Stihl teams with Chisholm for spring tips
6 Apr, 2010 LM Direct!VIRGINIA BEACH, VA — Stihl has teamed up with expert tree care professional Mark Chisholm for advice on how to prepare for spring landscaping protection. While the advice is geared toward the consumer market, the tips are useful for professionals as well:
DISEASE WATCH
Each year, new threats to landscaping are born, and old threats get beaten down or dwindle off. Contact a local extension agent at an agricultural college or university to get the latest insect and disease alerts, and get in touch with an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist or a Board Certified Master Arborist now to discuss your specific landscape needs. They can spot problems that need your attention before they develop or advance too far. They can also make sure that you are in tune with how to best care for your trees and provide accurate advice so that you can keep them green on your own.
MIND YOUR MULCH
Trees and landscape beds respond well to being mulched. Remove competing grass away from the trunks of trees and plants to help them flourish. Just remember that more mulch is not better. Keep mulch thickness down to just a few inches and pull it back near the trunk to avoid contact, because if mulch is piled around the trunk, it holds moisture and heat. This can cause developments of cankers and other ailments. It also encourages a secondary roots system to develop above the primary one, which could include girdling roots. If the trees in your landscape are susceptible to certain fungal problems (such as dogwood or sycamore anthracnose and pines affected by diplodia tip blight), removing leaf and needle debris will help reduce this effect.
PROPER PRUNING
The best time to prune trees and shrubs varies depending upon species and desired results. Pruning during the "dormant season," or when the trees have no leaves, is usually best. This is the time to prune young trees for future structure, remove live limbs that are too low or close to the house, and remove limbs that might have been damaged in winter storms. Keep in mind, though, that dead and damaged limbs can be pruned any time throughout the year.
ADJUST IRRIGATION
Now is the time to make any necessary changes to your sprinkler system. Watch to see if there is any water pooling around trees and provide a remedy if there is. Ensure that plants prone to fungal problems are not sprayed directly with sprinklers, which could result in a severe issue if left as is. For example, if your sprinklers are spraying the foliage of a dogwood tree, it may be more likely to host powdery mildew and anthracnose. A mugo pine battling with diplodia tip blight will have more trouble defending itself with the extra watering. Be sure to look into the needs of each species within the sprinkler's reach.
SAMPLE THE SOIL
A soil sample can alert you to any nutrient deficiencies in your trees. Have a specialist come out and take a sample before you start a fertilization program of any kind. Prescription programs are much more precise than blanket programs, and they can help you to save money if fertilizer and additives are not needed.
One part acrobat, one part expert rope climber, one part tree physiologist, and several parts competitor and thrill seeker, Mark Chisholm is a third-generation arborist with his family-owned Aspen Tree Expert Company in New Jersey. His expertise in tree care has made him a sought-after consultant and industry spokesperson for the world of arboriculture, and he regularly travels the globe to consult with international arborist associations.
Sponsored by STIHL, Chisholm has won every International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) New Jersey Chapter Tree Climbing Championship for the last 17 years, and has conquered the wider tree-climbing world on two occasions, most recently in 2001, when he won his second ISA International Tree Climbing Championship. He will compete for the 2010 New Jersey Tree Climbing Champion title in June 2010. Chisholm currently holds the world record in the 50-foot secured footlock climbing event, with a time of 13.8 seconds.
For more information on Chisholm, visit stihlusa.com/events.html. For more information on how to find a certified arborist or tree care company and other tree tips, visit the ISA Web site www.treesaregood.org or www.treecaretips.org.
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