Drought-Tolerant, Pest-Resistant Trees for Tomorrow

Previous TLE Presentations

2018 – Top Ten Abiotic Disorders Impacting Landscape Trees

Did you know that between 80 - 90% of plant disorders are the result of irrigation related issues rather than from plant diseases or insects? Even during the drought many landscape trees and shrubs are overwatered leading to a lack of oxygen in the root zone which can kill a plant. In other cases, overwatering leads to the infection of roots and crown by plant pathogens such as Phytophthora or Cytospora spp. Other non-pathogenic disorders (called abiotic disorders) are the result of too little water after transplanting, herbicide drift from neighboring sites, lack of light, lack of air circulation around mature plantings, or construction damage too close to plant roots. Janet Hartin will discuss how to identify and prevent these important issues during her talk.

2012 – Implementing Sustainable Landscaping Practices for Turf & Trees

Maintaining public and private landscapes using resource-efficient practices effectively protects the environment, improves the health of the plantings, and is cost-effective. Irrigating based on the water requirements of plants; improving poor quality soil with soil amendments; preventing and reducing soil compaction; mulching landscape plantings; and, implementing Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices favoring prevention will be discussed with real-world examples provided.

2012 - How Much Water Landscapes Really Need

New state guidelines require that all newly instated landscapes over 2,500 square feet be irrigated at or below an Evapotranspiration Adjustment Factor (ETAF) of .7, which was previously .8. There are a wide array of irrigation strategies that can help professionals maintaining these landscapes adhere to the new regulations, including reducing water waste due to poor distribution uniformity, hydrozoning, increasing the precision of water-applied in root zones of drip-irrigated ornamental plantings, and proper use of soil amendments and mulch. The speaker will address these topics using real world examples based on the results of research conducted by University of California scientists throughout California. Attendees will learn how to set up irrigation schedules that promote plant health and conform to the new statewide standards.

2011 – ABC's of Turf Management

The ABC's of turf management taught by Janet Hartin will include information on irrigation practices that promote healthy turf and promote water conservation; pest management stressing prevention; identification of abiotic disorders; and other recommended, best management practices.

2011 – ID Prevention & Control of Abiotic Disorders in the Landscape

Ms. Hartin will discuss non-living factors that often cause plant decline, such as too much or too little water; inadequate or excessive nutrients; layered and compacted soils; poor air circulation; damage from construction near tree-planting sites; and damage from air pollutants. She will discuss how abiotic conditions causing plant decline can weaken plants, making them more susceptible to damage from diseases and insects and will present PowerPoint photos of actual damage and how to prevent and mitigate damage before major plant decline occurs. 

2010 - Principles of Sustainable Landscaping (APLD)

This workshop will cover the critical elements of sustainable landscaping: plant water use and effective irrigation, greenwaste reduction and recycling, and integrated pest management strategies stressing prevention. Resources including a website to obtain the PowerPoint presentation for future use and relevant University of CA websites.