Maintaining a Tree Through the Next Decade

Specimen trees in the landscape need consistent care over time to ensure their continued health, proper conditions for growth and to prevent hazardous conditions that threaten surrounding property. Here is a tree care schedule developed by the United States Forest Service for a tree owners use and listed according to tree care type. Watering the Tree The key to newly planted tree survival is providing adequate water. Although the first 3 years are most critical, a trees watering needs should be maintained for life. Initially, a newly planted tree needs to be properly watered with an adequate amount to pack the soil, to remove root-drying air and to moisten the root ball. On adequately draining soils, 5 gallons of initial water should be enough. Fast draining soils may need more frequent watering than a slow draining soil. Year 1 - 3: It is most critical to provide adequate water during the annual growing season, between late spring and autumn.Year 4 and after: You can relax a bit on tree watering in later years but water may be needed during long periods of drought. Mulching the Tree Mulching a newly planted tree ensures that moisture is available to roots over time and reduces grass competition. A good mulch (organic materials like leaves, bark, needles and fine wood chips) should ring the tree base (over the critical root zone) but never touch the tree. No fertilizer is necessary when quality composted mulch is used. Year 1 - 3: Maintain the mulch level with no more than 4 inches of material over the roots (the wider the better) but not touching the tree.Year 4 and after: A tree appreciates a good mulch so it is appropriate to maintain adequate mulch levels annually during spring. Avoid using nitrogen fertilizers — use complete fertilizers only after a soil test. Staking the Tree Not all newly planted trees need staking to remain standing straight. Stake only if the root ball is unstable or the tree trunk is bending. Use only loosely tied, wide straps and limit the number of straps to a minimum for support. Year 1 - 3: Use tree stakes only when needed. Many tree owners automatically stake every tree not knowing that it is often unnecessary. Check all stakes and straps during spring and autumn for loose fit and alter to prevent trunk damage. All straps should be removed after the first or second year.Year 4 and after: Do not stake older trees. Cleaning the Root Collar Roots that encircle the trunk at the root collar can cause tree health and safety problems. A trees root collar is its transition zone between stem and root at the ground line. Proper planting depth can go a long way toward keeping the root collar clean and free of encircling roots. Remember that piling soil or mulch against the root collar encourages strangler roots. Year 1 - 3: Proper planting and mulching will go a long way toward solving most root collar problems. The first several years of growth after planting is when tree collar problems develop, so keep the collar exposed by removing soil and mulch. Overfertilization can speed up the process and make the condition worse.Year 4 and after: Revisit and check the root collar every 4 years. Use a hand trowel to loosen and remove the soil around the base of the tree until the first set of roots is uncovered. Inspecting Tree Health Checking a trees health may not only be subjective for a novice but determining the health of a tree is complicated and should be done by an expert. Still, there are things you can do that will alert you to tree health problems. Ask yourself these questions when inspecting a tree: Is the current years growth much less than in past years growth? Although fast growth does not necessarily mean good health, a dramatic reduction in growth rate may be an indication of poor health.Are there dead limbs, odd colors on leaves and bark or a patchy crown? These tree symptoms can be the first indicators that a tree is unhealthy and should be inspected in detail. Remember that planting a healthy tree from the beginning is the best way to assure its future health. Pruning the Tree When pruning a newly planted tree, only prune critical branches and no others! Critical branches are those that are either dead or broken. You can also remove multiple leaders to leave only one central stem. It may be best to postpone pruning to avoid transplanting shock due to loss of leaves. Year 1 - 3: Prune only critical branches or to eliminate extra leaders in the trees first year. You will have plenty of time to form your tree so only prune lightly in Year 2 or 3.Year 4 and after: Prune your tree for form and function every three years. As a rule of thumb, prune fruit trees every 1-3 years, prune deciduous shade trees every 5 years and evergreens only as needed.

Ethics of Human Cloning and Genetic Engineering Essay

INTRODUCTION When the Roslin Institutes first sheep cloning work was announced in March 1996 the papers were full of speculation about its long-term implications. Because of this discovery, the media’s attention has focused mainly on discussion of the possibility, of cloning humans. In doing so, it has missed the much more immediate impact of this work on how we use animals. Its not certain this would really lead to flocks of cloned lambs in the fields of rural America, or clinically reproducible cuts of meat on the supermarket shelves. But it does force us to ask questions about the way we are using animals with new technology, and the kinds of assumptions we make. To create Dolly (the cloned sheep), Scottish researchers simply took†¦show more content†¦The amount of animals and the amount of milk is very small compared with conventional meat or bulk milk production. Imagine you are a commercial breeder of cows or hogs, and over many generations you have bred some fine and valuab le animals with highly desirable characteristics. One possible application of Roslins work could be to clone such animals from the cells of one of them, and sell the cloned animals to finishers - those farmers who simply feed up the animals for slaughter, rather than breed them to produce more stock. Again, the breeder might want to clone a series of fast growing, highly productive animals in a breeding program, in order to test how the same genotype responded to different environmental changes. ANALYSIS Would cloning narrow genetic diversity too far? Before we look at the ethics, there are some practical problems to consider. One of the fundamental rules of selective breeding is that you must maintain a high enough level of genetic variation. The more you narrow down the genetic pool to a limited number, the more you run two risks. One is that you could also have accidentally selected for some other not-so-desirable characteristic along with the one you wanted. (Klug, 1996) The selected lines could have certain disadvantages in some other genetic trait. These would be evened out in normal genetic diversity of selective breeding, but if animals were cloned, there would be no selection. The second risk is thatShow MoreRelatedGenetic Engineering : The Field Of Human Biotechnology1490 Words   |  6 PagesGenetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is a set of techniques for isolating, transforming, multiplying and recombining genes from different organisms. Simply put, it i s the process of manually adding new DNA to an organism. Genetic engineering originated in the 1970s as a result of the discovery of several key techniques in molecular genetics. It is also referred to as recombinant (rDNA) technology. Genetic Engineering enables geneticists to transfer genes between species that belongRead MoreGenetic Engineering : Medical Perfection Or Playing God1280 Words   |  6 PagesThesis Statement â€Å"Genetic engineering differs from cloning in key ways. Whereas cloning produces genetically exact copies of organisms, genetic engineering refers to processes in which scientists manipulate genes to create purposefully different versions of organisms—and, in some cases, entirely new living things†, duplication of genetic cells is known as human cloning. Development of genetic engineering biotechnologies undermines the natural autonomy of life. Does genetic engineering interfere withRead MoreThe Controversy Of Genetic Engineering1369 Words   |  6 Pages Genetic Engineering, for most individuals not knowledgeable on the topic, conjures visions of sci-fi movies and humans being grown in a lab far off in the future. What more and more individuals in the early 21st century are coming to realize is that Genetic Engineering has already exceeded our wildest imaginations in a dark corner of a lab, outside of the view of the main stream public. Indeed, in 2017, genetic engineering is in full swing on both plant and animal life. Only from hearingRead MoreGenetic Engineering : Genetically Modified Food1229 Words   |  5 PagesGenetic engineering is a technique which uses biotechnology to change an organism s genome. Currently, this technology has been used in an abundance of fields, for example medical science, agriculture and industry. Furthermore, numerous countries have never stopped the research on genetic engineering because they think the technology of gene will become the main competitiveness in the future. As a result for the rapid development of genetic engineering. 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But, those who are against cloning would most likely look the other way if they needed gene therapy after receiving a grim diagnosis. There are many aspects of genetic engineering and to thoroughly understand it looking into each is absolutely necessary. In order to understand genetic engineering, the key terms in this controversyRead MoreIs Human Cloning Legal? Essay1147 Words   |  5 PagesHuman cloning has n ot been legally used in humans because many people and experts are still discussing its effectiveness, worthiness and effect on humanity. Human cloning, also known as human genetic engineering, can be divided into two main types, which are therapeutic cloning, growing cloned tissue from individual, and reproductive cloning, genetically identical copy of an individual. Human cloning have drawn people’s attention because people are become more concerned about health problems andRead MoreEthics And The New Genetics1048 Words   |  5 Pages#1: Response Paper Dear Mr. Dalai Lama, In your excerpt, â€Å"Ethics and the New Genetics,† you presented the discovery of the advancement in genetic technology. You mentioned how scientist are able to change the genetic makeup of living things. Another key point presented in your article is the idea of cloning, where one is therapeutic while the other is reproductive. The article discussed that the advancement in technology and genetics should only be used to benefit people. However, you believedRead MoreThe Ethical Concept Of Genetic Engineering1157 Words   |  5 PagesThis assignment will discuss the ethical concept of genetic engineering and how it demonstrates its relevance to midwifery professional practice and maternity care. Before analysing genetic engineering and looking at the arguments as to whether it is ethically right, an understanding of what the terms and lawful procedures mean should be determined. In order to construct this assignment, multiple resources were accessed. These resources included analysing books, both hard copies and electronicallyRead MoreThe Ethics of Human Cloning Essay1294 Words   |  6 PagesHuman cloning is separated into two major categories; reproductive cloning, which uses cloning technology to create a human embryo that will produce an entire human, and therapeutic, which adopt cloning into field of medical practices to find a cure for many diseases (Kass). Reproductive cloning requires a somatic cell, a DNA-less egg, and a surrogate mother; as a result, it creates a new individual with the same genome, or genetic coding. The idea originated in Germany in 1938, but the first successful

Tito Vodka Market Expansion

Question: Discuss about the Tito Vodka Market Expansion. Answer: Introduction Titos handmade vodka was first produced for commercial purposes in 1997, when Fifth generation Inc. was formed by Burt Beveridge. In that year, only 1000 cases of the drink were produced and sold. Ten years later, the company managed to sell 160000 cases of the vodka. The company is based in Texas where it was first established and continues to carry out all of its production processes in the same place. Due to the significant changes in the market and the rise of many other companies producing similar products, the company has found it imperative to change the way that it reaches out to its consumers. Strategies that may have brought positive results in the past may not be as effective in this century for several reasons. First of all, the dynamic of the market has changed a lot. The kind of consumers that were targeted in the past may not be the same as today since their interest may have changed or they now have a variety of products to choose from other competing companies. As a result, Titos Vodka has been able to identify two new targeted marketing environments (Dawson 2014). Marketing Environment (Kenya) This term often refers to the existing factors that are likely to affect the way that a company performs in the market. These factors can be micro or macro (Armstrong et al 2012). Micro factors refer to those factors that come from inside the company. The strategies that the company has put in place, its processes, staff and many other internal factors often have the ability to affect the way that the company will relate with its consumers and target markets, which will eventually reflect on the direct performance of the company. Macro factors are those factors that come from outside of the company. Since they are not found within the company, the said organization does not have any control over them as it does on the micro factors (Levens 2011). However, these factors are just as important as they to have a lot to do with the way that the company will reflect the outside world, its audiences and consumers, and competitors. Since the company does not have a hold on these macro factors, the best that it can do is find ways of coping with the existing factors in a way that will end up being beneficial. For the case of this paper, one micro factor and one micro factor were selected to understand the chances of Titos Vodka performing better in the market. Micro Factors As has been elaborated, these are factors that come from within the company and can affect the way that the company performs. One of the markets that Titos Vodka should consider venturing into is the Kenya region (Martin Schouten 2011). For this to take place, the company has to put in mind the fact that Kenya is a diverse culture. The key ethnic group in Kenya can be highlighted as: With this in mind, staff diversity is likely to help a lot on ensuring the smooth entrance of the company to the United Arab Emirates. Staff Diversity This has a lot to do with the kind of people that will be employed at the company and the advantages or disadvantages that will come with this change (Kotler, 2011). However, with the changing times, the company has found it imperative to venture into newer and more diversified markets. That means that some of the strategies it may have out in place in the past may seem obsolete in this century. The company prioritizes workforce diversity to ensure it remains competitive in the market. Several reasons support the fact that this strategy is likely to work. For starters, the company needs to ensure that the kinds of products that it provides in the market can serve people from all walks of life (Perreault, et al 2013). It would thus not be enough to assume that the present products would serve the purpose. That means that their preferences are also likely to be very different from those of others. Having a workforce that is diversified would help in enhancing the diversity of the company. It is easy to argue that research and focus groups would be just as effective in getting to know about the preference of other people, but it not really sufficient (Drori Honig 2013). Tito's vodka may consider widening the variety of its products in order to suit various markets. For example, not all alcohol drinkers like vodka. There are several other types of alcoholic drinks that are avai lable in the market. So, this company may consider manufacturing these other varieties in order to gain more credibility in the market. Having people of diverse cultures at the company will help the company to understand better how to deal with different people. Employing locals would also be beneficial because it will help the company to adjust faster in the new locations by getting much assistance from the diversified employee base. Diversity at the company also increases creativity. Creativity is quite important in marketing since it ensures that the right kind of material is used to create the right kinds of strategies that will have a positive impact on the company (Wang, et al 2012). A person that has lived his entire life in a certain culture is more likely to understand the needs and operations of his people than someone that has studied marketing for ten years. He will know the right kind of language, where the product can meet the needs of the public and where this audience can be found. Take the example of the African state or any other developing countries around the world. If Titos Vodka is to bring its products to this place, having people who understand this region well within its workforce is likely to have a lot of benefits (Murray et al. 2011). Certain languages are likely to appeal to an American audience but will likely be seen as offensive to a resident of Kenya. As much as this may seem trivial, on a large scale, it has the potential of reflective very negatively on the company, thus making it unable to penetrate this target market. Marketing/ Business Implications The greatest implication for entering the new market of Kenya is the threat of competition from companies that have already established their base in the region. Several companies were founded in this country and had continued to strive here for several years. The company would thus need to put in extra effort to convince people to abandon the products they have been using and try the new ones bought in by Titos Vodka (Timsit et al 2015). A good example of this would be Aberdares Beverage Limited. The company is located in Kismu and it has a good hold in the domestic market. In fact, it is one of the largest distributors of alcohol an alcohol products in Kenya. Since Aberdares Beverage Limited has been in the market for more than ten years, the locals in Kenya are more likely to use its products compared to their chances of taking up a new alcoholic beverage. Entering new markets is especially difficult for Titos vodka since it deals with consumables, which are the most sensitive products to sell. An additional advantage that Aberdares Beverage Limited has over Titos vodka is the fact that it is an internationally recognized brand. It therefore does not have a problem with marketing and making its name known to its consumers. Recommended Market Entry Modes These are strategies that the company can put in place to enquire a smooth transition into the mew market. For the case of Titos Vodka in Kenya, franchising would be the best choice. Franchising refers to a system where one company pays royalties and fees to another company, usually more established for the former to use the identity of the latter company to sell its products (Jeanne Ranciere 2011). Using the name of a company that is more established in this region is likely to give Titos Vodka better airtime with the audience that they look forward to attracting in Kenya. One advantage of franchising is that it helps in cutting costs. The Company would not have to use as much money for setup and marketing purposes as compared to when it decided to venture into the market independently. Another entry mode that is likely to work for the company is a joint venture (Khanna Palepu 2013). This is a process where two companies come together for the purpose of enhancing their profitability. The difference however between a joint venture and franchising is that each of these companies can maintain its name and identity. This strategy while worthwhile may not be as beneficial as franchising in this case since the company would still need to carry around its name, which is still new to the audience in the target market. Marketing Environment (United Kingdom) A new company venturing into the UK market may not be one of the hardest things that Titos Vodka will ever have to face. This is due to the fact that there are various similarities between culture of USA and culture of UK. The country is stable in several ways, both economically and environmentally (Albornoz et al 2012). That means that a lot of factors would need to be put into consideration before the company takes the leap into this market. One of the important factors to think about is whether the people in the country will be able to identify with the products of this company. However, in recent times, the events like Brexit has some impacts on the UK economy. The purchasing power of UK citizens may not be the same as it was couple of years before. Having this is mind; the company will be well aware that some of its products are likely to do poorly in this region since the people are not able to afford them. Titos Vodka sells alcohol, which is essentially a luxury product, which may not suit all of the UK market. First of all, the company will need to split the market into two segments; for both economically stable and unstable, since there would be people that live below the poverty line index. (Johanson Mattson 2015). Assuming that the rest of the population would be able to afford Titos Vodka products, it means that the kind of marketing strategies that will be put forth will be different from those of the other people. Additionally, the company would have to significantly consider the pricing of its products if it looks forward to making any profits. High pricing will discourage the potential sellers, even if they are seen to be living above the poverty line. Another market that should be considered by the company is the tourists. According to a report that was given by World Bank, tourism in the region has been able to increase in the past year has increased by around twenty percent (Ahmed Zlate 2014). Considerations should be made regarding the origin of these tourists. It would be even better if these tourists are coming from countries where Titos Vodka has already established itself. For example, the company would get a push in the market if American tourists are visiting UK. Adjusting to new life and new products are common challenges that people face in new countries. Foreigners find many reliefs when they come upon products that they are familiar with since they use them back at home. Marketing/ Business Implications The good thing for the company is that UK business environment shares similarity with US business environment. It is correct that the country is currently undergoing much political unrest with violence having reported in some areas after the general elections were conducted. When such violence occurs, it is characterized by destruction of property, and unfortunately, most of the time it is the foreigners that are targeted most (Zeschky et al. 2011). That means that Titos Vodka would have to take the issue of security quite seriously while entering this market. Security for this case means that of its products and members of staff. At this point, diversity of the workforce would be quite essential. Whenever a company sets up in a region, they are scrutinized by the locals and governments to ensure that even if their intention is to make profits, the country too can benefit (Bingham Eisenhard 2011). Therefore, if the company sets up and employs UK locals, there are a few problems that may be evaded. The hostility from the locals is likely to reduce since they know that the company is providing a source of income for them. Additionally, the locals can understand the environment much better that foreigners and thus can warn the company of any impending dangers and the best way that they can be countered. Lack of sufficient labor is another risk that the company may run into should it enter the UK market. One of the reasons that have been given for a large number of people living below the poverty line is that fact that they do not have access to quality and sufficient education. That means that no matter how willing the company may be to employ locals; they may not be able to accomplish the tasks that will be assigned to them. This may force the company to have to take in members of staff that do not come from the area, and in the process, reducing its chances of expansion since it will be absent in the diversity department. Countries are prone to natural catastrophes such as earthquakes. These earthquakes are often quite great and in some cases, cause damages that are irreparable and sometimes leading to death. The company may thus lack the labor force that would be willing to be flag bearers in UK for fear of safety. Since for a while the company may not make that much profit since the products will be new, a natural calamity taking place in the country is likely to set the company may steps back in dealing with the losses (Johanson Vahlne 2011). Recommended Entry Modes The company can directly enter to UK market. However, there is no need to take unnecessary risks and the franchise model of operations appears to be the best option. Corporate social responsibility is a mode that would work to the advantage of the company (Ramamurti, 2012). This could take place for a year or so before the company decides to start selling its products to the UK market. Corporate social responsibilities are those activities that companies venture into that while are not for making profits, help to improve the environment and the lives of people around. There are still several people in UK that have not recovered for the post-election violence (Brexit case). Titos Vodka can, for example, help in resettling these people by helping them get access to proper living conditions and healthcare for those that are not able to afford. This can also be used as a marketing tool. For example, while resettling them, Titos Vodka can ensure that the event is widely publicized. They would also consider giving out branded personal effects like t-shirts and caps which will help in marketing of the product even before the company comes to UK. They may find that they have a large following among people who work with refugees since they often come from various parts of the world, and sometimes find that the countries they have been assigned are short of entertainment such as alcoholic drinks. Conclusion Titos Vodka is a company that manufactures and sells vodka to Americans. The company, having been in existence for more than ten years may consider taking up new markets. In this paper, the chances of its survival in the Kenya and UK have been considered. The UK market, though a bit hostile, may still provide a chance for the company to prosper since there is likelihood that it will find the right kind of audience for its products. The Kenya market may however pose more challenges for Titos vodka. This is especially due to the unrest that is in the country. For the company to survive in any of these markets, it may have to consider entry modes such as franchising and corporate social responsibility. It is recommended that the company should use UK as an expansion country. The above analysis presents that UK is a better option that Kenya due to number of options. On a scale of 10, the scores of Kenya and UK for different parameters can be discussed as: Parameter Kenya UK Political Stability 6 8 Existing Competition 8 6 Social Cultural Factors 6 8 Environmental factors 7 8 Economic Factors 7 6 Total 34 36 The above table shows that UK is better placed that Kenya. Therefore, Titos Vodka should enter UK market. It is also recommended that the company should use the franchise model of expansion. The management of Titos may not have much idea to handle the business in the foreign markets. The franchise business model would enable the company to gain knowledge from local partners. Reference Ahmed, S. and Zlate, A., 2014. Capital flows to emerging market economies: a brave new world?.Journal of International Money and Finance,48, pp.221-248. 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