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Nip bugs in the bud

April 30, 2021/in News, Press Release/by Greg Rhodes

Nip bugs in the bud: A host of bugs usually appear in April to prey on trees and shrubs but the recent cold snap early in the month may have proved a stay of execution for some species. “The dip in temperatures most likely pushed things back a little,” says Dr Jon Banks, Research Lab […]

EcoSward liner at Cavendish

April 30, 2021/in News, Press Release/by Adam Lawrence

EcoSward liner at Cavendish: Cavendish Golf Club in Buxton, England, has completed the first phase of a multi-year course renovation, including the construction of several new bunkers in an attempt to return the course more closely to Alister MacKenzie’s original design. And, although the bunkers echo MacKenzie’s work in their positioning, they are built using […]

Nip bugs in the bud

April 30, 2021/in News, Press Release/by Greg Rhodes

EcoSward liner at Cavendish

April 30, 2021/in News, Press Release/by Adam Lawrence

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Nip bugs in the bud

April 30, 2021/in News, Press Release/by Greg Rhodes

Nip bugs in the bud: A host of bugs usually appear in April to prey on trees and shrubs but the recent cold snap early in the month may have proved a stay of execution for some species.

“The dip in temperatures most likely pushed things back a little,” says Dr Jon Banks, Research Lab Manager at Bartlett Tree Experts, “but plenty of undesirable things will be coming out very soon.”

Nip bugs in the bud

Our treasured conker trees grow fearful this time of year of what may be about to hit them – the horse chestnut leaf miner.

These tiny moths emerge from leaf litter just as horse chestnuts burst into leaf, feeding off the fresh green foliage to leave unsightly trails and brown, crinkly remains.

The trees can even drop their foliage mid-season, giving up the ghost for the year in the hope of a better climate next time round.

Leaf miner, and another blight affecting the same species – horse chestnut bleeding canker – spread alarm across the UK when they first struck some 15 years ago but things are improving, Dr Banks notes.

While leaf miner is endemic now, arborists, landscapers and grounds managers are finding ways to combat the condition, he says.

“The moths typically emerge just after the tree’s leaves have expanded. Disposing of leaf litter can help reduce or prevent outbreaks and while no licence is currently available specifically for treating horse chestnut leaf miner, spraying with a broad-spectrum systemic insecticide, such as synthetic pyrethroid (trade names include Decis and Bandu) designed for amenity trees, is proven to be effective,” he explains.

“Tightly focusing the spray using a lance targets the treatment liquids where they are most needed,” he says. “Ideally, apply the liquid until just before run-off occurs as that ensures maximum adhesion to leaves.”

Turning his attention to larger specimens, Dr Banks adds that Bartlett Tree Experts have developed tailored management services, using spray equipment designed to safely deliver plant protection products efficiently and effectively to the canopy.

“Leaf miners have three generations during the summer so follow-up spraying is critical, he states. “Two treatments usually are applied. The first, in April or May, lasts three to four weeks, then it’s time for the second application. However, a third spray will provide better coverage for the full season.”

Lance spraying also delivers ecological benefits, Dr Banks believes. “We’re not just spraying for our own sakes. Losing leaves mid-season deprives wildlife of habitat and the less spray that falls where it is not needed or where it may cause harm, such as any nearby water, the better.”

Spring is a time when clients realise their trees are not in full health, or are dead and yell for advice, he says. “It’s a good time to look at trees as often we can see branch structure very well but also gain an idea of what’s coming into leaf, depending on the species.”

The good news about horse chestnut bleeding canker, which is caused by the pseudomonas bacteria, is that more trees may be tolerating the disease due to system induced resistance, he adds – because wholesale loss of our conker trees would deprive new generations of children of a favourite pastime.

https://www.bartlett.com/resources/horse-chestnut-lead-miner.pdf

www.berthoud.fr/en/

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Just the job

With 6 Bar pressure ceiling, the Berthoud Cosmos 18 Pro is tailor-made for treating trees using its giant telescopic lances, extendable to 2.4m or 3.6m and made in light, robust, rigid composite materials.

Highly chemically resistant and mechanically tough they come with hose, quick connect adaptor and profiled handle.

Check the website for calibration formulae and nozzle-to-target distances.

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EcoSward liner at Cavendish

April 30, 2021/in News, Press Release/by Adam Lawrence

EcoSward liner at Cavendish: Cavendish Golf Club in Buxton, England, has completed the first phase of a multi-year course renovation, including the construction of several new bunkers in an attempt to return the course more closely to Alister MacKenzie’s original design.

And, although the bunkers echo MacKenzie’s work in their positioning, they are built using up to the minute construction techniques – including the EcoSward bunker liner from EcoBunker.

EcoSward liner at Cavendish

“We gave the choice of bunker liner a lot of thought,” says architect Jonathan Gaunt, who is supervising the work (and who is also a member of the club). “We considered a rubber crumb product, but eventually discarded it, as we thought it was not appropriate for the landscape, and it is very expensive. I used another product at Whittington Heath in Lichfield, and it worked very well there, but it needs heavy machinery to manoeuvre it into place, and Cavendish isn’t a site that such machines can really access.”

Gaunt knew EcoBunker CEO and inventor Richard Allen well, and had used the company’s EcoSward liner at Caddington Golf Club (in fact, the liner’s debut). EcoSward, which is made from recycled artificial grass, is renowned as perhaps the toughest of all textile-based liner systems. It is completely resistant to burrowing animals – an important consideration in an environment like Cavendish, which is bordered by moorland, and comes in metre wide, 5m long strips, which are stuck together with adhesive to produce a single surface with no joints that sand could penetrate.

The Cavendish work also incorporates selective woodland management, taking out lower quality species such as sycamores thus focusing attention on oaks, beech and specimen pines. Gaunt says that clearing on the left side of the eleventh hole has enabled the fairway to be moved right to the edge of a ravine, with spectacular results.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

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You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Nip bugs in the bud

EcoSward liner at Cavendish

Nip bugs in the bud

EcoSward liner at Cavendish

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Nip bugs in the bud

Nip bugs in the bud: A host of bugs usually appear in April to prey on trees and shrubs but the recent cold snap early in the month may have proved a stay of execution for some species.

EcoSward liner at Cavendish

EcoSward liner at Cavendish: Cavendish Golf Club in Buxton, England, has completed the first phase of a multi-year course renovation, including the construction of several new bunkers in an attempt to return the course more closely to Alister MacKenzie’s original design.

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