Know When to Say “When”

It is vitally important to the success of your landscape’s health to know the water requirements of your vegetation. Tailoring your water practices is not only good for plant health, but also a crucial step in the conservation process.

It is easy to see the deep green color and abundant leaf density when a tree is thriving. However, many benefits remained hidden, for example:

• Increased insect/disease resistance
• Higher rates of photosynthate and storage of sugars
• A more dense root system
• Reduction in drought stress
• Better recovery from winter damage

The key to successful watering involves knowing the specific needs of each plant. A simplified comparison of two dominant Colorado trees will illustrate this point. Ponderosa pines and Ash trees are frequent occupants of many Denver area landscapes. Often seen sharing common growing space, these trees vary greatly in their individual water needs. To realize their growth potentials, there is an average need of 14” and 22” of water for Ponderosa pines and Ash trees respectively.

As the Denver area accepts an average rainfall 16” annually, there is little to no

need for supplemental irrigation on the Ponderosa. In contrast, serious attention should be directed toward the Ash tree. Ensuring that a range of 1”-2” of moisture makes its way to the root system of the Ash tree each month is accomplished by monitoring natural rainfall and supplementing with irrigation. People often stress the importance of watering, but it is more important to stress prudent watering with a focus on each plant’s specific needs.

What’s Bugging You?

Mites, just thinking about them makes my skin crawl….

Spider mites (Tetranychidae):

• Eight legs, very small, barely discernable to the naked eye
• Several generations per year
• Affects both deciduous and evergreen species
• Damage caused by a piercing/sucking mouthpart known as a “proboscis”
• Damage can vary from stunted and deformed growth to total tree death.
• Elimination can be difficult, but control is achievable

Eriophyid mites (Eriophyidae):

• Two pairs of legs, too small to see with naked eye
• Damage causes formation of deformed tissue (galls) and defoliation

• Affects both deciduous and evergreen species

Have You Hugged A Tree Today?

The American Elm-

An American tradition with roots

Like it was taken straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting, the Elm tree has graced our city parks and streets for decades. The appeal was easy to see. Attaining a superior height makes the unique vase shape obvious. With a dense canopy there is an abundance of shade to cool the environment on the sweltering days of summer.

The Elm tree has not enjoyed an easy time in many landscapes. However, despite various insect and disease pressures, the Elm tree has persisted with new cultivars and disease resistant hybrids. As you travel around town appreciating the distant mountains and serene city parks, don’t neglect to look up to say “hello” to the silent and statuesque Elm trees that continue to share our city.

Where the Green Grass Grows

What do Mites and Power Raking have to do with each other? Absolutely nothing, but since they both can become active in February it seemed a good time to discuss them!

Mites like hot, dry and stressed areas, which mean they favor south or west facing lawns especially when the lawns slope for full sun exposure. They’re small and look like moving dust specks, but can do severe damage to a lawn very fast. If your lawn faces south or west, looks like it’s really dry and brittle, let us know so we can check it for possible mites.

Companies offering power raking will be knocking at your door soon. When asked, answer NO! Very few lawns benefit from power raking unless the thatch layer is 2” or more. Power raking a lawn with thin thatch will usually do more damage than good so stay with aerations and biologicals, like our Nature’s Way program

questions or suggestions..let us know home@mountainhightree.com