Still, because irrigation is a matter of course there, most of the trees at Flint Hills seem to be doing well. Here, as in the new housing developments with sandy soil, making sure the trees get enough water until they can get their roots into the water table is crucial. Hobson's main focus of vigilance now is the course's Scotch pines. The trees already are in the crosshairs of pine wilt, the always fatal disease that kills Scotch pines 10 years or older and 8 to 10 feet tall and taller practically overnight. There is no treatment for it.
Butler County seems to be particularly hard hit.
Some of the newly planted pines were already as tall as 8 feet. So we have to keep a pretty close watch on them. Two things that keep Christmas tree farms from being affected are their constant vigilance and disposal of any problem trees and the fact that the trees are sold before they get old enough to get pine wilt. Trees that have pine wilt must be cut down and chipped, buried or burned by May 1 to prevent the pest that causes the disease from moving on to other Scotch pines. Hobson worries because it seems many people are just letting the dead trees stay where they are.