Welcome, neighbors. In 2011 it occurred to me, as I heard more and more about the Emerald Ash Borer making its way closer and closer to Columbus that we have 43 large ash trees on our street. It quickly became apparent that if someone didn’t do something about it, we might lose the trees. I spoke to arborists, etymologists at Ohio State, a botanist, a micro-biologist and several other scientists. I finally got into contact with the gentleman who headed up the Emerald Ash Borer task force in Ohio. Incredibly, through all my research, I learned that although there are many invasive and costly treatments out there that require special certification to perform, studies showed that a soil drench treatment, that can be performed by homeowners, shows just as much efficacy against the EAB as the other treatments. I am happy to report that our efforts have been effective and our trees are healthy two years later.

I think we have created a streamlined and cost-effective process that anyone can execute, and I would love to share the process with other residents. The cost ends up being about $2-4 per tree, but the key is to mobilize, because the cost-effectiveness only comes into play if 25-50 trees are treated (and the chemical is bought in bulk).

Please do not hesitate to email me at cmcolucy@hotmail.com if you are interested in organizing a group. I have dealt primarily with trees in the city right-of-way, but I strongly encourage residents to treat their yard ashes at the same time. Any ash tree left untreated has a death sentence. The clock is ticking, folks. Our trees are part of what makes Clintonville Clintonville, and we are the stewards of our trees.

Cindy Colucy
5-25-2012

Friday, February 1, 2013

How Can My Neighborhood Treat Our Ash Trees?


INTRODUCTION

At the time of this writing the entire state of Ohio is quarantined regarding the Emerald Ash Borer.  That means that every county has an infestation.  Does that mean that every ash tree will die?  No!  According to research about 5% of the trees have a natural immunity.  Research has also shown that if a tree shows less than 50% loss of crown it can still be saved.  That means healthy trees that are treated have a good very chance of survival if treated annually.  The ideal treatment window is April 15-May 15.

PREPARATION

1.  Identify the ash trees in the city tree lawn, and note the addresses in front of which they are.  At this point you will also have to measure the trees.  You can either eyeball diameter at chest level with a ruler or use a measuring tape to get circumference and calculate diameter.
2. Contact the City Forester 645-6648 and tell him your specific plans.  They will need to know the process you will use (soil drench) and the chemical (imidacloprid, brand name Dominion 2L). Request a Tree Maintenance Permit.  This is free, it's a form that will be on file and you will have a copy of that gives you permission to care for city trees.
3. Using the information gathered in Step 1, calculate how much chemical you will need.  The rate is 0.2 fl oz per inch diameter of tree.  Note that number for each tree and use the total to calculate how many bottles you need in total.  The recommended chemical can be ordered online here.  This is where it becomes apparent why working as a neighborhood is important.  The more you buy, the cheaper it is per bottle.
4. Make up a flyer that will advise homeowners of your plans.  Give them the option to opt-out of the treatment either because they don't want their tree treated or because they are already treating their own trees.  We also asked permission to use an outdoor water source at the house and asked anyone who didn't want to allow that to contact us.  About two weeks prior to treatment, pass out the flyer to homeowners who have a tree.
5. Gather volunteers.  It takes two volunteers about 45 minutes to treat about 15 trees.


TREATMENT DAY

Materials needed: Chemical, five-gallon buckets, large stir sticks (Lowes gave me some for free), plastic cups labeled with ounce marks, list of addresses with ash trees and dosage.

Process: Check list for dosage.  It is important to shake the chemical bottle well prior to each time you measure.  Using plastic cup, measure out dosage and put in bucket.  Fill bucket about half full with water and stir.  About two feet from the tree pour mixture slowly in a circle all the way around the tree.  You want as much to soak into the ground as possible.  If there is mulch or leaf debris around the tree, remove that prior to pouring and replace it after.
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