Date:
Wednesday, January 8, 2025
Time:
9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Location:
County College of Morris
Randolph, NJ, NJ
Speaker:
Wayne Cahilly, Owner/Operator of Cahilly’s Horticultural Services Josh Morgan – Director of Plant Healthcare at Organic Approach Richard J. Buckley, Director of the Rutgers Plant Diagnostic Lab Mark Ware, Master Arborist, Rainbow Ecoscience Neil Hendrickson, Arborist, Bartlett Tree Research Labs (retired)
Description:
NJOHS Tree Day 2025 Agenda
9am – 10am– Wayne Cahilly, Owner/Operator of Cahilly’s Horticultural Services
Title: The Fungus Among Us - An overview of several wood decay fungi and why you should know them.
Description: Fungi range from the helpful, symbiotic types to the sneaky aggressors that eat your trees while you are out of town. This presentation will focus on the dangerous decay fungi whose fruiting bodies we see in the landscape, how they work, what they do, and why you should care. We will take a brief look at several important insects along the way. This information helps determine tree risk and if use of pesticides is warranted for tree care. (60 minutes)
10am – 11am– Josh Morgan – Director of Plant Healthcare at Organic Approach
Title: Selective Nature: A deep dive into exactly what you have always suspected is missing, and concise recommendations on how to replace it.
Description: Harnessing the power of organic molecules that improve the environment of a tree is the most fundamental of cultural practices, reduces chronic stress, and the occurrence of other pest and pathogen issues that may require corrective chemical control down the line. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!” Topics include: the tenets of soil composition and microbiology that everyone must understand so to modify and manipulate properly, how and why to use humic and fulvic acids, real world examples of common stressors that arborists encounter with recommendations on how to head them off before they arise, and protocols for using organic products as part of IPM. Emphasis will be placed on ways that the immune systems of trees can be supported to reduce the risk of succumbing to disease and pest pressures of economic proportions, therefore incurring corrective chemical controls. IPM is most effective from the bottom up, not the top down. (60 minutes)
11am – 12pm – Richard J. Buckley, Director of the Rutgers Plant Diagnostic Lab
Title: 2024 Tree Disease Update: A hot and wet summer!
Description: 2024 was a challenging year for all of us on many levels. Hazy, hot and humid conditions drove plant problems in the Urban Forest. This lecture reviews some of the most common tree disease and insect pest problems submitted to the Rutgers Plant Diagnostic Lab in 2024 and introduces us to a couple new things we see coming around the corner in 2025. All aspects of Plant Health Care and current concepts in Integrated Pest Management will be discussed with each issue. (60 minutes)
12-1:15pm LUNCH BREAK
1:15pm -2:15 pm- Mark Ware, Master Arborist, Rainbow Ecoscience
Title: Unraveling Beech Leaf Disease: Impacts, biology and effective management
Description: Due to the hard work and collaboration of many researchers, the mystery of how to manage beech leaf disease is slowly but surely being unraveled! In this comprehensive presentation we will cover the biology, life cycle and impact of this nematode so that we can better understand the treatment protocols presented. We will also cover the in-depth protocols per treatment option (products, rates, prep., procedure, and safety measures) as it stands currently, based upon up to the minute research, and discuss possible future management options.
2:15pm – 3:15pm- Neil Hendrickson, Arborist, Bartlett Tree Research Labs (retired)
Title: Turf Wars: How to mitigate health and stressors between trees and turf as part of IPM.
Description: Most of the places where our landscape and tree professionals work deal with the “turf wars” – the continuing battle between lawn grass and trees. This presentation dives into all the issues and management recommendations at the interface of turf lawn and tree biomes. All pertinent cultural practices to reduce stressors and disease as part of IPM will be reviewed. Topics include: negative effects of turf on trees and vice versa; surface roots and mechanical damage: competition for resources such as water, nutrients, and growing space; mulch rings; differences in irrigation regime requirements; separate and informed fertilization practices; pruning trees to increase sunlight to turf. (60 minutes)
Cost:
Pre-registration includes continental breakfast and lunch: $75/day On-site registration includes continental breakfast only, NO LUNCH: $90/day
Sponsor(s):
Rutgers Cooperative Extension
Contact:
Cynthia Triolo, 973-285-8306