|
Joseph F. Boggs, Ohio State University Extension, Hamilton County/Southwest District; James A. Chatfield, Erik A. Draper, |
Application of Plant Treeage
Treeage is a decision-making tool for selecting the best course of action. It provides a framework to help steer plant management decisions in a logical, common sense direction. As such, it can help us to educate ourselves and our clientele as to why and when we need to "do something" or "do nothing."
While it may seem desirable to produce a simple list of plant problems neatly classified into Treeage Categories, the examples of shifting categories illustrate that Treeage is a dynamic process. It should be viewed as an ever-developing "work in progress" guided by a company's needs, aspirations, and capabilities. Treeage empowers companies to combine their management capabilities with plant pest information to develop their own decision-making plans.
Treeage is connected to a well-know medical process popularized by a number of television shows, such as M.A.S.H. and ER. This connection provides an excellent frame of reference for communicating plant health-care decisions to clientele.
A company should make Treeage a topic of planning meetings. Staff members should think through what for them are the Category 1, 2, and 3 problems. Once a company establishes its Treeage Categories, then the staff can plan accordingly as to how they will institute Category 3 interventions or how they will limit their advertising claims and customer expectations for controlling Category 2 problems. They can also develop better communication methods with their customers to put Category 1 problems in the proper perspective.
Treeage and Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
Treeage is not intended to compete with or replace IPM. It should viewed as a companion to IPM programs for landscape plant pests. Indeed, in the same way that medical Triage is used to reduce the number of casualties that are advanced to the next stage of treatment, plant Treeage should be used before developing IPM programs, to limit the number of plant problems requiring further attention.
Boggs, J., J. Chatfield, and E. Draper. 2001. Performing Treeage. American Nurseryman. June 1, 2001. pp. 28-33.
Draper, E., J. Chatfield, and J. Boggs. 2001. Treeage: A Practical Plant Health Management Decision-Making Tool. Arborist News. Vol. 10, No. 3, October 2001. pp. 61-63.