I have been asked by the University of the West Indies to conduct a tree care workshop. Most of the subject matter they are requesting is transferable from my climate to theirs, however, not wishing to be found flatfooted (any more so then usual anyway) I am looking for a good text on tree care say from southern Florida to Barbados.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks
Wayne

Reply to post by Wayne Cahilly, on April 07, 1999 at 08:55:23:

Most tree research in Florida comes out of the University of Florida at Gainesville. A phone call to Dr. Ed Gilman might be worthwhile. He's listed in the ISA directory, and gives numerous tree care workshops in Florida.

Gainesville, of course, is up in the temperate region, so most "hard" research from U of F is biased away from the tropics. The University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Services, has some publications you will want. (maybe all of them).. and a darn good web site.

http://www.agnic.nal.usda.gov/agdb/feis.html
http://nervm.nerdc.ufl.edu/~mslwww/

They also have "Your Florida Landscape: A Complete Guide to Planting and Maintenance"

You might also search for what's in Spanish (from Mexico and central Am) or published through Oxford or other UK sources, and of course though the University of West Indies. My first impression is that very little tree specific state of the art research has been done on tree care in the tropics. You can be the first expert! :-)

Fairchild Tropical Gardens, near Miami, would also be worth contacting for information. They can be found on the web at:

http://www.ftg.org/

For general species information you might look into:

Sargent, Charles Sprague
"Manual of the Trees of North America" Vol. I and II

Stresau, Frederick
"Florida, My Eden: Exotic and Native Plants for use in Tropic and Subtropic Landscape". Florida Classics Library, Port Salerno, FL.
ISBN 0-912451-18-1

Stevenson, George B.
"Trees of the Everglades National Park and the Florida Keys", Banyan Books, Inc. P.O. Box 431160, Miami Florida, 33143
ISBN 0-916224-38-4

Dan Austin
"Coastal Dune Plants"
Gumbo Limbo Nature Center of South Palm Beach County, Inc.

Dehgan, Bijan
"Landscape Plants for Subtropical Climates"
University of Florida Press, Gainesville, FL
ISBN 0-8130-1627-4

Myers and Ewel
"Ecosystems of Florida"
Is the definitive work (with references to research papers) on the natural ecosystems of Florida.
ISBN 0-8130-1022-5

Also, the Florida Palm Society might have something worthwhile.

Naturally some of the subtropical plants also range south into the tropics. The year round season lends to much greater species diversity than temperate climates. It also results in much faster growth rates, often weaker wood, faster recovery from pruning, and also a greater diversity (and more potential) for aggressive pathogen invasion.

On "The Islands" there is often very little, if any, topsoil. Often just two or three feet of sand and shell overlaying coral or coquina rock. (It depends somewhat exactly which island you are on.) Hurricanes are frequent occurrences, with 15-20 foot tidal surges and 250 MPH winds. Otherwise it's mild with a rainy season in mid to late summer, and a dry season in April-May. 50 plus inches of rain per year, but the soil doesn't retain moisture, so irrigation is still needed. Temperatures always above freezing (no ice damage) and can be 80 degrees any day of the year. Salt sensitivity is a primary consideration. It's in the air even a couple of miles from the coast, and also often in the irrigation water.

Most of the plants readily recover from abusive pruning that would kill a sensitive northern plant. Perhaps a natural adaptation to stripping by hurricanes? Crown Thinning to reduce chance of windthrow on the shallow soils is a common technique.

Reply to post by Wayne Cahilly, on April 07, 1999 at 08:55:23:

Wayne, seems to me we had a speaker in New Orleans named Dr. Catalino Blanche. He might be with extension in LA. I think he was trained in the Phillipines. Might find him through Malcolm Guidry or Bob Thibodeaux.

Reply to post by Paul M Davis, on April 07, 1999 at 08:55:23:

Scott and Paul,

Thanks for the great suggestions! Scott, your memory is better than mine, I was there and don't recall the speaker you mentioned; I was probably recovering from my N.O. Cajun-style dinner.....

Wayne