Silver Maples are one of the worst possible choices to plant in any situation. They are extremely fast growers and are structurally weak because of the fast growth. They frequently split in two or have one of their massive branches fall with little warning and the branch will frequently rip open the trunk exposing the tree to various diseases and insects. They are particularly dirty trees meaning the drop of those little spinning seed propellers are extremely numerous and sprout over a very wide stretch of time. I have found them sprouting years after they fell from the tree. The spinners collect in foot deep windrows and will burrow into the mulch but given moisture they can sprout with little or no soil. They can tear apart the gutters on a house and lift shingles. They can destroy driveways and walks not to mention the house foundations. Your pond wouldn't stand a chance if the tree sent its roots in that direction. There are worse trees but they are rarely used for landscaping. When we put in a small pond at the Co-operative Extension Gardens, it was at least 20 feet away from a mature Silver Maple. We had to cut roots that were 4 and 5 inches thick and the feeder roots formed a mat so dense we wound up replacing more than a cubic yard of soil. Some of the roots ran another 7 feet. It took 6 years to convince the University to let us get rid of it. Many of us who had battled the tree cheered when it was gone. That was two years ago and we are still finding seedlings sprouting. If it is at all possible, get rid of the Silver Maple and replace it with a better variety such as a Red Maple. Silver Maples are very popular with contractors who plant them to satisfy home buyers who like the idea of large trees quickly. It is a really bad choice that can come back to haunt you. Sandy

Your picture isn't close enough to determine if the mold spores are there or not and LB does not affect only the leaves. Many other infected areas would be present as well on the stems. But you can see it up close so ultimately it will be up to you to decide what to do with it. But the odds of LB are slim so I wouldn't put any money on that diagnosis. Not only is it the most rare of the common tomato diseases and not only does it take the plant down totally with a few days but there is no record as already mentioned of cases in your area per the tracking website. So what are the odds of your being the first and only? Possible but slim. We always have a tendency to jump to the worst possible conclusion when a symptom appears even though the odds greatly favor it being something much simpler - like environmental damage, pest damage, or leaf mold. So what you do is either (1) sacrifice the plant without a definitive diagnosis just to be safe OR (2) you remove all the affected foliage and dispose of it carefully, spray the plant and other plants as well with a good fungicide, and wait and watch for 48 hours. The plant will either show signs of unaffected new growth and recover or continue to decline rapidly at which time it can be pulled. Weather in much of the country this year has been extremely fungus favorable so routine preventative spraying of fungicides is strongly recommended. If not for LB then for the other fungus diseases. Hope this helps. Dave

I read this a while ago, and it's still funny. In April, I was aware/awake through most of my colonoscopy, watching the video monitor, and when they had to snip off a polyp, it hurt like h*ll! I have to have a follow up colonoscopy in October, and I made sure the PA noted that I will need to be sedated completely this time. I am NOT looking forward to it. Only good thing about the prep liquid is that mine came with six different flavors to choose from. I chose the pina colada flavor. Next time, I will pour out a pint at a time and use the different flavors.

My compelling reason is to extend the season. For example,if I had to wait until night lows go up to 50F+ consistently, it would be sometime in June. But I beat that by 2 months. Here is our statistical average temperatures for April, May and June : --- H --- L --- rainfall -in. April 59 ° ,43 ° , 2.77 May 64 ° , 48 ° , 2.16 June 70 ° , 52 ° , 1.63 The other reason is just a challenge. Even having the first ripe tomato 15 days early gives me some satisfaction. Sey