PIERRE — The Cooperative Extension Service and South Dakota Department of Agriculture (SDDA) hosted a damaged tree and shrub workshop on Tuesday, April 16, at the Sioux Falls Extension Regional Center, and additional workshops are planned for the near future.
Recent ice storms at their bent and broken trees and wondering whether they can be saved, and if so, what can be done.
The workshops will be led by John Ball, Extension forestry specialist, and Rick Mayko, community forester. The sessions will help landowners decide if damaged trees are worth saving and show techniques for pruning and repairing trees.
Ice-damaged shrubs, evergreens, and fruit trees will also be covered in the workshops. Tips on hiring a tree company to work on larger trees will be discussed, too.
In instances when trees cannot be saved, homeowners should be aware that buying replacement trees from out-of-state nurseries increases the potential risk of bringing trees infested with insects and diseases to South Dakota, such as emerald ash borers in ash trees.
With confirmed infestations of emerald ash borer in Minnesota and Iowa, SDDA suggests that people can avoid buying trees infested with diseases or other pests by getting trees from reputable local nurseries where the trees have been inspected or are grown at those nurseries. Those who buy locally grown trees also have a good chance of getting stock that will grow under local weather conditions.
For more information on the workshops, contact Tiffany Arp at 605-773-3594.
Agriculture is South Dakota’s No. 1 industry, generating over $21 billion in annual economic activity and employing more than 122,000 South Dakotans. The South Dakota Department of Agriculture’s mission is to promote, protect, preserve and improve this industry for today and tomorrow. For the complete article see the 04-21-2013 issue.
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