Gear up for spring with the 2025 Spring Christmas Tree Meeting

Bill Lindberg<lindbe35@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension - March 12, 2025

Get a jump start on Christmas tree insects, disease, fertilizer, and weed management for the 2025 growing season.

MSU Extension is hosting the MSU 2025 Spring Christmas tree meeting on Wednesday April 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the MSU Lake City Experiment Station, 5401 W Jennings Rd, Lake City, MI 49651. Registration is now open, with both in-person and virtual options to attend.

Get ready for the 2025 growing season with the latest Christmas tree information on many topics, including insect, disease and weed management, and tree nutrition. Bert Cregg (MSU Extension) will discuss the importance of understanding different soil types and soil testing in the process of fertilizer application. Rich Cowles (Connecticut Agriculture Research Station) will cover early season insects and how best to control them (Photo 1).

Photo 1 BTA damage.jpg — Photo 1: Balsam Twig Aphid Damage. Credit: Steven Katovich, Bugwood.org

Pramita Devkota will provide updates on critical Christmas tree diseases (Photo 2) and their management.

Photo 2needle cast disease swiss.jpg — Photo 2: Needle cast disease emerging from needle. Credit: Bruce Watt, University of Maine, Bugwood.org

Christina Currell (MSU Extension) will discuss how to implement different cover crops in Christmas tree production. Bill Lindberg (MSU Extension) will cover weed management strategies (Photo 3).

Photo 3 weed control.jpg — Photo 3: Excellent weed control in Christmas tree field. Credit: Bill Lindberg MSU Extension

This meeting will be offered in a hybrid format, with both in-person and virtual options to join. There is a $20 cost to register and attend this event. Restricted Use Pesticide (RUP) credits for Michigan Private and Commercial Core licenses have been applied for. If your business or organization is interested in sponsoring this event, please contact Bill Lindberg at lindbe35@msu.edu to discuss.

Agenda

9:30 -10 a.m. Welcome: sign-in and refreshments

10 -10:15 a.m. Spring Update Overview, Introduction to Growing Degree Day Models. Bill Lindberg

10:15 -11:00 a.m. Soils and Soil Testing: What you need to know. Bert Cregg

11-12 p.m. Early Season Insect Management. Rich Cowles

12-1 p.m. Lunch (provided)

1-1:30 p.m. Disease management. Pratima Devkota

1:30-2 p.m. Implementing Cover Crops in Christmas tree production. Christina Currell

2 -2:30 p.m. PPE: What to wear to be safe with pesticides. Christina Currell

2:45-3:30 p.m. Weed management strategies. Bill Lindberg

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).