Quick takes: Home and garden tips, events

The ash tree in your yard could be facing a devastating foe. The emerald ash borer has killed millions of ash trees since stowing away in a shipment from Asia, landing in Michigan in 2002 and beginning its journey east. Northern Pennsylvania is just starting to see the insect's destructive power. Arborist Greg Frank of Ted Collins Tree and Landscape in Victor says the pest may be in Rochester.

 


"Detection is the first step to saving our ash trees," Frank says. "If we can locate the problem before the trees start dying, we have a better chance of rescuing them."

Ash tree owners should check their trees as soon as possible. If signs of the emerald ash borer are present, call the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service or your local Cornell Cooperative Extension representative immediately. Signs include thinning canopy, split bark, serpentine insect tracks and an increase in woodpecker activity.

Researchers report that emerald ash borer larvae destroy the tree's infrastructure, making it impossible for nutrients and water to travel throughout and causing limbs and eventually the entire tree to die. The adult beetles, which bear the shiny green wings that give the species its name, cause little additional damage as they feed on the tree's foliage, but their presence is a sure sign that the tree is in trouble.

Fair in Lima


A grassroots environmental fair will be held 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 2 at Lima Town Hall on East Main Street in Livingston County.

Lima Sustainability Fair offers exhibits on environmental conservation, renewable energy, historic preservation, local food production and downtown revitalization.

The free all-day fair will include an array of educational activities and fun for all ages, including:


Exhibits by 25 vendors on ways to increase energy efficiency, use alternative energy sources and become "greener" in our daily living.


Presentations by a local engineer on "Small-Scale Wind and Solar Energy Options" and a local architect on "Why Historic Preservation Is Green."

Tours of an energy-efficient house, as well as several historic buildings on Lima's Main Street that have been adapted for reuse.



"Old Windows Workshop" by Rochester window expert Steve Jordan on making older homes more energy efficient.


 


Supervised crafts, games and videos for children.



For more information, go to www.GreenLima.com.


Antique appraisal


Public Market

The Rochester Public Market at 280 North Union St. is starting its 11th season of community garage sales and super fleas from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 19. Spring sales continue April 26 and May 3. New this year is the addition of Antique Appraisal Days. Bring your treasures (limit two per person) on April 19 from 10 a.m. to noon for a free appraisal from local expert Mike Deming.

For more information, call the public market office at (585) 428-6907.




Care for screens Give your window and door screens a spring cleaning with these tips from the Soap and Detergent Association:

As you remove the screens, number each screen and its corresponding window or door frame so you can match them up easily later. Put any screws or bolts into a plastic bag and number it, too.


Use the brush attachment on a vacuum cleaner to gently remove dust and loose grit from the mesh and frame.



Wet the screen thoroughly with a hose, shower nozzle or heavy-duty sponge.


Using a sponge, lightly wipe a cleaning solution over the screen and frame until they're coated with suds.



Rinse the screen, check for spots you've missed, and then wash and rinse again if necessary.


Shake off the excess water and let the screen air dry before replacing it in the window or door.





Check garden status

The EasyBloom plant sensor is designed to take some of the guesswork out of gardening.


The gadget can be placed your garden for 24 hours to measure the sunlight, temperature, soil moisture and humidity in that particular place. Then you plug the sensor into your computer, where it will analyze the data and search a database of more than 5,000 plants to find those that are hardy in your area and will thrive in the conditions it detected.

You also can use it to match houseplants to conditions in various parts of your home and to help diagnose problems with ailing plants.