Page 32—Keystone Farm Show Section 1, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 1, 2000 UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre Co.) When it comes to select ing quality trees at your local nur sery or garden center, it isn’t easy seeing green, according to a horti culture specialist in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. (Continued from Pege 30) 803 Diamond V Mills Poultry Building Outdoor Exhibit Space AAA 20x40 Ag Bag International 888 40x50 Quality Sawmills iTihe KEYSTONE FARM SHOW Jan. 4, 5 & 6 - Booth 726 SOIL MANAGEMENT - ANIMAL NUTRITION FOR TODAY’S FARMERS KELP MEAL HARRY BARNER 4426 Nittany Valley Drive, Howard, PA 16841 (570) 726-3275 BILL BARR 580 Randolph St. Meadville, PA 16335 (814) 337-7219 RANDY BOTTEICHER 392 Spring Run Road Belleville, PA 17004 (717) 667-3503 CHRIST B. MILLER 2888 Miller Lane Bird-In-Hand, PA 17505 808 ELLIS R D #3, Box 470 Lewisburg, PA 17837 (570) 568-0530 MEADVILLE FARM & GARDEN Pine Street Meadville, PA 16335 (814) 333-8421 Selecting Right Tree From Nursery Not Child’s Play ‘The sheer numbers of plants and the blast of visual information often can overwhelm your ability to recognize a quality plant,” said Jim Sellmer, assistant professor of ornamental horticulture. “It takes concentration, sharp eyes and Pennsylvania Room 10x10’$ 800 USA Body, Inc 801 Sun North Systems LTD 802 Shopworks 804 AB Martin Roofing 805 Bion Technologies 806 Biota), Inc 807 Antram Enterprises 817 Country Folks 818 Windridge Farms 819 PRS Technologies 820 PRS Technologies ED WITTER 2260 Upper Bermudian Rd Gardners, PA 17324 (717) 528-8389 ZIMMERMAN LIME & FERTILIZER 235 W Burkholder Rd. Lititz, PA 17543 (717) 733-7674 808 WALTIMYER RR 1 Box 134 Turbotville, PA 17772 (570)437-3883 COCHRANTON CO-OP 136 W Pine Street Cochronton, PA 16314 (814) 425-7401 RICHARD TREGIDGO Brookings Road Pleasant Mount, PA 18453 (717) 448-2374 JEFF MATTOCKS 893 Round Top Road Middletown, PA 17057 (717) 367-1566 clear thinking to evaluate plants.” Sellmer says consumers first should evaluate a plant’s above ground quality. • Ratio of height to diameter. On average a tree with a trunk dia meter of I.S inches measured at a point six inches above the ground should have a height of about 12 feet. “Although it varies with spe cies, do not choose trees that are excessively tall for their diame ter,” Sellmer said. “If the tree is 16 feet or more, this may mean the tree was collected wild or grown too close together, which pro duces weaker plants that do not transplant well and are prone to being blown down.” • Plant form. Trees should have well-spaced branches spread out uniformly on the trunk. Inspect the branch structure closely before buying “Branches that are grow ing close to each other or crossing one another when young will grow into each other as the tree ages,” Sellmer explained. “That will weaken the tree and make it more susceptible to damage.” If the tree is a variety that has a strong central trunk, avoid choos ing trees with clustered growth at RALPH STAUFFER 234 Pleasant Valley Road East Earl, PA 17519 (717) 367-1566 GLENN MARTIN 13520 Marsh Pike Hagerstown, MD 21742 (301)733-0796 DOUG BRATT 7772 Tater Rd. Memphis, NY 13112 (315)635-6800 ROBERT TRUMBULL 6696 Slate Hwy. 5-S- Fort Plain, NY 13339 (518) 993-3452 ALLAN BUDDLE 9176 County Rd. 142 Interlaken, NY 14847 (607) 532-4213 DAVID GLANVILLE R D #4 Box 108 Moravia, NY 13118 (315) 784-5093 the top. which can produce branches with narrow angles that can weaken the tree. “For street use, choose a single-stem tree that has had its lower limbs properly pruned in the nursery,” Sellmer said. "The tree should have the proper height-to-width ratio, and limbs should not obscure visibility or interfere with signs or pedestri an and vehicle traffic.” • Plant health. The general health of a tree can be evaluated by examining foliage color and density. Foliage should be lush green. Light green or yellow fol iage indicates the tree may have been underfertilized. “When trees are dug out at nurseries, 90 to 95 percent of their roots are left in the ground,” Sellmer said. “Their sur vival depends on rapid root regen eration, and a weak and unhealthy looking tree will not transplant well.” • Plant growth. Examine branch growth for each year. Sellmer says PUY.SEU.TRAOE OP BENT THROUGH THE PHONS. 7X7.826*1164 or 717-394*3047 FAX 717*733*6058 Mon., Twer . Wed. Fri. 8 AM to 5 PM; Thurs. 7 AM to 5 PM branch growth may be visibly stunted the year a tree was planted in the nursery. In subsequent years, branch length should in crease. If recent growth appears stunted, try to determine why. “It could be drought or poor fertility, or the tree may have been dug out previously,” he said. • Signs of injury. Inspect the trunk to make sure the bark has not been damaged. Tom bark re duces the movement of water and nutrients and makes the tree sus ceptible to infection from decay organisms. “When the tree is delivered, in spect it for any signs of insect or disease damage,” Sellmer said. “Look for cankers, scale or borer damage on the trunk. Look for scale, caterpillars, severe aphid in festations or diseases in the fol iage. If the problem cannot be treated easily, do not buy the tree. If you’ve already purchased the tree, return it to the nursery.”
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