UNCE workshop on keeping trees alive during drought

RENO — Prolonged drought can have severe and long-lasting effects on trees. University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, in partnership with the Nevada Division of Forestry, presents “Keeping Your Trees Alive During a Drought,” on May 1, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Classes will provide information on current threats to our trees, how trees respond to water stress and strategies to make our community trees more drought resilient.

The class will also be offered by interactive video at the Churchill County Extnsion Office on 111 Sheckleer Road.

According to Heidi Kratsch, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension horticulture specialist, trees may exhibit visible damage from drought in the short term. In the long term, they may reduce flower and fruit production and eventually die if damage is severe. Drought-stressed trees are also less able to protect themselves and become more susceptible to invasion by insects or disease.

“Drought is something we’ll have to deal with for many years to come,” she said. “Learning to deal with one of our most valuable resources, our trees, is critical, because trees cool our landscapes, keep our homes cool, keep our cities cool, keep carbon in the ground and take carbon dioxide from the air, which fights global warming.”

Topics include the following:

8:30 a.m. — SLIDE rules (Simplified Landscape Irrigation Demand Estimation), taught by Roger Kjelgren, research professor in the Plants, Soils and Climate Department at Utah State University

10 a.m. — Interactive discussion: the practical use of SLIDE, taught by Kjelgren

10:40 a.m. — Alternative tree species for water efficiency, taught by Kjelgren

1 p.m. — Trees, soils and mulch, taught by Heidi Kratsch, horticulture specialist for University of Nevada Cooperative Extension

2:40 p.m. — Consideration for trees in turfgrass, taught by Wendy Hanson Mazet, horticulture assistant and certified arborist for University of Nevada Cooperative Extension

The workshop will be held in Reno, at 4955 Energy Way, and will be available via interactive video at several Cooperative Extension offices throughout the state. Workshop cost is $10 and covers certificates of attendance, refreshments and International Society of Arboriculture and Pesticide Applicator Continuing Education Units. Participants must register by April 29.

For more information or to register, visit www.growyourownnevada.com, or contact your local UNCE office.

Persons in need of special accommodations or assistance should call at least three days prior to the scheduled event.