TREE CARE
The most common consequence of decay is when a tree branch or whole tree falls and causes injury or damage .
As a sports field or campus landscape manager , you have a responsibility to care for the facility in a responsible manner . Doing so involves preventing injuries due to influences such as trip hazards , excessive turf slippage and , yes , trees falling onto targets . If something bad happens and you didn ’ t take reasonable steps to prevent it , you ’ re negligent .
The good news is that negligence can be greatly minimized by taking prudent steps to properly manage trees in the landscape . Hiring an ISA Certified Arborist to inspect trees that you have flagged in your regular inspections is a very responsible action that would be favorably viewed by the courts in a legal proceeding . Being upfront and honest with your insurance agent and facility risk management people is another .
WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT Unfortunately , there is no cure or treatment for decay . It would be great if trunks and branches could be injected with a fungicide or at least a fungistat to control or stop the spread of the fungus . Alas , this is not the case . Even though there isn ’ t a product-related treatment , at least three steps can be taken to minimize negative consequences of tree decay .
1 . Evaluate and judge the threat of tree failure . Once decay is spotted , determining how advanced each incident is and estimating the potential negative outcomes would be is a good first step in management .
2 . Prioritize removal and remediation based on the present and the future function / aesthetics of the tree . Each tree in the landscape has a different level of importance in terms of the benefits it provides and the risks it poses .
3 . Try to prevent it in the future using good pruning cuts , choosing decay-resistant tree species and avoiding mower blight when maintaining the turfgrass growing close to tree trunks . SFM
John C . Fech is a horticulturist with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Certified Arborist with the International Society of Arboriculture . The author of two books and more than 400 popular and trade journal articles , he focuses his time on teaching effective landscape maintenance techniques , water conservation , diagnosing turf and ornamental problems , and encouraging effective bilingual communication in the green industry .
32 SportsField Management | November 2024 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com