FOR-177: Field Guide to Kentucky's Invasive Plants

Ellen Crocker | Oct. 11, 2024 (New)

Invasive plants are non-native plants that cause ecological, environmental, or economic damage. Because they can spread rapidly and take over, forming dense monocultures, invasive plants threaten the diversity and health of forests, prairies, streams, and other natural areas. In addition, they can cause a range of other problems, from harm to native plants and animals to losses in agriculture, tourism, and property value.

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FOR-176: Building a Bird Nest Box with a Bird’s Eye View: A DIY Nest-box Camera

Steve Higgins, James Ash, Matthew Springer | Sep. 23, 2024 (New)

Watching nature from a backyard can be a fun and rewarding experience. Enhancing the experience can be accomplished by creating habitat and building structures to attract wildlife. Do-it-yourself (DIY) individuals may enjoy the “bird’s eye view” provided by a Wi-Fi camera mounted on the inside of a side-view nest box. This optimum viewing angle can provide the opportunity to see adult birds construct their nest and feed their hatchlings without disturbing their natural behavior. This publication outlines the design, construction, assembly, and installation of a side-view nest box, which is a project that can provide years of enjoyment, satisfaction, and learning opportunities.

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ID-194: Diagnosing Plant Problems: Kentucky Master Gardener Manual Chapter 6

Jessica Bessin, Rick Durham, Nicole Ward Gauthier, Adam Leonberger, Kimberly Leonberger, Matthew Springer, Lee Townsend, Stacy White, Erica Wood | Jan. 16, 2024 (Major Revision)

For those with a green thumb, growing plants may seem easy. However, when plant problems arise, determining the cause of these issues can be difficult. Developing the skills necessary to determine the cause of a plant problem takes experience and time.

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FOR-121: Vertebrate Pest Management: Kentucky Master Gardener Manual Chapter 9

Tom Barnes, Matthew Springer | Jan. 16, 2024 (Major Revision)

Most people enjoy watching wildlife around the home, whether it is birds at a feeder, butterflies on flowers, or the occasional deer or turkey wandering through the yard. In some instances, wildlife come into contact with humans and are in the wrong place at the wrong time. For the gardening enthusiast, this encounter can create conflict.

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FOR-173: Identifying and Addressing River Otter Damage Issues in Kentucky

Jonathan Matthews, Matthew Springer, Gabriela Wolf-Gonzalez | Oct. 31, 2023 (New)

River otters (Lontra canadensis) were once abundant throughout North America, but unregulated harvest, water pollution, and overall habitat degradation decimated river otter populations across the contiguous United States. By the early 1900s, river otters were scarce in Kentucky; however, due to restoration programs implemented by Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR), this species has rebounded in the state. River otters can now be found throughout Kentucky.

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FOR-174: Fall Webworms

Ellen Crocker, Jonathan Larson | Oct. 31, 2023 (New)

Fall webworms are native tent caterpillars that can be found throughout the United States and southern Canada. This species is distinguished by its "tent" constructed at the ends of tree branches, allowing caterpillars to feed gregariously on enclosed foliage. While these insects can cause heavy defoliation, especially during periodic outbreaks, fall webworms by themselves do not cause mortality in healthy trees and are typically not a serious concern meriting management. However, other tent-forming caterpillars may be confused with fall webworm (such as the eastern tent caterpillar) and learning to distinguish these species can be useful for understanding potential impacts.

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FOR-175: Woodland Invasive Plant Management Series: Bush Honeysuckle

John Cox, Ellen Crocker, Jacob Muller, Jeff Stringer, Billy Thomas | Oct. 31, 2023 (New)

Several species of Asian bush honeysuckle in the genus Lonicera are invasive in North America. The most common invasive bush honeysuckle species in Kentucky is the Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) but other invasive honeysuckle species include L. morrowii, L. tatarica, L. x bella. These species, originally native to China, Korea and parts of Japan, were introduced to the U.S. as far back as the late 1800s and were promoted for conservation and wildlife uses in the 1960s and 1970s. Unfortunately, bush honeysuckles are still popular ornamental plants despite easily escaping into natural areas. The negative impact of dense stands of these species and the ease in which they can escape cultivation is a major concern across the region.

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ID-1: The Kentucky Extension Master Gardener Program

Sharon Bale, Tom Barnes, Jessica Bessin, Kenneth Clayton, Rick Durham, Bill Fountain, J.D. Green, Kelly Jackson, Krista Jacobsen, Jonathan Larson, Brad Lee, Kimberly Leonberger, Adam Leonberger, Gregg Munshaw, A.J. Powell, Edwin Ritchey, Rachel Rudolph, Robbie Smith, Matthew Springer, Lee Townsend, Nicole Ward Gauthier, Stacy White, Mark Williams, Erica Wood, Shawn Wright | Aug. 24, 2023 (New)

Plants are essential to life on earth. Either directly or indirectly, they are the primary food source for humans and other animals. Additionally, they provide fuel, replenish the earth's oxygen supply, prevent soil erosion, slow down wind movement, cool the atmosphere, provide wildlife habitat, supply medicinal compounds, and beautify our surroundings.

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FOR-172: Vole Issues and Management around Homes, Orchards, and Row Crops

Andrew Ibach, Jena Nierman, Matthew Springer | Jun. 26, 2023 (New)

Voles are a small rodent found in the family Cricetidae. Voles are most commonly known for burrowing systems they create. In Kentucky, there are four different species of voles: The Meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus), Prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster), Woodland vole (Microtus pinetorum), and the Southern Red-Backed vole (Myodes gapperi). Though each species is unique, they share common characteristics.

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FOR-171: Best Practices for Mushroom Foraging in Kentucky

Megan Buland, Ellen Crocker, Brandon George | May. 19, 2023 (New)

Kentucky is a great place to forage wild mushrooms. Its extensive forests are home to many different edible fungi including morels, chanterelles, lions' mane, chicken of the woods, oyster mushrooms, and more. While mushroom hunting is a great hobby, it is not without risks. Many mushrooms can cause illness if consumed and some are deadly poisonous, resulting in lasting illness or even death. Even those broadly considered edible should be approached cautiously as improper storage and cooking, drug interactions, and allergies can all result in adverse reactions.