Tree climber as a vector for disease transmission

I perform multiple tree operations on a daily basis. These past couple of days I have been pruning large, old,and declining weeping willows in the greenbelt of a massive office park. Upon climbing these trees I immediately noticed that a large factor in their decline is due to cytospora canker, as evidenced by telltale fruiting bodies in the tree.

This got me thinking.

Because of my close contact with just about every possible variety of fungal, bacterial, and viral infections in trees as well as numerous insects and assorted pests in trees is it likely that I may become an inadvertent vector for my small bonsai collection?

The area where I am currently located is the front range of Colorado.

Right now I have: one wild plum; two as of yet accurately identified elms that might be american elm hybrids, english, or some other elm that is not common here, but they are definitely not siberian elms; one american elm; two ginkgos; one northern catalpa.

They have all been recently transplanted from the outdoors, one in late fall, the others in the last couple months, so they are not rootbound and are still susceptible given their compromised state. Only the ginkgos were not collected from the field, those were acquired from a green house.

I am not looking for novice responses, and with all due respect what I am interested in is seasoned commentary
from experience or anecdotal accounts, etc that can help me develop an understanding of the relationship between these bonsai, the surrounding environment and my role given my daily activities.

Any questions, comments, or advice? Thank you in advance for all the responses I may or may not get.

Welcome here Tree of life. You have one advantage...you can cure your sick bonsai or you will know why it dies. Besides get some good advice here on this forum if you really new in bonsai than go google - bonsai or youtube and you'll find thousands interesting and usefull readings or videos.Hope this will help. Wish you good luck in bonsai creation.

Assuming you conduct basic horticultural hygiene -- change clothes, wash hands, use different tools, etc. -- between your work and your bonsai, I suspect you haven't too much to worry about

Right now I am challenged with eradicating the scale that some of the trees came with during transplanting so that is keeping me busy among other minor issues associated with the more sterile working conditions that are a must in bonsai.

Thanks, but if anyone else wants to share their enlightened perspective feel free.

I'm glad to see you're from Earth because a lot of climbers think they are out of this world. I know. Don't climb anymore. Just plan,and spray pesticides. Being moved up to an RSS position.
It is possible to transfer pests from one tree to another by you. Can even transfer some on your saw. We have bleach we use on them after we work on an infected tree. Well we'really supposed to anyway.

I well aware of tree-to-tree disease transmission in the field. Unfortunately, it is a practice upon which some thrive in order to "create" more work, ie. spraying/removals, but that is not what I am concerned with.

What I am concerned with is a correlation between conditions in the field and the possibility of inadvertently transmission of disease to bonsai, given that in numerous "bonsai" texts I have read that it is less likely for a disease to carry over into such miniature specimens.

Now what I am concerned with are diseases such as dutch elm disease, given I have a few elms recently transplanted. Additionally, fire blight is also a concern, since I am caring for a plum specimen. More importantly, though, is any number of cankers that are common in the field.

If You can help with specific details regarding these concerns please contribute to my enlightenment.

I am a climber, and for the most part(unless I am removing a tree), I do to perfection on a large scale what most bonsai aficionados do with miniature versions of trees, and that isn't going to change soon, but thanks for the "advise." Spraying is what other less than able individuals in this profession do. When I feel like not climbing again, believe me, I will not spray. I will just order others around, LOL.

See. I told you some climbers think they are out of this world. Haha. What do you think I do in late fall and winter? Run a manual crew in Northern Michigan. So lesser individual you may think I am. But if you were half the trimmer you think you are you wouldn't have to ask such a ludicrous question. Aren't you a certified ISA arborist? I am.

Tree of Life wrote:I well aware of tree-to-tree disease transmission in the field. Unfortunately, it is a practice upon which some thrive in order to "create" more work, ie. spraying/removals, but that is not what I am concerned with.

What I am concerned with is a correlation between conditions in the field and the possibility of inadvertently transmission of disease to bonsai, given that in numerous "bonsai" texts I have read that it is less likely for a disease to carry over into such miniature specimens.

Now what I am concerned with are diseases such as dutch elm disease, given I have a few elms recently transplanted.  Additionally, fire blight is also a concern, since I am caring for a plum specimen.  More importantly, though, is any number of cankers that are common in the field.

If You can help with specific details regarding these concerns please contribute to my enlightenment.

I am a climber, and for the most part(unless I am removing a tree), I do to perfection on a large scale what most bonsai aficionados do with miniature versions of trees, and that isn't going to change soon, but thanks for the "advise." Spraying is what other less than able individuals in this profession do.  When I feel like not climbing again, believe me, I will not spray. I will just order others around, LOL.

Probably couldn't order a Happy Meal!

If I may weigh-in a bit. My philosophy : just assume disease (soil borne /air borne / water borne) is everywhere, all the time and the best guard against it is perfect health and eternal vigilance. Unless we're looking at an epidemic of virus (and assuming reasonable hygiene) disease always goes for the weaklings first. Just grow well.

I do to perfection on a large scale what most bonsai aficionados do with miniature versions of trees...

I think most of us would love to see some photos of your work.

Wow, a troll in a bonsai forum. Guy, you were baited and have been exposed by me for what you are. For me to defend myself against you in this forum is to give you a credibility you have not earned from me. I can tell from your comments that your acumen is inferior to mine and for us continue along the lines of argumentation that you are assuming I will blindly follow from your prompts is laughable. Please be yourself by yourself at McDonald's, were you obviously shine. Don't push because I will mop the floor with your washed-up, has-been, physically-incapable ego. Have a splendid life.

Mikeye, what photos? Trees or bonsai? If you want tree photos then I will respectfully decline because I don't concern myself with such matters. All I can tell you is that I was trained by the best here when I started and everyday I do this I do my best to honor that memory. If you want bonsai photos maybe one day when I get all the gadgets required for such a technologically advanced activity I will gladly share.

Look at my first answer to your question! Did you even get that far or you only saw someone making a joke at your expense and couldn't concentrate anymore.
By the way,I was only joking at first. But now....... If you can't use something like maybe a camera maybe you could draw a picture of a tree you worked on and ask your mommy to use the camera to take a picture and post it for you. Remember nit to color outside the lines buddy. We all want to see how good you can do. I'm sure it will be wonderful.

Tree of Life wrote:Wow, a troll in a bonsai forum. Guy, you were baited and have been exposed by me for what you are. For me to defend myself against you in this forum is to give you a credibility you have not earned from me. I can tell from your comments that your acumen is inferior to mine and for us  continue along the lines of argumentation that you are assuming I will blindly follow from your prompts is laughable. Please be yourself by yourself at McDonald's, were you obviously shine. Don't push because I will mop the floor with your washed-up, has-been, physically-incapable ego. Have a splendid life.

what a pompous, douche-y, dick of a reply

frankly, if there are any trolls in this thread, i believe the tree of life is the text book definition...

i will say one thing though...
when it comes to "baiting" someone, this tree of life is a master baiter.

Tree of Life wrote:Mikeye, what photos? Trees or bonsai? If you want tree photos then I will respectfully decline because I don't concern myself with such matters. All I can tell you is that I was trained by the best here when I started and everyday I do this I do my best to honor that memory. If you want bonsai photos maybe one day when I get all the gadgets required for such a technologically advanced activity I will gladly share.

Tree of Life wrote:Thank you in advance for all the responses I may or may not get.

you are most welcome...

and lastly, but not leastly...

how in the hell does this:

Tree of Life wrote:All I can tell you is that I was trained by the best here when I started and everyday I do this I do my best to honor that memory.

mesh with this ???
(posted about a month before the above)

Tree of Life wrote:I have only recently become acquainted with the techniques involved in bonsai art.

I am an arborist, though, and have been involved in the planting, care, and removal of trees for over a decade.

I only recently became interested in bonsai and currently have only one bonsai plum that I am training in the literati style, though not without some failures.

I have collected two other small trees that would have been cut down anyway but one died, a stunted spruce growing under a grove of volunteer siberian elms and other assorted plum, choke cherry, and cherry trees, this tree due to my relative inexperience with the conditions for optimal bonsai maintenance.  The other, a plum also, is currently adjusting to its current transplant shock after I cut the small ornamental to a low ten-inch multi-trunk stump but that a coworker inadvertently uprooted bluntly with a grub-axe without knowledge of my intentions to carefully cut a proper rootball.  I hope it survives, since the multi trunks have already died back about four inches.

Curiously enough, the first plum I transplanted from the field is my most successful specimen, I guess it was beginner's luck. Hopefully, I can learn from those with more experience here so that I may properly maintain this plum and other specimens I plan to collect, especially one particular bonsai I plan to acquire from the local supply, a ginko.

Thank you in advance for the knowledge and information I will surely gain in this forum.

it is almost like it was written by 2 different people

Might be a few people floatin' around in this cat's belfry.....Imagine going on a forum and being completely dismissive to anyone that replies. Talk about arrogance!!!! Why don't you become a "vector" with your lousy attitude somewhere else. Facebook is probably lookin' for some fresh, self-important perspective......

Sorry about the dust up people. I tried. I really did. But maybe I was a little bit to blame too. Poor kid.

i wouldnt beat yourself up too much mike...
dude went from zero to dick mph/kph in record time...

some folks just shouldnt post at 1:30 in the morning
myself included...

Sorry! Couldn't resist!

A somewhat bemused Andrew Legg

er... um... i think...

beer city snake wrote:

er... um... i think...

:-)

Where is the Report This Post button?

john jones wrote:Where is the Report This Post button?

Bottom right I think John.........

Andrew Legg wrote:

john jones wrote:Where is the Report This Post button?

Bottom right I think John.........

Right in front of me. D'oh!