[ back ]
Tree-care expertise nurtured by forester
(by Joseph Koziol Jr. - December 03, 2008)
Tree-care expertise nurtured by forester
By JOSEPH KOZIOL JR.
Townships and municipalities in Geauga County will get an opportunity to tap into the expertise offered by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources division of forestry.
The division of forestry will offer a tree-commission academy for representatives of the various government entities throughout the state, including those in Geauga County, according to Alan Siewert, state urban forester.
Beginning after the first of the year, the government representatives will be offered 40 hours of training in the proper planting and care of trees, Mr. Siewert said. A local class will be held on the five Mondays in March at Holden Arboretum in Kirtland. The program will be a benefit to any community that prizes the trees planted at its parks or along its streets, he said.
Mr. Siewert is one of six urban foresters in the state. Each has tended to community trees on a one-on-one basis, he said. The classes now offer the opportunity to reach out to larger groups in a more structured approach, involving lectures and presentations.
Mr. Siewert said the most critical time for a tree is during its first years in the ground. Transplanting of trees should be viewed as "major surgery," meaning the tree requires constant care when it is introduced to its new environment, he said. Too often, he said, people do not give trees the proper "pediatric care" they need in those early years, which often results in their early demise.
Like humans, trees can have a life expectancy of 72 to 78 years, if they're given proper care. Those that live to 200 years old are exceptions, he said, much like humans who may live to be 110.
Some of the common mistakes people make is planting trees too low, Mr. Siewert said. The top of the root ball should always be placed two or three inches above grade when planting.
Too often, he said, trees are watered and cared for the first two years after planting, but proper care can extend as long as the first 10 years. He said the central leader, or main trunk, of tree is formed in those first 10 years, and pruning can be an important component of forming that central leader.
He said one of the worst things people can do after planting a tree is to pile mulch up on its trunk, what Mr. Siewert calls "volcano mounds." He said the those mounds of mulch keep the trunk moist, inviting rot, pests and disease.
He said it's important to ensure that the tree comes from a good, quality stock rather looking for a bargain,
Mr. Siewert said communities have to make an investment up front to ensure a healthy tree population, which may mean hiring an arborist or assigning a road worker who is given the resources and the proper training.
In the long run, he said, proper care will provide a lifetime of enjoyment of a tree that provides shade, shelter and food for wildlife.
"It is a short-term investment for a long-term gain," Mr. Siewert said. "It is a wonderful thing that trees will do for us, but we have to do things for them."
[ back ]
