MTGF FALL CLIPPINGS 2015

MTGF Clippings OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE MINNESOTA TURF AND GROUNDS FOUNDATION VOL. 23, NO. 2 FALL / WINTER 2015

Super Tuesday Tuesday Set Set Jan. Jan. 12 12 Super Trees: Understanding Understanding Needs Needs and and Trees: Problems to to Maximize Maximize Value Value Problems Northern Green Green Expo Expo Set Set Jan.13-15 Jan.13-15 Northern At Minneapolis Minneapolis Convention Convention Center Center At How to to Get Get Trees Trees Ready Ready for for Winter Winter How Salt Tolerant Tolerant Roadside Roadside Grasses Grasses Salt Dutch Elm Elm Disease Disease Case Case Studies Studies Dutch Urban Foresty Foresty Urban

MTGF

minnesota turf and grounds foundation

The mission of the Minnesota Turf and Grounds Foundation is to promote the green industry in Minnesota through support of research, education and outreach at the University of Minnesota and elsewhere.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Business of the Minnesota Turf and Grounds Foundation

Executive Committee President Paul Griffin City of Woodbury, MPSTMA

By PAUL GRIFFIN

Vice President Kent Honl Rainbow Treecare, MSA

President Minnesota Turf and Grounds Foundation

Treasurer Steve Balfany Balfany Farms, MSP Secretary Dr. Brian Horgan University of Minnesota Ex-Officio Susie Johnson Gertens Wholesale, Vendor Rep.

This past year was very good for the Minnesota Turf and Grounds Foundation. Beginning in January with our Super Tuesday educational session followed by the MNLA/MTGF Northern Green Expo. Followed by two successful “tree” workshops put on by University of Minnesota’s Chad Giblin and Gary Johnson. MTGF helped sponsor these and hopes to continue offering more workshops in the coming years.

Directors

In 2015, the MTGF donated $110,000 towards turf and grounds research taking place at the University of Minnesota.

MASMS Tom Redmann Anoka Hennepin ISD #11 MASMS Tracy Closson Northfield Schools ISD #659 MAC Dave Kemp The Catholic Cemeteries MAC Kari Bradshaw Minnesota Association of Cemeteries MAC Ralph Pierre Union Cemetery MPSTMA Jon Almquist The Toro Company MGCSA Mike Manthey Midland Hills CC MGCSA Jamie Benzanson Oneka Ridge GC MSA Manuel Jordan Heritage Shade Tree Consultants MTA Bryan Lawrence Rocket Turf & Nursery MTA Earl “Duke” Halley Central Turf Farms MTSC Brent Benike Northern Excellence Seed MTSC Richard Magnusson Magnusson Farms UM Representative Sam Bauer University of Minnesota UM Representative Dr. Angela Orshinsky University of Minnesota Vendor Representative Jim O’Neill CycleWorks Golf Supply EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Jeff Turtinen 952-473-3722 jeff.turtinen@mtgf.org MTGF OFFICE P. O. Box 617 Wayzata, MN 55391

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On October 21, the Minnesota Park and Sports Turf Managers Association (MPSTMA), an allied association of the MTGF, performed a Community Service Project at Parkway Fields in St. Paul. Parkway is a privately-owned baseball park now consisting of four baseball fields. The MPSTMA helped make a brand new Little League field for ages 5-10. Photos of the project and a list of volunteers can be found at www.mpstma.org.

Looking ahead, the MTGF will be hosting a “Silent Auction” at the Northern Green Expo on Jan. 13-14. Proceeds from the auction will go towards turf and grounds research.

Companies and individuals are encouraged to donate and/or bid on the donated items. Each allied association of the MTGF also is encouraged to participate. For example, the Minnesota Park and Sports Turf Managers Association, as part of its donation, will offer on-field passes as Honorary Grounds Crew at future Golden Gophers football games.

Our upcoming MTGF Super Tuesday will take place on Jan. 12, 2016 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The theme for this year’s Super Tuesday is “Trees: Understanding Needs and Problems to Maximize Value.” Educational points will be offered. Cost is $65. More information may be found on Page 18 of this issue of MTGF CLIPPINGS. On-line registration is available at www.mtgf.org and www.northerngreenexpo.com This is a separate registration than the Northern Green Expo.

As a member of one or more of the seven MTGF Allied Associations, you are automatically a member of the Minnesota Turf and Grounds Foundation, too. The seven MTGF Allied Associations are Minnesota Association of Cemeteries, Minnesota Educational Facilities Management Professionals, Minnesota Golf Course Superintendents' Association, Minnesota Park and Sports Turf Managers Association, Minnesota Society of Arboriculture, Minnesota Sod Producers and the Minnesota Turf Seed Council. Any association engaged in the development, care and maintenance of public or private grounds is eligible to become an allied association member of the Foundation subject to approval of the MTGF Board of Directors. Individuals or businesses may become regular Foundation members by joining one or more of the member allied associations best suited to their needs and interests.

I enjoyed my year representing the MTGF as president. I look forward to seeing many of you at the Northern Green Expo. In late January, Kent Honl, a certified board master arborist from Rainbow Treecare, will take over as president of the foundation.

Sincerely,

Paul Griffin Paul Griffin President Minnesota Turf and Grounds Foundation

2 MTGF CLIPPINGS ~ FALL / WINTER 2015

www.MTGF.org

The Minnesota Turf and Grounds Foundation, a non-profit organization, is a partnership of seven turf- and grounds-related associations and the University of Minnesota. Members of the following associations are also considered members of the Minnesota Turf and Grounds Foundation.

4 4 4 4

Minnesota Minnesota Minnesota Minnesota

Society of Arboriculture Association of Cemeteries Park & Sports Turf Managers Association Educational Facilities Management Professionals

4 Minnesota Sod Producers 4 Minnesota Turf Seed Council 4 Minnesota Golf Course Superintendents’ Association

MTGF CLIPPINGS TABLE OF CONTENTS

2

President’s Report:

The Business of the MTGF - Paul Griffin, City of Woodbury

5

How Trees Get Ready for Winter - Brandon M. Gallagher Watson

7

Urban Forestry at the U - Gary Johnson

10 Dutch Elm Disease Case Studies - Chad Giblin

16 Salt Tolerant Roadside Grasses - Matt Cavanaugh The Minnesota Park and Sports Turf Managers Association, an allied association of the MTGF, performed a Community Service Project at Parkway Fields in St. Paul. MPSTMA members helped make this brand-new Little League field possible. The MPSTMA performs a Community Service Project each year. For more information, go to www.mpstma.org.

18 MTGF Super Tuesday Set Jan. 12, 2016 18 MTGF to Host Silent Auction at NGE

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How Trees Get Ready for Winter

By BRANDON M. GALLAGHER WATSON Creative Director Rainbow Treecare Scientific Advancement Many years ago, before I got seriously interested in arboriculture, I was at an event at our local arboretum. It was in the middle of winter and, being in Minnesota, it was quite cold. The event had tables set up for all sorts of local ‘green’ clubs trying to recruit fellow green geeks to joining their groups. It included master gardeners, the fanatic rose growers, the begonia society and so on. The booth that caught my eye was the bonsai club so I went over to check out the small, twisted trees in pots. One specimen was particularly striking, I can still picture it today; it looked like a perfectly scaled miniature tree with its roots growing over a rock. One problem though, it looked dead. I asked the guy at the booth what kind of tree it was and he informed me it was a Japanese maple. I said, “It’s beautiful, is it dead?” He informed me it was quite alive. When I asked, “Why doesn’t it have any leaves then?” He paused for a moment, and being polite to my ignorance, he replied, “Because it’s winter.”

What I didn’t understand at the time was even this tree was ‘domesticated’ and being kept in a pot, it was still going through all the cycles of the seasons. In fact, it had to go through the seasons to stay alive. Many a bonsai tree has been killed by loving owners thinking they are helping their living sculpture out by bringing them in when the weather changes in the fall. This is the same reason why the species we consider houseplants are all from tropical regions where it is 72°F year-round while you could not keep, say, a hosta in your living room for more than a year before it would die. Plants that are adapted to temperate climes must go through a cold rest period, known as ver-

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nalization, in order to complete an annual cycle.

As the trees in our urban forests prepare for cold, they go through several physiological changes. The most obvious is probably the turning of fall leaves on deciduous trees. The leaves have actually been preparing for their annual leaf drop since they budded out in the spring.

Glucose has been moving out of the leaf to feed the tree and waste products have been moving it. Along the base of the petiole, where the leaf attaches to the twig, is a line of cells known as the abscission layer.

While actively growing, there is a series of tubes running through the abscission layer transporting water from the vascular system into the leaf. When triggered by a decreasing photoperiod, the cells in this layer swell and form a cork-like material, known as suberin. As the suberin swells and expands, the abscission layer begins to prevent water from entering the leaf.

Glucose, pigments and waste products remaining in the leaf become trapped there and, without a water source, the green color begins to fade.

So what about the vibrant fall colors? During the growing season, leaves are actively taking in CO2 and using sunlight to combine it with water to make sugar and oxygen through photosynthesis.

This makes chlorophyll and chlorophyll, of course, gives leaves their green pigment.

As fall approaches and the days get shorter, the leaves cease producing chlorophyll and the green color fades. The bright colors that are revealed were actually there all season long but we couldn’t see them as the chlorophyll was blocking them. The yellow-orange colors result from carotenoids, the same pigments that color

carrots, bananas, and daffodils. The reds and purples are caused by anthocyanins, the same molecules that give apples, plums, and grapes their iconic hues. The browns revealed in trees such as beech and oak are tannins, the bitter-tasting waste product that is left in the leaves (that also gives tea its color). All leaves have stored waste products but the coloration is often blocked by other compounds so we don’t see them until the leaf has completely died, hence why all leaves will eventually turn brown.

Evergreens prepare for the change in seasons in other ways. Conifers have leaves already modified to resist drought and freezing temperatures in the form of needles, but that doesn’t mean they don’t shed their foliage in the fall like a deciduous tree does. Conifers will drop leaves every fall, just not all of them. Typically, conifers retain 3-5 years worth of needles, meaning every fall they will shed a layer of older needles. I used to work at a garden center where every fall we were bombarded with ‘My pine tree is dying!’ phone calls. We would ask if the tree was dropping needles from the tips of the branch or from the inside of the tree. 100% of the time it was from the inside. After ensuring them this was perfectly normal, we would take the time to inform them their pine was actually a spruce. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, such as the larch or the dawn redwood that will drop all their needles each fall. Needles that are retained generally do not freeze in the winter, even in extreme temps, as their resin acts as a natural anti-freeze.

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FALL / WINTER 2015 ~ MTGF CLIPPINGS 5

Trees -

(Continued from Page 5)

Beyond the foliage, trees are prepping for the cold in other ways. Temps can drop pretty low in the winter (often to -20°F where I live) and, remarkably, the trees survive all season just fine. However, if one were to move a cold-hardy tree, such as a paper birch, into a -20°F freezer in midsummer the tree would be dead by morning. Just like you need a wardrobe change before going from the beach to a snow bank, trees need to get prepared for cold temps by ‘hardening off’ before the cold sets in. The liquids within the cells of the tree, known as protoplasm, change their concentration of sugars and salts, essentially lowering their freezing point and allowing them to withstand frigid temps. Different plants have differing abilities to do this, which is what gives rise to the USDA hardiness zone map. The seed source plays a role in hardiness as well for trees with a wide geographic range. Red maples (Acer rubrum) are native from Florida to Ontario, but transplanting one from the South to the North or vice versa would likely be its demise as there are adaptations they have made over time to thrive in their native conditions.

Snow acts as a insulator keeping the soil warmer than the air. Credit: Wiki Commons

During the winter, trees are dormant but that doesn’t mean lifeless. Quiescence is a term that roughly means ‘resting but ready’ and that’s what trees are doing during winter. There are metabolic processes going on even in extremely low temperatures. Evergreens continue to respire, moving liquid water from the soil up through their stomata in the leaves.

Winter burn is a common aliment on conifers as the sun heats up foliage causing desiccation, and if no liquid water is available the foliage dries out and dies.

Winter burn is most common in years of low snowfall as the snow acts as an insulator preventing the soil from freezing solid too deep. Below ground, the soils are often warmer than the air and roots have adapted for this. In fact, the air can be 20°F and the soil can be as warm as 35°F. Utilizing

stored energy, trees can send roots out to explore for resources and grow in the spring while the world still looks to be frozen.

Caring for trees going into winter can be done with some simple tips for tree owners. Continue to water trees, particularly evergreens, weekly until the ground freezes. Trees are often fertilized in fall.

This put the nutrients where they are needed for spring and nutrients such as potassium can benefit evergreens throughout the winter by reducing winter burn.

Many plant healthcare treatments, such as soil applications of insecticides or applications of injectable nutrients like iron and manganese are also applied during this season. Protecting trees from rodent feeding during winter can be achieved by wrapping trunks of young trees with corrugated plastic tubing. Wrapping evergreen foliage or even creating a screen with a fabric such as burlap can prevent winter burning and reducing the browsing of hungry deer.

Winter may be hard on humans but our trees are pretty tough. Given the proper care through the growing season and into fall can put them in a position to thrive when spring arrives again. This is true for young trees, mature trees, and even little trees in pots.

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Urban Forestry at the U An Update on Research, Outreach and Community Connections

By GARY JOHNSON Professor University of Minnesota Department of Forest Resources and University of Minnesota Extension How many times have you driven by the Saint Paul campus and wondered if there is anything going on there that doesn’t involve corn, beans and farm animals?

Despite the pastoral, agrarian façade as you scoot by on Larpenteur Avenue, there’s a lot of urban and community forestry going on, right under your noses.

To be clear, urban and community forestry is part of the Department of Forest Resources in the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences. Specifically, the research, outreach and community involvement is the role of the Urban Forestry Outreach Research and Extension program, or UFore for short. Many of you may remember when the nursery fields were part of UMN Extension and was known as the TRE nursery. That all ended a decade ago and now the facility is completely supported by research grants, gift funds and income generated by workshops and contractual services.

Urban forestry is probably a poor name for the work going on. First, it’s more than cultivating trees in big cities. Much of the work done is all over the state, from Ely to Rochester, Hendricks to Morris.

And it’s more than just trees. Volunteer training programs range from conducting tree inventories at the local level to developing community conduits for delivering the best information available from the University to the citizens. These programs have been especially valuable in light of declining local natural resources’ representatives from the University, Extension and the Department of Natural Resources.

UFore trains community volunteers and community managers in emerald ash borer management, Citizen Pruner programs and a variety of horticultural and forestry practices.

UFore AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER Technology transfer is a significant role of the UFore nursery and lab. The use of diagnostic, investigative and treatment tools has been front and center at several workshops delivered by UFore in the past 12 months. For example, training has been provided in the use of high air preswww.MTGF.org

sure soil displacement tools (i.e. “Air Knife” or “Air Spade”) both for diagnostics and corrective actions. Training for tools that are used to determine strength loss due to decay and cavities in trees, for instance the Resistograph, has been offered to practicing professionals, property managers and municipal managers that are responsible for tree risk assessments and management.

In 2015, the list of outreach and technology transfer events that UFore has hosted or was a partner has ranged from two Minnesota Tree Inspector Certification workshops, four Minnesota Tree Inspector Recertification workshops, the Minnesota Shade Tree Short Course, a tree pruning workshop co-sponsored with the Minnesota Society of Arboriculture (MSA) and the Minnesota Turf and Grounds Foundation (MTGF), a diagnostic workshop co-sponsored with MTGF, an open-house field day at the research nursery co-sponsored with the Minnesota Shade Tree Advisory Committee, and multiple training sessions for GreenCorps members stationed in several Minnesota communities, many in greater Minnesota.

CAMPUS FIELD RESEARCH AND OUTREACH Community gravel bed research, outreach and technology transfer has been a focus of efforts for the past several years and continues as such. The UFore nursery has three experimental gravel beds where species performance, development of better liner root systems and propagation methods that build better root systems is investigated. Hardly a week goes by when a representative from a community or private business doesn’t visit us to learn how to install a community gravel bed, check out how the trees or shrubs are performing, learn how to “harvest” or “heel-in” nursery stock, get some hints on irrigation or just trouble-shoot problems in general.

Community gravel beds are becoming more common around the state, allowing communities and smaller businesses to purchase bare-root nursery stock in the spring, “heel-in” the stock in gravel, harvest and plant-out the trees in late summer or autumn as bare-root trees. Very

often, the work is done by community volunteers who are very grateful to be handling trees and shrubs that aren’t so heavy. And as we all know, “fall is for planting in Minnesota,” especially in the western part of the state.

One field research project is investigating a question that no one seems to have a consistent answer for: “Decomposition rates of various nursery twines, ropes and strings.” A simple question that has not been addressed in a field session, this study has been set up as a three-year experiment that hopefully will provide the information needed to address the issues of whether to leave strings or ropes attached to tree trunks for stability and what’s the worst that could happen if they are left on.

The UFore nursery and lab can’t be mentioned without thinking about all of the work centered on discovering, testing and field-trialing elms. Over the years, the nursery has been filled with all elms with reputations of Dutch elm disease (DED) resistance. Many of you readers have visited the field sessions on selections, use, degree of DED-resistance, pruning and not-using these varieties. In addition to those trials of commercially available elms, the Department of Plant Pathology has teamed with UFore over the past few years to discover “survivor” elms from around the state, propagate them, test them for DED-resistance and field-trial them for worthiness of placement in Minnesota landscapes. The MTGF has been a valued and critical sponsor of this work over the past years and several successful red, rock and American elm survivors from around the state have shown great promise as Minnesota elms for the future. Most recently, the UFore, Department of Plant Pathology and the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum entered into a cooperative elm trial project at the Arboretum in Chanhassen. This will be field training and outreach site for people who love elms in the future.

The UFore nursery has long been a training ground for the developmental pruning of young trees. New and experienced arborists, community volunteers (Continued on Page 8) FALL / WINTER 2015 ~ MTGF CLIPPINGS 7

Urban Forestry at the U(Continued from Page 7)

OFF-CAMPUS RESEARCH Most of the research and outreach occurs off-campus…as it should. Research projects off-campus – in boulevards, parks, school grounds, brownfield sites, wooded areas, meadows – can be categorized as species performance trials, planting amendment assessments, best planting practices evaluations, impacts of site characteristics on tree performance, the use of “grow tubes” on tree establishment and community engagement.

Species Performance Trials. Which trees survive best (or worst) and actually contribute to Minnesota’s landscapes without breaking maintenance budgets? Those questions and more are part of the field trial studies at the experimental sites at the Nicollet Island brownfield site, the High Bridge Dog Park, and the Payne-Phalen brownfield site.

These studies range in length from five years to over 15 (to date).

Planting Amendment Studies. Amending planting sites remains a controversial topic. Should it be done or not?

Several ongoing studies are documenting the effects of various soil amendments on various species establishment and site performance. Included in those amendments are biochar and a prescription organic material, both at various rates.

Study sites included in these studies are: the Armitage alder (Alnus species) amendment study, the Folwell Park site and the native oak establishment project in Como Regional Park.

(Continued on Page 9)

Decomposition Rates of Various Nursery Twines, Strings and Ropes Study

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Urban Forestry at the U(Continued from Page 8)

Community Tree Planting Projects. Hendricks, Morris, Hutchinson and Ely are some of the communities where trees planted out to prepare for the loss of ash trees are monitored for survival and performance. These trees represent a variety of rooting-types (spring barerooted, containerized, B&B and gravel bed bare-rooted), and planters (citizen volunteers, trained community advocates and municipal workers. All trees were originally purchased from Minnesota nurseries (yup, you heard that right…purchased from Minnesota nurseries).

This ongoing study presents the opportunity for a cost:benefit analysis in community planting programs and tracks the planting practices of trained volunteers versus community employees or contracted professionals, size and types of trees, and time of the year when trees were planted.

The Saint Paul Horton Park Tree TrekTM

One of the more unique community-based tree planting projects is actually a self-guided walking arboretum tour called the Minnesota Community Tree Trek™. The UFore team has worked with several communities to design, select the best tree materials for the area, plant, label and connect the labels via QR codes (quick response codes) to our extensive cache of tree fact sheets, complete with seasonal interest pictures. These Tree Treks are largely based in the metropolitan area, but the most extensive Tree Trek is in Austin.

“Grow Tubes” and Reforestation Projects. Working cooperatively with Plantra, Inc., several reforestation projects have been set up over the past few years to both test out various “grow tubes” for establishing young trees and alternative practices for reforesting natural areas in the metropolitan area. The grow tube projects are located at Trout Brook in Saint Paul, the Shakopee Oak Tube Planting, the Lyndale Park Tube Planting, Webber Park, Newell Park, the Oak Regeneration project in Como Regional Park, and the Franklin Terrace Dog Park.

To stay in touch with the UFore nursery and lab, connect with any of the web sites we host that provide more specific information: www.mntreesource.com, www.mnshadetree.com, www.urbangreenforpeople.com, www.trees.umn.edu and www.elms.umn.edu. www.MTGF.org

FALL / WINTER 2015 ~ MTGF CLIPPINGS 9

Dutch Elm Disease Case Studies

By CHAD GIBLIN Research Fellow Urban Forestry Outreach, Research & Extension Nursery Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota CASE #1 Subject: Valley Forge American Elm (Ulmus americana ‘Valley Forge’) Location: City of Saint Paul Symptoms and Analysis: This young tree was observed by a Minnesota Tree Inspector in July 2015 and had all of the classic symptoms of Dutch elm disease (DED). There was active wilting throughout the crown, with leaves in various stages of wilt.

Approximately 40 to 50% of the crown was showing wilt symptoms when we visited this tree. After branch sample collection, vascular staining was observed and samples were stored for isolation and sequencing at the University of Minnesota. Evidence of feeding by elm bark beetles in branch crotches was also present.

Once we returned to our lab, the samples were cultured for fungal DNA extraction. After isolation and sequencing, it was confirmed to be Ophiostoma novo-ulmi (DED). This tree was pruned for sanitation and will be revisited next year to check on its status for disease recovery. It is important to note that although ‘Valley Forge’ may suffer from DED, many recover; therefore, removal may not be necessary and sanitation pruning should be considered. Given that we are observing DED with increasing frequency in the disease-resistant population, it’s important to continue to scout even resistant varieties for incidence of the disease.

(Continued on Page 12) Crown Wilt Symptoms of DED in ‘Valley Forge’

Evidence of Vascular Staining in Branch Cross-Section Indicating DED Infection

Damage from Elm Bark Beetle Feeding

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DUTCH ELM DISEASE - CASE STUDIES CASE #2 Subject: Triumph Hybrid Elm (Ulmus ‘Morton Glossy’) Location: City of Falcon Heights Symptoms and Analysis: This spring we received a call from an arborist in Falcon Heights, MN, who had observed a significant amount of crown dieback in Triumph elms growing in boulevards. These trees were planted several years ago and were well established and healthy prior to these symptoms.

The classic wilt symptoms of DED were not observed in these trees and upon closer examination we found multiple areas of sunken bark and active callus formation throughout the crown. There was no evidence of vascular staining or

Left: An example of callus formation in the crown Where dieback was occurring. Above: Triumph elm showing crown dieback.

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beetle feeding. Tissue samples were collected from symptomatic portions of the tree and cultured for fungal pathogens. Results show no evidence of infection by Ophiostoma novo-ulmi (Dutch elm disease). However, other fungal species were recovered and further studies are required to determine the causal agent of the dieback.

(Continued on Page 13)

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Vascular Discoloration is a primary indicator of DED Infection. Here samples are being examined from symptomatic areas in the crown.

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DUTCH ELM DISEASE - CASE STUDIES CASE #3 Subject: Accolade Hybrid Elm (Ulmus ‘Morton’) Location: University of Minnesota Symptoms and Analysis: Early this summer we observed an Accolade elm growing on the University of Minnesota, East Bank campus, which exhibited symptoms of crown wilt and dieback.

This tree was fully established and was growing vigorously without signs of mechanical damage or other causal agents of abiotic damage. The wilt in this tree was of particular concern because we had observed Dutch elm disease and isolated Ophiostoma novo-ulmi from another Accolade in the vicinity. Given the history of disease in the area, we quickly returned to the site to collect samples for fungal isolation.

In July, we observed approximately 20-25% crown dieback and areas of active wilt. However, there was no evidence of vascular staining or beetle feeding. Tissue samples were collected from symptomatic portions of the tree and cultured for fungal pathogens. After isolation there was no evidence of infection by Ophiostoma novo-ulmi and similar to Case #2 other fungi were isolated but, without additional testing, the causal agent could not be determined.

Right: Crown Wilt - July 2015

Above: Crown Wilt - September 2015 Right: Cross Section of a Sample Showing No Vascular Discoloration

14 MTGF CLIPPINGS ~ FALL / WINTER 2015

www.MTGF.org

What will you experience at the show for green industry pros?

JANUARY 13-15, 2016

MINNEAPOLIS CONVENTION CENTER

Delivering World-Class Customer Service: Lessons from the Mouse (Opening Keynote) The official kick-off for the Northern Green Expo, the keynote speaker always packs a punch! The 2016 keynote speaker, Dennis Snow, led Walt Disney’s customer service for 20 years and will discuss why creating a culture of customer service is imperative no matter where you work or what you do.

K KEEYNOTTEE

FREE

ANY ITH AN WIT ATION TRAT ISTR REGIS

Choosing Your Own Path Follow your own learning path from among nearly 100 seminars, everything from BMPs for Pesticide-Free Cool Season Athletic Fields and New Fungicides: Where Do They Fit in Your Summer Disease Control Program? to Preventing and Correcting Salt Damage to Turf. Additionally, the popular “campfire” sessions will be back on the trade show floor –something for everyone!

Building Connections Interested in connecting with other industry professionals? Besides the ever-valuable impromptu “hallway” meetings, there will be featured, dedicated networking time on the trade show floor, free lunch on Thursday, campfire areas for gathering, opportunities to visit with speakers and exhibitors, and so much more.

Visiting Vendors Three days to visit with your suppliers in a dedicated environment. Check out the Expo hall–which boasts nearly 1,000 booths–and talk to all the industry players in one place at one time.

Register today! Use the code MTGF2016 before November 1 to receive a 10% discount on your registration fees!

W W W. N O R T H E R N G R E E N E X P O .O R G i n f o @ N o r t h e r n G r e e n E x p o . o r g | 6 51.

51. 6 33 . 4 9 87

Salt-Tolerant Roadside Grasses: Does Anything Actually Survive?

By MATT CAVANAUGH Research Scientist University of Minnesota Turfgrass Extension

The seven county metro area uses nearly 350,000 tons of road salt each year with uses coming from the Minnesota Department of Transportation (81,000 tons), counties (70,000 tons), cities (115,000 tons), and private entities (84,000 tons) (Sander et al.

2007). The salt that is being used on Minnesota roadsides is often too high causing death for many of the grasses established in these areas. Why do we even attempt to grow grass on roadsides? Benefits of having roadside grasses are improved water quality, erosion reduction, trapping containments coming from the road, providing animal habitat, reducing road noise and providing an aesthetic value to the landscape. To date there have been significant steps taken to improve grass survivability on Minnesota roadsides. Initial work at the University of Minnesota has revolved around finding a better grass species mix that is more tolerant to salt applications used in Minnesota during the winter (Friell et al., 2012; Friell et al. 2013). This work has resulted in a salt-tolerant sod quality assurance program that provides salt-tolerant sod for use on roadsides in Minnesota. Before going on I would like to define “salt-tolerance.” Tolerance means that a plant can take certain amounts of salt before it will eventually die from over application. Tolerance should not be confused with resistant which would imply that the grass would not be impacted by the application of salt.

Making of Salt-Tolerant Grasses Picture 1: Deterioration of Kentucky bluegrass sod due to heavy salt loading.

The original salt-tolerant sod mixture included 15-20% alkaligrass, 15-20% red fescue, 1015% Park Kentucky bluegrass, 20-30% improved Kentucky bluegrass and 20-30% low-maintenance Kentucky bluegrass. The majority of this mixture ends up being Kentucky bluegrass which is generally a very good performing grass for Minnesota, but it is not very salt tolerant on Minnesota roadsides (Picture 1).

Alkaligrass represents as much as 20% of the mix and, as the name implies, is a very salttolerant grass. However, research at the University of Minnesota has demonstrated that alkaligrass is not very persistent in the low-maintenance environment of Minnesota roadsides. So, as much as 85% of the original salt-tolerant mix does not perform very well, long term, on Minnesota roadsides. What does perform well then? What species will provide the best salt-tolerance and long term survivability?

A total of nine different turfgrass species representing 75 turfgrass cultivars were evaluated for salt-tolerance on Minnesota roadsides (Picture 2). This evaluation resulted in the recommendation of a new salt-tolerant roadside grass species mixture to be 16 MTGF CLIPPINGS ~ FALL / WINTER 2015

Picture 2: 75 cultivars representing 9 different species planted in 3 replications on a Minnesota roadside.

used in Minnesota. Most of the top performing salt-tolerant species ended up being fine fescues. The term fine fescue represents 5 turfgrass species that all have very similar traits including shade tolerance, drought tolerance and low fertility requirement.

Fine fescues include slender creeping red fescue, strong creeping red fescue, sheep fescue, Chewings fescue and hard fescue. From the five species of fine fescues, research has shown that slender and strong creeping red fescue are best in salt loading situations and in areas receiving reduced fertility, thus making them a perfect choice for a salt-tolerant roadside mixture in Minnesota (Friell et al., 2012).

With the work conducted at the University of Minnesota, it was recommended to change the salt-tolerant roadside mixture to contain 40% total of a combination of hard, chewings, and sheep fescue (several cultivar options), 20% slender creeping red fescue (3 cultivar choices), 20% strong creeping red fescue (5 cultivar choices) and 20% Kentucky bluegrass (4 cultivar choices). From the original salt-tolerant grass mixture, alkaligrass has been removed due to the lack of long term persistence in a low-input situation and the amount of Kentucky bluegrass has been greatly reduced from the original salt-tolerant mixture. Kentucky bluegrass is currently still being used to provide added strength when these mixtures are being harvested for sod. Historically, fine fescues are not used in sod production due to their perceived lack of sod-forming ability. Research at the University of Minnesota has demonstrated that Kentucky bluegrass does not necessarily create a stronger sod and that mixtures containing fine fescue can provide acceptable sod strength which was not previously thought.

Roadsides represent the largest area of maintained turfgrass that we have in our landscape and provide great benefit to the landscape. Developing species mixtures that are more tolerant to the pressures Minnesota winters provide will greatly enhance the roadside landscape in Minnesota. Currently there are six sod farms producing salt-tolerant sod that is already on Minnesota roadsides including the boulevard in front of the Governors’ Mansion.

(Editor’s Note: References available at www.mtgf.org.) www.MTGF.org

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TREES: UNDERSTANDING NEEDS AND PROBLEMS TO MAXIMIZE VALUE On Tuesday, Jan. 12, the Minnesota Turf and Grounds Foundation will host a “Super Tuesday” educational session about understanding the needs and problems of trees to maximize their value. The seminar will take place at the Minneapolis Convention Center from 8 a.m to 2 p.m. We have highly-qualified speakers from the University of Minnesota, featuring Gary Johnson, Chad Giblin, Brett Arenz, Brian Aukema and Jennifer Juzwik.

THE THEME Trees have a public value that does well beyond the shading and cooling effects that are produced by healthy tree canopies. In fact, some estimates put the value of a mature tree between $1,000 and $10,000 dollars because the benefits of trees are so great. Additional benefits that trees provide include increasing property values, carbon sequestration, oxygen emission and reduced runoff or erosion. Maximizing the value of trees means choosing and caring for them correctly. In this workshop you will gain a better understanding of how to choose and care for trees in Minnesota's climate. Presenters will also provide the latest information on tree pest issues, including Emerald Ash Borer and Oak Wilt.

Register today at www.mtgf.org.

SUPER TUESDAY 8:00 – 8: 45 Urban Forestry Update Gary Johnson University of Minnesota 9:00 – 9:45 Young Tree Care Chad Giblin University of Minnesota 10:00 – 10: 45 Fertility Brett Arenz University of Minnesota 11:00 – 11:45 Emerald Ash Borer Brian Aukema University of Minnesota 12:00 – 1:00 Lunch 1:00 – 1:45 Oak Wilt Jennifer Juzwik University of Minnesota

We encourage you to attend!

1:45 Panel Discussion

MTGF SILENT AUCTION AT THE NORTHERN GREEN EXPO In a continuing effort to raise funds for turf and grounds research at the University of Minnesota, the MTGF will conduct a Silent Auction at the 2016 Northern Green Expo on Jan. 13-14.

Show your “Green Industry” support by visiting the auction and bid on: Products, Services, On-field Gopher Football passes, etc.

Also, you may participate by donating a gift.

Contact the MTGF office at 952-473-3722.

18 MTGF CLIPPINGS ~ FALL / WINTER 2015

www.MTGF.org

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MTGF ALLIED ASSOCIATIONS