Articles

Vegetable Disease Quick Reference

This article provides a list of 10 relatively easy-to-identify plant diseases commonly found in Wisconsin vegetable gardens.

Silver Leaf

Silver leaf is a fungal disease that affects a wide range of deciduous trees. It has the biggest impact on fruit trees such as apple, pear and cherry, but can also affect ornamental trees.

Powdery scab is a potentially serious disease of potatoes that occurs worldwide in regions where potatoes are grown, including Wisconsin. Powdery scab primarily causes cosmetic, unsightly skin blemishes of potato tubers.

Red Star Rust

Red star rust (also known as Japanese apple rust or lipstick rust) is a type of Gymnosporangium rust. This plant disease is particularly concerning because of its potential negative impact in commercial apple production.

Tizón Tardío (Late Blight)

El tizón tardío es una enfermedad destructiva de los tomates y de las papas que puede matar a las plantas maduras y causar que los frutos del tomate y los tubérculos de la papa no sean comestibles.

Aster, Symphyotrichum spp.

Asters are herbaceous perennial plants bloom late in the year, with daisy-like flowers in shades of lavender, blue, pink, purple and white.

Tree Species Recommended for Fall Planting

This article contains a compilation of tree species recommended for fall planting vs. waiting until spring.

Elm Zigzag Sawfly

The elm zigzag sawfly is an invasive sawfly that attacks elm trees. Populations were detected in Wisconsin for the first time in July 2024 and were quickly found in several counties across the state. In many cases, damage may be minor, but this invasive pest does have the potential to cause significant defoliation of elm trees.

5 Steps to Plant a Tree

Interested in planting a tree on your property? Take a look at this tree planting article to learn best practices.

Fascinating Fasciation

This physiological disorder, called fasciation, can occur in almost any plant part, but is most noticeable in the stems or inflorescences.

Blister Canker

Blister canker (also known as nailhead canker) is a potentially lethal disease that primarily affects apple and crabapple trees. Symptoms of blister canker often appear as darkened, sunken areas that extend from cracks or wounds on tree branches and trunks.