Jill O'Donnell
odonne10@msu.edu
Telephone: 231-779-9480
Fax: 231-779-9105
MSU Extension
Christmas Tree and Integrated Pest Management Educator
Christmas tree educator
Environmental quality
Wexford County Extension Office 401 N. Lake St. #400Cadillac, MI 49601
Jill is a Senior Extension Educator with Michigan State University Extension. O'Donnell specializes in Christmas tree production and provides leadership in the development of Extension educational programs emphasising integrated crop management and marketing for the state of Michigan. Her programs and research trials over the years have included fertilization, disease, insect and weed management, shearing, cone production, fir variety trials and plant material evaluation.
Tags: msu extension, wexford
Authored Articles
- Christmas tree research webinar series starts January 30, December 11, 2018
- Choosing the right Christmas tree, November 20, 2018
- Water is the essential ingredient in keeping your real Christmas tree fresh, November 20, 2018
- Tips for success with your first real Christmas tree, November 20, 2018
- Tree, turf and ornamental plant update – Sept. 7, 2018, September 7, 2018
- Brown spot needle blight symptoms are showing up in Scots pine, August 31, 2018
- Tree, turf and ornamental plant update - July 13, 2018, July 13, 2018
- Tree, turf and ornamental plant update – June 22, 2018, June 22, 2018
- Tree, turf and ornamental plant update – June 12, 2018, June 12, 2018
- Bands from Weir’s cushion rust visible on infected spruce needles, May 9, 2018
- First gypsy moth spray window opening for nursery and Christmas tree growers, May 9, 2018
- Winter damage on conifers beginning to show up, April 13, 2018
- Updated pesticide management guide for Michigan Christmas tree growers, March 7, 2018
- Why are my interior conifer needles turning yellow?, September 29, 2017
- Spruce fir looper in Fraser Fir, August 31, 2017
- Tree, turf and ornamental plant update – July, 14 2017, July 14, 2017
- Tree, turf and ornamental plant update – June 15, 2017, June 16, 2017
- Christmas tree, turf and ornamental plants update, April 7, 2017
- Why are my pine trees turning brown?, April 6, 2017
- Christmas tree pest management guides: A must-have for the growing season, March 7, 2017
- Are you ready for changes in the Worker Protection Standards?, January 12, 2017
- Why is my Christmas tree beginning to grow?, December 16, 2016
- Living Christmas trees: Another real tree option, November 21, 2016
- Eriophyid mites are now active on conifers, July 15, 2016
- Concolor fir turning brown, July 15, 2016
- Lirula needle blight found on Black hills spruce, July 8, 2016
- Don’t remove pine shoot beetle trap logs too early, May 4, 2016
- Interior needles casting in Concolor fir, May 3, 2016
- White pine blister rust damage showing up, April 28, 2016
- Managing early spring insects in nurseries and Christmas tree fields, March 10, 2016
- Second generation pine needle scale has begun to hatch, July 24, 2015
- Pine false webworms are active in Scots pine, June 19, 2015
- Managing soft scales in conifers, June 12, 2015
- Insect pests are active on larch trees, June 12, 2015
- Christmas tree damage from earlier pest activity are beginning to show up, June 12, 2015
- Pine needle scale crawlers may be hatching soon, May 18, 2015
- Mites found on conifers – scout now for activity, May 15, 2015
- Weed control in Christmas tree bulletin now available, May 1, 2015
- Control Cooley and Eastern spruce gall adelgids on spruce before bud break, April 16, 2015
- Control balsam twig aphids in Christmas trees by targeting stem mothers, April 16, 2015
- Revised Christmas Tree Pest Manual now available, August 28, 2014
- Douglas fir needle midge damage showing up in Christmas tree plantations, August 28, 2014
- Springtails in nurseries, August 15, 2014
- Summer sawflies may be active in conifers, August 7, 2014
- Aphids on spruce, July 31, 2014
- Tamaracks are looking brown, June 20, 2014
- Soft scales of spruce and pine, June 17, 2014
- Mites are becoming more active on conifers, June 4, 2014
- Diplodia tip blight management in trees, May 15, 2014
- Planning your 2014 Christmas tree weed control program, March 28, 2014
- Landscaping with integrated pest management in mind, January 8, 2014
- Safety tips as Christmas tree harvest begins, November 5, 2013
- It’s a great time to take foliar and soil samples in your Christmas tree fields, October 28, 2013
- Late season insects can still affect the quality of Christmas trees, October 4, 2013
- Identifying spruce needle rust, July 11, 2013
- Midsummer Christmas tree scouting checklist, July 11, 2013
- Leader damage from birds and weevils showing up on spruce and other conifers, June 27, 2013
- Pine and rose chafers are active in Christmas tree fields, June 27, 2013
- Spruce bud and pine tortoise scale crawlers should emerge soon, June 20, 2013
- Diagnosing Armillaria root rot, June 18, 2013
- Managing Dothistroma and brown needle blight on pines, June 14, 2013
- Aphids feeding on true fir, June 6, 2013
- Scout now for spruce budworm feeding on new growth, May 30, 2013
- Adults of Douglas fir needle midge have begun emerging, May 22, 2013
- First generation pine needle scale crawlers should be hatching, May 16, 2013
- Spider mites and Admes mites are active in conifers, May 16, 2013
- Spruce gall midge adults emerging and laying eggs now, May 9, 2013
- Target stem mothers to control balsam twig aphids in Christmas trees, May 2, 2013
- Timing is critical for white pine weevil control, April 12, 2013
- Pine bark adelgid becoming active in white pines, April 12, 2013
- Tricking pine shoot beetle with trap logs, February 27, 2013
- Watch for cankers on leaders of Douglas fir this spring, February 1, 2013
- Who can scout for pests? Anyone!, January 17, 2013
- Needle shedding in conifers, October 30, 2012
- Next year’s nutrient management program begins by taking foliar and soil samples now, October 25, 2012
- Fall is a great time to control adelgids on spruce, September 21, 2012
- Pine needle scale hatching now in Scotch pines, September 21, 2012
- Don’t be surprised – scout now for late season Christmas tree pests, August 23, 2012
- Northern pitch twig moth: An unusual pest of Scotch pine, August 10, 2012
- Controlling vining weeds in Christmas trees, August 10, 2012
- Watch for aphids on conifers, June 14, 2012
- Nursery update June 28 in Saginaw, Mich., June 7, 2012
- Birds and white pine weevil causing damage to leaders of conifers, June 7, 2012
- Weir’s cushion rust identified in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, June 1, 2012
- Managing needle blights of pine, May 25, 2012
- Sheath mite injury showing up on white pine, May 25, 2012
- Begin scouting for pine tortoise scale crawlers, May 23, 2012
- Christmas tree diseases, pests and other disorders pocket guide now available, May 18, 2012
- Over-wintering Douglas-fir midges are emerging, May 11, 2012
- Managing Diplodia tip blight, May 11, 2012
- Zimmerman pine shoot moth: A real problem to Scotch and Austrian pine trees, March 16, 2012
- Scout your spruce fields for Cooley and Eastern spruce gall adelgids, March 16, 2012
- Monitor for white pine weevil adult emergence now, March 12, 2012
- Keep scouting for late season pests in Christmas trees, September 9, 2011
- Pine shoot beetles active in Scotch and Austrian pine, August 2, 2011
- Scout trees now for spruce needle rust, July 15, 2011
- Managing pine tortoise scale, June 10, 2011
- Douglas-fir needle midge emerging – time for control, May 27, 2011
- Armillaria root rot killing some firs and spruce, May 13, 2011
- Start scouting conifers for mites, May 13, 2011
- Spruce gall midge adults are emerging, May 6, 2011
- Help! My Scotch pines are falling over!, April 29, 2011
- Recognize and manage balsam twig aphid, April 29, 2011
- Small pests that can cause big problems on spruce, April 15, 2011
- Getting ready for those early insects, February 25, 2011
- MSU’s Christmas tree production experts now offer educational videos on YouTube, December 10, 2010
- Looper damaging Fraser fir, September 24, 2010
- Pine needle scale hatching, September 10, 2010
- Mid-summer Christmas tree pest update, July 16, 2010
- Green and white Fraser fir, June 18, 2010
- Yellowheaded spruce sawfly, June 18, 2010
- Spruce bud scale attack several types of spruce, June 11, 2010
- Scout for pine tortoise scale crawlers, June 11, 2010
- Keep managing pine shoot beetle, May 28, 2010
- Time to scout for pine needle scale, May 28, 2010
- Watch out for gall rust, May 14, 2010
- Pine shoot beetles and pine spittlebugs, May 14, 2010
- March flies in May, May 14, 2010
- Gall rust found on Scots pines, May 14, 2010
- Look out for mites in Christmas trees, April 30, 2010
- Other insects to be scouting for this spring, April 30, 2010
- Other pests to be on look out for: Pales weevil and European pine sawfly, April 16, 2010
- Spring has sprung: Look out for balsam twig aphids and Cooley and Eastern spruce gall adelgids, April 2, 2010
- Oh, those early insects, March 25, 2010
- Growing true fir in the Great Lakes region, August 21, 2009
- Adult weevils emerging, August 21, 2009
- Striped pine or tortoise scale?, June 26, 2009
- Eriophyid mites on conifers, June 26, 2009
- Keep an eye out for sawflies on your conifers, June 19, 2009
- Start scouting pine tortoise scale and watch for ladybird beetles, June 19, 2009
- More Christmas tree pests, June 19, 2009
- Spruce spider mites, June 5, 2009
- Pine shoot beetles and pine spittlebugs, May 29, 2009
- Look out for aphids in Christmas trees, May 29, 2009
- Rust on pine, May 29, 2009
- Look out for these Christmas tree pests during mid-May, May 15, 2009
- Sheath mite on white pine, May 1, 2009
- Spruce gall midge, May 1, 2009
- Using dormant oils on Christmas trees, April 17, 2009
- Christmas trees and forestry: Spring’s here, getting ready for early insects, March 29, 2009
- Balsam fir sawfly, July 11, 2008
- Freezing temperatures, May 30, 2008
- Managing grubs in Christmas trees, May 16, 2008
- Nitrogen application for Fraser fir, April 18, 2008
- Envidor labled for Christmas trees, April 18, 2008
- Spring clean up, April 4, 2008
- Using traps to time white pine weevil emergence, March 21, 2008
- Spruce adelgids: Time to control nymphs, September 21, 2007
- Revised Baythroid XL label, September 21, 2007
- Forestry insect update, August 24, 2007
- Armillaria root rot, May 18, 2007
- Important to time insecticide applications for pine needle scale, May 11, 2007
- A lesson on pine bark adelgid, April 27, 2007
- A new tool to help with insect management, May 5, 2006
- Getting ready for the Christmas tree season, March 17, 2006
- Pest identification resources, March 17, 2006
Authored Documents
- Weed Control in Christmas Trees - E3237, May 1, 2018
- Christmas tree production, March 21, 2016