Penn State Extension
Penn State Extension has experts in agriculture, livestock, gardening and horticulture, community and business development, food safety and preservation, nutrition and health, and youth programs.
(This group currently has 3 experts available to answer questions)
Questions asked to this group
Dead tree branch
What is killing only part of a branch on my crabapple tree?
Lassen County California Posted 4 days ago
What are these weeds in my grass?
Can you please identify these weeds in my grass and what can I use to eradicate them, but not kill my grass, using something that is safe for humans, pets and environment?
Montgomery County Pennsylvania Posted 5 days ago
Found this in my bed? Is it a bed bug?
If not a bed bug, what kind of bug is this?
Lehigh County Pennsylvania Posted 5 days ago
Feeding babybirdswhenmotherdoesnotcomeback?
Whattodoifthemotherdoesnotcomebacktohernestwherethebabyis?
San Diego County California birds Posted 6 days ago
Crabapple question
I have a flowering Crabapple tree. It's been producing cherry-sized Crabapples for ten years.
Suddenly this year, it started producing full-sized apples the size, shape and look of a Macintosh apple.
One has finally ripened and it tried eating it. It tastes a lot like a mac too. It's just a little more sour and has a slightly bitter aftertaste you wouldn't get with a Macintosh.
It's still producing the smaller cherry-sized crabapples as well, but never on the same branch as the big apples.
Have you ever heard of this before?
Erie County Pennsylvania Posted 6 days ago
White all over lilac branches
I noticed today that there is white all over the branches of my lilac Bush. There is a whole lot of it.
Chester County Pennsylvania trees and shrubs Posted 6 days ago
Lichen
Can lichen kill a maple tree?
Somerset County Pennsylvania Posted 8 days ago
HELP infestation of this bug??
Hi I currently just moved into my college apartment and things have been going well until I started seeing this small black flying bugs everyday in my room. I've killed 7 so far over the past 4 days. and I know there will be more, their body is also hard when I squish them almost like a bee of some sort? it crunches when I kill them in a tissue, please help me figure out what kind of bug this is so I can put a stop to it.
Chester County Pennsylvania black flying insects insect Posted 8 days ago
Yellowing hemlocks
My 3 hemlocks all have developed sig ificant yellow-orange needles within past 3 weeks. Is affecting 10 to 30 percent of the needles. Was not a particularly dry summer, although humid here in southeast PA. They were all healthy before this started.
Chester County Pennsylvania Posted 10 days ago
Wilting of some leaves on a weeping redbud
Hi, I have a weeping redbud that started having dead limbs and leaves. The pattern is inconsistent. At first I thought it could be needing water and/or fertilization so I added two sticks of fertilizer and increased watering. Does not seem to have improved. The dead branches and leaves seemed to be on the inside so that was what made me think it was lack of water/fertilization. Some leaves show some spotting but not sure if that is normal during wilting. As you can see one side started showing the inside because of dead branches & leaves. It used to have a beautiful consistent canopy throughout . Please advise. I hate to see it die without me trying to help save it.
Dallas County Texas trees and shrubs Posted 12 days ago