dendrite

I’m pretty sure the transgenic ones are going to get FDA approved in the next 2 years. All they changed was 1 gene. It doesn’t even kill the blight...it just allows the tree to be able to handle the acid it produces. Studies so far show that it doesn’t change anything with beneficial forest fungus, bee pollination, leaf litter decomposition, etc. Frog tadpoles have a higher survival rate in water with the chestnut leaf litter versus those from leaves from other trees too. Makes you wonder how much of the frog decline is due to that too. Anyway, they’re coming. Just gotta save the elm, ash, and hemlock now.

Pic with a quarter for reference. Thank you Di! The smaller ones are mostly dark now and the larger mostly green.

After Lava mentioned it, I found some of that around my chicken run too. The flowers fully open def look like creeping buttercup. I’m not a weed expert, although I’ve been trying to ID many of them since getting chooks.

Anyone an expert on hickory nuts? Diane braved the heat and humidity to Nashville to collect me some and I have some in different sizes. I know shellbark are the largest followed by shagbark and then either mockernut or pignuts, but I’m not sure how large each nut hull is supposed to be...I just know the relative sizes. I’ll post some later, but maybe @tamarack will know? i feel like I either have ovata with some ovalis, or laciniosa with some ovata.

We don't have much of a problem around here with areas of overgrown fields with wildflowers and weeds for the bees and beneficial insects, but it must be tough being one of those little buggers in suburbia...anally manicured lawns, pesticides, nothing overgrown, etc. I wish everyone had a little patch of their yard with an area of native wildflowers and/or weeds. It's funny, but the greens I notice my birds eating the least are the zoysia and cold climate grasses. They love clover, dandelion, plantain, and anything related to a crabgrass. I'm trying to grow bocking 4 comfrey for them from root cuttings too, but I see no sign of rooting from them yet. Anyway, RIP this morning to Sophia, our last white leghorn. She was the perfect little forager and must've laid us 500-600 eggs before she stopped in February. We suspect she was internally laying, but she had ups and downs from that point until the past week. She actually had times when she seemed to be her normal energetic self. But the last week she declined rapidly. She spent the weekend in the spare bedroom with no energy to move and hopped into the rainbow nesting box this morning...our first loss since June 2017. She will be very missed, but the flock must go on. RIP Sophia

I'm not an expert, but yeah. I'd let it all grow for now as we get into deep summer. Keep it on the longer side too. Let those roots grow down deep and keep the sfc moisture up.

MPM with some subtle humble bragging in this thread.

Actually now that i look again it looks like yarrow. I’ll vote yarrow and creeping buttercup.

Yellow flower though...creeping buttercup maybe?

Wild fennel and geranium?

I'm not sure which one I have. These aren't my photos. I think I have the non-glossy version. I'll look when I get home.

Yeah this is more shrub/small tree like. It's not as bad as knotweed, but it's first to leaf out, last to drop leaves, and produces a ton of berries that drop seed. The berries aren't even good for wildlife...it just gives everything runs. https://www.michigan.gov/invasives/0,5664,7-324-68002_71240_73850-379574--,00.html

I'm so sick of that invasive buckthorn crap. Anyone have tips on how to get rid of it? I cut it all back in the spring before it seeds and in the fall, but that crap resprouts like 4ft after it first leafs out in the spring. I assume keep cutting it back until the roots run out of energy is the only option? That and making sure it doesn't go to seed?

No red thread here, but I’ve noticed those fungal spots showing up again on just the red maple leaves. Weird.

They're north of CON too. (big patch near exit 17), but I haven't seen them flower yet this year. The state usually lets them flower and then mows them back after they drop seed. Eek gave me some lupines a few years ago, but aphids did a big number on them. No problems with the echinacea he gave me.

I'll add that it should be a law that every yard has a patch of wildflowers growing like that. Feed the beneficial insects.

Lots of lupines in there. Nice.

Lava Rock just kicked his dog

Not mine. lol

Pretty easy to distinguish horse chestnut american chestnut

Save room to replenish the american chestnut. https://theconversation.com/new-genetically-engineered-american-chestnut-will-help-restore-the-decimated-iconic-tree-52191 T-2 years if the estimate I've heard from the rumor mill.

Looks awesome Mike.

+1 Maybe throw in a few honeylocusts or bald cypress too.

Shoots grew about a foot yesterday. This was last night. I’m interested to compare last night to today after almost an inch of rain.

The hawks are loving the backyard chicken craze.