SSShhhaaadddyyy NNNooottteeesss

Winter – January 2008 A Quarterly Publication of the Maryland Arborist Association, Inc.

In This Issue • MAA Winter

Recertification Registration

• Tea scale and holly pit scale

• Invader of the month

• MD DNR News

• Calendar of Events

• Editor’s Choice: Book of the Month

An Open Letter to Maryland Arborist Association Members

Season’s Greetings, folks. As my term of office winds down between now and June 30, 2008, there are several items of interest to the General Membership of the MAA: 1. Winter Seminar-our largest and most well-attended meeting; 2. 2008 Arborist Day - April 5, 2008 - membership’s opportunity to work collectively on a project, donating time and effort for beautification of a special site; 3. Proposed legislation to positively affect the Tree Expert Law in the state of Maryland.

The first two items are listed elsewhere in this newsletter. The third will be discussed in this forum. In September, a meeting was held by five current MAA Board Members (and me) to discuss how to make changes in the existing Tree Expert Law that would strengthen the title “Licensed Tree Expert.” It is opinion of this group that adding yearly recertification of LTE’s would mirror recertification of Certified Pesticide Applicators. This addition to the Tree Expert Law would, in our opinion, verify one’s ability to perform arboricultural services to their peers and to the public we serve. A second meeting was held on November 12th, inviting representatives of the Tree Care Industry of America (TCIA) and the Mid-Atlantic Conference, International Society of Arboriculture (MAC-ISA) to voice their opinions. It was decided at the second meeting to push for yearly recertification through the legislative process in the upcoming Maryland General Assembly. The Board of Directors of the MAA view this change to the existing Tree Expert Law in the sense that recertification for the Tree Expert’s License would mirror what the Maryland Department of Agriculture requires for certification for a Certified Pesticide Applicator’s License, i.e., an annual meeting with new information on law changes, pest changes or pesticide changes. The annual meeting could be an approved meeting by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), could be an in-house company meeting, or one that is sponsored by the University of Maryland, or the MAA, for example. The Board of Directors recently discussed the outcomes of these meetings and wholeheartedly endorses these changes.

This information is included in this newsletter so that you, the dues-paying members of this organization, can voice your opinion in regards to this proposed change. By strengthening the title of Licensed Tree Expert in the state of Maryland, it helps your business, helps the MAA and has a positive affect on those folks we serve- the general public.

Please send your comments to the Maryland Arborist Association office at 410 321-8082 by phone, or send written comments to the MAA office at P.O. Box 712, Brooklandville, MD 21022.

Thanks for your time and enjoy your holidays!

Damian Varga President Maryland Arborist Association

THE MARYLAND ARBORIST ASSOCIATION

27th ANNUAL WINTER RECERTIFICATION SEMINAR JANUARY 16 - 17, 2008

Turf Valley Resort and Conference Center 2700 Turf Valley Road Ellicott City, MD 21042 410-465-1500 www.turfvalleyresort.com Agenda – Day 1 – January 16th AM Moderator: Mr. Bob Mead 7:30 Registration and Continental Breakfast 8:00 Welcome Mr. Damian Varga, MAA President 8:15 Electrical Safety- Line Recognition & MAD- Minimum Approach Distance Mr. Ed Mueller BGE Safety and Training Dept. 9:15 Contractor – Assist Procedures for BGE Crystal Cheuvront – BGE Forestry 10:30 ANSI – A300 Utility Pruning

Ron Muir – Lewis Tree Service, Inc. 12:00 Lunch 1:00 MOSH Mr. Bob Fadrowski 3:00 Achieving a Culture of Safety Looking into accidents in our industry, their underlying causes and thing we can change! Mr. Peter Gerstenberger TCIA 4:00 Closing Remarks ISA Certification Exam – The ISA Certification exam will be offered on Day 2, January 17th at 2:00 pm. In order to take this exam, you must be pre-registered. Contact Nancy Herwig at 703-753-0499. Registration deadline is December 26, 2007.

3

Agenda - Day 2 – January 17th AM Moderator: Mr. Scott Bates 7:30 Registration and Continental Breakfast 8:00 Welcome Mr. Damian Varga, MAA President 8:05 Preserving The Ash Species vs. Preserving Mrs. Smith’s Ash Tree – How Emerald Ash Borer is

Managed From Population Level to the Front Yard Mr. Shawn Bernick Research Director Rainbow Treecare Scientific Advancements

9:10 Invasive Species are Coming; Where are you Going? Dr. Mike Raupp, Extension Specialist, Department of Entomology, University of Maryland 10:10 Maryland Cooperative Extension Service –What is it Going to do for you the Arborist?

Dr. Nick Place Asst. Dean & Asst. Director, University of Maryland Cooperative Extension

10:40 Break with Vendors 11:00 Big Defoliator Makes a Comeback the Gypsy Moth Story

Mr. Bob Tichenor, Maryland Dept. of Agriculture, Plant Protection Division Gypsy Moth 11:30 Pesticide Updates Mr. Ed Crow MDA, Pesticide Regulation Division Mr. Baldwin Williams DOH/EHA Wash. DC 12:00 Lunch PM Moderator: Mr. Chris Klimas 1:00 Controlling Varmints in the Landscape Mr. Charlie Kramer, Campus Pest Control Supervisor, University of Maryland 2:00 (a) Insects That Suck and Systemic Insecticide Mr. Stanton Gill, University of Maryland Cooperative Extension (b) Bacterial Leaf Scorch- Cause, Transmission and Management Mr. Shawn Bernick, Rainbow Treecare Scientific Advancements (c) What’s the Deal with My Yard? Mr. Harry Kenny, UAP 3:00 Break with Vendors 3:30 Drought and Global Warming and its Effects on Pests in Maryland Dr. Mike Raupp, Extension Specialist, Department of Entomology, University of Maryland 4:30 Door Prizes, Certificates, and Closing Remarks

4

THE MARYLAND ARBORIST ASSOCIATION’S 27TH ANNUAL WINTER RECERTIFICATION SEMINAR

Turf Valley Resort and Conference Center Registration Form

EARLY REGISTRATION BEFORE JANUARY 5, 2008 Registrations made and not cancelled by January 9, 2008 will be subject to charge. DAY 1 DAY 2 BOTH DAYS Member (MAA or ISA) $ 100 $ 100 $ 190 Non-Members $ 115 $ 115 $ 215 Everyone after January 4, 2008 $ 120 $ 120 $ 240 Company_______________________________________ Phone __________________ Contact e-mail: __________________________________________________________ Name __________________________________________ Day 1 _____ Day 2_____

Name __________________________________________ Day 1 _____ Day 2_____

Name __________________________________________ Day 1 _____ Day 2_____

Name __________________________________________ Day 1 ______Day 2_____

Name __________________________________________ Day 1 _____ Day 2_____

Total Fee: $ _________________

Please return registration form and payment to: Maryland Arborist Association, Inc. P.O. Box 712 Brooklandville, MD 21022 Phone: 410-321-8082 or 1-888-638-7337 Or- fax form and credit card payment to MAA at fax# 410-296-8288: Credit Card Payment: ______Visa _______ MasterCard Card # __________________________________________________ Exp. Date ______________ Billing Address of Card: ___________________________________________________________

3 Digit Security Code: ________________ Contact Person: ______________________________ Signature: ___________________________________________________ Date: ______________ Thank you for registering! We look forward to seeing you at the Winter Seminar.

5

Turf Valley Resort and Conference Center 2700 Turf Valley Road Ellicott City, MD 21042 410-465-1500 www.turfvalleyresort.com ADC Map – Howard County 11 C4 Directions:

Coming from Baltimore: Take I-695 to exit 16 (I-70 West toward Frederick). Follow I-70 to exit 83 (Marriottsville Rd.). At the stop sign turn left onto Marriottsville Rd. At the first traffic light, turn left onto Route 40. Go 7/10 mile and turn left onto Turf Valley Rd. Turf Valley's entrance will be on your left.

Coming from Frederick: Take I-70 east towards Baltimore. Take Exit 82 - Ellicott City / 40 East. Go through one stop light. Continue approximately 7/10 of a mile and turn left onto Turf Valley Road.

Coming from Annapolis: Take your shortest route to I-695 and use the Baltimore directions to Turf Valley.

This Seminar Qualifies For: • Maryland Pesticide Recertification • Virginia Pesticide Recertification • Washington D.C. Pesticide Recertification • 3A + C Turf and Exterior Ornamentals • 6E Right of Way and Industrial Weed • 10 Research and Demonstration • ISA CEU’s

We Thank the Following Vendors for Their Support of the Conference (As of December 11th) Altec Industries Apple Ford/Dejana Truck & Equipment IWIF Injured Workers Insurance Fund Lawn & Power Equipment MAC - ISA Moran Insurance Rainbow Treecare Scientific Advancements Standard Equipment Co. Vermeer Mid-Atlantic

6

Shady Notes

Beware the Quiet Ones

Stanton Gill, Extension Specialist in Nursery and Greenhouse IPM, Central Maryland Research and Education Center, University of Maryland Cooperative Extension and Professor with the Landscape technology Program, Montgomery College

Some bugs are quick damagers or killers of plants while others are much more quiet and slow to sap the strength from plants. The quiet ones are the ones that sneak up on you and before you know it, you have a dying plant. Scale is the master of stealth and concealment, blending with the plant like it is part of the plant itself. Scale is small, highly forgettable in appearance, and they use this to their advantage. Populations build up on plants over a couple of seasons and the next you know you have a dying plant on your hands. Death of branches and parts of the plant tend to be slow and go unnoticed until someone happens to notice the plant is dropping leaves or dying back branch by branch. Two scale species that we received lots of samples of in the 2007 season are the tea scale (Fiorinia theae) and holly pit scale (Asterodiaspis puteanum). The tea scale is a general feeder but most of the samples we receive at the Central Maryland Research and Education Center are on either holly or camellia. It occasionally shows up on rhododendrons and euonymus. Most landscape managers will notice this armored scale on the foliage of the plant and they tend to build up on the undersides of the foliage. They are also found on the twigs and small branches. The scale can be on the plant for several years before you start to notice that the plant is not healthy looking and growth is poor. We often get samples on Chinese holly but it can be found on just about any of the holly species. All of the camellia species are highly susceptible to this scale. With the warmer winters for the last 7 years many people are increasing the planting of camellias in landscapes in the Washington Metro and Baltimore area and as a result we are seeing more scale samples sent into our office. Once you discover this scale on your customer plant you need to understand its life cycle. The females generally overwinter in Maryland and we see the crawlers in May. Watch for announcement of the crawler activity in the week IPM Alert we put out through the Cooperative Extension. When the individual crawlers emerge they must find a feeding site within 24 -48 hours or they starve to death. All of the crawlers do not hatch on the same day and you can find crawlers present for 2 – 3 weeks after the first emergence. In the deep south of Alabama they report that the there are multiple generations per year from March until November. We do see multiple overlapping generations here in Maryland but it occurs from May until early fall in most seasons, that we have seen in samples received.

7

Control: The crawlers and early instars are controlled with foliar applications of the insect growth regulator pyriproxyfen (Distance). During the early spring in March and early April you can apply a dormant oil spray to reduce a population but I would monitor the population, and if crawlers are active in May hit with Distance to really knock back the population.

Pictures of tea scale on leaves.

The 2nd Silent killer – Holly Pit scale, Asterodiapis puteanum We used to find this scale in college park at the University of Maryland campus, but in recent years it has gone undetected in the College Park area. This summer we received multiple samples from landscape managers on the eastern shore in the Easton City area, St. Michael’s Island and parts of Talbot County and Wicomico County. We visited a couple of these sites this summer and saw incredible populations of holly pit scale on inkberry and American Holly. It is reported on other holly species but these two species are ones we received samples of in 2007. This scale is found on twigs and the main trunk in shallow pits. The infested plants appear stunted and the branches have grossly distorted shapes. In some of the sites in the St. Michael’s area they had big beautiful American holly and every plant in the landscape was infested. The holly was growing as understory plants in a mixed hardwood semi-wooded planting. Since American Holly are becoming more popular with the native plant movement you need to examine customers’ hollies closely for this scale and try to catch it before the population builds up to damaging levels.

8

The females overwinter and there are no males recorded. Females reproduce parthenogenetically. The eggs are laid in May and we saw the first crawlers in 2007 show up in late May with crawlers being present until mid-June. Control: the control of holly pit scale is pretty much the same as for the Tea scale using dormant oil in early spring followed by Distance applications during crawler periods.

Pictures of holly pit scale and pictures of damage American holly.

Alertness pays With scale on plants you will need to examine the branches closely and this is a good thing to be doing during the winter months when you have more time on your hands. If you find scales, plan out your control strategies when the weather breaks and insects become susceptible to treatment. The key with scale insects is to catch a population before it silently builds up on your customer’s plants.

9

Department of Agriculture

Dec 07, 2007 Laurel Wilt is Invader of the Month Red Alert for Redbay? News Release from the Maryland Invasive Species Council

ANNAPOLIS, MD (Dec. 7, 2007) - Beginning in 2003, reports surfaced of dying redbay trees (Persea borbonia) in coastal areas of Georgia and South Carolina; in 2005 the problem was also found in northeast Florida. Further study confirmed that the cause was a previously unknown fungus in the same genus as Dutch elm disease, Ophiostoma. The pathogen is transported by a recently introduced ambrosia beetle from Asia, Xyleborus glabratus, which first was detected in the United States in 2002 near Port Wentworth, Ga. Currently, infestations have been detected in more than 30 counties in coastal Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. Because redbay is an endangered plant in Maryland and this pathogenic fungus and its vector beetle, which cause the “laurel wilt,” are red alert species for us, the Maryland Invasive Species Council has chosen them as the December Invader of the Month.

Redbay is a common understory tree in the coastal plain, distributed primarily from Virginia’s far southeast corner to the Mississippi-Louisiana border. In Maryland, redbay is present in small numbers on the Eastern Shore. It is related to sassafras (Sassafras albidum), another recorded host, and one that is much more widespread in Maryland forests. Its range includes most of the eastern deciduous forest from central Florida to Massachusetts, across Pennsylvania into Michigan, and then southwest across central Illinois to Missouri and eastern Oklahoma and Texas. Both species are important to wildlife - the fruits are eaten by wild turkey, bobwhite quail and several species of song birds. Deer also consume the fruits and leaves. The most vulnerable wildlife species are two butterflies which depend on redbay and sassafras as larval food supplies; these butterflies are the Palamedes swallowtail butterfly (Papilio palamedes) and the spicebush swallowtail (Papilio troilus).

Native to India, Japan, Myanmar and Taiwan, the redbay ambrosia beetle is thought to have arrived in the United States in wood packing material like pallets and crates. Like many ambrosia beetles, it is tiny, about two mm long. It is shiny black, and almost smooth on top. The beetle’s hind end drops off very abruptly to a blunt point. Ambrosia beetles do not feed on the wood of their tree hosts, but on colonies of fungus introduced into galleries in the wood. The wilt fungus associated with redbay ambrosia beetle spreads through the vascular tissue of the tree from the shot hole bored by the beetle, staining the tree’s tissue and causing its leaves to wilt and turn reddish or purplish. This discoloration and eventual browning may occur in only one section of the tree’s crown or simultaneously all over the crown. Mortality is high and occurs quickly after symptoms become apparent.

10

Shady Notes

Laboratory tests indicate that many additional plants in the same plant family (Lauraceae) might become infected, including spicebush (Lindera benzoin), a common understory shrub. In addition to the spreading ecological impacts of the disease complex, there are economic costs. Park managers and municipalities face rising costs for the removal of dead and dying trees that pose a hazard to the public. Disposal of the trees presents its own challenges, since moving the wood could spread the disease whereas leaving significant amounts of woody debris on site could be a fire hazard.

The rate of spread of the beetle is estimated at about 20 miles per year. The ambrosia beetle and fungus complex has been found as far north as Charleston, South Carolina, which means that under natural conditions, it would reach Maryland in two decades. It could reach us much sooner, however, if unsuspecting humans inadvertently transport it in firewood or infested plants. MISC defines a “red alert” species as one “not yet established in Maryland but considered to be of high risk.” Based on the experience of our neighbors in the southeastern United States, the redbay ambrosia beetle and its associated fungus threaten an entire plant family within Maryland forests.

For more information about other Invasive Species of Concern, visit www.mdinvasivesp.org or call the Maryland Department of Agriculture at 410-841-5920.

For more information about laurel wilt, visit the USDA Forest Service at www.fs.fed.us/r8/foresthealth/laurelwilt/index.shtml or the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services at www.doacs.state.fl.us/pi/enpp/ento/x.glabratus.html Photos are available electronically on request.

Md. Gypsy Moth Infestation Could Double Next Year POSTED: 3:18 pm EST December 12, 2007 UPDATED: 3:28 pm EST December 12, 2007 HAGERSTOWN, Md. -- A state agriculture official said the number of wooded acres under attack by gypsy moth caterpillars in Maryland could double next year. Forest pest manager Robert Tichenor said his agency is considering targeting about 100,000 acres for pesticide spraying, up from about 50,000 this year. That would be the biggest spraying program since 1991 aimed at controlling the cyclical infestations.

Tichenor said a count of egg masses on tree trunks indicates that insect levels in hard-hit Garrett County have leveled off but are rising sharply in Allegany and Washington counties.

11

Shady Notes

Welcome to New MAA Members:

Active Members

DuBois Tree Service James M. Dubois

1075 Saint Michaels RD Mount Airy, MD 21771

410-489-9790

IWIF Workers’ Compensation Insurance has specialized in providing workers’ compensation insurance to Maryland businesses since 1914. IWIF’s medical management, loss prevention and anti-fraud services are currently utilized by one in every five Maryland business, which represents an industry market share of approximately 31 percent. As the leading writer of workers’ compensation insurance in Maryland, IWIF continues to be a competitive for in the industry, with an array of consumer-driven products and services that are available to all Maryland businesses. IWIF is a fully self-supporting insurance company that operates solely from premium and investment income. A nine-member, governor-appointed board of directors oversees the general operations of IWIF. The company’s current assets and reserves total approximately $1.6 billion. For more information or a quote, please call your independent insurance agent or IWIF at 1-800-264-IWIF. Or, visit IWIF at www.iwif.com.

12

The MAA and the MD Department of Natural Resources would like to congratulate the following individuals, who passed the Maryland Licensed Tree Expert examination on December 12, 2007 in Annapolis: Cary James Hulse, THE CARE OF TREES of Dulles, VA Brian Charles Keightley, ZIMAR & ASSOCIATES, INC. of Manassas, VA Dave Leonard Thurrott, THE CARE OF TREES of Dulles, VA

Schedule of Upcoming Maryland DNR Tree Expert Exams

January 16, 2008 February 20, 2008 March 19, 2008 April 23, 2008 May 21, 2008 June 18, 2008 July 23, 2008 August 20, 2008 September 17, 2008 October 22, 2008 November 12, 2008 December 10, 2008 Adopted in 1945, the Maryland Tree Expert Law addresses tree care work done for compensation on private or public property in Maryland. The purpose of the law is to provide a layer of consumer protection by licensing qualified and insured tree care companies and individuals. Anyone seeking to practice or advertise tree care services in the State of Maryland must obtain a license from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

Who must have a license? All tree care professionals practicing in Maryland must obtain a license. Without a license, they may not practice or advertise tree removal or tree care services in the state. To obtain a license, the applicant must possess adequate and related college education plus one year of experience under a LTE or have five years experience under a Licensed Tree Expert (LTE), then have passed the Maryland LTE exam and carry adequate amounts of liability and property damage insurance. License must be renewed annually every January. The Forest Service conducts a preparatory course for Licensed Tree Expert examinees in May of each year.

All tests are administered at DNR Headquarters., Annapolis, MD 21401. Directions and parking information can be found at: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/map.html. NOTE: You will need to sign in at the front desk in the lobby. Valid photo ID is required for entry.

For information & exam applications: Please contact: Ms. Romcesa Estep 410-260-8521 or www.dnr.state.md.us.

Shady Notes

Jan. 9 – 11, 2008 Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show, Baltimore Convention Center, www.MANTS.com

Jan. 16 & 17, 2008 MAA’s 28th Annual Winter Seminar, Turf Valley Inn, Ellicott City, MD

Jan. 17, 2008 ISA Certified Arborist Exam, Turf Valley Inn, Ellicott City, MD, call MAC-ISA 703 753-0499

March 11-13, 2008 Germantown, MD, Arborist Certification Course. Call 703-753-0499 for a brochure

April 12, 2008 MAC-ISA Tree Climbing Championship, Johnsons Park, Gaithersburg, MD. Call 703-753-0499

April 5, 2008 MARYLAND ARBORIST DAY 8:00 A.M. TO 3:00 P.M. THE BALTIMORE COUNTY AGRICULTURAL RESOURCE CENTER & FARM PARK - SITE 1114 SHAWAN ROAD @ CUBA ROAD -N.E.C. - 149.356 ACRES COCKEYSVILLE, MARYLAND 21030-1385 - U.S.A. - LOCATION - ADC MAP BC 18 B-2 May 8, 2008 MAA’s Spring Pest Walk

June 26, 2008 MAA’s Summer Pest Walk, Cylburn Arboretum, Baltimore, MD

November 13-15, 2008 TCI EXPO 2008, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Calendar of Events www.mdarborist.com 1-888- MD TREES / 410-321-8082 Email: director@mdarborist.com

Look at what’s Happening Now!

Shady Notes

Maryland Arborist Association Board of Directors

July 1, 2006 - June 31, 2008 Executive Committee Members

President

Damian Varga, spsdamian@juno.com 410-321-0970

President-Elect

Nicholas Valentine, nvalentine@lewistree.com 410-987-4815

Secretary

Steve Castrogiovanni, steve@arborcare-inc.com 301-570-6033

Treasurer

Kevin Mullinary, Kevin.mullinary@davey.com 410-377-4002

Immediate

Past President & Director John Blake, john.blake@davey.com

410-822-3220

Directors Bob Mead, meadtree@meadtree.com

301-854-5990

John Davis, jdavis@bartlett.com 410-526-6655

Tom Mayer, tdmayerconsulting@yahoo.com 410-437-4228

Advisors Scott Bates, sbates@bartlett.com

703-550-6900

Stanton Gill, sgill@umd.edu 301-596-9413

Chris Klimas, chris.klimas@davey.com

301-829-6915

Dr. Michael Raupp, mraupp@umd.edu 301-596-3626

Honorary Director Matthew Anacker, mcatree@msn.com

410-486-4561

Shady Notes: Editor, Political Liaison

Frank Dudek, frank12@comcast.net 410-998-1100

Executive Director

Vanessa A. Finney, director@mdarborist.com 1-888-638-7337 / 410-321-8082

Editor’s Choice: Book of the Month Submitted by: Frank Dudek, of Carroll Tree Service, Inc.

VIBURNUMS: Flowering shrubs for Every Season

Author: Michael A. Dirr

Illustrations: Bonnie L. Dirr Published by: Timber Press, 2007

How many times have your clients asked about planting White

Pines and Leyland Cypresses to screen out the street or the neighboring property? Well, now you have a great reference to recommend alternatives to these short-term quick fixes that so

many rely on. Michael A. Dirr’s Viburnums is a great reference for plants which screen out most unsightly or undesirable areas. Over the years it has been my experience that most people only need a

screen to be about eight to ten feet tall. Viburnums are that alternative plant with far fewer problems.

OUR MISSION The mission of the Maryland Arborist Association, Inc. is to promote education in the field of arboriculture, to support the success of arboriculture and to promote the importance of tree care. The association will provide a forum for the exchange of

information and will encourage professionalism through the collective efforts of the members.

Shady Notes Maryland Arborist Association, Inc. P.O. Box 712 Brooklandville, MD 21022 www.mdarborist.com

LEADERSHIP: “Trust happens when leaders are transparent, candid, and keep their word. It’s that simple.” – Jack Welch