Conservation * Development * Self-Government

     As the cold of winter sinks its teeth into Delaware County, it is a good time to begin planning your conservation projects for next Spring.  A good project to think about is Tree Planting & Wildlife Enhancements.  Now is the time to be making decisions about which tree and ground cover species you want to plant and where to plant them as well as what things can be done to enhance wildlife habitat around your property.  Deciding what you want to do now, and making the necessary preparations for your projects will allow you to hit the ground running when Spring finally arrives.
     The Delaware SWCD has many resources available to assist everyone from rural agricultural landowners to urban and suburban residents in planning for the Spring.  Of special note is the upcoming Tree & Wildlife Products Sale, which begins February 1.  Many types of trees and other products are available.  For more information, see the Tree Sale insert in this newsletter or log on to www.delawareswcd.org.
 

Upcoming Teacher Education Workshops

The Delaware and Franklin Soil & Water Conservation Districts are partnering to host a series of environmental and conservation education workshops filled with interdisciplinary hands-on activity ideas.  These programs are open to teachers, pre-service teachers, park and camp staff, group leaders, and home schooling parents.  Participants will receive materials that will enable them to help students meet curriculum competencies and gain knowledge and skills needed to make informed decisions about conserving our natural resources.  A Certificate of Attendance for CEUs or optional graduate credit is available.  For a schedule of workshops, please see p. 4.  For registration information, please contact Roger Pinnicks, Delaware SWCD Environmental Educator, at (740) 368-1921 or Roger Pinnicks.

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast,

A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray.

A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair.

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

  -Joyce Kilmer
 

7 Easy Ways to Have the Best Looking Trees in Your Neighborhood

1. Plant the right tree in the right place.
2. Use the proper tools and techniques to plant your trees.
3. Water and mulch newly planted trees.  Mulch with a ring of woodchips extending out 2 feet from the base of the tree.
4. Protect trees from mowers, weedeaters, and other equipment.  Avoid growing grass right up to the base of the tree.
5. Avoid soil compaction around the tree.
6. Prune according to accepted methods, and hire a professional if the job gets too big.
7. Do not top your trees.  If you think a tree needs to be topped, consider cutting the tree down and planting a smaller variety.
 

Managing Tree Wounds

     Decay is one of the most commonly seen types of disease in trees.  When the wood of a tree is subjected to decay, the tree can become structurally weak, visually unpleasing, and have a shorter lifespan.  Decay is not something that can be cured, but it can be prevented or, if it has already begun, be managed to minimize its effects.
     Decay results from the digestion of exposed tree wood by fungi and microbes.  Tree wood can be exposed as a result of wounds caused by animals, insects, birds, fire, storms, freezes, and human activities.  Minimizing the chances of wounds occuring and taking appropriate actions if a wound does occur will help to prevent decay.
     When a tree is wounded, a natural process, called “closure”, begins resulting in the covering of the wound by bark and new wood.  Other processes  make the wood beneath the wound unsuitable for the growth of decay organisms.  Promoting these processes is the best management technique for helping a wounded tree.  This is done by keeping wounded trees growing vigorously thus increasing the rate of wound closure.  Trees should be fertilized properly and watered during droughts.  Placing mulch around trees will help to keep the soil moist.  Compacted soil should be aerated.  Thin out less valuable, competing trees, and take measures to control insect infestations.
     Limiting human impacts on trees can help to prevent wounds and, consequently, decay.  Pruning, in Ohio, should be done in the Spring.  This is when the growth of the tree is the most vigoruous thus the tree will be able to recover from a potential pruning wound more quickly.  Remember to keep trees protected from lawnmowers, weedeaters, etc.

-Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet HYG-3045-96. 
 

     With winter upon us, precautionary measures need to be taken when applying manure on frozen ground.  When the ground is frozen, it will not absorb as much manure as it does in the summer.  Also when the snow melts and runs off, manure will flow with the runoff.
 The criteria for applying manure to frozen and/or snow covered soil, according the USDA-NRCS “Ohio Technical Guide-Standard 633, Waste Utilization” states:
The soil surface at the time of application, has a combination of 80% ground and/or canopy cover (e.g. corn grain or wheat residue after harvest, or a hay/pasture field).

-Maintain a minimum of 100 feet from all waterways, surface drainage ditches, streams, surface inlets, waterbodies, sinkholes, and wells.  This distance may need to be increased based on the local risk.
-The rate of application shall not exceed 5000 gallons per acre for liquid manure or 10 wet tons per/acre for solid manure.

     Make it your New Year’s resolution to make sure manure or wastewater (agricultural and/or human, ie. septage) does not end up causing you a New Year’s headache.
 

Volunteers Needed

If you are 14 years of age or older and have an interest in conservation, you are a candidate for the EARTH TEAM. 

The EARTH TEAM volunteer program is part of the Natural Resources Conservation Service.  Volunteers are needed with a variety of skills and talents who can assist with conservation practices on the land, wildlife habitat improvement, taking inventories of natural resources, conservation education, watershed activities, doing computer data entry, or word processing and filing.  For more info, contact Tom Edwards at the SWCD/NRCS office, (740) 368-1921.  Join the EARTH TEAM, you won’t regret it.
 

The Facts on Ground Cover

     Ground covers are low-growing plants that spread over an area, and are often used to solve a problem with erosion or maintenance of steep slopes.  They can also be used where shade is too dense for growing turfgrass.  Ground cover is often an aesthetically pleasing way to visually unify divergent components of a landscape  such as the edges of walks, steps, and drives.  A ground cover defines space.  It gives crisp, permanent definition to the form of a garden.  A low ground cover provides a transition between the lawn and taller plants.

Planting & Maintenance of Ground Cover

     Turfgrass and other vegetation should be removed prior to planting ground covers.  The grass may be killed using an herbicide or by covering it with a sheet of plastic.  Once dead, most vegetation can be turned into the soil, adding organic matter.  Turfgrass may also be removed by undercutting the sod.  Thoroughly removing grasses and weeds from an area before planting ground covers reduces, but does not eliminate, future weeding.
     The soil should be tilled to a depth of 6” or more, except in areas where tree roots are growing.  Heavy clay and porous, sandy soils should be improved by adding as much as 30% organic matter and working it into the top 6” of soil.  This will improve aeration, and water penetration and infiltration.
     Most ground covers can be planted anytime during the growing season; however, spring and fall are preferred because of the more nearly ideal growing conditions.  Planting in the summer may require significant irrigation.
     Newly planted ground covers require regular irrigation, usually 1” of water every 5-6 days.  Placing 2-3” of mulch around the plants will help to keep the moisture in the soil.  Weeding is required until the plants grow together.  Hand weeding is probably the best option although there are a few pre-emergent herbicides labeled for use in specific ground covers.  It is critical to read the label before any chemical application.
-Ohio State University Extension Factsheet HYG-1050-97
 

February 10, 2001  -  Project WET (Water Education for Teachers)
 -WET includes “hands-on” activities to introduce all aspects of water.  This interdisciplinary program includes a variety of styles of presentation from modeling and role playing to investigation & experimentation.  The workshop is appropriate for educators of grades K-adult, and the fee is $18. 

March 10, 2001  -  Getting the Dirt on Soil
 -This workshop is an acitivity-based approach to the topic of soil.  Activities from a variety of sources are used to explore soil and understand its nature, value, & stewardship.  This workshop is appropriate for educators of grades K-adult, and the fee is $5.

May 5, 2001  -  Windows on Waste
 -This workshop addresses solid waste, recycling, and litter prevention issues with an interactive approach, including evnironmental inquiries and community action opportunities.  This program is geared toward educators teaching grades 3-6, and the fee is $5.

All workshops will be held at Highbanks Metro Park, and will run from 8:30-4:00.  Registration required
 

Winter Growers’ Workshop

The Upper Big Walnut Creek Water Quality Partnership is sponsoring a Winter Growers’ Workshop on Thursday, February 8, 2001 at the Trenton Township Hall, 15495 Hartford Rd., Sunbury.  This workshop will cover topics such as herbicide management, weed identification, water quality, and funding opportunities.  Pesticide certification credits are available through this workshop.  The workshop will run from 9:00 AM  -  2:30 PM.  Lunch will be provided.  Space is limited, so call (740) 368-1921, ext. 4 to register today!  This workshop is funded through an OSU Extension EQIP Education Grant.