Oklahoma State University
OP-10: Landscape Management

IPM is practiced in various components and interdisciplinary campus programs. Physical Plant Services primarily practices IPM in its greenhouse production through 1) pest identification and routine scouting, 2) mechanical monitoring and trapping, 3) natural/organic treatment, and 4) chemical treatment as a last resort with the lowest toxicity available pending pest outbreak. IPM is practiced both in greenhouse production and outdoors.

OSU’s sustainable landscape approach emphasizes 1) tree care and preservation as a priority, 2) low maintenance site specific landscape design and installation, 3) organic soil improvements and mulching, and 4) balanced fertilizer, pest control and irrigation practices. A stringent tree care plan is in place for maintenance, protection, and future plantings. OSU has been certified as a Tree Campus USA for 3 going on 4 years and hired an Urban Forester to manage this priority. Landscapes are designed with low maintenance in mind using the appropriate plant to the site conditions. Native and drought tolerant plants are emphasized in all designs but OSU does also use appropriate zone adapted, low water use, non-invasive, non-natives.

Native plants are considered and used in landscape plantings and renovations on campus and such use is a component of the updated Landscape Master Plan.

OSU implemented a compost program in 2011 consisting of landscape/greenhouse waste materials. Composted materials is used in landscape renovation planting beds and as mulch.

Large scale landscape and greenhouse waste composting was initiated in 2011. Compost is used to amend the soils in new and renovated landscape plantings. Tree trimmings, cottonseed hulls and cedar tree byproducts are the preferred mulches used in all landscape plantings. Organic fertilizers are used 100% of the time for landscape and seasonal color plantings and 25% of the time for turf. Organic turf fertilizer costs have hindered a complete conversion to date. Green manure winter crops are also used for soil improvements each year in the formal color gardens.

Environmentally preferable materials are used when available and cost effective. To date we use recycled paper tree wraps for sunscald protection on new trees, recyclable greenhouse growing pots, cornstarch compostable bags for collecting leaves, and biodegradable wood root ball tree stakes to mention a few. Natural and organic pesticides are also used as a first choice for insect and disease management.

Through our campus-wide tree inventory we know that our 2,911 trees have helped avoid 52,103 cubic feet of runoff a year. An additional 442 trees have been planted over the past 3 years to help continue to improve these environmental benefits. We also have a yearly turf core aeration maintenance program to help loosen compacted soils for better water infiltration. Mulching and sod grass budgets have been increased to better cover bare landscaped areas and lawns to improve moisture retention, water filtration and adsorption. A raw water non-potable irrigation project has been identified and funded in phases to minimize and/or limit future potable water use. Irrigation is being installed using non-potable infrastructure to eventually convert to non-potable resources. Some 75 acres of non-potable irrigation pipe infrastructure have been installed over the past three years in addition to 1.1 miles of raw water pipe to get us closer to our source and goal of a non-potable irrigated water. Lastly, we start each new design with information gathered from our campus surveyor to study and understand topography and water runoff for each site to make as little of an impact as possible implementing appropriate planting design and stormwater standards on a case by case basis.

Salt/sand mixes are used for ice events only, and only on streets. Sidewalks and parking lots are cleared with mechanical means first. Environmentally friendly ice melt products, with colorant to reduce over-application, have been specifically chosen to use on sidewalks to minimize re-icing.