Maintenance for the Landscape Arboretum at Winona State University Procedure

Purpose:

This procedure provides guidance to the Winona State University (WSU) Landscape Arboretum Director and landscape services staff for maintaining trees, shrubs, gardens, exterior physical objects and landscape features, turf, and irrigation systems at the university.

Policy:

The Landscape Arboretum Director and the Winona State University landscape services staff maintain all trees, shrubs, gardens, physical objects and landscape features, turf, and irrigation systems. The landscape services staff meets weekly with the Landscape Arboretum Director to determine priorities, needs, scheduling, and record keeping.

A. Inspections and Maintenance

The campus is divided into zones for inspection and maintenance of the trees. Each year the arborist inspects and evaluates the trees in a zone for health, safety and stability, function, and any changes in the surrounding landscape which might affect them (e.g., construction). Staff perform routine maintenance as needed, and TreeKeeper is updated to indicate the status of the tree collection. Garden, turf, and irrigation work is handled similarly.

Added inspection and maintenance of zones may be needed due to:

• storms

• pre- and post-construction mitigation

• on-going disease or insect control/treatment

• pruning and cabling as needed

• removal as needed

Safety issues take precedence over routine maintenance.

Under the direction of the Landscape Arboretum Director or landscape services staff, volunteer students, faculty, staff, WSU retirees, and community members may assist in garden clean-up, deadheading, weeding, planting, mulching, and removing plant debris in Gardens of Purpose or other areas.

B. Inventory and Evaluation

The campus arborist records information on all new trees and maintenance of existing trees using TreeKeeper.

C. Edible Garden Use

Food products from the Edible Gardens and Landscape may be used by the Winona State University community and campus visitors. It is the intention of the WSU Landscape Arboretum that the children at the Children’s Center have first option to use the apples near their center. Other fruit trees may be accessed on a first-come basis with the hope that people leave some for the next person. Fruits may also be consumed by birds and other animals on campus.

Related definitions:

[2-25] Gardens of Purpose:

Gardens of the Landscape Arboretum at Winona State University that have a specific educational purpose and use (e.g. Edible Garden, Meditation Garden, Laurel’s Pond, Clock Tower Pollinator Garden, Rock Elm Garden, Children’s Garden, Indigenous Learning Garden, Native Prairie Garden, Botany Garden, etc.).

[2-25] Maintenance:

The work of keeping something in proper condition; upkeep; the routine recurring work required to keep the Landscape Arboretum at Winona State University in such condition that it may be continuously utilized for its intended purpose.

[2-25] TreeKeeper:

An inventory management software which manages asset inventories and provides unlimited data records, customizable data attribute fields, and flexible search options.

Related docs:

Collections for the Landscape Arboretum at Winona State University Policy Acquisitions for the Landscape Arboretum at Winona State University Procedure Deaccessioning for the Landscape Arboretum at Winona State University Procedure

History:

Adoption date: 07/24/2023
Implementation date: 07/24/2023