms aren’t present, the fungus is s ll ac ve and can be found by the white

mycelium under the bark. Plants can live for many years with the disease and it affects most woody shrubs and

trees. When the plant does not have enough roots to support the canopy any longer, then the plants can die and

the process can be very quick, catching many off guard. There is no treatment for this disease. A few management

op ons include:

A fungicide drench can help prolong the plant’s life by

protec ng it against other pathogens that may infect the

plant.

The plant canopy can also be reduced to minimize the stress

on the roots.

The focus should be root development if only a por on of

the plant died. Addi onal potassium applica ons may be

needed and proper irriga on is essen al.

More informa on about Armillaria Root Rot can be found at:

h p://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep478

A huge THANK YOU to our scholarship donors: Florida Nursery, Growers, and Landscape Associa on Northeast

Chapter Peninsular Pest Services Trads Pest Control and Garden Center Sunscapes Landscape Design Camp was awesome! We had eight campers, ages 11‐15. Most had never collected insects before. They learned about biology, how to collect and pin insects, started their own collec ons, visited UF Entomology, Museum of Natural History Bu erfly Rainforest, and even ate a few insects! We have con nued to collect with 4‐H members and recently had an event for families. We had nine kids, ages 2‐15 collec ng. We look forward to con nuing to introduce youth to the industry and are planning several future events. If you are interested in sponsoring a student for camp next year or supplies please let Erin Harlow know at eeeck@ufl.edu. We are in need of cornell drawers for the state contest and they cost anywhere between $60‐$80 each.

White mycelium of armillaria  

Photo credit Ed Barnard 

6 Commercial Clippings | October - November

Flooded homes and leaky roofs can materialize into a moldy nightmare. Preven ng mold growth indoors

is impera ve to future indoor air quality and health. Removing already exis ng mold requires immediate

ac on. Mold colonies can start to grow within two to three days, so ge ng things clean and dry as fast

as possible is cri cal.

To prevent mold growth in a flooded home, the following steps should be taken:

Remove all wet carpet, carpet pads, draperies and upholstery as soon as possible (hopefully within 24

‐48 hours a er flood waters have receded).

Cut and remove all wallboard/drywall at least 3 feet above the highest water line. Even if the

wallboard/drywall appears to be dry.

If the home was built before 1978, it could contain lead‐based paint and asbestos materials.

Disturbing such materials can be dangerous and could lead to serious health problems. Learn more

at www.epa.gov/lead and www.epa.gov/asbestos before proceeding and make sure to wear a

protec ve mask, eyewear and gloves.

Clean with non‐phosphate detergents. Phosphates act as a food source for mold.

If you disinfect, follow direc ons carefully and never mix bleach with ammonia or acids such as

vinegar or lemon juice. Disinfectants can kill molds but do not prevent new growth on wet surfaces.

Dry out the home before replacing any insula on, wallboard and flooring. Use the HVAC system, fans,

and dehumidifiers.

Test the moisture content of the wall studs and sheathing using a moisture meter. Before you close

the wall, wood should drop at least 20 percent moisture content to prevent decay and preferably

below 16 percent to prevent future mold growth.

Mold Helping Clients Tackle the M-Word

By Melanie Thomas, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, UF/IFAS Extension Duval County

To clean up already exis ng mold in the home, the following steps should be taken:

First and foremost the mold needs to be killed AND removed. Dead mold can s ll cause health effects is

some people.

Minimize exposure during clean‐up. People are exposed to mold mainly by breathing in the spores or

fragments, but also through skin contact. Wearing protec ve gear such as gloves and a N‐95 (or be er) rated

mask/respirator is recommended.

Isolate the work area and ven late to outdoors. Disturbing mold colonies can cause a massive release of

spores, so seal off the contaminated area from the rest of the house. If the power is on, use a fan to exhaust

air to the outdoors.

Remove all moldy porous materials. This includes wallboard/drywall, insula on, plaster, carpet/carpet pad,

ceiling les, processed wood products and paper. To minimize the spread of spores, cover moldy material

with plas c to contain spores before removing it. Even if mold is not visible, all wet fibrous insula on and

other materials that are unlikely to dry quickly should be removed and replaced.

All nonporous materials such as hard plas c, glass and metal should be cleaned. Remove the mold from non‐

porous materials using a soap or detergent. Never mix bleach and ammonia. Use a HEPA filtered vacuum

(not a regular vacuum) to remove dust and mold residue, if possible.

Disinfect by applying a solu on of ½ ‐ 1 cup chlorine bleach per 1 gallon water or follow manufacturer's

recommenda ons on the disinfectant product of your choice. Milder, less corrosive disinfectants include

alcohols, disinfec ng cleaners and hydrogen peroxide.

Other products that kill mold are biocides. These biocides have Environmental Protec on Agency (EPA)

registra on numbers on the bo le and instruc ons for the intended applica on.

Dry all wet materials as quickly as possible. Use HVAC systems, fans and dehumidifiers, if possible. New mold

colonies can form in as li le as three days if materials stay wet.

Con nue looking for signs of moisture or new mold growth. If mold returns, repeat cleaning and consider

using speed drying equipment and moisture meters. Regrowth may signal that the material was not dry

enough or should be removed. Rebuilding should wait un l all affected materials have dried completely.

Adapted from:

Mold Removal Guidelines For Your Flooded Home by Claude e Reichel, Ed.D. Professor, Housing Specialist,

LSUAgCenter

h p://www.lsuagcenter.com/NR/rdonlyres/CABFF19A‐1781‐4C7E‐B58C‐1588F203A588/29666/

Pub2949BMoldRemovalFINAL1.pdf

To learn more about flooded homes and mold preven on/remedia on please visit the following sources:

h p://eden.lsu.edu/topics/humanhealth/mold/Pages/default.aspx

www.epa.gov/mold

h ps://www.epa.gov/indoor‐air‐quality‐iaq/flood‐cleanup‐protect‐indoor‐air‐quality

h ps://www.cdc.gov/mold/pdfs/homeowners_and_renters_guide.pdf

h p://www.floridahealth.gov/newsroom/2017/09/091817‐mold2017sept.html

Photo Credit: h ps://media3.s‐nbcnews.com/j/msnbc/components/video/201709/

nville_flood_170911.nbcnews‐ux‐1080‐600.jpg

October - November | Commercial Clippings 7

Duval County Extension 1010 N. McDuff Avenue Jacksonville, FL 32254 (904) 255-7450 Fax: (904) 387-8902 Website: http://duval.ifas.ufl.edu ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Jacksonville, FL Permit No. 1482

Duval County 1010 N. McDuff Avenue Jacksonville FL 32254 (904) 255-7450 Phone (904) 387-8902 Fax http://duval.ifas.ufl.edu Erin Harlow - Commercial Horticulture/Urban IPM erine@coj.net Larry Figart - Urban and Community Forestry lfigart@coj.net

Rebecca Jordi - Co. Extension Director Nassau County 543350 US Highway 1 Callahan, FL 32011-6486 (904) 530-6353 or 1-855-212-1244 http://nassau.ifas.ufl.edu/ rljordi@ufl.edu Wayne Hobbs - Horticulture Clay County 2463 SR 16 West Green Cove Springs, FL 32043 (904) 284-6355 http://clay.ifas.ufl.edu/ whhobbs@ufl.edu

Local EXTENSION Offices

For individuals requiring special accommodations, please contact our office (904/255-7450) within a minimum of 5 working days of the

program. For persons with hearing or speech impairments, when contacting our office, please use the Florida Relay Service at 1-800-955-8771 (TDD). Your comments and input are necessary for this to be a useful tool for all of us.

Extension Programs are open to all regardless of race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability,

religion, national origin, political opinions or affiliations.

This newsletter is jointly sponsored by the Florida Cooperative Extension Service, IFAS, Nick Place, Dean; City of Jacksonville, Lenny Curry, Mayor; and the Duval County Cooperative Extension Service, Mike Sweat, Director.