Author: Phillip Long
Major Program: Commercial Horticulture - Landscape Ecosystems
The Louisville Zoo is comprised of 134 acres situated in the city’s Poplar Level neighborhood. The Zoo has 6 zones of exhibits several of which contain yards that have native or introduced plant species. In some cases, these yards may contain toxic plants that could cause serious health issues with the animals. On several occasions, animals have consumed plants that required veterinarian services including a hospital stay. The Louisville Zoo’s Senior Veterinarian reached out to
Author: William Fountain
Pathology and entomological problems are a daunting challenge for many green industry professionals. Reasons include the small size of these biological problems and the variety of different symptoms expressed at different life stages and on different plant species. The prevalence of these problems also varies from one year to the next due to weather variations and as new pests and diseases are introduced into the region.About 60 to 70 green industry professionals from southern Ohio a
Arborists are frequently called upon to place a monetary value on plant material lost for reasons as divergent as vandalism, accidental damage, pesticide drift, insurance/tax claims, and eminent domain. Assessing a value for an identical reproduction of nursery-size plant material is relatively easy and straight forward. Appraisal becomes more challenging in situations where the tree is too large for reproduction or functional replacement (same environmental and aesthetic benefits).
Author: Gregg Munshaw
Bluemuda is a relatively new concept that I have been working closely with for a number of years. Several golf courses and athletic fields in KY have implemented this system and the success seen in the field in overwhelming positive. Danville Country Club and Battlefield Country Club in Richmond were early adopters of the concept who are seeing increased rounds due to improved playing conditions. One of the benefits of bluemuda is improved aesthetics over bermudagrass alone, which has been attra
Tree Week (October 2018) involved numerous activities in the Lexington-University of Kentucky community. One of these activities involved two 90-minute tree walks in Lexington Cemetery. Participation was free and open to members of the community. The first of these was open to members of the community who were able to navigate the grounds of Lexington Cemetery. The second was designed for citizens who are mobility challenged and their companions. These individuals are no
Bluemuda is a new concept in high-end turf management that I have been researching and teaching about (literally across the country) that is beginning to show long-term positive outcomes. Many golf courses and athletic fields across the transition zone have converted to bluemuda (a 2 grass system, mixing bermudagrass with KY bluegrass). Our research has shown that bluemuda can take more wear and tear and recover from wear at any time during the year, compared to a 1 grass system. Elizabethtown S
A member of Trees Lexington! and the Lexington Tree Board reported a fungal fruiting body growing on a large pin oak (Quercus palustris) in a residential location along a major arterial (Richmond Road). The fungal fruiting body was identified as Inonotus sp., an aggressive decay organism known to colonize this species. Sounding the tree, using a recording resistance drilling tool, and tomography indicated that this individual was potentially very unstable and had a high likelihood of
Author: David Koester
The 2019 Tri State Green Industry Conference st a new record with 759 participants representing 4 states. This was a 17% increase in number attending from 2018. The Tri State Green Industry conference is truly a collaborative effort between the University of Kentucky, Ohio State University, Purdue University, Cinn State Technical college, The Boone County Arboretum, The Cinn.Zoo and Botanical Garden,and Spring Grove Cemetery.This one day event featured 7 teaching tracks with 27 speakers making 3
Author: Michele Stanton
Educating our LandscapersIn conjunction with the Northern Kentucky Urban Forestry Council, Kenton County Cooperative Extension hosted the annual Public Workers’ Tree Seminar this past March. This is a traditional event here in Northern Kentucky, and was attended by persons from Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and from as far away as Lexington, KY and Middletown, OH. In addition to utilizing local UK Extension expertise, instructors also represented Purdue, The Ohio State University, and
