Spring NYNGA meeting at NY State Tree Nursery at Saratoga Springs-23 April 2005

                                                              Notes by John Gordon, secretary

                                                              www.geocities.com/nuttreegordon/23APR5ss.htm

9:00 AM President Francis Woodward welcomes us to the spring meeting at the NY State Tree Nursery at Saratoga Springs.

Jerry Henkin announces the summer meeting of NYNGA on 16 July 2005 at Richard Fahey / Catholic Homesteading Movement, Ox ford, NY 13830.

Jerry Henkin announces the fall meeting of NYNGA is at the Tom Potts nut grove in Belmont, NY 14813. More details will be provided at the Summer Meeting.

9:15 Jerry Henkin, meetings chairman,  introduces our first speaker, Lee Reich, 387 Springtown Rd, New Paltz, NY 12561.

  Lee Reich works in horticulture, and has written several books on new and unusual fruits, and the practices that grow them. He has on hand his most recent books. The topic of the day is “Tree Planting Myths”.  He starting with these basics: Planting hole is to be smallish to match roots.  Replant soil is to be native soil so roots move readily into surround soil. Tree depth to be the same as in nursery as marked by the bulge at the root crown and soil line. Mixing in additives is not good due to starting and keeping roots near tree, and salt fertilizers will burn roots. Spread on top any nutrient rich materials, even topsoil, to keep tree roots reaching for nutrients, and roots unbundled, and reaching out, not strangling each other, and allowing the tree to tip over.  No crushed coarse material goes into planting hole bottom, as with potted plants, because it would create a water trap even in an orchard soil.  Balled and burlapped trees should be de-burlapped, and soil, and (due to a surplus of sustaining roots of which only 1/3 undisturbed are necessary.  This assumes the balled and burlaped tree was not recently balled as evidenced by fresh cut roots.) roots are pulled out, usually as much as possible due to the difficulty of root circling, to extend roots into native soil.

Myths: Prune trees at transplanting debunked because trees that are potted lose little root system in transplanting.  Also, the stem tips that grow promote root tip growth.  Use at most a few thinning cuts if need is to reduce wind resistance, and remove damage.  (Seal any wounds above 3/8 inch with nail polish, vinyl glue, or Elmer’s glue.)

Stake-tree-securely myth debunked because a tree needs to shake in the wind ,somewhat, to increase girth of stem, and direct root growth. Thus, loose staking is OK.

Spring-is-the-best-time-for-transplanting myth is debunked (somewhat) because most (homeowner) trees are now potted or balled (but not most orchard stock). Better conditions occur toward fall, especially where tap rooted trees can be kept moist in the summer-warmed soil for increased root re-growth that can only occur in a warm soil (65+ F).         

  Hydro gel-dip-to-be-used-at-bare-root-trees myth debunk due to personal observations. (Also seen in tests at the NY State Saratoga Tree Nursery per manager, David Lee.)

  Bigger-tree-is-better-transplant myth debunked (except in public play and deer trafficked areas) because roots have to recover to sustain growth, and small trees do this much better. Small trees catch up. If foliage cuts are to be made to cut water lost to air they are to be thinning cuts and not terminal cuts because the growing of terminals directly stimulates root tip growth.

  Mycorrhiza-have-to-be-incorporated-onto-root-and-soil myth debunked because mycorrhiza are ubiquitous, and only a few foreign pines and shrubs are separated from their symbiotes.

  Plant-hormones-should-be-added myth is not supported by observation. Gypsum and wood ash are good broadcast on and in the topsoil.

  Plastic-tube-tree-protectors-are-necessary is not supported by observation.  Trees in tubes grow tall and spindly, not hardening off for winter.  Wasps build nests in tubes and sting trees to prevent growth past the nest.  Tubes are not tall enough to protect from deer, good for woodchucks.  Protectors suffer from high snow in rabbits, and mice, but mice can winter in shelters, and girdle trees. (Observations from the floor...Yes, new tree protectors with ¾ inch holes, at 6 inch centers, Swiss cheese like, give better girth by shaking, hardening for winter by venting, but even the solid shelters gave great results with filbert, and very hardy native trees (black walnut, [and pawpaw, if cut low for leaf outing, or removed before July, white plastic on stakes added for first year noon sun screen]).  Citron lamp oil has to be dosed down the tube sides inside to rid wasps. Raked-up fall leaves plus Milorganite (or Grow Green) fluffed into tube base will to shade out suckering from filbert root crowns to allow one single stem while the sludge odor from these turf fertilizers adds to the citron odor, both irritating to mice.)

11:00 AM John Gordon distributes Persian walnut seeds with planting instructions.

John Wertis gives an overview of a joint project, NYNGA/Cornell, to plant and select improved seedlings at Cornell under the direction of Prof. Ken Mudge using this Persian walnut distribution and other selections..

1:00 PM Francis Woodward opens business meeting.

John Gordon reads notes on last meeting, 2 Oct 2004 at St Lawrence Nurseries. Report accepted.

Colleen Green reports on current treasury containing $3701.87...moves treasure’s report be accepted, Don Cobb 2nd, accepted. The conflict-of-interest agreement (www.irs.gov/i1023/ar03.html was not easy to find as in this link, but burrow it out of this gov’ site) is to be read by board members and signed off on.

Don Cobb reports on nominations…needs one director whose time limit is up this summer. Electing the Publications Chairperson this board member gaind a consensus. (Later, this might also be a constitution / bylaws change.)

Tom Potts reports on publishing the NYNGA news, “The Empire Nut Grower”, and reports need for more grower reports.

1:30 PM Frank Munzer gives talk (& hands out brochures) on The American Chestnut Foundation and its New York chapter, which are making progress toward a blight resistant American chestnut and its eventual reforestation.  American chestnut seed is given out. This is the non-resistant seed currently NY produced to keep non-permanent NY American chestnut growing in readiness for breading.  Syracuse forestry is engineering chestnuts to full resistance.  When NY natives are crossed with Syracuse engineered trees 50% will have full resistance.  (When NY natives are crossed with American Chestnut Foundation 15/16 and 7/8 native trees with full resistance, it is expected few will have viable resistance, rather, for a viable population, these 7/8+ natives will have to be crossed with other TACF 7/8+ natives with resistance.)

2:15 PM David Lee, nursery manager, leads a tour of the NY State Tree Nursery at Saratoga Springs. Seed separation and storage, stooling beds and planting beds are visited and discusses. The nursery is on coarse glacial outwash granite sand kept in good condition with organic mulch.

(A week or so later Jerry Henkin sends an email containing a copy of his NYNGA-thank-you-letter to David Lee for providing to NYNGA nursery meeting facilities, and an excellent tour at the nursery.)