Hillsborough County Extension Arbor Day Tree Giveaway Contests

UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County is sponsoring two Arbor Day contests with the help of Florida Forestry Service and Kerby's Nursery, to promote the the appreciation and planting of trees.  We will be having a Mail Art Contest and a Written Word Contest. Both contests are open to any aged resident of Hillsborough County.  The winner will receive a tree of their choice from Kerby's Nursery and a tree planting kit (may include items such as fertilizer, shovel, gloves, pruners, etc).  Rules and information are available at these two links...
Mail Art Contest-    http://tiny.cc/9iedky
Written Word Contest- http://tiny.cc/akedky

Please share this information to those who may be interseted.
Contest closes 4/14/17!

Increasing Tree Specie Diversity in Urban Environments

Tree diversity in the landscape as well as in the production nurseries makes good, logical sense.  From an urban forest perspective, tree diversity means increasing habitat and functionality of benefits from different members of the forest.  For a tree producer it means spreading risks associated with growing trees, be it disease, insects, consumer fancy, etc. over a greater selection of trees.  A series of workshop discussions on how to increase tree diversity in the urban environment as well as production nurseries will begin with this first workshop.  To attend please sign up by clicking on this link.  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/urban-tree-diversity-tickets-18462796722

  
ROOT CAUSES AND IMPLICATIONS OF LOW TREE DIVERSITY IN OUR URBAN FORESTS

Purpose: Identify strategies for addressing the problems associated with low urban tree diversity.

Workshop: Monday, September 28, 2015, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
University of Florida IFAS-Hillsborough County Extension
5339 County Road 579, Seffner, Florida 33584


10 – 10:20 a.m. Introduction to Urban Forest Diversity Project
                            and Risk to Ecosystem Services from Low Tree Diversity
Rob Northrop, Urban and Community Forester, UF IFAS Extension

10:20 - 11 a.m. Low Tree Species Diversity Leads to Greater Risk and Lower Resilience for Cities
Dr. Jason Smith, Forest Pathologist, UF IFAS School of Forest Resources and Conservation

11 – 11:40 a.m. Low Tree Species Diversity Leads to Greater Risk for Growers
Dr. Andrew Koeser, Arboriculture, UF IFAS Center of Landscape Ecology

11:40 – 12:45 p.m. Group Exercise (on-site only) -
                                   Identification of General Strategies for Increasing Tree Diversity

12:45 - 1:30 p.m.  Lunch - On Your Own

1:30 - 2:15 p.m. Panel Discussion regarding Identified General Strategies

2:15 - 2:30 p.m. Next Steps in the Urban Forest Diversity Project

Cold drinks and small snacks will be provided for onsite workshop participants.

Future Tree Use, Tradeshow, and Landscape Architects Class

What do all these things have in common?  A Hillsborough County Extension new class venture bridging the gap between growers, landscape architects and city planners on expectations of how, when, why, and where trees should be used.  The class "Tree Selection and Changing Urban Demands" is a fresh perspective on the future City of Tampa's Urban tree plan and what that will mean to growers and landscape architects.  Dr. Ed Gillman will look at tree grades and standards using real trees in a nursery as examples.  I will discuss how trees are grown in the area, how long it takes, and where to find plant material availabilities.  Mr. Rob Northrop will discuss the City of Tampa Urban Tree plan and what changes will be taking place as a model system for future municipalites.  We will then have an open discussion including City of Tampa Natural Resources to talk about opportunities and challenges for all involved.  Area growers are welcome to bring plants to the mini-tradeshow for landscape architects to view.  We will have FNGLA CEUs and LA CEUs available.  We will also have regionally famous JP's BBQ served for dinner as well.  This alone is almost worth the price of the class.  Only 50 seats available so hurry and get yours reserved! 
When:  December 11, 2014
Time:  1:30-7:00 pm
Where:  Stardust Tree Farm, 1001 Stardust Ln. Lutz, FL 33548
Cost - $100.00 (plus transaction fees)
CEUs-LA Continuing Education Credits-4, FNGLA Credits-TBD
For a link to register click here https://latrees.eventbrite.com

New Cultivar of Tung Tree 'Anna Bella'

                     Tung tree 'Anna Bella' picture with permission from Timothy Rinehart USDA-ARS

I came across this new sterile variety of tung tree (Vernicia fordii) while reading through a USDA-ARS report.  The flowers are stunning and thought it might make a great candidate for local niche production.  The tung tree is from China and was produced in the Southeast US for the production of tung oil.  An oil that has a great property of drying when applied.  Non-sterile tung trees are considered a Category II invasive which means they are slow to get started in changing the landscape (as opposed to a Cat I invasive which takes over).  Tung trees can grow to 40 foot and have a smooth bark.  They are deciduous and poisonous and can cause allergic reactions.  The flowers appear first before they set leaves.  Specimens have been located in Central and North Florida according to UF's Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/node/31

The cultivar 'Anna Bella' was collected and housed in the germplasm collection at the Thad Cochran Southern Horticulture Research Laboratory in Poplarville, MS.  If you were on the International Plant Propagation Society Southern Region Meeting a few years back this was one of the tour stops.  There were no records of the cultivar in production so with the efforts of Timothy Rinehart they trialed the plant and released it to the industry.  The nice thing about this cultivar (other than the amazing flowers) is that it is sterile and produces no viable fruit.  So no need to worry about invasiveness and fruits in the yards.

If you would like more information about 'Anna Bella' here is a link to the article from where this information was derived  http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/apr14/tree0414.htm and here is a link to the Thad Cochran Sothern Horticulture Research Laboratory   http://www.ars.usda.gov/main/site_main.htm?modecode=64-04-05-00     

New Factsheets from UF/IFAS

There are a few more factsheets for your perusal from IFAS EDIS our Electronic Data Information Source.  This week we've got factsheets on trees, diseases and weeds for your reading pleasure. 

This one is entitled Plumeria:  Propagation from Cuttings http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/EP/EP48900.pdf
Here is one on identification and control of Impatiens Downey Mildew  http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/PP/PP30900.pdf 
Here is a factsheet on one of the weeds that I see at nurseries everywhere. Erect and Prostrate Spurge Managenment in Turf. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/EP/EP49500.pdf
This is one on a unique tree I haven't seen before. Faber's Maple:  Acer fabri http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/EP/EP49000.pdf
And here is one on Apalachee Crapemrytle:  Lagerstromia idica x fauriei 'Apalachee' http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/EP/EP49100.pdf

Incredible Texas Tree Deaths

This report from the Nursery Management (12/28/11) just astounds me with the magnitude of the numbers of tree deaths.  I've copied some of the article here.  To read the entire report click here.  http://www.nurserymanagementonline.com/drought-kills-up-to-10-percent-of-texas-trees.aspx?

"As many as 500 million trees scattered across the Lone Star State have died this year as a result of the unrelenting drought, according to preliminary estimates from Texas Forest Service.
The numbers were derived by Texas Forest Service foresters, who canvassed local forestry professionals, gathering information from them on the drought and its effect on trees in their respective communities.
Each forestry expert estimated the percentage of trees in their region that have died as a result of the 2011 drought. That percentage was applied to the estimated number of trees in the region, a figure determined by the agency’s Forest Inventory & Analysis (FIA) program.
Using this approach, an estimated 100 million to 500 million trees with a diameter of 5 inches or larger on forestland were estimated to have succumbed to the drought. That range is equivalent to 2 to 10 percent of the state’s 4.9 billion trees.
“In 2011, Texas experienced an exceptional drought, prolonged high winds and record-setting temperatures. Together, those conditions took a severe toll on trees across the state,” said Burl Carraway, Sustainable Forestry department head. “Large numbers of trees in both urban communities and rural forests have died or are struggling to survive. The impacts are numerous and widespread.”
The preliminary estimates indicate three multi-county areas appear to be the hardest hit. The area including Sutton, Crockett, western Kimble and eastern Pecos counties saw extensive mortality among Ashe junipers.
The area including Harris, Montgomery, Grimes, Madison and Leon counties saw extensive mortality among loblolly pines. Western Bastrop and eastern Caldwell counties, as well as surrounding areas, saw extensive mortality among cedars and post oaks.
Additionally, localized pockets of heavy mortality were reported for many other areas.
Texas Forest Service foresters plan to use aerial imagery to conduct a more in-depth analysis in the spring, which is when trees that may have gone into early dormancy — an act of self-preservation — could begin to make a comeback."

Great Southern Tree Conference 2011

Don't miss out on the 2011 Great Southern Tree Conference.

This is what the FNGLA has to say about it...
"The Annual Great Southern Tree Conference (GSTC) is a cutting edge educational event centered around an outdoor demonstration area. Developed through the joint efforts of the Florida Nursery, Growers & Landscape Association and the University of Florida, this conference is devoted entirely to tree selection, landscape, production, establishment, marketing and management issues in the southern United States. Are you looking to better your business? Grow or install more or better plant material? Then mark your calendars for this premier industry event. While the main conference takes places December 1 - 2, there is also a special add-on bonus session which takes place November 30."

To find out more about the event click here.  http://www.fngla.org/events/great-southern-tree-conference/

If you would like to see the brochure click on this link. 
http://www.fngla.org/events/great-southern-tree-conference/2011/images/2011GSTCbrochure-lowres.pdf

Trees are Beneficial

Here is a nice article about the benefits of trees from Nursery Management and Production.  I've created a link to the article in the magazine.  You can flip through the rest of the magazine from the link.  If you are a grower and don't get the magazine it is worth your while and it is free to subscribe.  The article is basically a summary of different benefits shade trees convey to urban areas. It is also a good article to use when trying to let your buyers be aware of how valuable your product really is and how important trees are to society.  Correctly planted and maintain trees have benefits of reducing storm water runoff, increasing property values, creating natural resource jobs, reducing energy consumption, increasing community health and welfare, decreasing stress, and creating natural habitat for wildlife. Remember the marketing saying, “Sell the sizzle, not the steak.”  If you would like to read further here is the link to the NM Pro article: http://tiny.cc/nmprotrees

UF Tree Production Website

I had a grower asking some questions about proper pruning techniques and the proper removal of lower branches along the trunk in field production oaks.  Specifically, how much, when, and how long  are the branches pruned.  We found the answers and a whole lot more information than could be digested at one sitting by going to UF's Environmental Horticulture website.  Here Dr. Ed Gilman has an extensive nursery production tree website.  He has got extensive information on how to prune during the production stages of nursery trees to arrive a quality product.  For further reading here is the link to the website.  http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/woody/nursery_production.shtml 
By the way, the answer is to leave as much as possible of the lower branches as long as the diameter is not sufficient to compete with the trunk.  For live oaks, pruning the lower branches to a cone around the trunk is acceptable.  The longer the branches  the larger and stronger the trunk will grow.  Pruning to about 20" diameter cone around the trunk would work.  Then as the canopy develops and becomes about 90% of the entire tree canopy, you can prune the  lower branches to the main trunk.

Trees Can Heal Us

For those of us who work in the green industry we already know how rewarding it can be to see our products creating lasting landscape impacts. One of the perennial issues we face is getting the public to recognize the benefits of environmental horticulture. As producers we also appreciate the beauty that our plants can bring to an environment. Here is an article from ScienceDaily. Although it mentions forests in the article, I have no doubts that the same experiences can be felt in beautifully landscaped places. I hope that this article might reassure you of the beneficial impact of plants on people. I also hope that this article will bolster your spirits in the summer slowdown while you produce your plants for everyone to enjoy. Here is the article from ScienceDaily below.

"The Healing Effects of Forests
ScienceDaily (July 26, 2010) — "Many people," says Dr. Eeva Karjalainen, of the Finnish Forest Research Institute, Metla, "feel relaxed and good when they are out in nature. But not many of us know that there is also scientific evidence about the healing effects of nature." Forests -- and other natural, green settings -- can reduce stress, improve moods, reduce anger and aggressiveness and increase overall happiness. Forest visits may also strengthen our immune system by increasing the activity and number of natural killer cells that destroy cancer cells.
Many studies show that after stressful or concentration-demanding situations, people recover faster and better in natural environments than in urban settings. Blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension and the level of "stress hormones" all decrease faster in natural settings. Depression, anger and aggressiveness are reduced in green environments and ADHD symptoms in children reduce when they play in green settings.
In addition to mental and emotional well-being, more than half of the most commonly prescribed drugs include compounds derived from nature -- for example Taxol, used against ovarian and breast cancer, is derived from yew trees, while Xylitol, which can inhibit caries, is produced from hardwood bark.
Dr. Karjalainen will coordinate a session on the health benefits of forests at the 2010 IUFRO World Forestry Congress in Seoul. "Preserving green areas and trees in cities is very important to help people recover from stress, maintain health and cure diseases. There is also monetary value in improving people's working ability and reducing health care costs." she says."

The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100723161221.htm

Tree Planting Bills Need Your Help

There are two bills working their way through Congress. Both Houses are considering the Small Business Environmental Stewardship Assistance Act. This would provide a grant to assist in tree plantings and their care in the landscape. You may want to contact your Representatives and voice your support. Here is the story from NM Production:

National tree planting program would provide an economic impact of $741 million Trees mean jobs and a much-needed boost in a struggling economy. The reauthorization of a national tree-planting program would generate an estimated economic impact of $741 million during the next five years according to a recent study. The report was released in mid-May by Alan Hodges of the University of Florida, and Charles Hall and Marco Palma at Texas A&M University. The program would create a total employment impact of more than 6,000 jobs during those five years, generating more than $87 million in revenue for federal, state and local governments at a time when municipal greening budgets continue to be cut.The Small Business Environmental Stewardship Assistance Act (SBESA) is currently being considered in both chambers of the U.S. Congress. The SBESA Act reauthorizes the SBA National Tree Planting Program at $50 million annually between fiscal years 2011 and 2015. The money supports planting trees throughout public areas. This program also requires a 25 percent match for any grant under the program, including in-kind contributions such as the cost or value of providing care and maintenance for a period of three years after planting. This match ensures that both private and community investments are made for the installation and care of trees funded by this program. Between 1991 and 1994, more than 18,000 green industry firms were employed to plant more than 23 million trees across the country through the SBA program. ANLA has launched a new Web-based, grassroots campaign in support of the SBESA Act. The full report, as well as more information on H.R. 4509 and S. 3279, can be found at www.treesmeanjobs.com

You can click on the link above for more information.

Live Oak Trees for Sale

I have been speaking with a live oak field owner about the sale of her oak trees. She owns about 1600 live oak trees and is wanting to sell them. They are about 4" - 7" caliper about 20'+/- tall and around 12' wide. They are comprised of about 5% Fancy, 25% #1, and the rest #2 or culls. They will need to be spaded to haul as the owner doesn't have equipment to move/lift/dig. If you are interested please call me at the extension office for more details

USDA Assistance for Tree Growers

This was released from the USDA for tree growers.

Isabel Benemelis (202) 720-7809

USDA Announces Assistance Program for Orchardists and Nursery Tree Growers

WASHINGTON, May 10, 2010 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today said that orchardists and nursery tree growers can begin applying for benefits under the Tree Assistance Program, which was authorized in the 2008 Farm Bill. Signup begins Monday, May 10, 2010, at local Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices.

"This program helps our orchardists and nursery tree growers replant and get back on their feet after natural disasters,” said Vilsack.

The Tree Assistance Program (TAP) provides help to orchardists and nursery tree growers who produce trees, bushes and vines for commercial purposes, to replant or rehabilitate trees, bushes and vines damaged or destroyed by natural disasters. The 2008 Farm Bill expanded eligibility to include Christmas tree and nursery tree growers that were ineligible under prior legislation. Trees grown for pulp or timber or not grown for commercial purposes are not eligible.

To be eligible for TAP, producers must have suffered more than a 15 percent death loss due to the natural disaster after adjustment for normal mortality. TAP is a cost-reimbursement program, with payments covering up to 70 percent of replant costs and 50 percent of pruning, removal and other salvaging costs for replacing or salvaging damaged trees.

Producers can receive assistance for up to 500 acres of trees, bushes or vines. Producers must also have purchased a policy or plan of insurance under the Federal Crop Insurance Act or Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program, or for 2008, obtained a waiver of the risk management purchase requirement through the buy-in provision. Eligible losses must have occurred on or after Jan. 1, 2008, and before Oct. 1, 2011.

For more information on the new TAP program, please contact your county FSA office or the website at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/tap

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).

Powdery Mildew on Oaks

I've noticed indications of powdery mildew on "Cathedral" live oaks pp #12015 recently at a field visit to a tree farm. If you are growing this variety of oaks you may want to do some scouting and check the leaves for the presence of this disease. It would also be good to set a threshold limit for economic damage.

A picture of affected "Cathedral" live oak leaves.

Determine how much damage is acceptable before treatment is necessary. I have seen defoliation of this cultivar later in the growing season that might be attributable to this pathogen growing unchecked. This potentially took the affected trees out of availability for sale until new leaves could be grown in the spring. Here is a link to a publication on treatment for powdery mildew.

Professional Disease Management Guide for Ornamentals http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pp123

and here is a publication on powdery mildew on gerbera daisy with a list of fungicides that that can be used for ornamentals. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pp257

Make sure that if you decide to spray you read the label for proper rates!

Great Southern Tree Conference

Just wanted to remind you of the UF's Great Southern Tree Conference that takes place on 12/3 - 12/4 in Gainesville. Topics will be about marketing, fertilizer, weeds, tree quality, and all things trees. Here is a link to more information.

www.greatsoutherntreeconference.org

Tree Producer Information - Part II

I mentioned previously that I had spent some time in Gainesville with Dr. Ed Gilman and discussed his latest research. He also mentioned that he was finishing up a guide to producing trees. This guide is a great manual for the novice or the professional in how to grow quality container trees for the marketplace. There are topics about good root structures and root defects. There are also chapters about pruning to get the best trunk and branch structures and grow a quality tree faster. There is no information about fertility, water or pest control. This is simply a growing guide for meeting grades and standards and both root and shoot structure. There is also a section of reference for further reading.

I've added the web link to my extension page under publications. Here is the link:

http://hillsborough.extension.ufl.edu/Ag/AgOrnProd/A-ZPublications/BMP_11[1]_emailable.pdf

Tree Producer Information-Part I

There seems to be a lot of information lately coming out to help tree growers. I will publish a two part series of articles related to the latest releases.

Safety and Tree Farms

Thankfully, I have never seen a serious accident in the ten years I spent working in or around tree farms. I have seen some actions that could have turned out badly but usually these were corrected in time before matters got complicated. The worst was the puller who thought that he had pesticide injury. He was shaking, sweating, his heart was racing, and he felt a bit dizzy. After questioning we found that he had drank three Red Bulls for breakfast and was experiencing caffeine overdose. Fortunately, we knew that we were following the rules and we had a hard time believing that he had been exposed to pesticides. It helps to have policy and procedures in place to suppress accidents before they happen and eliminate potential problems with lawsuits if something were to happen.

There are two new publications from UF/IFAS Dr. Carol J. Lehtola, Charles M. Brown, and Hilary Hartzell from the Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department that helps tree growers implement a safety plan for their operation. The two publications are "Manager's Toolkit for Creating a Safety Program for your Tree Nursery Operation” and “Safety Policies and Procedures for a Tree Nursery Operation” which is a PowerPoint presentation. These both can be found at the following website:

http://www.flagsafe.ufl.edu/csp/tree-nursery/index.html

The later is a nice presentation for using with new employees and safety meausures with different equipment.

Extension - Rooted In Science

I spent the day in Gainesville, FL at the Environmental Horticulture Tree Unit with Dr. Ed Gilman. We spent most of the day discussing the latest and greatest research from his program with trees and their maintenance. He is looking at different methods of pruning trees and the effects of wind on those trees. He is also spending a great deal of time characterising roots and different production techniques to arrive a what should be considered a "good" root structure.

Bad roots!

Along with the many contributions he has made in this area, he will have some interesting findings in the next few years as his research advances. Experiments with trees and roots takes a while to conduct. Obviously roots like any other organism flourish where they are the happiest. Unfortunately in containers, that is in a circle around the sides and bottoms of pots; mostly on the shaded side. Some of the take home messages are that if you prune about an inch to two inches from around the sides and bottom of a produced container tree, this will eliminate most of the undesirable roots from the container. If this is done at every stage for stepping up trees and if they are planted at the right depth, root pruning should provide for a superior root structure. I learned that it is the absence of turf competition that has a greater affect on how a planted tree does, than the addition of mulch. I learned that trees settle from the breakdown of potting media and the weight of the tree itself on a planted site. I also learned that if a tree is planted too deep, the roots will first start growing up to get near the surface of the soil to where conditions are optimal.

Dr. Gilman will be conducting the Great Southern Tree Conference in Dec. 3 and 4 in Gainesville, so save the dates now. I think it will have a great deal of good information for those in the production side of things.

At left: Dr. Gilman, out-standing in his field.

His website for the findings of his research is http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/faculty/gilman.shtml with selected literature and some other link to hurricanes and trees, powerlines and trees and landscape plants.

Here is a link to more than you could ever want to know or read about trees and their maintenance. http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/woody/masterindex.shtml#R