The mission of the Bowling Green Arborist is to provide a high quality urban forestry program to the community, in conjunction with expert advice on private tree care. The Arborist cares for the City trees within the road right-of-way, as well as regular line clearance tree trimming program for safe and reliable electricity.

The City of Bowling Green urban forest includes more than 8,200 trees in the public right-of-way, public parks, and green spaces. A healthy and safe urban forest includes: wildlife diversity, higher property values, air and water quality, storm water management, energy savings from summer and winter extremes, and quality of human health.

What's New in the Urban and Community Forestry Program: August 2008

Watering New Planted Trees is Priority #1!

If you have recently planted a new tree from May 2007 through May 2008, you need to water the tree 15-20 gallons per week the next 12 weeks.  Once outside temperature goes above 80 degrees combined with mild winds will drain most of the water from small trees up to 6 inches in diameter.  The water must be a slow trickle over the root ball to encourage deep root growth.  Surface watering of the trees by lawn sprinklers lead to shallow roots and potential uprooting durign high winds.  Watering the foliage of newly planted trees by lawn sprinklers will cause fungal disease and cause the leaves to wilt and drop off.  This puts the newly planted tree in stress and decline.  Tree Gators provide optimum watering for new trees.

 

Tree Gators Invade Bowling Green:

The City of Bowling Green staff are using Tree Gators to help water the new tree planted in Fall 2007 and Spring 2008.  The tree gators hold 20 gallons of water and slowly trickles over the root ball in 12-18 hours.  New trees planted (2 inch caliper) need to be watered once a week from May 15 to November 15 for two growing seasons.  Click here for more information on Tree Gators.  Local Garden Centers and Nurseries in Bowling Green have treegators in stock. 

 

Bagworm capsule on arborvitae.

Bagworms which attack and eat foliage on hardwoods and conifers will start to hatch the first week of June.  Click here for more information.

 

Mimosa Webworm on Locust.

Mimosa webworm will hatch soon and start to create webs on locust trees and hardwoods in the area.  Click here for more information.

 

Japanese Beetle

Japanese Beetle are eating foilage of preferred species such as lindens, basswoods, elms, cherries, and roses.  Click here for more information.

 

Tree City USA Awards Ceremony - April 16, 2008 in Wapakoneta, Ohio

Honorable Mayor John Quinn accepted the 28th Consecutive Tree City USA Award and 15th Consecutive Growth Award from Drew Todd, ODNR Urban Forestry Coordinator at the Northwest Ohio Tree City USA Award Ceremony in Wapakoneta, Ohio.  Bowling Green Tree Commission members Tom Striggow, Walt Ferrell, Dick Horton, Jo Anne Searle, and Terry Leek attended the ceremony.  Public Works Director, Brian Craft, Public Works Supervisor, Kent Reichert, Public Works Operators Adam Schoendorf and Dominic Picciuto and City Arborist, David S. Bienemann attended the cermony.  Click here for more information on Tree City USA and Arbor Day.

Arbor Day Celebration - April 24, 2008 with the Montessori School

The City of Bowling Green and Bowling Green Tree Commission celebrated Arbor Day with Montessori School 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6 th Grade students.  The National Arbor Day Foundation Poster contest winners were as follows: 1st Place with $30 in BG Bucks - Sarah Bettinger, 2nd Place with $20 in Bg Bucks - Kimberly Adler, and 3rd Place with $10 in BG Bucks - Ashley Ritchey.  All students received a certificate of particpation, free tree seedling, pencils, stickers, and tree planting brochures from the National Arbor Day Foundation.  The Montessori School received an Arbor Day Video, Global Warming Posters, and handouts for future Arbor Day classes.  Click here for more information on Arbor Day Celebration.

Buckeye Yard and Garden Online:  Buckeye Yard and Garden onLine provides timely information about Ohio growing conditions, pest, disease, and cultural problems. Updated weekly between April and October, this information is useful for those who are managing a commercial nursery, garden center, or landscape business or someone who just wants to keep their yard looking good all summer.

Growing Degree Days and Phenology for Ohio: Provides estimated dates of when plants bloom and insect pests hatch throughout the growing season.  For example, April 14, 2008 is growing degree day 75.

Bowling Green Tree Commission - 2008 Educational Seminar Series

Saturday, June 7, 2008 at the Wood County Visitor's Parking Lot located at the intersection of N. Enterprise Street and Pike Street from 9-11 am.  This is free to the general public and refreshments will be provided.  Future Date is Saturday, September 6, 2008. 

Topic: Field Pruning for Home Owners

Speakers:

The Ohio State University EAB Research Project: 2007-2010

The Ohio State University (OSU) with cooperation from the City of Bowling Green are working on a three year research project to determine the genetics that make ash trees from Asia and Europe resistant to Emerald Ash Borer.  A total of 35 volunteers, staff from OSU Extension, and staff from the City of Bowling Green planted 192 ash trees at the Water Pollution Control Plant located at Dunbridge Road on November 1, 2007 and November 8, 2007.  Click here ofr more information.

Pictures above from Country Club Drive after routine maintenance pruning (Linden on left and Locust on right).

Routine Maintenance Pruning

Routine Maintenance trees are defined as trees recommended for horticultural pruning to correct structural problems or growth patterns which could eventually obsruct traffic, pesdestrians walking on sidewalks, interfere with utility lines, or buildings.  Trees in this category are large enough to require bucket truck access or manual climbing.  Our crews prune a maximum of  25% of the canopy from the trees.  Our internal city tree crew have completed 85% of the street trees in Ward 4 (North of W. Wooster & West of N. Main) in 2008.  Our goal is to complete the remaining 10% of Ward 4 by December 31, 2008, 2008.  We will move into Ward 3 (South of W. Wooster and East of S. Main) in 2009.

 

Picture above shows the S-shaped galleries left by the Emerald Ash Borer larvae.

Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) spreads throughout the City Of Bowling Green. 

The numbers of trees identified as infested with Emerald Ash Borer has increased significantly throughout Bowling Green.  The City is taking pro-active measures to deal with EAB and now is encouraging citizens with ash trees to consider future actions for their trees. 

Bowling Green residents and businesses are encouraged to consider options for managing ash trees.  Two primary options available: removal/replacement or insecticide treatment.  Removal and replacement prior to infestation is the most cost effective option.  Dead and dying frequently cost 2-3 times more to remove than live trees due to unpredictable nature of dead wood.  The risks to surrounding structures and to the lives of qualified arborists who remove these hazardous trees is a major factor in the cost.  For tips on hiring an arborist, visit http://www.treesaregood.org/ for a consumer guide How to Hire and Arborist. 

Systemic insecticides may be an option to prolong the life of highly valued ash trees prior to infestation.  The Ohio State University Extension Office has developed specific reocmmendations on insecticides.  Click here for more information.  While insecticide products are not 100% effective and are preventative measures, it is an EAB management option.

Landscape Guide for Developers and Home Owners

The Bowling Green Tree Commission and City Arborist will be creating a new Landscape Guide for Developers and Home Owners.  The goal is to educate Developers and Home Owners on where landscaping materials can be installed in city-owned green spaces, cul-de-sacs, boulevard islands, and business locations that meet city ordinances.  Our plan is to coordinate with all city departments, developers, and residents on input into the guide.  We hope to have the Landscape Guide for Developers and Home Owners completed in 2008.

ODOT Certified Training

The Public Works Division staff, Electric Division staff, and Parks & Recreation Department staff attended safety training in aerial bucket truck operations, chainsaw operations, and chipper operations.  Our goal is to provide the best service to the residents of Bowling Green and our urban forest.

City Tree Planting in Green Spaces:

Our Tree City USA Program has planted over 1300 trees from May 2004 through November 2007.  The goal is to plant the "Right Tree in the Right Place" by selecting trees that fit the planting site based on soil type, drainage, infrastructure (power lines, gas lines, water & sewer lines), visibility triangle and long-term capital improvement projects.  The City Arborist coordinates with multiple City Departments to include the preservation of trees or tree replacement programs to maintain the canopy effect.  All new subdivisions and new business plans are now reviewed by the City Arborist to offer recommendations on future tree plantings and landscape design plans.

Priority Pruning of Large Trees 2008:

Our internal City tree crews will be working on pruning large trees primarily on the east side of the City of Bowling Green in Ward 1 & Ward 2, City Park, and the Bowling Green Country Club.  The crews will be pruning out dead and diseased branches, broken/crossing branches or branches that extend over the street or sidewalks. 

Priority Removal Trees 2008:

Our internal City tree crews will coordinate on removing priority trees on the east side of the City of Bowling Green in Ward 1 & Ward 2, City Park, and Bowling Green Country Club.  Priority trees are defined as trees that are dead or have one or more defects that cannot be maintained by pruning.  The majority of trees in this category have a large of percentage of dead crown and potential safety hazards.  Large dead and dying/diseased tree are high liability risk are included in this category.

Train Pruning of Small Trees 2008:

Picture 1 (Top) shows proper train pruning of smaller trees.  Picture 2 (Center) we are pruning 25%-30% of lower branches.  Picture 3 (Right) shows our City tree crew training the tree.

The Urban and Community Forestry staff will be working in the new Subdivisions from May 2008 to August 2008.  The crews are pruning smaller trees to remove dead branches, crossing branches, and branches that extend over the street or sidewalk areas.  The objective is to train the tree to provide safe clearance for motor vehicles, signs and pedestrians.  The pruning corrects the structure and form of the young trees to help grow healthy and strong as they mature.