For those of you with oak trees on your private property the best time to prune them is from November to March to avoid any risk for oak wilt.

Our department will normally not touch an oak tree on the boulevard or in the parks until this time unless a tree has been damaged by a storm or other means. Oak wilt fungus spreads through the roots, grafting to another oak which can be as far as 50 feet away. The fungus cuts off the water and nutrient supply between the roots and the top of the tree.

Visible symptoms begin near the tree top and progresses down showing signs of rapid defoliation. The picnic beetle is also a way to infect a wounded oak, or freshly pruned. The picnic beetle is not attached specifically to oaks and cannot wound a tree but they will visit fresh wounds and transfer the fungus.

Oak Anthracnose is sometimes confused with oak wilt. Oak Anthracnose is typically not life threatening to a healthy tree. The picnic beetle is also a way to infect a wounded oak, or freshly pruned. The picnic beetle is not attached specifically to oaks and cannot wound a tree but they will visit fresh wounds and transfer the fungus.

If an oak must be pruned during the high risk time of April – June or in July to October which is a somewhat lower risk time you must treat the fresh cut immediately with a nontoxic tree wound dressing or a latex spray paint. If these two time frames can be avoided it is good to wait. If you suspect Oak Wilt you may call our office at 433-1881.

A couple of weeks ago our Park Supervisor noticed that several oaks in Todd Park looked stressed. Following a visit from an Arborist with the MN DNR it was concluded that several of our Bur Oaks have Bur Oak Blight (BOB) and not Oak Wilt.

Oak blight happens when we experience wetter than normal conditions as the tree begins to grow leaves in April and May. Another killer of oak trees is the two-lined chestnut borer. Most pests will pick trees that are stressed or have broken branches or fresh cuts which allow them to borer into the tree easily. Beetles lay their eggs and then the larvae feed on the inner bark and emerge the next spring. For more information on Oak disease and pests check the DNR web site at www.dnr.state.mn.us.

Ice time

Opportunities to curl begin today and will run for five weeks at 6 p.m. for those 16 and older at $50 per person. If you miss it you can still sign up or give it a try. We are offering the opportunity for those to come and try it for $10 to see if you like it. Put on your tennis shoes, a couple of comfortable layers and stop in to Riverside Arena.

Austin Youth Hockey registration will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday as well as Saturday and from 10 to 1 p.m. on Oct. 3. They will also run a play hockey for free from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. that day so bring your skates and gear to check out the ice.

Nature center

There will be a Friends-only fall mushroom class at the Nature Center from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday with Sammie Peterson. Space is limited to 30 participants and you must pre-register by Wednesday please. Not a Friends member? Join now by calling the Nature Center for info at 437-7519 or www.hormelnaturecenter.org.

The 32nd Annual Halloween Warm-Up will take place on Friday, Oct 9 and 10. Tickets are on sale at Super Fresh Produce, Bakery & Garden Center for $6 per person which includes apple cider and a cookie.

Be sure to mark your calendars and get your tickets early for the 13th annual Thanksgiving Feast which will be held on Saturday, Nov.14 with a new venue. This year the feast will be held at the Holiday Inn Conference Center beginning at 5 p.m. with the social hour, silent auction and raffles. Dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. and includes Hormel pork loin, sides and dessert followed by a short program and live auction at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are on sale now, $35 if you are a Friends member $40 for non-members, call the Nature Center at 507-437-7519 or contact Rich and JoAnn Aho at 507-433-6928.