Northeast
Research & Extension Center
601 E. Benjamin Avenue, Suite 104
Norfolk, NE 68701-0812
Phone: (402) 370-4024
FAX: (402) 370-4010
E-mail: srasmussen2@unl.edu
website: http://nerec.unl.edu/forestry/ForestryNews.htm
October - November - December 2001
In this Issue:
KEEP HOSE PIPES FLOWING SAFELY
Don't leave yourself and your family dry this winter. Prevent damage caused by burst pipes now by taking a few simple precautions. Find out where the main shut-off is for your water system so if your pipes do burst you won’t have to try to find it amidst snow and ice. Shut off and drain outside faucets. Insulate around pipes in unheated areas like garages and basements to keep them from flowing all winter long. If you go away, leave your thermostat set at about 50 degrees to help prevent freezing. And the Nebraska Forest Service reminds you never to use an open flame like a welding torch to thaw frozen pipes. The flame can start fires in the area surrounding the pipe. This is a case where prevention is far better than the cure.
Electrical fires in our homes claim the lives of 200 Americans each year, and injure 1,500 more. Some of these fires are caused by electrical system failures and appliances defects, but many more are caused by misuse and poor maintenance of electrical appliances, incorrectly installed wiring, and overloaded circuits and extension cords.
The United States Fire Administration (USFA) would like consumers to know that there are simple steps you can take to prevent the loss of life and property resulting from electrical fires.
The Problem: During a typical year, home appliance and wiring problems account for 49,000 fires, hundreds of deaths and $670 million in property losses. Home electrical wiring causes twice as many fires as electrical appliances.
The Facts: December is the most dangerous month for electrical fires. Fire deaths are the highest in winter months which call for more indoor activities and increases in lighting, heating and appliance use. Most electrical wiring fires start in the bedroom.
Public Service announcements (PSA) are similar to advertisements, except you don’t pay for them! Most radio stations and televisions stations are required to run a certain number of PSA’s to meet Federal Communications commission licensing requirements.Frayed wires can cause fires. Replace all worn, old, or damaged appliance cords immediately.
Use electrical appliances away from wet floors and counters; pay special care to electrical
appliances in the bathroom and kitchen.When buying electrical appliances look for products which meet the UL standard for safety.
Don’t allow children to play with or around electrical appliances like space heaters, irons and hair dryers.
Keep clothes, curtains and other potentially combustible items at least three feet from all heaters.
If an appliance has a three prong plug, use it only in a three slot outlet. Never force it to fit into a two slot outlet or extension cord.
Never overload extension cords or wall sockets. Immediately shut off, then professionally replace, light switches that are too hot to the touch and lights that flicker. Use safety closures to "child-proof" electrical outlets.
Check your electrical tools regularly for signs of wear. If the cords are frayed or cracked, replace them. Replace any tool if it causes even small electrical shocks, overheats, shorts out or gives off smoke or sparks.
fire.Never keep oily, greasy or paint smeared rags in your home. Guard against spontaneous combustion.
If you have a grease fire - PUT A LID OR LARGE PAN OVER IT and turn off the burner.
Never place extension cords under rugs, over hooks or through door openings and/or partitions.
Have your heating system inspected and cleaned, if necessary, by a trained professional before the start of the heating season.
Keep space heaters and portable heaters at least three feet away from anything that can burn.
When leaving the room or going to sleep, always turn portable and space heaters off.
Never add fuel to a portable heater that is turned on or still hot. (The fuel could explode into flames.)
Never use space heaters in a room where children are unsupervised.
Never leave food that is cooking unattended on a stove.
Always dispose of ashes in a lidded metal container outside and away from buildings.
Stack firewood at least 30 ft away from your home and/or structures.
Clear away any flammable vegetation within 10 feet of firewood piles.
When using a burn barrel, clear the area of flammable materials at least 10 feet around the barrel.
Provide a burn barrel cover made of 1/4" wire mesh.
Never burn on windy days.
Never burn up wind from buildings or flammables.
Practice Fire Prevention! Look for fire hazards every day.
Good housekeeping is good Fire Prevention!
A simple garden rake is a firefighter! It can clean away brush and leaves that act like kindling around your home.
Hunters should always park vehicles in a clean area so as not to ignite day vegetation with exhaust pipes.
Hunters should never drive in tall grass or through unharvested crop fields to avoid starting fire with their exhaust.
Never throw lighted smoking material out of vehicle windows.
Equip ATV’s with spark oppressors to avoid starting wildland fires.
Hunters! Do not smoke while walking through dry grass.
Your chimney needs to be inspected every year and cleaned if necessary. A hard black substance called creosote can build up in your chimney and cause a CHIMNEY
Bob E Vogltance, Fire Resource Manager
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
441 S. Colfax
West Point, NE 68788
(402) 372-5665
E-mail: bv55315@navix.net
Community Forestry:
The Trees ‘N’ Town Conference will be held November 15-16 2001 at the Midtown Holiday Inn in Grand Island. It will focus on creating and maintaining community landscapes. Some of the topics to be presented include ideas, inspiration and plant selection for landscapes, river restoration and creating landscapes that have a positive impact on a community. Also, there will be advice on growing trees under less than ideal conditions, insect and disease problems and other tree care issues.
This program should appeal to anyone who is involved in forestry and green space projects in their communities. There is something for tree board members, park managers, city administrators, volunteers, and anyone else interested in creating successful landscapes.
Registration for the conference is $75.00 per person and includes conference materials, refreshments, lunch and dinner on Thursday. To register for the conference, contact the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum at 402-472-2971. There are also scholarships available. Contact Dave Mooter at 402-444-7804 for scholarship information.
Lodging is available at the Midtown Holiday Inn in Grand Island. They are holding a block of rooms. To make reservations call 800-548-5542 and mention the Trees ‘N ’Town Conference.
Rural Forestry:
Saturday, November 3, 2001 will be the date for the Central Region Woodland Stewardship Conference at the beautiful National Arbor Day Foundation’s Lied Conference Center in Nebraska City. This conference is specifically designed to provide landowners in Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri with the knowledge and skills to manage their woodland and related resources using good stewardship principles.
This day-long event is packed with information-filled sessions. The conference begins at 9:00 A.M. with registration and refreshments and adjourns at 4:00 P.M. Topics include:
Wildlife:
Exploring the Forest Floor
Attracting Songbirds
Woodland Wildlife Management
Establishing and Maintaining Prairies
Grasslands and Fire for Wildlife
Woodland Management:
Pruning Trees
Estimating Timber Volume and Value
Forest Thinning and Improvement
Tree Identification
Forest Certification
Working Trees:
Making Money Planting Trees
Windbreak Design and Establishment
Producing and Marketing Specialty Forest Products
Nut Crops for the Central States
Trees for Country Living
Tree Health Care:
Wildlife Damage Control
Evergreen Problems in the Plains
Hardwood Diseases
Fire in the Forest
Keeping Trees Healthy
Conference registration is $30.00 per person. This includes lunch, refreshments and handout materials. For more information or a conference brochure, contact Steve Rasmussen at 370-4024 or Dennis Adams 402-472-5822 or email: dadams2@unl.edu
Check out http://www.enature.com It has on-line field guides with photos and descriptions for plants, trees and amphibians. Also check out the "advanced search" option that works something like a key. Enature.com, in partnership with TreeLink, provides a tree-identification guide at at www.treelink.org
(Source: Down the Shady Lane newsletter)
INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF ABORICULTURE REPORTS
Below are two reports from presentations at the recent International Society
of Aboriculture held in
Milwaukee this summer. They re-enforce the need to practice proper planting techniques and
post care.
Stem Girdling Roots and Buried Root Systems
Richard Hauer, Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Mr. Hauer said most of the decline symptoms we see in trees are caused by girdling roots or roots being too deep. He did some searching and found that as early as 1618 we knew about the problem of girdling roots. He then talked about how girdling roots are caused by trees planted to deeply. Some of Mr. Hauer’s cooperative research revealed that 80 to 90 percent of observed trees were planted too deep. In Minneapolis, only about 15% of the trees in his study were planted properly at grade. Of the trees that were too deep, over half were planted 4 inches deep or more. The deeper the planting, the greater the percentage of trees girdled, the greater the chance of cracking stems, the greater the chance of canker, and the greater the chance of the tree being attacked by borers. Mr. Hauer concludes that deep planting is the cause of a noticeable financial loss. When planting a tree, be sure the root crown is at the soil surface, or plant it 1 to 2 inches above to allow for settling.
http://www.cnr.umn.edu/FR/extension/urbanforestry/girdlingroots.htm
Pros and Cons of Fertilization
Dr. Mary Ann Rose, TruGreen Chemlawn
Dr. Rose said fertilizing trees in fertile soils typically gives no response. In poor soils, fertilizing can increase growth and improve color. Soil injection is the best method of fertilizing. Surface drenching is next best, and dry surface applications give the least response. You need to concentrate in the upper 6 inches of the soil. In her 3-year study, she found no difference in growth or color between using urea or a slow release fertilizer. She recommends 1-2 lbs of N per 1000 square feet applied twice for a total of 2-4 lbs per year, but she acknowledged that this might increase problems with pests. She said trees are more capable of absorbing nitrogen when applied in July, August, and September. In her study she found no relationship between the timing of the fertilizer application and freeze injury. This furthers the process of putting to rest the theory that if you fertilize late in the season, you may open up the tree to early frost damage.
(Submitted by Dave Mooter, NFS)
Fall is here and trees are beginning to change colors. Here on the plains, our native trees provide limited color selections. Mostly fall leaf colors are dominated by yellows. For a change and to see how other parts of the nation look this fall, visit the following web site for live-cams:
http://forestry.about.com/library/weekly/aa091701a.htm
Another site is:
http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/chemweek/fallcolr/fallcolr.html
This site is managed through the University of Wisconsin. You can also check into the USDA Forest Service fall color site at:
http://www.fs.fed.us/news/fallcolors/
There are regional pictures, activities and even web cams to enjoy. You can use this information for classroom work or for local news stories. Fall is a great time to draw people’s attention to our community tree resource.
NEBRASKA GAINS A NATIONAL CHAMPION
Nebraska appears to be on the brink of another national championship, but it does not involve sports. A large Dwarf Chinkapin Oak (Quercus Prinoides) has been located and measured in Richardson County as a National Champion of its species. Confirmation has been received from American Forests that the tree is confirmed as a national champion and it will be listed in the 2002 National Register of Big Trees unless something bigger comes in by September 1 of this year.
Hooray for Guy Sternerg of the International Oak Society who nominated the tree with the total cooperation of the Stalder family (the tree’s owners) and the help of Justin Evertson (Nebraska Stateside Arboretum).
(Source: Shady Lane Listserve)
GETTING READY FOR 2002 SPRING PLANTING ... NOW!
pring tree planting season is a long ways away, right?...wrong! Although the spring planing season seems like a long ways off, now (this fall) is the time to get the site ready before the ground freezes this winter. This is especially important if the site where you want to plant the trees is in sod or heavy grass. This type of vegetation needs to be killed this season so there is a chance for the ground to "mellow" and store moisture before planting time. Also, getting the work done now means that you will not have to worry about weather and time limitations next spring when you will be wanting to do something different.
Proper site preparation this season means killing the existing vegetation. Spraying with a contact herbicide like Roundup is one possibility. On hilly and sloped ground that may be susceptible to erosion, killing the vegetation with chemicals in the fall in the strips where the tree rows will be planted is the preferred action to reduce erosion potentials over an open winter season. Those strips should then be roto-tilled the next spring with small/slight water bars installed to divert heavy rains from washing down the hill. On level ground, the entire area for the tree planting should be worked this fall with a deep plowing followed by numerous discing or by roto-tilling. I like the roto-tilling action the best because of the complete work-up of the soil.
Whichever action you decide on, it should leave the site in a worked condition that will allow the tree planter to (1) penetrate 14 to 18 inches into the soil and (2) provide loose soil that will pack well around the seedling to keep air out of the planting trench. If the site preparation does not allow for either of those two situations, the planting will probably have poor survival and growth of the seedlings.
Plan to get your ground worked this fall before winter to ensure the best planting conditions for next spring. Contact your local county Natural Resources Conservation Service, area Natural Resources District or district Nebraska Forest Service office for advice on site preparation options if you are unsure of what is needed. All of these natural resource professionals would much rather you contact us during this season about site preparation rather than wait until spring.
Proper site preparation can make the difference between a success planting job and a failure. Your tree planting and weed/grass control measures will be much more successful if you prepare your site now!
PREPARING LANDSCAPE TREES FOR WINTER
Last winter was a "tough one" for our evergreens. To give them the best chance to make it through this winter takes planning.
Properly preparing your newly established trees and shrubs for the upcoming winter months is a good precaution against possible winter damage. The most common form of winter damage is caused by the loss of moisture from the foliage and plant tissues. This is called desiccation or winter "burning" and is most common in poorly adapted evergreen species. There are several ways to reduce the impact of the dry winter winds in young trees. First is to deep soak the root area several times until the ground is frozen. This allows the tree to fill as much inter-cell space with water before the water becomes unavailable in the winter.
Another practice that will help the tree stay healthy is to mulch around the base of the tree with wood chips or other organic matter. This will help insulate the soil and will extend the period of root growth and absorption capabilities longer. Do not pile material deeper than four inches, or you may invite a family of mice to nest in that area. Avoid using rocks or plastic, since these materials will not insulate as well as organic matter, nor do they decompose and return nutrients to the soil. This also lessens the risk of lawnmower injury to the base of the tree.
A third method for reducing the chance of winter "burning" on small, recently planted evergreens is to create a wind screen for the seedling. Burlap and other fabrics, hay bales, tubexes, etc., can be used to restrict the amount of dry winds that blow across the seedling. This is most commonly done for evergreens in extremely exposed areas for the first couple years until a good root system has had a chance to develop and can absorb adequate moisture.
A precaution to take with young, thin barked deciduous trees is to wrap the tree stem with a tree wrapping paper or plastic. This will reduce the risk of "frost cracks" that develop due to the winter sun warming the cells of the tree. This warmed area does not have time to "readjust" itself with a quick drop in temperature and the bark splits vertically. Most commonly, this is on the south or west sides of the stem. Wrapping helps insulate the bark from the warm winter sun. Maples, oaks, birches, green ash and lindens are the most susceptible tree species.
With watering, mulching and wrapping your trees this fall, you can decrease the dangers of winter burning and frost cracks on your young trees. It will keep them healthy and in good condition to start growth next spring.
requently I get asked about sources for saws, pruners, tree shelters and certain forestry tools. Below are listed some of the companies that have a wide selection of these items. You can contact them for current catalogs or visit their websites.
A.M. Leonard, Inc.
241 Fox Dr
PO Box 816
Piqua OH 45356
Toll Free 800-543-8955
Fax: 800-433-0633
http://www.amleo.com
Bailey’s
44650 Hwy 101
PO Box 550
Laytonville CA 95454
e-mail: baileys@baileys-online.com
Toll Free: 800-322-4539
Fax: 707-984-8115
http://www.baileys-online.com
Ben Meadows Co
PO Box 5277
Janesville WI 53547-5277
Toll Free: 800-241-6401
Fax: 800-628-2068
http://www.benmeadows.com
Forestry Suppliers
PO Box 8397
Jackson MS 39284-8397
Toll Free: 800-647-5368
Fax: 800-5443-4203
Catalog Request 800-360-7788
http://www.forestry-suppliers.com
e-mail: fsi@forestry-suppliers.com
Terra Tech, Inc.
International Reforestation Suppliers
PO Box 5547
Eugene OR 97405-0547
Toll Free: 800-321-1037
Fax: 800-933-4569
http://terratech.net
WINDBREAK CLASS AT
CENTRAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE
IN COLUMBUS ON NOVEMBER 8, 2001
On Thursday, November 8, there is a scheduled windbreak establishment and management class at the Central Community College, 4500 63rd Street, in Columbus. This full day class will discuss all aspects of windbreak design, planting and care.
This class will have an indoor technical session in the morning followed by an afternoon of field visits to local windbreak and shelterbelt sites.
1. Indoor topics will include available programs for planting establishment
2. Design recommendations
3. Incorporating shrub and tree species for alternative crops and other uses
4. Windbreak management
5. A "hands on" designing exercise for a field windbreak system with a computer
software program
6. Visit a windbreak renovation project
7. View demonstration on site preparation, planting and weed control techniques with the
use of the Lower
Loup NRD tree planter
Instructors will include area Nebraska Forest Service foresters, local NRCS staff and UN-L Research and Cooperative Extension foresters. Cost is $9.00 per student to cover costs of material (including a CD-Rom used in the windbreak systems simulation). Contact Steve Rasmussen at 370-4024 for details and how to register. A minimum number of participants if required, so it is important to register.
Steven D. Rasmussen
District/Extension Forester
Northeast Res. & Ext. Center
601 E. Benjamin Avenue, Suite 104
Norfolk, NE 68701-0812
Phone: (402) 370-4024
FAX: (402) 370-4010
E-mail: srasmussen2@unl.edu
