summer 2006 the ecological landscaper newsletter

8/6/2019 Summer 2006 The Ecological Landscaper Newsletter

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The Newsletter of the Ecological Landscaping Association Vol. 13, No. 1 Summer 2006

TREES,ACHALLENGEOF PERSPECTIVE Rolf Schilling

Trees:

1 Trees, a Challenge of Perspective

4 Learning About Trees

5 Biological Control of the Winter Moth

6 ELA News

7 Unclassifieds, Events, Gleanings

c o n t e n t s

The wonder is that we can see these trees and not

wonder more.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

With due respect, contrary to Mr. Emersons quote, many of us do think

about trees. And because we wonder, this issue contains articles andinformation from folks who not only think about trees but share their

findings with us. Hope you are inspired to wonder more.

Its all about competition. Or is it?For most of the past two centuries,we have been given a picture of forestsas realms of fierce competition, and

have looked upon human interfer-ence as constructive refereeing. Partlyas a result, landscaping practices havetraditionally treated trees as individu-als and plants in general in isolatedterms. Every sort of attempt has beenmade to protect trees from shrubs,herbaceous plants, insects, everything.eres a fungus among us, goes thedark refrain.

Ecological and biochemical re-

search in tree biology and plantcommunities has yielded endless new

understanding and insight. We nowrealize that there are a number of sym-bioses in arboreal life processes andthat trees normally, not by exception,

depend on multiple other organisms oftheir own and diverse species for sus-tained health. Where biologists tendedto study one species, they now studycommunities. ere is much to learn,but the emerging picture of trees sug-gests that we could better view them as

we do coral reefs than as stand-alonespecimens in a lawn or clumps in aparking island.

While the heady parts of science

may seem remote to daily landscapepractices, there is much that can beput to use. Treating the health of treesas isolated individuals is a practicethat misunderstands the life functionsof trees and the plant community.

e tree growing wild in disassocia-tion with fungi, shrubs, herbs, lichens,mosses, insects and other herbivores,their predators, and other trees israre indeed. Not viewing trees as part

of an integral community has manyhazards. Pesky fungi can simply be hit

with some heavy metals. Spray lar-vae with toxic alkaloids. Slow growth

can be pushed with nitrogen, slowblooms with phosphorus. All thesethings seem practicable, with discre-tion, because the tree is thought to be

viable on its own. e track recordsof human intercession against pests is

very disappointing, and often includesdevastation of non-target species whilethe pest continues to thrive.

ere is little evidence from naturethat trees remain healthy on their own

What appears in all the research isclose interdependence between treesand most or all the life forms thatinhabit their native communities.

What is also becoming apparent isthat the removal of an organism froma community creates extended chainsof disruptions that can lead to the dis-appearance of many other organisms.

e picture is one where symbiosis organisms mutually benefiting from


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Gramma said when you come onsomething good, first thing to do is

share it with whoever you can find;that way the good spread out whereno telling it will go. Which is right.

Little Tree in The Education of

Little Tree, by Forrest Carter

ELA Board of Directors

President: Chris OBrienVice President: Dennis Collins

Treasurer: Sue StorerRecording Secretary: Owen Wormser

e Ecological Landscaper is pub-lished by the Ecological LandscapingAssociation (ELA). Subscriptions area benefit of membership in ELA. Forinformation about ELA, contact:

ELA, 60 Thoreau Street, #252Concord, MA 01742-2456(617) 436-5838www.ecolandscaping.org

Talk to us! We welcome comments,

letters, articles, ideas, and opinions.Write to us with your ideas for news-letter content:

Rolf Schilling180 Hemenway RoadFramingham, MA 01701508-877-3452

[Note: Rolfs email address will appear in the Fall

issue of the ELA Newsletter.]

Send all other ELA business, includ-ing address changes, to the Concordaddress listed above.

e ELA board meets throughout theyear in various locations in easternMassachusetts. All members are

welcome. Contact us for specific datesand locations.

their interdependence becomes thedominant force. Symbiosis occurs onintra- and interspecific levels, withinthe same species and between organ-isms of different species, genus, order,and kingdom.

Current events in the IPM life of alandscape professional provide plenty

of case examples pointing toward theimportance of understanding trees ascommunity organisms, and the dan-gers of tampering. In the case of gypsymoth infestation of oaks, economicloss has driven research on many levelsin this pest-host relationship. Oaksoften fuse roots in an extended group,and this is accomplished with mycor-rhizal fungi as an intermediary sharingchemical messengers, defense toxins,

and nutrients this way. rough thismeans and through volatile terpenes,oaks are able to signal the onset of adevastating infestation. Unaffectedoaks are able to withdraw nutrientsinto their roots and thus cheat, and re-duce the breeding success of the gypsymoths. On the other hand, humanintercession with Bacillus thuringensis(Bt), while a natural pathogen fromthe moths native range, has devas-

tated our native silk moths, like Lunaand Cercropia, along with pesticidesand introduced fungi. en there areunresolved questions such as hownitrogen fertilizer and resulting excesstender growth (with low toxin concen-trations) affects browsing selection bydeer and ovipositing insects.

Birches and other members of Bet-ulaceae, maples, willows and poplarsare all known to engage in root fusion,

and some are even known to fuse rootswith trees outside their own genus. Weknow that stands of sumac, aspen andbeech tend to be clonal, one organismreally. Root fusion in forest trees, shar-ing nutrients and defenses, questions

whether we should view trees as indi-viduals. As we see borers and minerswreak havoc on white birches in land-scape plantings, these are contrasted byhealthy and numerous white birches

lighting up the hillsides of the north-ern states. Root fusion, pest-parasitoidlife cycles, and fungal symbioses mayall have a role in the final explanationas to why we see this. Furious pursuitof Sudden Oak Death in Californiahas produced the observation thatimpact is greatest in forest edges and

in disrupted groves. e Phytophtheragenus of fungus has a nefarious historyof creating destruction where humanshave recently changed the landscape.Fungi in general suggest that an emptyniche is the devils playground.

Pines and their use of resins, thecomplex of terpenes some of whichcreate that wonderful piney smell,provide an object lesson on the infe-rior nature of human insect control.

Pines are very diverse in the mixture ofterpenes their resins contain, even inthe same species and the same stand.Under intense herbivory from beetles,the pines retain their chemical diversi-ty. e result is that the beetles cannotsuccessfully adapt to any one array ofchemical defenses. In addition, mono-terpenes are released heavily into theair immediately as pines endure dam-age to their needles, and this creates a

localized cloud of ozone and organicnitrates toxic to beetles. It is producedon demand. e same cannot be saidfor any human treatment product. erange of actions on beetles of pine sapis astounding. Sap resins are a mix ofsimple and complex terpenes that have

very distinct effects on insects andanimals that feed on them. It has beenshown that one pinene repels beetles

while another in the same mix attracts

Also, other elements of the same mixinterfere with beetle pheromones, andothers are directly toxic. Pines alter themixture in response to infestations thatform complex cycles over the life ofthe pest. Similar interactions have beenstudied with Scolytid beetles, sprucebudworms (Choristoneura spp.), andsawflies ofRhyacionia andNeodiprion.Despite well-funded research drivenby the value of commercial timber, the

Executive Administrator : Penny Lewis

M.L. AltobelliNancy AskinDon Bishop

Joanna CampeKaren Dominguez-BrannBill JewellAndrea Knowles

John LarsenBob LeviteCathy RooneyKathy Sargent-

ONeillSandy VorceBruce Wenning

Mention of products is not intended to con-stitute endorsement. Opinions expressed inthis newsletter do not necessarily representthose of ELAs directors, staff, or members.

Ecological Landscaping2006


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host-pest cycles remain incompletelyexplained. Interceding at any point ofthis game can prevent the pines fromcompleting their management of thepest life cycle. In other words, spray-ing can, and likely often does, backfire,as in the case when caterpillars aresprayed only to produce an outbreak of

mobile spider mites because their morelocal predatory mites are gone.

Trees draw on soil bacteria and fun-gi for food, as well as defense. Preda-tory fungi hunt nematodes and othershave a limiting effect on potentiallypathogenic organisms. Parasitoids thatcontrol potential arthropod pests havelife cycles that require a few too manyspecies other than the tree of inter-est. Parasitoids often have their own

parasites. A fungus that controls onepathogen may itself become patho-genic at another point in its life cycle.In this sense, a diverse community ofspecies where all are held in check andbalance by their interactions with ahost of other species deserves consid-eration as the model for landscapersand gardeners to pursue.

e applications of the tree-as-community model are difficult to

exhaust. In the general sense, using asmany members of a naturally-occur-ring community as is practicable is aplan for success. In the more particularsense, thorny and/or toxic small shrubsprovide a good encouragement fordeer to move on past your highly ed-ible large shrub or tree. Another shrub

provides nitrogen-fixing ability, rootresins that are toxic to a pathogenicfungus, or late winter protection fromsun scald. In the clear sense, some treescan share chemical defenses with otherspecies through their roots, or confusethe reproduction cycle of pests withleaf resins. In the intuitive sense, plantsthat share a wild community share along list of more subtle interactions

which sustain that community.

Planting by community requireschange in how we sell, design andplant landscapes. Predesign atten-tion to each plants long-term idealconditions, interactions with agentsof control, and manual methods ofinfestation control (not all are labori-ous/disgusting) become paramount.

e notion of single focal plants needsto go, or specimens need to be nearlyfoolproof. Initial, successional, and

replacement plant material costs canbe higher (I found little data for com-parison). Place this possibility againstthe cost of fertilizer, pesticides, highermaintenance hours, still the cost ofreplacements, and impact on family/community health.

However you look at trees and theirrelationship to other plants, successfullong-term health relies on understand-ing their connectedness. While we

know important pieces of a pest-host-parasitoid cycles, we have yet to exhibitin practice that understanding. Puttingthe pieces of what we know together, itbecomes less useful to view an organ-ism as a pest, host, or parasite. If weallow new insights to inform landscapepractices, we can move toward pre-serving and recreating self-sustaininglandscapes. Plantings that presentnaturally-occurring communities as

completely as possible may become thetrend of long-term success.

Rolf Schilling worked in biochemistry beforeentering into garden design/installation inthe Metro New York area. More recently,he has gardened in the Berkshires and isHorticulturist at New England Wild FlowerSociety in Framingham, MA.

Bibliography:

Holdenrieder, O., M. Pautasso, P.J. Weis-berg and D. Lonsdale. 2004. Tree Diseasesand Landscape Processes: the Challenge ofLandscape Pathology. Trends in Ecology andEvolution. 19(8): 446-452.

Langenheim, J.H. 2003. Plant Resins: Chemis-try, Evolution, Ecology, Ethnobotany. Portland:Timber Press.

Litvak, M.E., S. Madronich and R.K. Monson.1999. The potential impact of herbivore-in-

duced monoterpene emissions from coniferousforests on local tropospheric chemistry dynam-ics. Ecological Applications. Vol. 9: 1157-1159.

Money, N.P. 2002. Mr. Bloomfields Orchard:The Mysterious World of Mushrooms, Moldsand Mycologists. New York: Oxford UniversityPress.

Ricklefs, R.E. and G. Miller. 2000. Ecology,4th Edition. New York: WH Freeman & Co.

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LEARNINGABOUTTREES Henry Homeyer

One of the workshops at ELAs2006 Winter Conference &Eco-Marketplace, Strengthening the

Weakened Tree gave me some newways of looking at trees. Rolf Briggs

and Dave Ropes, of Tree Specialists(www.treespecialists.com) in Hollis-ton, MA, are certified arborists whoconducted this workshop on goodpractices for pruning, planting andcaring for trees to optimize tree healthand structure.

From them I learned that roots andbranches are directly connected. isis to say, this particular root connectsto that particular branch. If you prune

off a big branch, or if a big root isdamaged, one affects the other. atexplains why, when I damaged a largeabove-ground root with a lawnmower,a big limb on the tree went into de-cline and died some years later. Andshame on me for my carelessness! Idnever really thought about it, but Iguess Id always assumed that the rootsbrought the tree water and nutrients,

and branches tapped into the trunkfor their supply. Not so. e phloemand xylem the pipes, if you will gofrom below ground to a particular partof the tree.

I also gained a new perspective onwatersprouts. I had understood thatthese pencil-like sprouts on fruit trees,

the ones that shoot straight up onlarger branches, were a stress response.Apparently, in summer, photosynthe-sis stops when temperatures are toohigh; the stomata (the pores on theunderneath side of leaves) shut downto minimize water loss. e interior ofthe tree, shaded by outer canopy, stayscooler, and photosynthesis continues.

Watersprouts grow to provide the treewith a way to continue producing food

by photosynthesis in hot times. Inpast springs, Ive usually removed allthe watersprouts that had grown the

year before. I considered them clutter,and knew that left on their own they

would grow into large branches thatfill the interior of the tree with toomuch growth. Ropes explained thatleaving a few watersprouts is a goodthing. It reduces the number of new

sprouts that appear each summer, andthese vertical branches can be trainedand pruned to develop into branchesthat arent reaching straight up orcausing problems.

ese arborists also emphasizedthat it is critical to plant trees at theproper depth. I raised the question of

how to deal with trees that have beenliving in a pot at the garden centerfor a year or more and have had theirtrunk flare covered with 3-4 inchesof soil. Small adventitious roots oftengrow out of the trunk (the portionthat should be above ground) mak-ing it difficult to remove the soil andfind the trunk flare. Briggs and Ropesreported it would be better to plant thetree high in the hole, and let it extend

its primary roots the first year. It canbe stressful for a young tree to have itsroots removed, even roots that ulti-mately shouldnt be there. Let the treeget used to its new home for a year,then remove the excess soil, snip offthe adventitious roots (growing abovethe flare) and re-grade the soil thesecond year.

Briggs and Ropes also made the


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BIOLOGICALCONTROLOF

THEWINTERMOTH(Operophtera brumata)

Releasing parasitic organisms to

stop insect outbreaks has becomecommon practice for landscapersseeking alternatives to pesticide useand is known in the trade as a biologi-cal control. We sometimes see it usedon a larger scale, when regional landmanagers employ it because it is eithermore economical or more effectivethan conventional practices. Whetherit is used in small single-propertyapplications or large regional ones,

the same issues and concerns comeinto play. Accurate data and a goodmeans of monitoring the outbreakare required. e organism released tocontrol the pest insect must not havethe potential to attack other types ofnon-target insects. e organism mustbe released in sufficient quantities tomake an impact on the outbreak.

Originally reported on the SouthShore and Cape Cod regions of Mas-

sachusetts, a new insect outbreak wasfirst thought to be an infestation ofthe native fall cankerworms (Alsophila

pometaria). ese outbreaks usuallycrash from natural causes after aboutthree years, so specialists did not thinkthere was a problem. However, theSouth Shore defoliation continued

and spread. Finally, scientists at theUniversity of Connecticut and Cornellidentified the pest as a new arrival ofthe Winter Moth (Operophtera bruma-ta), a European native. It is so namedbecause the adult moths emerge fromtheir cocoons to mate in late Novem-ber and December. eir offspringhatch in the Spring. e tiny greeninchworms start out devouring oaks,maples, ash, fruit trees, and blueberry

bushes. Once these are consumedalmost any leaves or flowers are fairgame.

Although the females are flight-less, the Winter Moth manages tospread. Its in the coastal towns fromGloucester to Boston and pretty muchthroughout southeastern Massachu-setts, and most of the Cape out asfar as Eastham, said Robert Childs,an entomologist at the University of

Massachusetts Extensions Landscape,Nursery and Urban Forestry Program.He is one of a team of scientists, along

with colleague Joseph Elkinton, tryingto control these foreign insects on alarge-regional scale. For a region thatstill remembers previous devastatingoutbreaks of the gypsy moth (Lyman-tria dispar), such as in 1981 when arecord 12.9 million acres of vegetation

were defoliated, the stakes are high.

e insect has no natural enemiesin New England. However, in the twoother outbreaks recorded in NorthAmerica (Pacific Northwest in the1970s; Nova Scotia in the 1950s)a European-native predator of the

winter moth was found to provideeffective control. is is a tachinid flycalled Cyzenis albicans. In Nova Scotia,

where several thousand were releasednearly 50 years ago, it has provided an

good point that whatever we do tohelp a tree should mimic what nature

would do. Dont just water the rootballwith a hose water with a sprinklerthat mimics rain. Dont add 3-4 inchesof heavy bark mulch. Add a light layerof mulch similar to what would fall inthe forest: leaves and bits of ground

branches are ideal. Sometimes thistype of mulch is available free fromelectric companies- just ask a crew

working by the side of the road. Dontadd fertilizer. As mulch breaks down,it will enrich the soil.

Among other things, I also learnedwhich months are best for pruningfruit trees. Next year, when I do prune,Ill leave some of those water sprouts.Henry Homeyer is the VT/NH associate

editor ofPeople, Places and Plants magazineand the author of Notes from the Garden:Reflections and Observations of an OrganicGardener. His next book, e New Hamp-shire Gardeners Companion, is due out in

November.

effective and permanent solution tothe problem. Experience has shown itto be very host-specific in parasitizingmoth larva, making it safe for non-target insects. Now the race is on toproduce enough of the flies to releaseinto severely affected areas.

Using a quarantine facility at theUSDA labs in Cape Cods Otis AirNational Guard Base, Elkinton is

leading efforts to raise thousands ofthem. In June, 2005, an initial releaseof several hundred flies was made at

Wompatuck State Park in Hingham,a coastal town just south of Boston.An ambitious collecting trip in NovaScotia was then conducted and ad-ditional material for propagating morethan 800 flies was sent from BritishColumbia. In May, 2006, a secondrelease was made in Wenham, a town

to the north of Boston. Responding topleas by Elkinton for state funding tohelp ramp up production, a $150,000earmark was placed in a recent leg-islative bill. Unfortunately, althoughthe bill had bipartisan sponsorship, it

was vetoed in June by the governor,who mistakenly perceived it as un-necessary and wasteful spending by aDemocratic-dominated legislature.In a remarkably rapid response, the

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SAVE THESE DATES! March 1-3, 2007 Ecological Landscaping Associations

2007 Winter Conference & Eco-MarketplaceSustainable Landscapes: Creating Healthy Communities

NEW FORMAT

* Thursday, March 1: Pre-Conference Workshop with Dr. Elaine Ingham

* Friday, March 2: Four Educational Tracks, demonstration workshops, liveexhibit displays, and the 4th Annual Eco-Marketplace

* Saturday, March 3: Three Educational Tracks, demonstration workshops, live

exhibit displays, and the 4th Annual Eco-MarketplaceNEW LOCATION MassMutual Center, Springfield, Massachusetts a spacious, easy to

reach, state-of-the art facility.

BEST OF THE REST Great speakers, cutting-edge topics and a chance to network withlike-minded individuals!

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND Keynote speakers & dinner on Thursday and Friday nights.

Visit www.ecolandscaping.org for updated vendor and attendee information startingOctober 2006 and look for more information in the Fall and Winter Issues of ELAsmember quarterly newsletter the Ecological Landscaper. See you there!

legislature passed a veto-override inthe final hours of their session at theend of July.

Unfortunately, the moths have a bighead start. It took the tachinid fly 5

years after its release in Nova Scotia tomultiply enough to catch up with the

Winter Moth population. An estimat-

ed several million trees in Massachu-setts are infested. Until fly populationsexpand, trees that have been defoliatedfor several years are in danger. eyface decline and even death withoutextra help. (Canadian research foundthat many trees die after four con-secutive years of complete defoliation,though this will vary with the treecondition and species.)

Alternative control methods are

limited at best. e Winter moth off-spring usually hatch around April 20thand are active for only about three orfour weeks. ey burrow inside swell-ing leaf buds, where sprays cannotreach them. e leaves then open intatters. After that, the caterpillars arefree feeders; they spread by balloon-ing to other tree on their own silkenropes looking for new food sources.Around May 20th, they will drop to

the ground and burrow into the toplayer of soil, where they will becomedormant pupae until emerging as adultmoths between anksgiving and New

Years. ey do not eat anything then.e males just flutter around and matewith the flightless females, who climbtrees, lay eggs, and die. Although itspossible to trap females as they climbup the trunks, widespread control bythis means is impractical.

e best hope is a successful biolog-ical control for this outbreak. ELA willreport on the Winter Moth status infuture newsletter issues. Stay tuned

ELA NEWSWelcome to New ELA Board MembersWe are delighted to have four strong addi-tions to the ELA Board: John Larsen, KarenDominguez-Brann, Sandy Vorce, and JoannaCampe.

John is president of Well Water Con-nection of Tewksbury, Massachusetts, afull-service water, well design, and projectmanagement firm specializing in irriga-tion wells, pump systems and stain-removalsystems for green industry professionals andtheir clients. John is a member of MACLP,Irrigation Association of New England,National Ground Water Association, and theAmerican Ground Water Trust. John bringsgreat energy to the ELA Board.

Karen Dominguez-Brann is the Market-ing Director of Team KDB, a marketing andPR firm located in Maine and specializing intargeted and niche marketing to help clientsbetter promote their businesses. Karen isalso marketing director for Maine SummerCompany, a home and lifestyle company.Previously Karen lived in Los Angeles, CAand owned Foxglove Design, a home and

garden design firm that practiced and pro-moted organic, earth friendly designs. Karenis very excited to be a part of ELA.

Sandy currently works for a Mass Audu-bon wildlife sanctuary in a variety of rolesincluding Assistant Property Manager and

Teacher Naturalist. She is also a technol-ogy consultant, offering business planningservices and advice on topics f rom webdevelopment to electronic communication.

With over 25 years experience and a passionfor ecological stewardship, Sandy is enthusedto be involved in such a vital and essentialorganization as ELA.

ELAs Annual Meeting Recap

ELA recently marked another year ofenvironmental education and stewardship atthe summer Annual Meeting. is gather-ing provides an opportunity to conduct

the annual business meeting, report on theannual ballot results, and to thank the many

volunteers that have contributed to the ELAefforts throughout the year with an apprecia-tion potluck dinner.

anks to Andrea Knowles and KathySargent-ONeill for helping to organize this

years Annual Meeting at the Wolbach Farmin Sudbury, Massachusetts, the permanenthome of the Sudbury Valley Trustees, www.sudburyvalleytrustees.org. is 54-acreproperty along the Sudbury River is a greatplace for a nature walk, to volunteer, or torent for gatherings.

Joanna Campe is the president of

Remineralize the Earth in Northampton,Massachusetts. Remineralize the Earth isa non-profit, educational organization thatencourages soil remineralization throughthe cooperation of individuals, organiza-tions, companies, and government bodies.

Joanna has been actively working towardthe remineralizing effort for almost 20 years.She has been consulted by gardeners, farm-ers, scientists and policy makers around the

world; non-profits and government organi-zations such as the USDA and the DOE;stone and aggregate companies; the NationalAggregate and Stone Associations; the

International Center for Aggregate Research(ICAR); and the Aggregates Foundationfor Technology, Research, and Education(AFTRE). Joanna brings great interest andpassion to contribute to the ELA mission.

Join us in welcoming John, Karen, Sandy,and Joanna!

Extrapolated from several UMass Fact Sheetswritten by: Robert. D, Childs, Entomol-ogy Depart., UMass, Amherst; Deborah C.Swanson, Plymouth County Extension &UMass Extension; and Dr. Joseph Elkin-ton Plant, Soil & Insect Science Depart.,UMass, Amherst. [visit http://www.umass-

greeninfo.org for full reading.]


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2006 Ballot Results

e slate of officers for the upcoming yearis: Chris OBrien, President; Dennis Collins,VicePresident; Sue Storer, Treasurer; Owen

Wormser, Secretary. Incumbent Board mem-bers elected to serve additional terms are:Cathy Rooney, M.L. Altobelli, Bruce Wen-ning, and Nancy Askin. Newly elected to theBoard are: John Larsen, Karen Dominguez-Brann, Sandy Vorce, and Joanna Campe.

Board members serving existing terms are:Dave Anderson, Donald Bishop, William

Jewell, Andrea Knowles, Robert Levite, andKathy Sargent-ONeill.

As prior Vice-President, Robert Levite,is not able to assume the role of Presidentfor the ELA year 2006-2007, a one-yearextension of Chris OBriens presidency wasapproved. is extension will allow the newVice-president, Dennis Collins, a year oftraining, and will ensure continuity of strongleadership for the organization.

ELA Welcomes a New Editor

other eventsAssociation of Natural Bio-Control ProducersAnnual Meeting. September 29 - October 02,2006, Tahoe City, CA, USA. Contact: ANBP,2230 Martin Dr., Tustin Ranch, CA 92782, USA.Mailto: [email protected]. F/Ph: 714-544-8295.

16th Annual Perennial Plant Symposium:When Human Nature Embraces Mother Na-ture). September 28th or 29th , 2006 (Registra-tion Deadline: Sept. 21, 2006) Chicago BotanicGarden, Glencoe, Illinois. For further information

visit www.chicagobotanic.org/symposia.

Invasive plant symposium Working Togetherfor the Landscape of Tomorrow. October 12,2006, Mountainside Resort in Wallingford, CT.For further information visit www.hort.uconn.edu/cipwg or contact Donna Ellis 860- 486-6448.

e 2006 Janet Meakin Poor Symposium UrbanEcology Celebrating 10 Years of Chicago

ELA events

November 3, 2006, Turning a New Leaf aconference and eco-marketplace on sustainablelandscaping. Held at Unitarian UniversalistChurch in Bethesda, Maryland (located nearRoutes 495 and 270).

Sponsored by the Chesapeake Conserva-tion Landscaping Council and co-sponsored byELA, ASLA-Maryland Chapter, IAI-MidAt-lantic Chapter, and several other organizations.

e full days agenda and registration infor-mation is available byAugust 1st at www.chesapeakelandscape.org For additionalinformation: Carol

Jelich 410-634-2847 x

40 or Sylvan Kaufman,410-634-2847 x 24.

announcement

Roundtable: Harnessing Microclimates inthe Landscape. Ben Falk, Landscape Designer,

Whole Systems Design. Offered in collabora-tion with the Arnold Arboretum of HarvardUniversity. Nov. 3, 2006, 9:00am-4:00pm,Hunnewell Building, Arnold Arboretum,

Jamaica Plain, MA. Fee $75 member, $90 non-member.

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WELL WATER CONNECTION, INC.provides innovative solutions to water-re-lated problems experienced by green industry

professionals and their clients. Our uniqueapproach combines professional projectmanagement with competent, highly skilled

water well, pump, filtration, and relatedprofessionals. For immediate service or moreinformation, please contact John Larsen at

[email protected] or 978-640-6900.

I went to the woods because. . . . ELAmember offers unique, environmentallyfriendly vacation rentals with low-tech,rustic comfort. ree thoughtfully renovatedhousekeeping cabins on 75 wooded acres

with private beach on spring-fed pond.Swimming, canoeing and kayaking, fishing,miles of hiking trails, gardens w/400 varietiesof native plants. Located in south central

NH just 80 miles from Boston. See www.graylagcabins.com or contact Carl Wallman603-435-5209, [email protected].

General News:

Were delighted to announce that Rolf Schil-ling has signed on as Editor of the Ecologi-cal Landscaper. Mr Schilling is a horticul-turist with the New England Wild FlowerSociety at their premier site Garden in the

Woods (www.newfs.org).

Hes studied at the New York BotanicalGarden and at Columbia University earninga Masters in Biochemistry. Besides Gardenin the Woods, he has worked at the Berk-shire Botanical Garden and brings many

years of practical experience in landscapedesign, installation, and maintenance gainedin his own business and while working forothers.

We look forward to reading more cut-ting-edge information and orginal articles(see page one) by Rolf and sharing in his

wondering about things ecological.To contact Rolf, you may write him at

180 Hemenway Road, Framingham, MA01701 or call him at 508-877-3452. [Note:Rolf s email address will appear in the Fallissue of the ELA Newsletter.]

e new EPA landscaping publicationGreen Scaping: e Easy Way to a Greenerand Healthier Yard is hot off the pressand may be of interest. Print it off the web,http://www.epa.gov/oppfead1/Publications/catalog/greenscaping.pdf .

ELA friend and supporter, Bob Childs,Entomology Department, UMass,Amherst is undergoing chemotherapy.Please take a minute to send notes orcards of encouragement and support tocheer him on. Address: BardswellFerry Rd., Conway, MA 01341. anks!

Wilderness. October 20, 2006, Chicago BotanicGarden, Glencoe, Illinois. For further information

visit www.chicagobotanic.org/symposia.

Planting Peace: An Evening with Nobel PeaceLaureate, Dr. Wangari Maathai. October 24,2006. Faneuil Hall, Boston, MA at 7:00 pm. Forfurther information visit www.bostonforest.org email [email protected], or call 508-698-6810 for sponsorship and ticket information.

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ELAs publicationDiscover EcologicalLandscapingwas

written up in the March 2006 issue ofThe Avant Gardenernewsletter, a uniquemonthly horticultural news service. is 8-page booklet, created by ELA board memberAndrea Knowles and committee membersBrian LeSuer and Mary Whitney, is full of

partial tips and resource references and whetour landscaping appetites. Congratulationsto the committee and to ELA.

If you dont now subscribe to the AvantGardener, see what Ann Raver, Garden Edi-tor of the New York Times says My twoall-time-favorite newsletters for fast-break-ing news on the latest research in the plant

world are e Avant Gardenerand HortIdeas.e New York Times, December 10, 1995. Tosubscribe send a check to: e HorticulturalData Processors Box 489, New York, NY10028 in the amount of $24 per year or $30per year outside of the USA.


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e Ecological Landscaper60 oreau Street, #252

Concord, MA 01742

Non-ProfitOrganization

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Ashland, MA

RESEARCHNatural infection of tanoak seedling roots bySudden Oak Death (Phytophthera ramorum) Phytophthera ramorum, cause of SuddenOak Death and ramorum blight, is believedto infect only the above ground parts of trees

Tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus) seedlingsand saplings with unusual symptoms werecollected from three P. ramorum-infestedsites in Humboldt Co., California: two in a

coast redwood forest with an under story oftanoak, California bay laurel, madrone, andevergreen huckleberry, and one in a Douglas-fir/tanoak-madrone forest also containingredwood.

Lower leaves of the tanoak were necroticor had dark discoloration of the midveinsand petioles, while upper leaves appearedhealthy. Roots and below ground stems wereeither asymptomatic, had internal discol-oration of the vascular system, or had rootlesions. P. ramorum was detected with PCRand isolated from taproots several cm belowground level. e pathogen was also recov-

ered from below ground stems, above groundstems, and symptomatic leaves. Infectedtissues were viewed with SEM and light mi-croscopy to visualize P. ramorum structures.

is is the first report that P. ramorum canbe recovered from roots of naturallyoccurring forest vegetation. Parke, J.L.; Bienapfl, J.; Oh, E.; Rizzo, D.;Hansen, E.; Buckles, G.; Lee, C.; Valachovic, Y.Phytopathology 96:S90.

DONT FEED NEW TREES

e first year a tree or shrub seeding istransplanted into the garden is crucial toits survival. Many factors can influence itshealth and growth during this period, andone that is being increasingly examinedis the treatment it received in the nursery

where it was originally started.To promote rapid growth to salable size,

nurseries commonly apply large amounts offertilizer. is is also believed to increase

nutrient loading, to continue growth whennutrient uptake may be limited by root dam-age during transplanting. However, recentresearch is indicating that high fertilizerrates can reduce the plants resistance tostresses such as drought and pests.

In a cooperative project of the Universityof Idaho-Moscow and the Ohio Agricul-tural Research and Development Center in

Wooster, Ohio, rooted cuttings of a flowering

crabapple were given three rates of fertil-izer. After transplanting, the trees which hadreceived the highest rates of nitrogen grewfaster, but they also had the lowest concen-trations of phenolics (defense compounds)in their leaves and were susceptible to injuryby the gypsy moth, eastern tent caterpillarand white-marked tussock moth. e alsoshowed decrease drought tolerance.

e researchers report that within a year,the plants had acclimated to the garden envi-ronment and the effects of nursery produc-tion practices were no longer seen.

Proper planting a hole as deep but twice

as wide at the root ball, NO fertilizer oramendments, weekly watering and anorganic mulch will promote successfulestablishment.

Reprinted from the April, 2006 issue ofe Avant Gardener horticultural newsservice. omas Powell, Editor & Publisher.Box 489, New York, NY 10058.

PEST ALERTPine Shoot Beetle Quarantine in MA, CT,and RI (May 8, 2006), issued by the NorthAmerican Plant Protection Organization: ...the USDA Animal Plant Health InspectionService is quarantining the States of Massa-chusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island forPine Shoot Beetle (PSB), Tomicus piniperda.

is action is in response to recent trappingof PSB in Berkshire County, Massachusetts,and is necessary to prevent the disseminationof PSB to other non-quarantined areas ofthe United States.

It has been detected in 16 states (MN,WI, IL, IN, MI, OH, PA, WV, VA, MD,NJ, NY, VT, NH, ME, and MA). For moreinformation visit the project website (http://

www.massnrc.org/pests).

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summer 2006 the ecological landscaper newsletter

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