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HARTINGTON — A fresh row of Colorado blue spruce trees is helping fill the gaps left behind by diseasedamaged pines at the Hartington Sports Complex.
Twelve 6-foot-tall Colorado blue spruce trees were recently planted along the east and west sidelines of the upper south playing field at the complex. The project was helped along by a 50 percent matching grant from the Lewis and Clark Natural Resources District.
The new trees replace Scotch pines that died from pine wilt disease and had to be removed. The loss left large openings along the field, especially on the west side, where the trees are most needed for wind protection.
At one time, 24 Scotch pines lined the playing field, providing both a windbreak and added beauty to the complex. Sixteen of those trees have since died and been removed. The remaining eight Scotch pines are also expected to die within the next few years.
City officials plan to replace most of the stricken trees over the next several years, with the focus on filling the largest gaps along the west side of the field.
Hartington Tree LLC and Midwest Tree Moving each supplied six of the 12 spruce trees. The total cost of the project was $7,800.
The NRD grant covered $3,900 of that cost, leaving the city’s share at $3,900.
“We appreciate the grant from the NRD and their willingness to help fund the needed trees for the Sports Complex,” Hartington Tree Board Chairman Dan Kathol said. “Over the years, the NRD has provided grant funds to help on a number of tree projects in Hartington.”
Pine wilt is a fatal disease that affects pine trees, especially Scotch pines. Austrian pines can also be affected to some degree.
The disease is caused by microscopic pinewood nematodes, which are carried from tree to tree by the pine sawyer beetle. Once inside a tree, the nematodes clog the tree’s vascular system, often causing rapid death within a few weeks or months.
Symptoms often begin to appear from August through December. Needles quickly turn gray-green, then yellow and finally brown, while remaining attached to the tree. Infected trees also stop producing resin, and the wood becomes dry.
There is no cure once a tree is infected. The main management strategy is prompt removal and destruction of the infected tree before April 1. Trees are typically burned or chipped to help prevent the beetles from carrying the disease to healthy trees.
Once pine wilt becomes established in an area, however, it can be difficult to stop the disease from spreading.
