Seminar #83 from Online Seminars for Municipal Arborists
July - September 2019
Sections Go directly to the section by clicking on the title below
July - September 2019
Sections Go directly to the section by clicking on the title below
- Women in Arboriculture - Dr. Adrina C. Bardekjian
- Women in Arboriculture - Jacqueline Hamilton
- Women in Arboriculture - Sharon Hosegood
- Urban Tree of the Seminar #83 - Urban Sunset® Maple
- Bare Root Tree Planting
- Tree Installation Myths
- Systemic Tree Injections
- Greening Vacant Lots
- Trees With Tales #83 - European Pear
- Outstanding Inventors - Joseph Gottlieb Koelreuter
Note: Click on green text in each section for more information and photos.
Note: Click on green text in each section for more information and photos.
Women in Arboriculture
Despite the challenges that women have faced in arboriculture and urban forestry, more women are embracing opportunities and pursuing careers in the practice and study of these fields. Here are the first examples of outstanding woman in urban forestry. Many more examples will be coming in future Seminars.
Dr. Adrina C. Bardekjian
Dr. Adrina C. Bardekjian believes that everyone has the right to be heard and that people need to get uncomfortable to effect meaningful change. She helps people think creatively, to get out of their comfort zones, and strategically solve urban, environmental, and social problems. Dr. Bardekjian builds relationships; she connects diverse networks of people; she bridges academia and practice; and she shares under-represented stories in urban forestry and arboriculture to wide audiences.
Born in Toronto, Canada of Armenian descent, Dr. Bardekjian is an urban forestry researcher, writer, and educator with a background in English literature, anthropology, and urban forestry. A strategist and creative thinker, Adrina has a passion for representations of cultural and ecological narratives, creative writing and landscape photography. Her passion for writing began at age 12 when she won her first poetry contest from the Royal Canadian Legion. She has since won numerous contests and authored articles for various publications.
Dr. Bardekjian holds a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and Anthropology from Concordia University, a Masters of Forest Conservation from the University of Toronto, and a PhD from the Faculty of Environmental Studies, York University. Her doctoral work examined the perspective of arborists and tree climbers in Southern Ontario and their insights on labor concerns and educational inconsistencies. In 2012 Dr. Bardekjian was awarded York University's Graduate in Environmental Studies Student Association Community Excellence Prize.
Based out of Montreal, Quebec, Dr. Bardekjian is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow with the Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia. Her current academic research is focused on women’s roles and gender equality in arboriculture and urban forestry in Canada and the US. Adrina works with Tree Canada, a national organization, as Manager of Urban Forestry Programs and Research Development, where she also directs the Canadian Urban Forest Network, Strategy, and National Conference.
As a practitioner and educator, over the past fourteen years, Adrina has worked with diverse partners on a variety of projects to move urban forestry efforts forward. In addition to her research, she has delivered national and international presentations and guest lectures, designed courses and alternative evaluation models, facilitated workshops, and coordinated conferences. Her roles have included working for NGO's, private institutions and as well as universities. Adrina has been involved in creative contemporary photography, film, and literature. Recent projects include short documentary films about arborists, women, and the development of Toronto's Shade Policy.
In addition to her work experiences, Adrina remains an active member of the Toronto Cancer Prevention Coalition, Shade Policy Steering Committee, the Board of Directors of ISA's Ontario Chapter, and the Curriculum Review Committee for the Urban Forestry Technician Program at Fleming College. Most recently, Adrina was awarded the Society of Municipal Arborists' Award of Achievement (2018) and the International Society of Arboriculture's Honorary Membership Award (2016) in recognition for her efforts to promote and advance the ideas of arboriculture and urban forestry in creative ways.
Dr. Bardekjian's recent online articles include “Women in Urban Forestry, Arboriculture, and Natural Resources: Reflections” on three panel discussions (published in City Trees). Also, "Over the Years We Grow: National Scale Progress in Engagement and Research at Tree Canada" (published on The Nature of Cities, City Trees and other journals), and "How perspectives of field arborists and tree climbers are useful for understanding and managing urban forests" (published on The Nature of Cities)
Dr. Bardekjian initiated and co-chaired the conference “Urban Forests & Political Ecologies: Celebrating Transdisciplinarity” in 2013. This was a joint endeavor between three groups which led to the production of the book: “Urban Forests, Trees and Greenspace: A Political Ecology Perspective”. This is the first text to examine urban forestry from a political ecology lens.
Historically, arboriculture and urban forestry were seen to be male-dominated industries. This was the case because tree management operations were dangerous, physical, and labor-intensive. Despite the challenges that women have faced in these industries, in recent years, thanks to the efforts of individuals like Dr. Adrina Bardekjian, we are seeing more young women embrace the opportunities to pursue careers in arboriculture and urban forestry.
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, or BCMA management credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
Despite the challenges that women have faced in arboriculture and urban forestry, more women are embracing opportunities and pursuing careers in the practice and study of these fields. Here are the first examples of outstanding woman in urban forestry. Many more examples will be coming in future Seminars.
Dr. Adrina C. Bardekjian
Dr. Adrina C. Bardekjian believes that everyone has the right to be heard and that people need to get uncomfortable to effect meaningful change. She helps people think creatively, to get out of their comfort zones, and strategically solve urban, environmental, and social problems. Dr. Bardekjian builds relationships; she connects diverse networks of people; she bridges academia and practice; and she shares under-represented stories in urban forestry and arboriculture to wide audiences.
Born in Toronto, Canada of Armenian descent, Dr. Bardekjian is an urban forestry researcher, writer, and educator with a background in English literature, anthropology, and urban forestry. A strategist and creative thinker, Adrina has a passion for representations of cultural and ecological narratives, creative writing and landscape photography. Her passion for writing began at age 12 when she won her first poetry contest from the Royal Canadian Legion. She has since won numerous contests and authored articles for various publications.
Dr. Bardekjian holds a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and Anthropology from Concordia University, a Masters of Forest Conservation from the University of Toronto, and a PhD from the Faculty of Environmental Studies, York University. Her doctoral work examined the perspective of arborists and tree climbers in Southern Ontario and their insights on labor concerns and educational inconsistencies. In 2012 Dr. Bardekjian was awarded York University's Graduate in Environmental Studies Student Association Community Excellence Prize.
Based out of Montreal, Quebec, Dr. Bardekjian is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow with the Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia. Her current academic research is focused on women’s roles and gender equality in arboriculture and urban forestry in Canada and the US. Adrina works with Tree Canada, a national organization, as Manager of Urban Forestry Programs and Research Development, where she also directs the Canadian Urban Forest Network, Strategy, and National Conference.
As a practitioner and educator, over the past fourteen years, Adrina has worked with diverse partners on a variety of projects to move urban forestry efforts forward. In addition to her research, she has delivered national and international presentations and guest lectures, designed courses and alternative evaluation models, facilitated workshops, and coordinated conferences. Her roles have included working for NGO's, private institutions and as well as universities. Adrina has been involved in creative contemporary photography, film, and literature. Recent projects include short documentary films about arborists, women, and the development of Toronto's Shade Policy.
In addition to her work experiences, Adrina remains an active member of the Toronto Cancer Prevention Coalition, Shade Policy Steering Committee, the Board of Directors of ISA's Ontario Chapter, and the Curriculum Review Committee for the Urban Forestry Technician Program at Fleming College. Most recently, Adrina was awarded the Society of Municipal Arborists' Award of Achievement (2018) and the International Society of Arboriculture's Honorary Membership Award (2016) in recognition for her efforts to promote and advance the ideas of arboriculture and urban forestry in creative ways.
Dr. Bardekjian's recent online articles include “Women in Urban Forestry, Arboriculture, and Natural Resources: Reflections” on three panel discussions (published in City Trees). Also, "Over the Years We Grow: National Scale Progress in Engagement and Research at Tree Canada" (published on The Nature of Cities, City Trees and other journals), and "How perspectives of field arborists and tree climbers are useful for understanding and managing urban forests" (published on The Nature of Cities)
Dr. Bardekjian initiated and co-chaired the conference “Urban Forests & Political Ecologies: Celebrating Transdisciplinarity” in 2013. This was a joint endeavor between three groups which led to the production of the book: “Urban Forests, Trees and Greenspace: A Political Ecology Perspective”. This is the first text to examine urban forestry from a political ecology lens.
Historically, arboriculture and urban forestry were seen to be male-dominated industries. This was the case because tree management operations were dangerous, physical, and labor-intensive. Despite the challenges that women have faced in these industries, in recent years, thanks to the efforts of individuals like Dr. Adrina Bardekjian, we are seeing more young women embrace the opportunities to pursue careers in arboriculture and urban forestry.
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, or BCMA management credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
Women in Arboriculture
Jacqueline Hamilton
In the last decade there have been many initiatives supporting women in the field of arboriculture and forestry. I am Jacqueline (Jackie) Hamilton and I am really lucky to begin my career during this time and would like to share some of the career lessons other women in the field have taught me.
Follow Your Passion
I started my professional career at an environmental engineering firm where even in an industry still dominated by men, I was lucky to work with and be mentored by many strong professional women who inspired me and gave me the confidence to follow my passion to work in the science of trees.
I moved to Toronto for a graduate program in forest conservation where I made many brilliant friends and personal mentors, all from various backgrounds and interests in forests. Many of the women alumni continued to be active in the program in addition to being full-time managers. One of these women, an admired colleague, started the amazing organization “Women in Wood".
Women in Wood (WIW) was created to bring together passionate women from across Canada to share their love for the woods. It provides a networking opportunity to help women find mentors, seek career advice, or meet other passionate women. It was clear that WIW women are passionate about what they do, and it is contagious. Some of my classmates in this program also became my closest friends and continue to be the women and men that I go to for advice and support.
Stay Curious
While in grad school, I landed a dreamy summer internship at a National Park where I spent my days as part of a small team which was fun, very passionate, and knowledgeable about nature. The woman who led the team taught me important lessons that I carry to this day, about maintaining wonder and respect when working with the living world.
Put Yourself Out There
Prior to graduating, I applied to and received the Canadian Institute of Forestry (CIF)’s Prince of Wales Forest Leadership award program that included an international work exchange in England. In addition to it being an amazing life experience, the CIF (ICF in the UK) and the Duchy of Cornwall, who were sponsoring the program were all very supportive of women working with trees. I got to meet women working in the forest and running wood product companies. The ICF also launched its “I look like a forester” campaign that summer, aimed at changing the perception of what a forester looks like.
Support Each Other
When I moved back to Toronto, I started working as an arborist and program coordinator at LEAF, (Local Enhancement & Appreciation of Forests), helping people plant and care for trees in cities. I cannot speak highly enough of the women I got to work with. They are the greatest, and they continue to support each other even though I no longer work there. A few of them will be attending the Women in Trees Conference organized by and for women in arboriculture.
Keep Striving For Better
In my current position working in urban forestry research at a watershed authority, I work with many brilliant women. It’s easy to forget that the work they do in the tree world has an impact on so many other people's lives. They need to continue to learn how to make our cities livable for everyone, as much as possible. The women mentors at my current job are passionately curious and driven to make our cities better places to live for trees and for people.
I need to acknowledge that while I have come into this field with so much support from organizations and other women, I have still faced discrimination as a woman in the industry. I think it would be a disservice to write this article and not mention that I have faced overt and subtle discrimination including: being asked when I will have babies by a stranger at a professional conference; being interrupted far more than my male colleagues; or being told on several occasions that I do not look like an arborist or forester. I also acknowledge that my racial/sexual/cultural identities are those of the oppressors in our society and that I am only somewhat able to understand what that means for people with other identities entering this field. I think gender or any type of equality in arboriculture are far from here, and equality should be the end goal for all professions, because I truly believe we are all stronger when we have each other’s back and can lift each other up. A concept many arborists understand.
Three things I have learned about mentors and mentoring:
I would like to thank Online Seminars for the opportunity to discuss the importance of women mentors. I think this series is a wonderful initiative!
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, or BCMA management credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
Jacqueline Hamilton
In the last decade there have been many initiatives supporting women in the field of arboriculture and forestry. I am Jacqueline (Jackie) Hamilton and I am really lucky to begin my career during this time and would like to share some of the career lessons other women in the field have taught me.
Follow Your Passion
I started my professional career at an environmental engineering firm where even in an industry still dominated by men, I was lucky to work with and be mentored by many strong professional women who inspired me and gave me the confidence to follow my passion to work in the science of trees.
I moved to Toronto for a graduate program in forest conservation where I made many brilliant friends and personal mentors, all from various backgrounds and interests in forests. Many of the women alumni continued to be active in the program in addition to being full-time managers. One of these women, an admired colleague, started the amazing organization “Women in Wood".
Women in Wood (WIW) was created to bring together passionate women from across Canada to share their love for the woods. It provides a networking opportunity to help women find mentors, seek career advice, or meet other passionate women. It was clear that WIW women are passionate about what they do, and it is contagious. Some of my classmates in this program also became my closest friends and continue to be the women and men that I go to for advice and support.
Stay Curious
While in grad school, I landed a dreamy summer internship at a National Park where I spent my days as part of a small team which was fun, very passionate, and knowledgeable about nature. The woman who led the team taught me important lessons that I carry to this day, about maintaining wonder and respect when working with the living world.
Put Yourself Out There
Prior to graduating, I applied to and received the Canadian Institute of Forestry (CIF)’s Prince of Wales Forest Leadership award program that included an international work exchange in England. In addition to it being an amazing life experience, the CIF (ICF in the UK) and the Duchy of Cornwall, who were sponsoring the program were all very supportive of women working with trees. I got to meet women working in the forest and running wood product companies. The ICF also launched its “I look like a forester” campaign that summer, aimed at changing the perception of what a forester looks like.
Support Each Other
When I moved back to Toronto, I started working as an arborist and program coordinator at LEAF, (Local Enhancement & Appreciation of Forests), helping people plant and care for trees in cities. I cannot speak highly enough of the women I got to work with. They are the greatest, and they continue to support each other even though I no longer work there. A few of them will be attending the Women in Trees Conference organized by and for women in arboriculture.
Keep Striving For Better
In my current position working in urban forestry research at a watershed authority, I work with many brilliant women. It’s easy to forget that the work they do in the tree world has an impact on so many other people's lives. They need to continue to learn how to make our cities livable for everyone, as much as possible. The women mentors at my current job are passionately curious and driven to make our cities better places to live for trees and for people.
I need to acknowledge that while I have come into this field with so much support from organizations and other women, I have still faced discrimination as a woman in the industry. I think it would be a disservice to write this article and not mention that I have faced overt and subtle discrimination including: being asked when I will have babies by a stranger at a professional conference; being interrupted far more than my male colleagues; or being told on several occasions that I do not look like an arborist or forester. I also acknowledge that my racial/sexual/cultural identities are those of the oppressors in our society and that I am only somewhat able to understand what that means for people with other identities entering this field. I think gender or any type of equality in arboriculture are far from here, and equality should be the end goal for all professions, because I truly believe we are all stronger when we have each other’s back and can lift each other up. A concept many arborists understand.
Three things I have learned about mentors and mentoring:
- Mentors are not necessarily bosses – many of the people I consider mentors in my life were not my boss nor were they acting as my boss when they mentored me. Providing encouragement and support for senior colleagues and learning from everyone can be equally as rewarding as having a boss who is also a mentor.
- Being vulnerable and open is a strength. Showing that things can be difficult or unfair and that people are able to face and conquer tough situations is an important part of being a good mentor.
- Kindness is the common trait that good mentors share, and it comes in many forms.
I would like to thank Online Seminars for the opportunity to discuss the importance of women mentors. I think this series is a wonderful initiative!
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, or BCMA management credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
Women in Arboriculture
Sharon Hosegood
Sharon Hosegood had eleven years’ experience as a local government tree and landscape officer before joining a contracting company as a tree consultant which led her to becoming the managing director of a
multidisciplinary consultancy for the owner. She is now the Director at Sharon Hosegood Associates Ltd.
located in Chelmsford, United Kingdom. She is also a Chartered Arboriculturist, a Fellow of both the Institute of
Chartered Foresters (ICF) and the Arboricultural Association and Vice President of the ICF. She is passionate about relaying her knowledge in a way that is useful to her clients.
Sharon's list of accomplishments includes public speaking, being an expert witness, networking, interacting with
the community, and being involved with research and development including operating TreeRadar. TreeRadar
is a piece of equipment that is able to record live tree roots, in excess of 0.8 inches (20 mm) diameter, down to a
depth of 10 feet (3m), enabling the root system of a tree to be located and mapped without excavation.
In addition, Sharon is actively involved in engaging communities to develop sustainable treescapes. Recently,
she demonstrated the TreeRadar investigations on a 440-year-old oak for the BBC television program “Britain
Beneath Your Feet” and the Major Oak in Sherwood Forest for BBC “Springwatch”.
Early in her career, Sharon was attracted to arboriculture because she was interested in environmental
conservation and loved the interaction between science, landscape analysis, and communication. Arboriculture
takes her to a wide variety of places including some unique locations such as industrial wastelands, inner city
areas and some historic landscapes.
In the late 1980s she had a poor perception of what arboriculture was and focused on landscape design in her
local community. Without the guidance and support of the tree officers at Essex County Council, she would
have been directionless. As her career in arboriculture progressed, she became indebted to prominent
individuals in the industry for believing in her and encouraging her to pursue her love of arboriculture.
The people she meets today come from all sectors in society. She loves the variety and challenges of her
profession, so this career meets her curiosity in trees, land use, and of course, people.
Several years ago, Sharon worked on a project for a hospital to manage their woodlands using volunteers. She
began working with Mencap, an organization for adults with learning disabilities to teach them how to work in the
woods and trees and she watched them gain confidence and learn to appreciate trees. Many of the people were
uncomfortable outside and in particular, they hated getting dirty. To see the team start to carry out coppicing
and working together was very heart warming. It's not all about trees, but about how trees can affect a life
change.
She is working with the TreeRadar equipment with her colleague Ian Lee and is part of a team organizing the first international summit on TreeRadar this summer. Last autumn she met Arboriculturist in Asia when speaking at the International Arboriculture Summit in Hong Kong. Having her own practice has given her the freedom to try new things.
When asked what advice she would give women entering the tree care industry or trying to progress within it,
Sharon replied, “You are privileged to work in an industry which is very diverse and will require you to develop
multiple skills. Then, never stop learning and listening. Finally, be your best and true self. Who cares about
conformity and people's perception of what you should look like to be an arborist? I don't. Just get the job done
well, on time, on budget, and with a smile!”
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, or BCMA management credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
Sharon Hosegood
Sharon Hosegood had eleven years’ experience as a local government tree and landscape officer before joining a contracting company as a tree consultant which led her to becoming the managing director of a
multidisciplinary consultancy for the owner. She is now the Director at Sharon Hosegood Associates Ltd.
located in Chelmsford, United Kingdom. She is also a Chartered Arboriculturist, a Fellow of both the Institute of
Chartered Foresters (ICF) and the Arboricultural Association and Vice President of the ICF. She is passionate about relaying her knowledge in a way that is useful to her clients.
Sharon's list of accomplishments includes public speaking, being an expert witness, networking, interacting with
the community, and being involved with research and development including operating TreeRadar. TreeRadar
is a piece of equipment that is able to record live tree roots, in excess of 0.8 inches (20 mm) diameter, down to a
depth of 10 feet (3m), enabling the root system of a tree to be located and mapped without excavation.
In addition, Sharon is actively involved in engaging communities to develop sustainable treescapes. Recently,
she demonstrated the TreeRadar investigations on a 440-year-old oak for the BBC television program “Britain
Beneath Your Feet” and the Major Oak in Sherwood Forest for BBC “Springwatch”.
Early in her career, Sharon was attracted to arboriculture because she was interested in environmental
conservation and loved the interaction between science, landscape analysis, and communication. Arboriculture
takes her to a wide variety of places including some unique locations such as industrial wastelands, inner city
areas and some historic landscapes.
In the late 1980s she had a poor perception of what arboriculture was and focused on landscape design in her
local community. Without the guidance and support of the tree officers at Essex County Council, she would
have been directionless. As her career in arboriculture progressed, she became indebted to prominent
individuals in the industry for believing in her and encouraging her to pursue her love of arboriculture.
The people she meets today come from all sectors in society. She loves the variety and challenges of her
profession, so this career meets her curiosity in trees, land use, and of course, people.
Several years ago, Sharon worked on a project for a hospital to manage their woodlands using volunteers. She
began working with Mencap, an organization for adults with learning disabilities to teach them how to work in the
woods and trees and she watched them gain confidence and learn to appreciate trees. Many of the people were
uncomfortable outside and in particular, they hated getting dirty. To see the team start to carry out coppicing
and working together was very heart warming. It's not all about trees, but about how trees can affect a life
change.
She is working with the TreeRadar equipment with her colleague Ian Lee and is part of a team organizing the first international summit on TreeRadar this summer. Last autumn she met Arboriculturist in Asia when speaking at the International Arboriculture Summit in Hong Kong. Having her own practice has given her the freedom to try new things.
When asked what advice she would give women entering the tree care industry or trying to progress within it,
Sharon replied, “You are privileged to work in an industry which is very diverse and will require you to develop
multiple skills. Then, never stop learning and listening. Finally, be your best and true self. Who cares about
conformity and people's perception of what you should look like to be an arborist? I don't. Just get the job done
well, on time, on budget, and with a smile!”
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, or BCMA management credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
Urban Tree of Seminar #83
By Len Phillips
Urban Sunset® Maple (Acer truncatum x A. platanoides ‘JFS-KW187’) is a good fit as a street tree. It is a strongly upright tree with up-sweeping branches which makes it an ideal street tree. It was selected as an outstanding performer from a 30+ year effort by Keith Warren to combine the best characteristics of Asian and European maple species.
Common Name: Urban Sunset® Maple
Botanical Name: Acer truncatum x A. platanoides ‘JFS-KW187’
Parentage: Hybrid, A. truncatum x A. plantanoides, introduced by Keith Warren at J. Frank Schmidt
& Son Nursery
Hardiness Zone: 4b – 8
Height: 35'
Spread: 20'
Plant Patent: #27545
Form: Vigorous and upright growing with a strong central leader, compact and narrow
Bloom Period: May
Flower: Greenish yellow and insignificant
Fruit: It produces very few seeds
Foliage: Dark green leaves are glossy and tatter-resistant
Autumn Foliage: Bright to deep red tones in autumn
Winter Interest: Bark provides winter interest
Bark: Purple tinged when young, typically maple gray brown with age
Growth Rate: Moderate, less than 1 ft. a year, 35' tall in 30 years
Planting: Easy to transplant
Propagating: Stem cuttings, budded or grafted
Site Requirements: Excellent heat and drought tolerance
Pest Problems: None
Salt Tolerance: Good
Design Uses: Excellent specimen for lawn, park, street, and residential use
Companions: Use with evergreen shrubs planted the year after planting the tree
Other Comments: Calipers well and develops a uniformly branched canopy with minimal pruning;
Ideal tree for city streets
Source: Dirr, Michael A. and Keith S. Warren, “The Tree Book”, Timber Press, 2019.
Photo
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, Climber Specialist, Aerial Lift Specialist, or BCMA science and management credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
By Len Phillips
Urban Sunset® Maple (Acer truncatum x A. platanoides ‘JFS-KW187’) is a good fit as a street tree. It is a strongly upright tree with up-sweeping branches which makes it an ideal street tree. It was selected as an outstanding performer from a 30+ year effort by Keith Warren to combine the best characteristics of Asian and European maple species.
Common Name: Urban Sunset® Maple
Botanical Name: Acer truncatum x A. platanoides ‘JFS-KW187’
Parentage: Hybrid, A. truncatum x A. plantanoides, introduced by Keith Warren at J. Frank Schmidt
& Son Nursery
Hardiness Zone: 4b – 8
Height: 35'
Spread: 20'
Plant Patent: #27545
Form: Vigorous and upright growing with a strong central leader, compact and narrow
Bloom Period: May
Flower: Greenish yellow and insignificant
Fruit: It produces very few seeds
Foliage: Dark green leaves are glossy and tatter-resistant
Autumn Foliage: Bright to deep red tones in autumn
Winter Interest: Bark provides winter interest
Bark: Purple tinged when young, typically maple gray brown with age
Growth Rate: Moderate, less than 1 ft. a year, 35' tall in 30 years
Planting: Easy to transplant
Propagating: Stem cuttings, budded or grafted
Site Requirements: Excellent heat and drought tolerance
Pest Problems: None
Salt Tolerance: Good
Design Uses: Excellent specimen for lawn, park, street, and residential use
Companions: Use with evergreen shrubs planted the year after planting the tree
Other Comments: Calipers well and develops a uniformly branched canopy with minimal pruning;
Ideal tree for city streets
Source: Dirr, Michael A. and Keith S. Warren, “The Tree Book”, Timber Press, 2019.
Photo
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, Climber Specialist, Aerial Lift Specialist, or BCMA science and management credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
Bare Root Tree Planting
Edited by Len Phillips
Recent research reports have proven that selecting a smaller tree installed at a site will recover from transplant shock and grow more rapidly than planting a large tree of the same species. For example a 1-inch (2.5 cm) dbh maple tree will recover from transplant shock and grow faster than a 4-inch (10 cm) maple tree within the first 5 years after the installation. Also considering cost, a 1-inch diameter maple tree might be US$100 to purchase and plant by contract while the 4-inch tree might cost $800. That means 8 small trees could be purchased for the price of 1 large tree and in 5 years no one would know the difference. If you are not comfortable planting a bare root tree, perhaps the following will help.
Bare Root (BR) trees are dug and stored without any soil around their roots. Bare root trees are available as deciduous dormant trees typically 2-inch (5 cm) trunk diameter or less. Bare root trees are very sensitive to drying if not properly stored and shipped. If provisions are made to keep roots in the shade and moist during storage and transport, and they are regularly watered after the installation, they perform as well as trees from other production methods. Evergreens however, are seldom moved BR.
BR trees are dug from nursery fields after autumn leaf drop or before spring bud break and are warehoused in a cold storage building with their roots covered with sawdust, straw, or woodchips. Sometimes they can be stored in mulch in the field until they are shipped for planting. Some nurseries dip the bare roots into a hydro-gel before placing the tree in a storage building. The hydrogel coats the roots and prevents them from drying out. Trees dug in the autumn require humidity and temperature-controlled over-winter storage just above freezing. They are then installed as soon as digging as possible in early spring and before growth begins. The large woody roots are moved with the tree and new fine roots should develop before the leaves emerge. BR trees have to rely on old roots for water uptake. New roots are grown after bud break. BR stock, if not handled properly, can have high mortality rates. To ensure success when handling or transporting BR stock, keep the roots moist and protected from sun and wind at ALL TIMES. A critical factor for success of the BR method is the short time period between lifting and installation and proper root protection during that interim period.
I used to tell my planting contractors that for every minute the trees roots are exposed to sun and wind, the survival rate is cut in half. While this may not be completely true, it did encourage the contractors to provide more protection to the roots during the installation process.
In the 1980s and 90’s, bare root tree production declined due to increasing demand for year-round installation and the greater flexibility of container production. BR tree production was primarily used for liner production in the nursery business. In recent years however, there has been a reversal of this trend as arborists rediscovered the high survival rate and low cost benefits of BR trees for city tree installations.
The Pros of BR Tree Installation
The Cons of BR Tree Installation
The Best Bets For Bare Root Installation
Hedge maple (Acer campestre)
Amur maple (Acer ginnala)
Miyabei maple (Acer miyabei)
Norway maple (Acer platanoides)
Sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus)
Red maple (Acer rubrum)
Sugar maple (Acer saccharum)
Tartaricum maple (Acer tartaricum)
Shantung maple (Acer truncatum)
Hybrid Freeman maple (Acer x freemanii)
Red horsechestnut (Aesculus x carnea)
Catalpa (Catalpa speciosa)
Katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum)
Yellowwood (Cladrastis kentukea)
Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa)
Cornelian cherry dogwood (Cornus mas)
Ash In non-EAB areas (Fraxinus spp.)
Honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos inermis)
Kentucky coffee tree (Gymnocladus dioicus)
Goldenraintree (Koelreuteria paniculata)
Amur Maackia (Maackia amurensis)
Crabapples (Malus spp.)
Persian Parrotia (Parrotia persica)
Amur Corktree (Phellodendron amurense)
London Planetree (Platanus x acerifolia)
Flowering Cherry (Prunus 'Accolade')
Sargent Cherry (Prunus sargentii)
Canada Red Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana)
Callery Pear (Pyrus spp.)
Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor)
Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra)
Black Locust cultivars (Robinia pseudoacacia cultivars)
Korean Mountain ash (Sorbus alnifolia)
Swedish Mountain ash (Sorbus intermedia)
Oak leaf Mountain ash (Sorbus x hybrida)
Japanese tree lilac (Syringa reticulata)
Linden (Tilia spp.) except Silver Linden (Tilia tomentosa)
Elm hybrids (Ulmus all hybrids except 'Frontier')
Siebold Viburnum (Viburnum sieboldii)
Trees Of Moderate Difficulty For Bare Root Installation
Alder (Alnus glutinosa)
Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.)
Birch (Betula spp.)
Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)
Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
Turkish Filbert (Corylus colurna)
Winter King Hawthorn (Crataegus viridis ‘Winter King')
Hardy Rubber Tree (Eucommia ulmoides)
Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)
English Oak (Quercus robur)
Silver Linden (Tilia tomentosa)
Japanese Zelkova (Zelkova serrata)
Trees That Are Very Difficult To Successfully Plant Bare Root
Hornbeam (Carpinus spp.)
Smoketree (Cotinus obovatus)
Washington Hawthorn (Crataegus phaenopyrum)
Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba)
Tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera)
Hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana)
Tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica)
White Oak (Quercus alba)
Scarlet Oak (Quercus coccinea)
Shingle Oak (Quercus imbricaria)
Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)
Chestnut Oak ( Quercus montana)
Chinkapin Oak (Quercus muehlenbergii)
Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum)
Frontier Elm (Ulmus 'Frontier')
Lacebark Elm (Ulmus parvifolia)
All evergreens
Sources
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, Utility Specialist, Climber Specialist, Aerial Lift Specialist, or BCMA science and practice credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
Edited by Len Phillips
Recent research reports have proven that selecting a smaller tree installed at a site will recover from transplant shock and grow more rapidly than planting a large tree of the same species. For example a 1-inch (2.5 cm) dbh maple tree will recover from transplant shock and grow faster than a 4-inch (10 cm) maple tree within the first 5 years after the installation. Also considering cost, a 1-inch diameter maple tree might be US$100 to purchase and plant by contract while the 4-inch tree might cost $800. That means 8 small trees could be purchased for the price of 1 large tree and in 5 years no one would know the difference. If you are not comfortable planting a bare root tree, perhaps the following will help.
Bare Root (BR) trees are dug and stored without any soil around their roots. Bare root trees are available as deciduous dormant trees typically 2-inch (5 cm) trunk diameter or less. Bare root trees are very sensitive to drying if not properly stored and shipped. If provisions are made to keep roots in the shade and moist during storage and transport, and they are regularly watered after the installation, they perform as well as trees from other production methods. Evergreens however, are seldom moved BR.
BR trees are dug from nursery fields after autumn leaf drop or before spring bud break and are warehoused in a cold storage building with their roots covered with sawdust, straw, or woodchips. Sometimes they can be stored in mulch in the field until they are shipped for planting. Some nurseries dip the bare roots into a hydro-gel before placing the tree in a storage building. The hydrogel coats the roots and prevents them from drying out. Trees dug in the autumn require humidity and temperature-controlled over-winter storage just above freezing. They are then installed as soon as digging as possible in early spring and before growth begins. The large woody roots are moved with the tree and new fine roots should develop before the leaves emerge. BR trees have to rely on old roots for water uptake. New roots are grown after bud break. BR stock, if not handled properly, can have high mortality rates. To ensure success when handling or transporting BR stock, keep the roots moist and protected from sun and wind at ALL TIMES. A critical factor for success of the BR method is the short time period between lifting and installation and proper root protection during that interim period.
I used to tell my planting contractors that for every minute the trees roots are exposed to sun and wind, the survival rate is cut in half. While this may not be completely true, it did encourage the contractors to provide more protection to the roots during the installation process.
In the 1980s and 90’s, bare root tree production declined due to increasing demand for year-round installation and the greater flexibility of container production. BR tree production was primarily used for liner production in the nursery business. In recent years however, there has been a reversal of this trend as arborists rediscovered the high survival rate and low cost benefits of BR trees for city tree installations.
The Pros of BR Tree Installation
- Cost can be much lower than that of B&B stock. This reduced cost results mainly from the ease of handling as well as the reduced weight and bulk resulting in lower shipping costs.
- A BR tree without soil weighs little, so it is easy to move and inexpensive to install with volunteers or by contractor.
- Root damage during nursery lifting operations is far less on BR trees.
- BR trees can have 95% of their roots saved during the move while B&B trees keep only 5% of their roots.
- The installation procedure needed for tree establishment is less demanding. Although BR trees require the same planting-hole diameter, the hole depth may be shallower and ideally dug with the double scoop of a backhoe.
- The root system can be thoroughly inspected for defects.
- The flare can be easily located so the tree is installed at the correct depth.
- BR installation can be just as effective as B&B installation for species that tolerate BR installation, if the tree has a small caliper and has been root dipped and pruned early.
- Soil interface problems are avoided.
- BR harvesting does not deplete the nursery of field soil.
The Cons of BR Tree Installation
- Only small trees, 2” (5 cm) diameter or less, are successfully moved bare root.
- Once they leave the nursery's storage facility, BR trees need to get in the ground within a week unless they are treated with a hydrogel, wrapped in plastic bags, or heeled-in a bed of woodchips or gravel and watered daily. See the Missouri Gravel Bed discussion in Topic #7.
- With no soil, the roots can dry out and die if left exposed even if it is for just a short time.
- BR trees need lots of internal moisture, so early spring (before bud break) and late autumn (after leaf fall) are the best digging and installation times.
- Some species such as those listed at the end of this article, may not be available BR and very few retail nurseries have BR trees available for sale, unless the trees are a special order.
- Some trees install poorly via bare root as compared with B&B, although many more trees are being successfully installed bare root than was previously thought possible. Most people installing trees have limited experience with BR tree installation. Bare root trees deserve a second look from municipalities.
The Best Bets For Bare Root Installation
Hedge maple (Acer campestre)
Amur maple (Acer ginnala)
Miyabei maple (Acer miyabei)
Norway maple (Acer platanoides)
Sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus)
Red maple (Acer rubrum)
Sugar maple (Acer saccharum)
Tartaricum maple (Acer tartaricum)
Shantung maple (Acer truncatum)
Hybrid Freeman maple (Acer x freemanii)
Red horsechestnut (Aesculus x carnea)
Catalpa (Catalpa speciosa)
Katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum)
Yellowwood (Cladrastis kentukea)
Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa)
Cornelian cherry dogwood (Cornus mas)
Ash In non-EAB areas (Fraxinus spp.)
Honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos inermis)
Kentucky coffee tree (Gymnocladus dioicus)
Goldenraintree (Koelreuteria paniculata)
Amur Maackia (Maackia amurensis)
Crabapples (Malus spp.)
Persian Parrotia (Parrotia persica)
Amur Corktree (Phellodendron amurense)
London Planetree (Platanus x acerifolia)
Flowering Cherry (Prunus 'Accolade')
Sargent Cherry (Prunus sargentii)
Canada Red Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana)
Callery Pear (Pyrus spp.)
Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor)
Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra)
Black Locust cultivars (Robinia pseudoacacia cultivars)
Korean Mountain ash (Sorbus alnifolia)
Swedish Mountain ash (Sorbus intermedia)
Oak leaf Mountain ash (Sorbus x hybrida)
Japanese tree lilac (Syringa reticulata)
Linden (Tilia spp.) except Silver Linden (Tilia tomentosa)
Elm hybrids (Ulmus all hybrids except 'Frontier')
Siebold Viburnum (Viburnum sieboldii)
Trees Of Moderate Difficulty For Bare Root Installation
Alder (Alnus glutinosa)
Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.)
Birch (Betula spp.)
Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)
Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
Turkish Filbert (Corylus colurna)
Winter King Hawthorn (Crataegus viridis ‘Winter King')
Hardy Rubber Tree (Eucommia ulmoides)
Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)
English Oak (Quercus robur)
Silver Linden (Tilia tomentosa)
Japanese Zelkova (Zelkova serrata)
Trees That Are Very Difficult To Successfully Plant Bare Root
Hornbeam (Carpinus spp.)
Smoketree (Cotinus obovatus)
Washington Hawthorn (Crataegus phaenopyrum)
Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba)
Tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera)
Hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana)
Tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica)
White Oak (Quercus alba)
Scarlet Oak (Quercus coccinea)
Shingle Oak (Quercus imbricaria)
Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)
Chestnut Oak ( Quercus montana)
Chinkapin Oak (Quercus muehlenbergii)
Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum)
Frontier Elm (Ulmus 'Frontier')
Lacebark Elm (Ulmus parvifolia)
All evergreens
Sources
- A Bare Root Tree Planting Program that Saves Money", Urban Forestry News, Vol. 15, Issue 4, 2008.
- Bassuk, Nina, "Creating the urban forest: the bare root method”, Ithaca, NY, 2009.
- Christman, Laura, “Bare essentials: 6 tips for growing bare root trees”, The Redding Searchlight, Redding, CA January 9, 2010.
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, Utility Specialist, Climber Specialist, Aerial Lift Specialist, or BCMA science and practice credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
Tree Installation Myths
Edited by Len Phillips
Myth #1: Trees with a long taproot are difficult to transplant.
We have all seen a germinating seed with the long, taproot that develops just before leaf growth begins. However, root systems actually show symmetries with the crown. A main stem and branches appear above ground and below. While the top grows a stem and branches, the taproot anchors the young tree and creates a vertical structure for lateral root development. The tap root quickly provides root hairs which are found at the growing tips of many young roots.
As oxygen becomes more limiting with soil depth, taproot growth slows and more lateral roots explore soil resources in the top 12-18 inches (30- 45 cm) of the soil. The juvenile taproot is replaced by the rapidly developing lateral root system. All this means that the taproot has very little impact on the difficultly of transplanting.
Myth #2: Mycorrhizal inoculants should be added to planting holes when installing trees.
Beneficial fungi living in the soil and called mycorrhizae, associate with roots of woody plants in a relationship that mutually benefits the tree and the soil fungi. Research has shown that trees inoculated with mycorrhizae grow faster and larger than those without these fungal partners. This knowledge has prompted entrepreneurs to market mycorrhizal inoculant products as planting amendments, claiming they will ensure establishment of new trees. However, mycorrhizal inoculants are often unproven, especially in landscape situations. Misconceptions about mycorrhizal products are common:
When soil is “poor” adding mycorrhizae to it is questionable. Most soils already contain mycorrhizal fungi, so they do not need to be added. Trees will form mycorrhizal associations in most soils without additional inoculants. Soils where mycorrhizal inoculants have been effective in promoting growth are where all surface soil is removed and trees are being grown in sterile soil or subsoil.
Unfortunately, the mycorrhizal inoculant contains viable spores which have limited shelf life. Research on commonly available inoculants show that over 50% of the products available to consumers are not viable. This may be caused by age, high heat, or exposure to sun. Often these exposures occur during transit from the manufacturer.
Mycorrhizae do aid in nutrient uptake (especially phosphorus), but they do not cure nutrient deficiencies, especially when the soil is deficient in those minerals. Mycorrhizal fungi need good soil conditions in which to grow. Compacted, flooded, or contaminated soils are harmful, so they will not cure a toxic or otherwise non-arable soil.
This editor has had excellent transplanting results by taking a shovel full of soil from around the roots of an existing tree nearby the planting site and sprinkling this soil on the roots of the young tree during the backfilling process. The growth rate on the tree with this treatment, compared to tree roots covered with inoculants and those with no treatment, was noticeably greater.
Myth #3: Native trees and shrubs are superior to introduced species for wildlife habitat.
Many landscapes are overrun by exotic species deliberately introduced for ornamental or replanting purposes. Research documents show exotic species can often out-compete native plants and decrease the ecological and aesthetic value of landscapes. The rationale for native-only policies has centered on the belief that native plants have co-evolved with native animals and are uniquely suited to providing food and shelter for them. What believers fail to consider is that urbanized landscapes are no longer natural to plants or animals.
Landscapes planted after construction face a radically changed environment. As a result, many native-only plantings suffer severe environmental stress and mortality. Cultivars and non-invasive exotic species should be selected because they can adapt to these harsher conditions. Research supports the use of introduced trees and shrubs in residential and public landscapes in addition to appropriate native species. Not only do the introduced species tolerate urban conditions, they provide habitat for wildlife just as effectively as native trees and shrubs.
Myth #4: The crowns of transplanted trees should be pruned to compensate for root loss.
Previously there was a widespread belief that right after transplanting the crown size should be cut back to mirror the cut roots during the digging process. It was thought that cutting back the crown would avoid straining the root system for water and nutrient uptake. Initially this practice does reduce water usage, but soon the tree responds with new shoots and leaves, requiring not only more water but nutritional resources for their development.
Arborists see the tops of their transplanted trees growing and mistakenly think the tree is healthy, only to see the tree suffer or die in subsequent months. Instead, the crown should be left intact so new roots will grow into the surrounding soil with food supplied by numerous leaves. Once the roots have become established, water and resources will be directed back to dormant buds and the emerging shoots and leaves will show vigorous growth.
Myth #5: Pruning cuts and other wounds should be sealed to prevent disease.
For many years, tree care professionals covered wounds and pruning cuts with sealants such as asphalt emulsions or resin-based products. Sealing was recommended because treating the wounds were thought to protect the tree more quickly than unpainted cuts, and that vulnerable tissues would be isolated from decay fungi. Both of these suppositions were later proven to be wrong and professionals soon abandoned this unnecessary and harmful practice.
Trees and other woody plants have a biochemical response to wounding that requires oxygen. Sealants isolate the responding tissues from the atmosphere, limiting the oxygen that’s needed for natural wound sealing.
Biological control fungi can be applied after a cut is made to protect the wound from subsequent decay fungus colonization. However, research on branch removal shows that leaving the branch collar intact and avoiding flush cuts is more likely to limit decay than the use of pruning paints.
Myth #6: Trees should be firmly staked at planting.
Staking takes two basic forms: rigid staking and cable guying. These methods of staking prevent trunk movement and reduce the development of a taper, thus making the tree susceptible to breakage at or above the point where the cables are attached to the trunk. Trees without a taper do not have the structural development in their trunks to stand on their own. Due to these cultivation errors, tree installers frequently keep the nursery stake and add more stakes to firmly secure the tree in place to prevent its movement in the landscape. Recent research discovered that trees tied to stakes frequently broke off their tops during high winds. In addition the removal of the stake or cables after one growing season is often neglected.
Stabilization or anchoring of the root ball to the bottom of the planting pit is the best way to anchor the tree and encourage proper trunk taper. Several companies now produce a wide variety of devices to provide stabilization of the root ball. One typical devise is the “Tree Staple”. Other devices provide underground anchors that are connected with webbing that ties the root ball to the bottom of the pit. Wood stakes driven through the rootball and into the bottom of the planting pit are also very effective. Removal after one growing season is not necessary.
Myth #7: Wood chip mulches will decrease soil nitrogen and spread pathogens.
With chronic drought and/or record-breaking summer temperatures making it increasingly important to conserve water, many tree planting people are using landscape mulches. The ideal landscape mulch not only moderates soil temperature and conserves water, but also reduces compaction, provides nutrients, enhances tree growth, helps control weeds, pests and disease, and reduces the need for pesticides and fertilizers. The landscape mulches should be readily available, affordable, and easy to apply and replace. Organic mulches and wood chips are the best choices.
Unfortunately, many people have misconceptions about wood chips. However, wood chips will not draw nitrogen from the soil unless they are incorporated into it. When used as mulch, wood chips have no effect on underlying soil nitrogen levels, except to increase them over time. Wood chips will not transmit pathogens to healthy roots. Wood chips will not change the pH of the soil nor kill newly planted trees.
For wood chip mulches to be the most effective, they should be no less than ½-in (1 cm) diameter so water and air can move freely through them. They should be applied to maximize the materials available for microbes and to capture the nutrients released by their activity in the soil and maintained at a depth of at least 4-in (10 cm) to prevent weed growth and conserve soil moisture.
If wood chip mulches are not acceptable, consider using a living mulch. The plants discourage compaction of the soil caused by pedestrian traffic close to the trees. White clover is an excellent choice because it is tolerant of site abuse while putting out blooms and creeping all around the tree pit. Vinca is also good once it is established. It has nice blooms in spring and early summer and evergreen leaves which provide year-round protection of the tree's soil.
Source:
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, Aerial Lift Specialist, or BCMA science and practice credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
Edited by Len Phillips
Myth #1: Trees with a long taproot are difficult to transplant.
We have all seen a germinating seed with the long, taproot that develops just before leaf growth begins. However, root systems actually show symmetries with the crown. A main stem and branches appear above ground and below. While the top grows a stem and branches, the taproot anchors the young tree and creates a vertical structure for lateral root development. The tap root quickly provides root hairs which are found at the growing tips of many young roots.
As oxygen becomes more limiting with soil depth, taproot growth slows and more lateral roots explore soil resources in the top 12-18 inches (30- 45 cm) of the soil. The juvenile taproot is replaced by the rapidly developing lateral root system. All this means that the taproot has very little impact on the difficultly of transplanting.
Myth #2: Mycorrhizal inoculants should be added to planting holes when installing trees.
Beneficial fungi living in the soil and called mycorrhizae, associate with roots of woody plants in a relationship that mutually benefits the tree and the soil fungi. Research has shown that trees inoculated with mycorrhizae grow faster and larger than those without these fungal partners. This knowledge has prompted entrepreneurs to market mycorrhizal inoculant products as planting amendments, claiming they will ensure establishment of new trees. However, mycorrhizal inoculants are often unproven, especially in landscape situations. Misconceptions about mycorrhizal products are common:
When soil is “poor” adding mycorrhizae to it is questionable. Most soils already contain mycorrhizal fungi, so they do not need to be added. Trees will form mycorrhizal associations in most soils without additional inoculants. Soils where mycorrhizal inoculants have been effective in promoting growth are where all surface soil is removed and trees are being grown in sterile soil or subsoil.
Unfortunately, the mycorrhizal inoculant contains viable spores which have limited shelf life. Research on commonly available inoculants show that over 50% of the products available to consumers are not viable. This may be caused by age, high heat, or exposure to sun. Often these exposures occur during transit from the manufacturer.
Mycorrhizae do aid in nutrient uptake (especially phosphorus), but they do not cure nutrient deficiencies, especially when the soil is deficient in those minerals. Mycorrhizal fungi need good soil conditions in which to grow. Compacted, flooded, or contaminated soils are harmful, so they will not cure a toxic or otherwise non-arable soil.
This editor has had excellent transplanting results by taking a shovel full of soil from around the roots of an existing tree nearby the planting site and sprinkling this soil on the roots of the young tree during the backfilling process. The growth rate on the tree with this treatment, compared to tree roots covered with inoculants and those with no treatment, was noticeably greater.
Myth #3: Native trees and shrubs are superior to introduced species for wildlife habitat.
Many landscapes are overrun by exotic species deliberately introduced for ornamental or replanting purposes. Research documents show exotic species can often out-compete native plants and decrease the ecological and aesthetic value of landscapes. The rationale for native-only policies has centered on the belief that native plants have co-evolved with native animals and are uniquely suited to providing food and shelter for them. What believers fail to consider is that urbanized landscapes are no longer natural to plants or animals.
Landscapes planted after construction face a radically changed environment. As a result, many native-only plantings suffer severe environmental stress and mortality. Cultivars and non-invasive exotic species should be selected because they can adapt to these harsher conditions. Research supports the use of introduced trees and shrubs in residential and public landscapes in addition to appropriate native species. Not only do the introduced species tolerate urban conditions, they provide habitat for wildlife just as effectively as native trees and shrubs.
Myth #4: The crowns of transplanted trees should be pruned to compensate for root loss.
Previously there was a widespread belief that right after transplanting the crown size should be cut back to mirror the cut roots during the digging process. It was thought that cutting back the crown would avoid straining the root system for water and nutrient uptake. Initially this practice does reduce water usage, but soon the tree responds with new shoots and leaves, requiring not only more water but nutritional resources for their development.
Arborists see the tops of their transplanted trees growing and mistakenly think the tree is healthy, only to see the tree suffer or die in subsequent months. Instead, the crown should be left intact so new roots will grow into the surrounding soil with food supplied by numerous leaves. Once the roots have become established, water and resources will be directed back to dormant buds and the emerging shoots and leaves will show vigorous growth.
Myth #5: Pruning cuts and other wounds should be sealed to prevent disease.
For many years, tree care professionals covered wounds and pruning cuts with sealants such as asphalt emulsions or resin-based products. Sealing was recommended because treating the wounds were thought to protect the tree more quickly than unpainted cuts, and that vulnerable tissues would be isolated from decay fungi. Both of these suppositions were later proven to be wrong and professionals soon abandoned this unnecessary and harmful practice.
Trees and other woody plants have a biochemical response to wounding that requires oxygen. Sealants isolate the responding tissues from the atmosphere, limiting the oxygen that’s needed for natural wound sealing.
Biological control fungi can be applied after a cut is made to protect the wound from subsequent decay fungus colonization. However, research on branch removal shows that leaving the branch collar intact and avoiding flush cuts is more likely to limit decay than the use of pruning paints.
Myth #6: Trees should be firmly staked at planting.
Staking takes two basic forms: rigid staking and cable guying. These methods of staking prevent trunk movement and reduce the development of a taper, thus making the tree susceptible to breakage at or above the point where the cables are attached to the trunk. Trees without a taper do not have the structural development in their trunks to stand on their own. Due to these cultivation errors, tree installers frequently keep the nursery stake and add more stakes to firmly secure the tree in place to prevent its movement in the landscape. Recent research discovered that trees tied to stakes frequently broke off their tops during high winds. In addition the removal of the stake or cables after one growing season is often neglected.
Stabilization or anchoring of the root ball to the bottom of the planting pit is the best way to anchor the tree and encourage proper trunk taper. Several companies now produce a wide variety of devices to provide stabilization of the root ball. One typical devise is the “Tree Staple”. Other devices provide underground anchors that are connected with webbing that ties the root ball to the bottom of the pit. Wood stakes driven through the rootball and into the bottom of the planting pit are also very effective. Removal after one growing season is not necessary.
Myth #7: Wood chip mulches will decrease soil nitrogen and spread pathogens.
With chronic drought and/or record-breaking summer temperatures making it increasingly important to conserve water, many tree planting people are using landscape mulches. The ideal landscape mulch not only moderates soil temperature and conserves water, but also reduces compaction, provides nutrients, enhances tree growth, helps control weeds, pests and disease, and reduces the need for pesticides and fertilizers. The landscape mulches should be readily available, affordable, and easy to apply and replace. Organic mulches and wood chips are the best choices.
Unfortunately, many people have misconceptions about wood chips. However, wood chips will not draw nitrogen from the soil unless they are incorporated into it. When used as mulch, wood chips have no effect on underlying soil nitrogen levels, except to increase them over time. Wood chips will not transmit pathogens to healthy roots. Wood chips will not change the pH of the soil nor kill newly planted trees.
For wood chip mulches to be the most effective, they should be no less than ½-in (1 cm) diameter so water and air can move freely through them. They should be applied to maximize the materials available for microbes and to capture the nutrients released by their activity in the soil and maintained at a depth of at least 4-in (10 cm) to prevent weed growth and conserve soil moisture.
If wood chip mulches are not acceptable, consider using a living mulch. The plants discourage compaction of the soil caused by pedestrian traffic close to the trees. White clover is an excellent choice because it is tolerant of site abuse while putting out blooms and creeping all around the tree pit. Vinca is also good once it is established. It has nice blooms in spring and early summer and evergreen leaves which provide year-round protection of the tree's soil.
Source:
- Chalker-Scott, Linda and A.J. Downer, ”Garden Myth Busting for Extension Educators”, The Journal of the National Association of County Agricultural Extension Agents, December 2018
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, Aerial Lift Specialist, or BCMA science and practice credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
Systemic Tree Injections
Edited by Len Phillips
Successful management of tree pests is dependent upon delivering a pesticide to the infested parts of a tree. One way this is accomplished is by systemic placement of pesticides into the sap stream of the tree. The chemicals then flow throughout the tree to provide control of the pests.
Injections made into healthy xylem have also been used successfully to treat deficiencies of iron, zinc, and manganese as well as provide fertilizer, fungicide, insecticide, growth retardant, and antibiotics. Response to treatment can be evident in as soon as 3 weeks and repeat treatment may be required only after 3 to 5 years. Systemic chemical treatments may be delivered to the tree in five different ways:
Macro-injection System
The key characteristic of macro-injection is that several gallons of dilute solution of material are injected into the tree. Holes 0.4 inches (1 cm) or greater in diameter are first bored into the tree trunk to the depth of the outer layers of sapwood. Then a series of T-shaped nozzles are connected with tubing to a container of the chemical solution. Macro-injection has been used primarily to treat vascular diseases such as Dutch elm disease, since American elms have the xylem porosity sufficient to accept large volumes of liquids via trunk injection. Macro-injection can be applied at either low or high pressure, but only trained professional arborists should use this method. With macro-injection, the large volume of solution, if pressured too high, can separate the bark from the sapwood.
Implant System
The implant technique utilizes a tiny bullet-sized plastic cartridge that contains water-soluble chemicals. The chemicals are absorbed into the sap-stream liquid and are released to the tree crown. Implants are easy to use and eliminate the need to dispose of a chemical container since the implant is left in the tree. Implants require holes up to 0.4 in. (1 cm) in diameter. Conifer resin plugging has not had an adverse effect with implants. Implants have become an increasingly popular clinical alternative to spray applications in the treatment of urban trees.
Micro-injection System
Micro-injection allows the low-volume introduction of systemic chemicals, such as antibiotics, fungicides, insecticides, mineral nutrients, and plant growth regulators directly into a tree without risk of spill or drift. The micro-injection system consists of a plastic closed capsule containing water-soluble chemicals and a short plastic feeder tube with a diameter of 1/8" (0.44 cm) or less, inserted into a pre-drilled hole at the base of the trunk or flair. Micro-injection capsules are under low pressure when they are placed on the tree. The purpose of this low pressure in the capsule is merely to aid in emptying the capsule reservoir and not to force the systemic chemical into the tree. High-pressure injection can injure tree tissues, especially the bark and cambium. Low pressures are sufficient to empty the injection reservoir and cause the least impact to the tree. Installing the injector unit requires some knowledge and practice, so only trained and licensed pesticide applicators should install them. Since the micro-injection products are concentrated, improper installation can result in chemical burns.
Micro-injection wounds compartmentalize because the drilled holes fill up with callus tissue and wound wood forms over the injection sites. Tree wounds for systemic treatments should be as small as possible and only in healthy tissue. Research indicates that when the treatment sites have been correctly drilled and placed, most trees effectively compartmentalize the injured tissue into narrow columns of discolored wood, with little or no other permanent damage to the tree. Research has also shown no evidence of any harmful organisms entering treatment sites. If the manufacturer's instructions are followed, the injection sites will close in the first growing season. Trees should not be injected in new locations until the old wounds have completely closed.
Micro-Infusion™ System
Micro-Infusion™ technology was developed to deliver high volumes of systemic chemicals, such as insecticides, fungicides, and mineral elements to large trees and resinous conifers. There are two key components to the system:
As trees increase in diameter, their canopy volume increases exponentially. For example, if a 10 inch DBH tree has a 1 time canopy volume, a 20 inch tree will have 8 times the volume of foliage, a 30 inch tree, 27 times and so on. Using Micro-Infusion™ technology, dosages are designed to take into account the dilution that occurs in trees as they increase in size. Research has demonstrated the efficacy of higher dosages in larger trees.
This method of application requires a larger capacity compared to micro-injection capsules. A higher pressure is used to counter resin flow of conifers for the duration of the infusion process and not to force liquids into trees. A branch manifold accommodates multiple lines (4 to 16), each of which terminate at an injection needle. The injection needle pierces a rubber septum in a port fitted into the sapwood to prevent liquid back-flow. Like other trunk injection systems, this method requires drilling into the sapwood, so the trees can transport the systemic chemicals.
Soil Injection System
Systemic chemicals may also be applied by soil injection. However, the soil injectors can damage roots and make injured roots susceptible to invasion by root pathogens. Systemic chemicals injected into the soil may also impact beneficial soil microorganisms. In addition, increasing concerns about groundwater contamination have limited the use of soil injections in many areas.
Pros of Tree Injections:
Cons of Tree Injections:
Description of Injection Processes:
Materials can be delivered into the xylem of trees because the pressure in the xylem is below that of atmospheric pressure. As the water is evaporated from the leaves it creates the negative pressure which pulls more water from the roots. Under these conditions, injected materials will be drawn up with the water collected by the roots and into the crown due to this negative pressure gradient. If the desired site of action is the upper crown, it is best to inject during the active transpiration period of summer, while moving materials into the roots are best done in the late fall or early spring. As the tree goes into winter dormancy, trees will pull the majority of it's sap from the upper reaches of the trees to help keep it from freezing. The sap is stored in the roots where some growth continues in areas of unfrozen soil.
Trees with large diameter vessels such as oaks, elm, and ash will usually allow rapid uptake of injected materials, while trees with small diameter vessels such as maples, birch, and beech will have slower uptake and should not be injected until the leaves are fully developed and have begun to transpire. Additional time should be planned for treatment of these trees. Resin flow into injection holes of conifers may interfere with the uptake of materials.
Carefully drilling the holes and using very sharp drill bits can minimize resin plugging, provided that each feeder or implant is inserted within seconds after the opening is made. Also be sure to remove all the drill shavings before inserting the feeder tube or implant capsule. Injectors should be placed in bark furrows where bark is thinnest.
Injected fertilizer
According to the researchers who have devised these products, injected fertilizers are another way to fertilize a tree. The mineral nutrients bypass the nutrient absorbing process, so the tree will not have to spend energy to get minerals into the transport system. Injected fertilizer also enables the arborist to treat trees where soil applications cannot be delivered to the roots.
Treatments for Pest Control
Injections are an effective means to control insect pests. When injected directly into the tree's sap stream, the
compounds are toxic only to those insects feeding on the tree. A long-lasting systemic insecticide, such as Imidacloprid, can be used to control insect pests such as the Asian long-horned beetle and Emerald Ash Borer.
Some fungicides move into the xylem and are diluted by the fluids of the tree to remain at an effective level throughout the trunk, branches, twigs, and leaves. It has been determined that the concentration of fungicides in the crown builds to an effective level for 30 days.
When several systemic treatment periods may be necessary, create drill holes in patterns that will avoid vertical alignment of future treatment sites. Consider not retreating if previous wounds have not closed after one growing season or if fluxing or cracking occurs at the treatment site. Not all trees can tolerate systemic chemicals or the physical wounding. Do not place treatment sites between root flares where cambial growth is narrow and less conductive. Follow the manufacturer’s label recommendations and any supplemental guides that are provided. When possible, keep records and monitor all treated trees. Systemic chemical treatments require the same diagnosis and proper selection of product as when using conventional spray methods.
Sources
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, Utility Specialist, Climber Specialist, Aerial Lift Specialist, or BCMA science and management credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
Edited by Len Phillips
Successful management of tree pests is dependent upon delivering a pesticide to the infested parts of a tree. One way this is accomplished is by systemic placement of pesticides into the sap stream of the tree. The chemicals then flow throughout the tree to provide control of the pests.
Injections made into healthy xylem have also been used successfully to treat deficiencies of iron, zinc, and manganese as well as provide fertilizer, fungicide, insecticide, growth retardant, and antibiotics. Response to treatment can be evident in as soon as 3 weeks and repeat treatment may be required only after 3 to 5 years. Systemic chemical treatments may be delivered to the tree in five different ways:
- macro-injection system
- implant system
- micro-injection system
- micro-infusion system
- soil injection system.
Macro-injection System
The key characteristic of macro-injection is that several gallons of dilute solution of material are injected into the tree. Holes 0.4 inches (1 cm) or greater in diameter are first bored into the tree trunk to the depth of the outer layers of sapwood. Then a series of T-shaped nozzles are connected with tubing to a container of the chemical solution. Macro-injection has been used primarily to treat vascular diseases such as Dutch elm disease, since American elms have the xylem porosity sufficient to accept large volumes of liquids via trunk injection. Macro-injection can be applied at either low or high pressure, but only trained professional arborists should use this method. With macro-injection, the large volume of solution, if pressured too high, can separate the bark from the sapwood.
Implant System
The implant technique utilizes a tiny bullet-sized plastic cartridge that contains water-soluble chemicals. The chemicals are absorbed into the sap-stream liquid and are released to the tree crown. Implants are easy to use and eliminate the need to dispose of a chemical container since the implant is left in the tree. Implants require holes up to 0.4 in. (1 cm) in diameter. Conifer resin plugging has not had an adverse effect with implants. Implants have become an increasingly popular clinical alternative to spray applications in the treatment of urban trees.
Micro-injection System
Micro-injection allows the low-volume introduction of systemic chemicals, such as antibiotics, fungicides, insecticides, mineral nutrients, and plant growth regulators directly into a tree without risk of spill or drift. The micro-injection system consists of a plastic closed capsule containing water-soluble chemicals and a short plastic feeder tube with a diameter of 1/8" (0.44 cm) or less, inserted into a pre-drilled hole at the base of the trunk or flair. Micro-injection capsules are under low pressure when they are placed on the tree. The purpose of this low pressure in the capsule is merely to aid in emptying the capsule reservoir and not to force the systemic chemical into the tree. High-pressure injection can injure tree tissues, especially the bark and cambium. Low pressures are sufficient to empty the injection reservoir and cause the least impact to the tree. Installing the injector unit requires some knowledge and practice, so only trained and licensed pesticide applicators should install them. Since the micro-injection products are concentrated, improper installation can result in chemical burns.
Micro-injection wounds compartmentalize because the drilled holes fill up with callus tissue and wound wood forms over the injection sites. Tree wounds for systemic treatments should be as small as possible and only in healthy tissue. Research indicates that when the treatment sites have been correctly drilled and placed, most trees effectively compartmentalize the injured tissue into narrow columns of discolored wood, with little or no other permanent damage to the tree. Research has also shown no evidence of any harmful organisms entering treatment sites. If the manufacturer's instructions are followed, the injection sites will close in the first growing season. Trees should not be injected in new locations until the old wounds have completely closed.
Micro-Infusion™ System
Micro-Infusion™ technology was developed to deliver high volumes of systemic chemicals, such as insecticides, fungicides, and mineral elements to large trees and resinous conifers. There are two key components to the system:
- dosage in relation to tree size
- high-capacity delivery system.
As trees increase in diameter, their canopy volume increases exponentially. For example, if a 10 inch DBH tree has a 1 time canopy volume, a 20 inch tree will have 8 times the volume of foliage, a 30 inch tree, 27 times and so on. Using Micro-Infusion™ technology, dosages are designed to take into account the dilution that occurs in trees as they increase in size. Research has demonstrated the efficacy of higher dosages in larger trees.
This method of application requires a larger capacity compared to micro-injection capsules. A higher pressure is used to counter resin flow of conifers for the duration of the infusion process and not to force liquids into trees. A branch manifold accommodates multiple lines (4 to 16), each of which terminate at an injection needle. The injection needle pierces a rubber septum in a port fitted into the sapwood to prevent liquid back-flow. Like other trunk injection systems, this method requires drilling into the sapwood, so the trees can transport the systemic chemicals.
Soil Injection System
Systemic chemicals may also be applied by soil injection. However, the soil injectors can damage roots and make injured roots susceptible to invasion by root pathogens. Systemic chemicals injected into the soil may also impact beneficial soil microorganisms. In addition, increasing concerns about groundwater contamination have limited the use of soil injections in many areas.
Pros of Tree Injections:
- Systemic treatments in the trunk can provide a quick therapeutic response in healthy trees, hold certain elements in storage for the tree's future use, and are especially useful where conventional treatments are ineffective.
- Systemic treatments are useful where environmental concerns dictate that aerial sprays and soil treatments cannot be used.
- Except for macro-injections, minute quantities of chemicals are delivered into the target tree without exposing the surrounding environment.
- Systemic treatments will not harm the applicator, the environment, wildlife, or beneficial insects (depending on the product).
- It is generally less expensive to use systemic treatments than conventional spraying.
- With training, systemic tree injections are simple to use.
Cons of Tree Injections:
- Systemic injections cause wounds to a tree. The wound sites compartmentalize and cease to function.
- Abuses such as slant hole drilling and extended-period injections can cause discoloration and cell degradation.
- Each injection creates a wound that can be a potential colonization site for decay fungi.
- Some dead xylem forms above and below the wound.
Description of Injection Processes:
Materials can be delivered into the xylem of trees because the pressure in the xylem is below that of atmospheric pressure. As the water is evaporated from the leaves it creates the negative pressure which pulls more water from the roots. Under these conditions, injected materials will be drawn up with the water collected by the roots and into the crown due to this negative pressure gradient. If the desired site of action is the upper crown, it is best to inject during the active transpiration period of summer, while moving materials into the roots are best done in the late fall or early spring. As the tree goes into winter dormancy, trees will pull the majority of it's sap from the upper reaches of the trees to help keep it from freezing. The sap is stored in the roots where some growth continues in areas of unfrozen soil.
Trees with large diameter vessels such as oaks, elm, and ash will usually allow rapid uptake of injected materials, while trees with small diameter vessels such as maples, birch, and beech will have slower uptake and should not be injected until the leaves are fully developed and have begun to transpire. Additional time should be planned for treatment of these trees. Resin flow into injection holes of conifers may interfere with the uptake of materials.
Carefully drilling the holes and using very sharp drill bits can minimize resin plugging, provided that each feeder or implant is inserted within seconds after the opening is made. Also be sure to remove all the drill shavings before inserting the feeder tube or implant capsule. Injectors should be placed in bark furrows where bark is thinnest.
Injected fertilizer
According to the researchers who have devised these products, injected fertilizers are another way to fertilize a tree. The mineral nutrients bypass the nutrient absorbing process, so the tree will not have to spend energy to get minerals into the transport system. Injected fertilizer also enables the arborist to treat trees where soil applications cannot be delivered to the roots.
Treatments for Pest Control
Injections are an effective means to control insect pests. When injected directly into the tree's sap stream, the
compounds are toxic only to those insects feeding on the tree. A long-lasting systemic insecticide, such as Imidacloprid, can be used to control insect pests such as the Asian long-horned beetle and Emerald Ash Borer.
Some fungicides move into the xylem and are diluted by the fluids of the tree to remain at an effective level throughout the trunk, branches, twigs, and leaves. It has been determined that the concentration of fungicides in the crown builds to an effective level for 30 days.
When several systemic treatment periods may be necessary, create drill holes in patterns that will avoid vertical alignment of future treatment sites. Consider not retreating if previous wounds have not closed after one growing season or if fluxing or cracking occurs at the treatment site. Not all trees can tolerate systemic chemicals or the physical wounding. Do not place treatment sites between root flares where cambial growth is narrow and less conductive. Follow the manufacturer’s label recommendations and any supplemental guides that are provided. When possible, keep records and monitor all treated trees. Systemic chemical treatments require the same diagnosis and proper selection of product as when using conventional spray methods.
Sources
- Doccola, Joseph J. and Peter M. Wild, “Best Management Practices for Emerald Ash Borer: Use of IMA-jet in the Arborjet Tree I.V. as a Method of Tree Protection”, Arborjet, Inc., Woburn, MA, July 2007.
- Gillman, Jeff and Carl Rosen, "Tree Fertilization", FO-07410, University of Minnesota, Department of Horticulture, 2000.
- Phillips, Leonard, "Systemic Tree Injections", City Trees, May/June, 1991.
- Tattar, Terry A. PhD, "Tree Health Care Using Micro-injection Technology", Shade Tree Laboratory, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA.
- Tattar, Terry A. PhD, "Use of Micro-injection to Solve Tree Health Problems on Golf Courses", Shade Tree Laboratory, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA.
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, Utility Specialist, Climber Specialist, Aerial Lift Specialist, or BCMA science and management credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
Greening Vacant Lots
Edited by Len Phillips
A tree, some grass, a couple of shrubs beside a bench, a low wooden fence, and regular maintenance. With these basic elements, an unloved, vacant lot can be transformed from being a visual blight and drain on the city into a powerful booster of mental health.
According to a study by five doctors at the University of Pennsylvania, residents of low-income neighborhoods in Philadelphia who saw their vacant lots greened by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society experienced “significant decreases” in feelings of depression and worthlessness. And this positive change happened at a cost of just $1,500 per lot. In addition to the mental improvement of neighboring residents, the beautification effort provided a modest improvement in the fight against global warming.
This is a clear indication that the physical environment impacts our mental health and a spot of green, offers a cost-effective way to fight mental illness in light of the sky-rocketing costs of doctor and emergency room visits and drug prescriptions.
In many low-income communities, vacant and dilapidated spaces are unavoidable conditions that residents encounter every day, making the very existence of these sections of the city a constant source of stress. These vacant lots collect trash, lack quality sidewalks and parks, and are factors associated with depression which may explain the prevalence of mental illness and crime in our cities today.
Conversely, neighborhoods that are well-maintained, free of trash and run-down lots, and offer access to green spaces are associated with improved mental health outcomes, including less depression, anxiety, and stress.
This means that cleaning up empty lots in low-income communities can potentially buffer the negative mental impacts of living in a low-income neighborhood.
Some vacant lots were studied in Philadelphia. One third of these lots were improved to focus on green; one third just had their trash cleaned up; and one third experienced no change. Each lot selected for greening underwent a process that involved removing trash and debris, grading the land, planting new grass and a small number of trees, installing a low wooden perimeter fence with openings, adding a bench or two, and performing regular maintenance. Cleaned-up lots saw their garbage removed and they were mowed and given regular maintenance.
People who lived in neighborhoods near these lots agreed to have their mental health assessed both before and after the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society intervened. Participants were asked to indicate how often they felt nervous, hopeless, restless, depressed, that everything was an effort and worthless.
The survey indicated that greening lots was associated with a significant reduction in feeling depressed and worthless as well as a non-significant reduction in overall self-reported poor mental health. The trash clean-up alone didn’t lead to any reduction in negative feelings.
The greening a lot cost just $1,500 and required around $180 in maintenance a year. In other cities and communities with significant amounts of blight, that amount would likely be a lot less.
Beyond the mental health gains, greening lots can increase “community cohesion, social capital, and collective efficacy. Given the many associated benefits, greening lots in low-income communities is a no-brainer.
Source
Green, Jared, “A Cost-Effective Way to Treat Depression: Greening Vacant Lots,” Dirt, August 15, 2018.
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, or BCMA management credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
Edited by Len Phillips
A tree, some grass, a couple of shrubs beside a bench, a low wooden fence, and regular maintenance. With these basic elements, an unloved, vacant lot can be transformed from being a visual blight and drain on the city into a powerful booster of mental health.
According to a study by five doctors at the University of Pennsylvania, residents of low-income neighborhoods in Philadelphia who saw their vacant lots greened by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society experienced “significant decreases” in feelings of depression and worthlessness. And this positive change happened at a cost of just $1,500 per lot. In addition to the mental improvement of neighboring residents, the beautification effort provided a modest improvement in the fight against global warming.
This is a clear indication that the physical environment impacts our mental health and a spot of green, offers a cost-effective way to fight mental illness in light of the sky-rocketing costs of doctor and emergency room visits and drug prescriptions.
In many low-income communities, vacant and dilapidated spaces are unavoidable conditions that residents encounter every day, making the very existence of these sections of the city a constant source of stress. These vacant lots collect trash, lack quality sidewalks and parks, and are factors associated with depression which may explain the prevalence of mental illness and crime in our cities today.
Conversely, neighborhoods that are well-maintained, free of trash and run-down lots, and offer access to green spaces are associated with improved mental health outcomes, including less depression, anxiety, and stress.
This means that cleaning up empty lots in low-income communities can potentially buffer the negative mental impacts of living in a low-income neighborhood.
Some vacant lots were studied in Philadelphia. One third of these lots were improved to focus on green; one third just had their trash cleaned up; and one third experienced no change. Each lot selected for greening underwent a process that involved removing trash and debris, grading the land, planting new grass and a small number of trees, installing a low wooden perimeter fence with openings, adding a bench or two, and performing regular maintenance. Cleaned-up lots saw their garbage removed and they were mowed and given regular maintenance.
People who lived in neighborhoods near these lots agreed to have their mental health assessed both before and after the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society intervened. Participants were asked to indicate how often they felt nervous, hopeless, restless, depressed, that everything was an effort and worthless.
The survey indicated that greening lots was associated with a significant reduction in feeling depressed and worthless as well as a non-significant reduction in overall self-reported poor mental health. The trash clean-up alone didn’t lead to any reduction in negative feelings.
The greening a lot cost just $1,500 and required around $180 in maintenance a year. In other cities and communities with significant amounts of blight, that amount would likely be a lot less.
Beyond the mental health gains, greening lots can increase “community cohesion, social capital, and collective efficacy. Given the many associated benefits, greening lots in low-income communities is a no-brainer.
Source
Green, Jared, “A Cost-Effective Way to Treat Depression: Greening Vacant Lots,” Dirt, August 15, 2018.
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, or BCMA management credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
Trees with Tales
By Len Phillips
The Tree
Pyrus communis, commonly called European Pear or common pear, have aromatic, 5-petaled flowers that are creamy white occasionally flushed with pale pink, in corymbs that appear in early spring on spur-like branchlets. The flowers give way to edible, pear-shaped fruits that ripen from mid-summer to autumn depending on the cultivar.
Standard trees, not the dwarfs, typically grow to 25-50 feet (8-15 m) tall and a 15-20 feet (5-7 m) wide spread with upright branching and pyramidal form unless they are grafted to dwarf rootstock. The Champion Tree, located in Strafford, NH has a height of 59 feet (18 m) and spread of 43 feet (13.5 m). In contrast, trees grafted to dwarf root-stocks generally grow to 8-10 feet (2.4-3 m) tall. Ovate to elliptic glossy dark green leaves, to 4 inches (10 cm) long and have crenate to serrate margins. Foliage turns shades of red and yellow in autumn. Pears are usually very susceptible to fireblight, particularly in years with warm and wet spring weather. Additional disease problems include anthracnose, canker, scab, and powdery mildew. Insect visitors include pear psylla, coddling moth, and borers.
The Tales
The European pear was shipped along with the first wave of immigrants to the New World. Included was an English Puritan named John Endecott, who in 1629, arrived to serve as the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In 1630, as his children watched, Endecott planted several European Pear trees imported from across the Atlantic. He is said to have declared at the time: "I hope the pear tree will love this soil in Salem, Massachusetts and when we have gone the tree will still be alive."
His wish came true and today, one 390 year old European Pear Tree, also known as the Endecott Pear, is still alive in present day Danvers, Massachusetts. It lives on the former Endecott farm and is now surrounded by an iron fence and is tended every year by a local arborist. The tree is also still bearing fruit. I have visited this tree, growing on Endicott Street. It is quite some distance from the street and it is now hidden behind a multi-story office building with a parking lot overlooking the tree. The tree commands quite a place of honor with the iron fence screened by a row of tall yews and located on the bank of a tidal stream where the loam is very deep. The tree is in very good condition for its age and I expect it has many more years of life left in it. It’s worth noting that the tree’s stubborn survival and historic significance has earned a spot for its genetic daughters to be propagated and protected at the National Clonal Germplasm Repository in Corvallis, Oregon.
The cultivated pear trees may not bear fruit until 4-5 years after being planted. For fruit production purposes, dwarf stock takes up less space and are ideal for a backyard. They are also much easier to maintain in regard to controlling insects and diseases, as well as training, pruning, and harvesting the fruit. These trees with dwarf rootstocks should be planted to allow growth up to 15 feet (4.6 m) apart. For long-term fruit production, only grow the cultivars with good resistance to fireblight. Pears generally perform best in cool, dry climates where fireblight is less of a problem. Once again, the Endecott pear, approaching 400 years of age, proves this information is correct.
The European pear is a species of pear native to central and eastern Europe and southwest Asia and it was all that was known about pears when John Endecott ordered his trees. It is one of the most important fruits of temperate regions, being the species from which most orchard pear cultivars have been developed and are now grown in Europe, North America, and Australia. Archeological evidence shows these pears were collected from the wild long before their introduction into cultivation as has been mentioned in the works of the Greek and Roman writers.
The common pear is the parent of a large number of pear cultivars grown for fruit production. Most of the pears sold in supermarkets today come from varieties of this species, including my favorites such as ‘Comice’, ‘Bartlett’, and ‘Anjou’. The European pear is sometimes used as a collective name for all pear cultivars grown for their fruit. Cultivars of the European pear have been widely planted in North America, however, many have escaped cultivation and reverted back to the common pear and can be found throughout much of the eastern U.S. in abandoned fields, along fence-rows and in open woodland areas.
Appreciate the European pear for its excellent fruit and the contribution to early American history.
Sources
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, or BCMA science and management credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
By Len Phillips
The Tree
Pyrus communis, commonly called European Pear or common pear, have aromatic, 5-petaled flowers that are creamy white occasionally flushed with pale pink, in corymbs that appear in early spring on spur-like branchlets. The flowers give way to edible, pear-shaped fruits that ripen from mid-summer to autumn depending on the cultivar.
Standard trees, not the dwarfs, typically grow to 25-50 feet (8-15 m) tall and a 15-20 feet (5-7 m) wide spread with upright branching and pyramidal form unless they are grafted to dwarf rootstock. The Champion Tree, located in Strafford, NH has a height of 59 feet (18 m) and spread of 43 feet (13.5 m). In contrast, trees grafted to dwarf root-stocks generally grow to 8-10 feet (2.4-3 m) tall. Ovate to elliptic glossy dark green leaves, to 4 inches (10 cm) long and have crenate to serrate margins. Foliage turns shades of red and yellow in autumn. Pears are usually very susceptible to fireblight, particularly in years with warm and wet spring weather. Additional disease problems include anthracnose, canker, scab, and powdery mildew. Insect visitors include pear psylla, coddling moth, and borers.
The Tales
The European pear was shipped along with the first wave of immigrants to the New World. Included was an English Puritan named John Endecott, who in 1629, arrived to serve as the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In 1630, as his children watched, Endecott planted several European Pear trees imported from across the Atlantic. He is said to have declared at the time: "I hope the pear tree will love this soil in Salem, Massachusetts and when we have gone the tree will still be alive."
His wish came true and today, one 390 year old European Pear Tree, also known as the Endecott Pear, is still alive in present day Danvers, Massachusetts. It lives on the former Endecott farm and is now surrounded by an iron fence and is tended every year by a local arborist. The tree is also still bearing fruit. I have visited this tree, growing on Endicott Street. It is quite some distance from the street and it is now hidden behind a multi-story office building with a parking lot overlooking the tree. The tree commands quite a place of honor with the iron fence screened by a row of tall yews and located on the bank of a tidal stream where the loam is very deep. The tree is in very good condition for its age and I expect it has many more years of life left in it. It’s worth noting that the tree’s stubborn survival and historic significance has earned a spot for its genetic daughters to be propagated and protected at the National Clonal Germplasm Repository in Corvallis, Oregon.
The cultivated pear trees may not bear fruit until 4-5 years after being planted. For fruit production purposes, dwarf stock takes up less space and are ideal for a backyard. They are also much easier to maintain in regard to controlling insects and diseases, as well as training, pruning, and harvesting the fruit. These trees with dwarf rootstocks should be planted to allow growth up to 15 feet (4.6 m) apart. For long-term fruit production, only grow the cultivars with good resistance to fireblight. Pears generally perform best in cool, dry climates where fireblight is less of a problem. Once again, the Endecott pear, approaching 400 years of age, proves this information is correct.
The European pear is a species of pear native to central and eastern Europe and southwest Asia and it was all that was known about pears when John Endecott ordered his trees. It is one of the most important fruits of temperate regions, being the species from which most orchard pear cultivars have been developed and are now grown in Europe, North America, and Australia. Archeological evidence shows these pears were collected from the wild long before their introduction into cultivation as has been mentioned in the works of the Greek and Roman writers.
The common pear is the parent of a large number of pear cultivars grown for fruit production. Most of the pears sold in supermarkets today come from varieties of this species, including my favorites such as ‘Comice’, ‘Bartlett’, and ‘Anjou’. The European pear is sometimes used as a collective name for all pear cultivars grown for their fruit. Cultivars of the European pear have been widely planted in North America, however, many have escaped cultivation and reverted back to the common pear and can be found throughout much of the eastern U.S. in abandoned fields, along fence-rows and in open woodland areas.
Appreciate the European pear for its excellent fruit and the contribution to early American history.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden, “Pyrus communis”, Plant Finder, 2017.
- Phillips, Len, “Trees in American History”, Seminar #67, 2016
- Wikipedia, “Pyrus communis”, 26 June 2017.
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, or BCMA science and management credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
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Outstanding Inventors of Trees
Joseph Gottlieb Koelreuter
Edited by Len Phillips
Koelreuteria paniculata, commonly called Goldenraintree, was named after Joseph Gottlieb Koelreuter (1733-1806). He was a professor of natural history in Karlsruhe, the second-largest city of the German federal state of Baden-Württemberg. Joseph Koelreuter (also spelled Kölreuter or Kohlreuter), was a German botanist who pioneered the study of plant fertilization and hybridization, and was the first to detect self-incompatibility. He considered himself an investigator and observer as well as a rigorous experimenter who used careful crossing experiments to develop hybrids.
Koelreuter was the oldest of three sons of an apothecary in Karlsruhe and grew up in Sulz, a city next to Karlsruhe. He took an early interest in natural history and made a collection of local insects. Koelreuter was educated at the universities of Berlin and Leipzig, and at Tübingen, where he received his medical degree. After Koelreuter earned his degree, he received an appointment at the Imperial Academy of Sciences at St. Petersburg. where he used his background to begin experimenting in plant hybridization.
The dominant belief during his time was that an offspring of a plant was already established in the female or the male and that the embryo was developed before sex (pollination) and that the origin decided the offspring's characteristics or similarities to the one parent. Koelreuter, changed this theory by noting a mixing of the characteristics of each parent and proposed the idea that there had to be an oil which passed through male and female semen that combined in the process of fertilization. He believed that equal quantities of the male and female fluid were needed and he determined there was a system of excretion canals in the wall of the pollen grain that had to reach the stigma. As little as one grain of pollen could result in seed development.
Beginning in 1761 Koelreuter published a series of papers on sex in plants and then became a professor of natural history and curator of the Botanical Gardens at Karlsruhe in 1764. He cultivated plants with the purpose of studying their fertilization and development. He also performed experiments which included artificial fertilization, hybridization, and the production of fertile hybrids between plants of different species. Koelreuter also recognized the importance of insects and wind as agents for pollen transfer in plant fertilization. He also applied the system of classification, developed by the Swedish botanist and naturalist Carolus Linnaeus, to lower plant forms.
Unfortunately, his work was not recognized or appreciated until long after his death. Kolreuter's findings are not all reported and many parts of his work have still not been fully translated into English and this has led to many of the results not being examined at all. He conducted nearly 500 different hybridization experiments across 138 species and examined the pollen characteristics of over 1000 plant species.
He also pondered over the commercial applications of hybridization. He wished that somebody would be so lucky someday to produce a species hybrid of trees which, with respect to the use of its lumber, would have a large influence on the economy. Among other good properties, these hybrid trees might also have one that would reach their full size in half the time of normal trees.
Koelreuter's hybridization research greatly influenced the development of the evolutionary theory in the eighteenth century. Because of his revolutionary thinking, the genus Koelreuteria was named in his honor.
Sources
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, or BCMA science and management credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
Joseph Gottlieb Koelreuter
Edited by Len Phillips
Koelreuteria paniculata, commonly called Goldenraintree, was named after Joseph Gottlieb Koelreuter (1733-1806). He was a professor of natural history in Karlsruhe, the second-largest city of the German federal state of Baden-Württemberg. Joseph Koelreuter (also spelled Kölreuter or Kohlreuter), was a German botanist who pioneered the study of plant fertilization and hybridization, and was the first to detect self-incompatibility. He considered himself an investigator and observer as well as a rigorous experimenter who used careful crossing experiments to develop hybrids.
Koelreuter was the oldest of three sons of an apothecary in Karlsruhe and grew up in Sulz, a city next to Karlsruhe. He took an early interest in natural history and made a collection of local insects. Koelreuter was educated at the universities of Berlin and Leipzig, and at Tübingen, where he received his medical degree. After Koelreuter earned his degree, he received an appointment at the Imperial Academy of Sciences at St. Petersburg. where he used his background to begin experimenting in plant hybridization.
The dominant belief during his time was that an offspring of a plant was already established in the female or the male and that the embryo was developed before sex (pollination) and that the origin decided the offspring's characteristics or similarities to the one parent. Koelreuter, changed this theory by noting a mixing of the characteristics of each parent and proposed the idea that there had to be an oil which passed through male and female semen that combined in the process of fertilization. He believed that equal quantities of the male and female fluid were needed and he determined there was a system of excretion canals in the wall of the pollen grain that had to reach the stigma. As little as one grain of pollen could result in seed development.
Beginning in 1761 Koelreuter published a series of papers on sex in plants and then became a professor of natural history and curator of the Botanical Gardens at Karlsruhe in 1764. He cultivated plants with the purpose of studying their fertilization and development. He also performed experiments which included artificial fertilization, hybridization, and the production of fertile hybrids between plants of different species. Koelreuter also recognized the importance of insects and wind as agents for pollen transfer in plant fertilization. He also applied the system of classification, developed by the Swedish botanist and naturalist Carolus Linnaeus, to lower plant forms.
Unfortunately, his work was not recognized or appreciated until long after his death. Kolreuter's findings are not all reported and many parts of his work have still not been fully translated into English and this has led to many of the results not being examined at all. He conducted nearly 500 different hybridization experiments across 138 species and examined the pollen characteristics of over 1000 plant species.
He also pondered over the commercial applications of hybridization. He wished that somebody would be so lucky someday to produce a species hybrid of trees which, with respect to the use of its lumber, would have a large influence on the economy. Among other good properties, these hybrid trees might also have one that would reach their full size in half the time of normal trees.
Koelreuter's hybridization research greatly influenced the development of the evolutionary theory in the eighteenth century. Because of his revolutionary thinking, the genus Koelreuteria was named in his honor.
Sources
- Encyclopedia Brittannica, Joseph Gottlieb Koelreuter
- Wikipedia, Joseph Gottlieb Koelreuter, 13 December 2018
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, or BCMA science and management credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.