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    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

     

    Boxwood Blight: What You Need to Know

    - What is Boxwood Blight? It's a disease that affects boxwood shrubs, causing leaves to fall off and the plant to die. It was first found in Pennsylvania in 2012 and is caused by a fungus.

    - How to Identify It: You can’t always tell just by looking if a plant has boxwood blight. A lab test is needed to confirm it.

    - How It Spreads: The fungus spreads through insects, animals, and gardening tools. It can live in fallen leaves for years.

    - What to Do:

    - Prevention: The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has rules to stop the spread of this disease. They have a quarantine to prevent boxwood blight from spreading.

    - If You Have It: Contact the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture or your local Penn State Cooperative Extension Agent.

    - Sanitize Tools: Clean your gardening tools, equipment, and gloves, especially from July to October.

    - Disposal: Don’t compost plants that had the disease. Wash your clothes thoroughly.

    - Current Studies: There is no cure yet, but protectant sprays can help prevent healthy plants from getting sick.

    - For Businesses: There is a “Boxwood Clean Program” to help growers and sellers manage the disease. Contact your local Department of Agriculture office if you're interested.

    Participants in Boxwood Clean Program in PA

    Conard-Pyle Company

    Contact

    Sarah Gettys
    Certification Program Specialist
    717-705-0764
    sgettys@pa.gov
    RA-plant@pa.gov

    Ekaterina Nikolaeva
    Plant Pathology Program Manager
    (717) 705-5857
    enikolaeva@pa.gov
     

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