Cultural Controls
Cultural controls are management techniques that help to ensure healthy hemlock trees. They involve simple physical actions property owners can take and in general are most appropriate for ornamental landscape trees.
Practices
n Keep ornamental hemlocks mulched and watered during prolonged droughts. Mulch made from bark or shredded hardwood is more effective and longer lasting than pine straw; it should be applied about 3 inches thick out to the drip line but pulled back from the trunk a couple of inches so as not to encourage fungal growth or other insect infestation. Trees require about an inch of water per week; click here for a Water Needs Chart showing how much water trees of different sizes need -- you'll be surprised!
n If you go hiking, camping, fishing, etc. in an infested area, your gear and clothes may be carrying adelgid eggs or crawlers, so take care not to spread them to uninfested trees.
n Don't bring saplings from infested areas onto your property.
n Don't hang bird feeders in or near hemlock trees; birds can spread HWA eggs and crawlers for long distances.
n Don't fertilize infested trees as this would encourage new growth and attract even more adelgids.
n Do normal "forest management" by thinning your hemlocks so the best ones have a better chance to survive. This means cutting hemlocks that are growing too close to each other (unless you're using them for a hedge), that are physically damaged or dead, or that you don't intend to save. It is not necessary to burn, chip, shred, or haul away the cut trees; when the tree is cut, the sap dries up and adelgids that are feeding on the tree will die.
n Keep a watchful eye on your hemlocks and be prepared to take action at the first sign of woolly adelgids.
n If you don't intend to use chemical or biological controls, you can remove some of the adelgids mechanically by pruning the infested branches or using a high-pressure water hose.
Advantages of Cultural Controls
Cultural controls are usually easy for a property owner to do and require only some time and effort. They are an "all natural" approach.
Disadvantages of Cultural Controls
None of the above steps will eliminate the adelgids once they arrive on your property. They provide no long-term protection and therefore should be used in combination with either chemical or biological controls.
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