ARBORICULTURE
members . Check out https :// www . treesaregood . org / findanarborist / findanarborist and your local land grant university Department of Forestry , Horticulture , Plant Pathology or Entomology for more information .
PRIORITIZE TREES Let ’ s face it . Some trees are just more important than others . Although there are many factors that can be used to prioritize trees on the properties that you manage , the following almost always rise to the top of the list :
Location — Is it in a parking lot island or in a mulch bed next to bleachers ? At the entrance to campus or behind the storage sheds ? Leaning over the outfield fences or shading the dugouts ? These specifics can really impact whether a particular specimen is a good place . Hard-to-grow spots where the soil is compacted will challenge any plant ’ s root system — trees included . At the same time , well-sited shade trees that reduce the temperature for spectators but don ’ t drop lots of debris on the playing fields or shade the turf are a real plus .
Age — Very young trees or very mature trees can be hard to justify in the sports turf landscape when it comes time to support a pesticide application . If it ’ s just a couple of years old and it becomes infected or infested with a serious pest , then it ’ s usually more prudent to simply remove it and move on to another species . Likewise , the amount of product required to treat a borer infestation on a super large tree is not only costly , but also can be difficult to move to the canopy from trunk injections ; spraying the entire leaf mass adds a whole other dimension to the worthiness of controlling various pests on a large tree .
The emerald ash borer is typical of pests that destroy the important conductive vessels of a tree . Photos by James Kalisch , UNL
Regular inspection is critical for effective tree pest management . Photos by James Kalisch , UNL
20 SportsField Management | January 2024 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com