Tricks Of The Trade: Disease Free Elms

By James C. Elledge, IFMA Fellow, CFM, FMA, RPA, RIAQM
Published in the April 2010 issue of Today’s Facility Manager

Q I have 28 acres of land in mid-northern Ontario and would like to plant disease resistant elms. What can you recommend?

Ed Willms
Huntsville, ON Canada

 

A According to the Canada National Land & Water services, Ottawa is located in Zone 5A of the 2000 Plant Hardiness Zone. The following table of elm cultivars resistant to Dutch Elm Disease (DED) as well as other diseases and pests may be helpful. (This table comes from the University of Minnesota.)

Based on this information, you may want to consider doing a little research on the Park Royal cultivar, which is part of the Siberian Elm (Ulmus pumila) family. This variety of tree was introduced into Ontario and has a history there. Sheridan Nursery has a relationship with this specific variety, which was first included in the company’s 1969 trade list. Unfortunately, it is no longer grown by Sheridan. However, if you contact an expert at this nursery, someone may be able to make recommendations that would be appropriate for your specific area.

Elledge,facility/office services manager for Dallas, TX-based Summit AllianceCompanies, is the recipient of the Distinguished Author Award from theInternational Facility Management Association (IFMA), is an IFMA Fellow, and isa member of TFM’sEditorial Advisory Board. All questions have been submitted via the “Ask TheExpert” portion of the magazine’s Web site. To pose a question, visit this link.