Mountain Pine Beetle - Down. But Not Out.

Don’t stop fighting this pest late in the game… it could mean disaster for your trees.

I am often asked by clients, “What do you do during the winter?” It’s a common question and they’re often surprised to learn how we fill our time with educational opportunities instead of hibernation. For a moment, landscape pests are held at bay by the cooler temperatures and we have time to hone our skills. The pest management industry is always evolving in response to new chemical technology, new tools, and improved strategies to make our applications more effective and safer for the environment. We also attend a variety of conferences providing us with additional, timely data on the migration trends of certain pests. Pests such as the Mountain Pine Beetle (MPB) migrate in response to environmental pressures. The insect is transported by wind thereby allowing it to quickly infest new areas to support reproductive efforts for the following season.

Central Colorado has been hit particularly hard by the Mountain Pine Beetle infestation and battle-weary property owners are eager to see the plague dissipate. Millions of dollars have been spent over recent years in the desperate attempt to save as many of our pine trees as possible. Thankfully, recent data suggests the gradual movement of the pine beetle out of the Colorado High Country has already begun. The news is not so positive, however, for our neighbors along the Front Range where the insect has a new batch of trees squarely in the crosshairs. While it would appear the time for healing in Central Colorado’s forest is upon us this is actually a time of great peril. Knowledge of an outward migration trend of the Mountain Pine Beetle has left some with a false sense of security. At the same time, financial instability and a sluggish economy has made it increasingly difficult to spend money on continued, preventative spraying treatments. Doctors routinely advise patients to continue taking a medication to its completion even if they’re feeling better. The same holds true for landscape pest control. Property owners have spent an impressive amount of money in recent years to prevent the loss of their valuable trees to this insect pest. Remember that it doesn’t take many successful Mountain Pine Beetle “hits” to bring about certain doom for the tree. Yes, we are seeing the proverbial “light at the end of the tunnel” but don’t let your guard down now before the battle has truly subsided. One mistake now, not continuing with preventative treatments, could spell disaster and render efforts over previous years worthless.

What are my options for preventative control against the Mountain Pine Beetle?

• Trunk Sprays

o Should be performed by a professional arborist. Cannot be applied by a property owner with a common, pump-up weed sprayer.

• Pheromone packs (Beetle Blocks™)

o Safer than trunk sprays and can be installed by the property owner.

o Ideally should be used in combination with trunk sprays for added protection.

• Trunk injections, sound repellency, ODC™

o These are newer technologies still in their testing stage. They do show good potential, and we continue to monitor their progress.

Can a tree be treated once the Mountain Pine Beetle has attacked a tree?

• Unfortunately, no. Current chemical technology only supports prevention, not treatment in response to a successful attack by the insect.

Conclusion:

Only work with a reputable arborist who is experienced and licensed in landscape pest control operations. Specific laws exist for the protection of the public and environment with regards to the release of pesticides. Simply being licensed as an “arborist” does not grant permission to a contractor to legally apply pesticides. The business must be licensed by the state department of agriculture – having shown competency in the use of pesticides. If you’re going to court it’s best to hire an experienced lawyer to help you. Similarly, if you’re considering the use of pesticides on your property seek the guidance of an experienced arborist. He or she brings years of knowledge about the chemical and the equipment necessary to perform the project safely. Always ask to view credentials.

Enhance Your Garden

As the snow begins to melt, and the trees and shrubs start to show their spring green it is time to think about summer. Mountain alpine summers are short, so to make the most of our gardens, it is important to start early. For those with existing gardens, you can enhance them by freshening them up. There are a few things we can do to renew our existing gardens, by using annuals and perennials, or to completely renovate and start over with a brand new and improved garden.

Adding annuals to enhance a garden is quick and easy. Examine sun exposure, water requirements, and space to determine the best annuals for your space. Annuals have almost instant color and maintain their color for the entire growing season. This will give you a lot of bang for your buck. But the downside of annuals, is that they die at the first frost, and will need to be replaced yearly.

Many gardens have existing perennials that just need sprucing up. Larger perennials tend to develop a “flopping” look, due to their size. With these, it is best to divide the plant, and then transplant it, to make larger groups with smaller plants. This will encourage the older plants to stand up and bloom sooner and longer. This is especially necessary if you have older perennials that have stopped blooming altogether. It is best to do this during the spring. Re-grouping existing plants into larger groups, helps to give the plants you have more “pop.”

After you have divided, transplanted, and re-grouped your existing perennials, you can then evaluate what types and what quantities of new perennials you will need to add to fill your spaces. After taking into account light exposure, water and space requirements, you will be able to choose the best plant options. The benefit of perennials is they continue to come back year after year, to help avoid large expenses each spring.

For the gardens that are too far gone to revive, a total renovation is the best option. These gardens generally will have more weeds than plants, existing plants that are not performing, and often have poor soil quality. A complete renovation will remove all the weeds, but most importantly, will amend the soil by adding much needed nutrients. Planting new plants in poor, weedy soil will increase the chance of the plant’s failure. After amending the soil and adding plenty of nutrients, we can add new perennials, annuals, shrubs and trees to make the perfect bed.

For any of the enhancement ideas above, proper irrigation is a must. While many plants have lower water requirements, all plants do require consistent water. During the first two weeks of a new plant’s life, this is especially important.

Land Designs by Ellison and A Cut Above Landcare offer a free consultation on the quality of your irrigation system, as well as what plants will work best in your space. We can help to get you started to ensure your best chances for success.

Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado (ALCC) Grand Award Winner

Perched high above the valley floor in the Cordillera Valley Club, the Juniper Lane residence rises from the arid hillside as if set in place from above. Design considerations included preservation of existing junipers with sparse under-story vegetation, respect for ravines directing water during rain events, and views focused within the site and beyond. This unique design/build landscape is characterized by careful limitations of disturbance, thoughtful circulation, definition of space, superb stone work, and a plant palette that blends arid garden spaces with the sparse native condition. Program elements include an entry sequence, natural water feature, site circulation, garden spaces, dry streambed, and barbeque terrace.

The driveway was sited to curve and ascend between existing clusters of trees; the arrival at the home is introduced by boulder retaining with arid plantings rising to meet with structural walls extended from the home. An open bridge between the driveway and front entry allows the existing ravine below to stay intact, offering a unique tree-top view passing by the most sculptural juniper on the site, while an on-grade path provides access to the tree’s gnarled roots and the water feature below. Just beyond the juniper, an interior bridge at the home’s entry foyer crosses over a native ravine that became the framework for the water feature. Prior to construction of the water feature, a mock-up was built to illustrate the close connection between soil, plants, water, and stone. Subtle, stepping weirs constructed of layered stone, with shallow intermediate pools and opportunistic planting were inspired by the washed out character of the site’s ravines. Stonework used to form the water feature was phased out to gently deconstruct back to natural conditions.

In the backyard, where the water feature originates from a dry stream bed constructed with a similar stacked appearance, site circulation and an intimate barbeque terrace are nestled between the hillside and the home to provide respite from highway noise below. Xeric plant material was deftly layered to start with dense plantings near the home transitioning to enhanced revegetation areas that blend into site specific revegetation at outlying areas; all of which was done with consideration of site microclimates.

The Juniper Lane Residence draws inspiration from its surroundings to evoke a strong sense of place. The design/build team met the project’s challenge, to integrate a complex program into the native hillside with a thorough design process and careful construction phasing.

High Country Character Interview with Glen Ellison from Vail Colorado

When you leave a conversation with the words fair, honest, hard-work, responsibility, quality, family, and friends resonating in your mind, you feel grateful to have that person as a part of your community. These values combined with Glen Ellison’s passion for creating wonderful outdoor spaces for people to enjoy, has grown Land Designs by Ellison into one of the largest landscape companies in the region. The Vail location created a niche: landscape design, build and maintenance in high-elevation resort towns throughout Colorado, Utah and Wyoming.

When did you arrive in Vail?

Starting in 1972, every winter, spring break and summer vacation seven of us would pack into the family station wagon and drive 24-hours to Vail. I grew an attachment to Vail during those years and interned here the summer before graduating college. In 1980, after marrying my high school sweetheart, I made a permanent move to Vail and began my career.

How did you end up founding a landscape architecture business?

I’ve had a passion for the business since I was 14 and worked at a landscape/nursery operation in Mansfield, Ohio. That job eventually gave me hands on and practical experience to create client drawings. After putting myself through college at Ohio State, earning a Horticulture degree but lacking start-up capital, I managed deposits from three small jobs to buy the tools and product that I needed to get started. In those days I regularly worked 24-hour days out of my Toyota pick up truck, only coming home for a dinner break.

How has your business grown?

In the 1980s Vail was a winter town without extensive landscapes, so local landscape architecture matured with the development of Beaver Creek and their design guidelines. We worked on one of the first Beaver Creek lots that included architectural landscape design plans of the level not yet seen here. Architect Jim Mortar asked me to help develop the Tyrolean Inn’s landscape. That led to more architects including us in their projects and our initial growth. More recently, we have reorganized into seven business units, each with their own business plan. The Landscape Design unit has seen the greatest change with the addition of talented landscape architect David Berg, who has transformed the business by implementing progressive technology. We now provide CAD drawings for seamless integration with the architect’s drawings. I’m now learning from those whom I mentored, and am able to get back to where it all started—into the community to continue relationships with clients, architects, and contractors, many of whom have become friends over the years.

Is there a project of which you are most proud?

This work is so fascinating and challenging because each project is different, starting with a unique piece of land and completely new pallet to create upon.

Two (out of 20+ ) award-winning projects stand out for different reasons. One is the Gerald R Ford Amphitheater. We had the opportunity to create and build this landscape originally and then again with the renovation. This is a special place because of the alpine spirit we captured in the outdoor setting, and because it is a place where community and visitors come together to enjoy something very unique to the area—a stimulation of all the aesthetic senses. A green roof we created in Steamboat Springs also stands out. This was the first time that the ALCC (Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado) ever awarded a perfect score to a project. They created the presidential award specifically because of this project. And, just this month we won another ALCC Grand award for a recent project in Cordillera.

A Cut Above Forestry Awards Scholarship to Summit County Highschool Student

Breckenridge, Colorado—Monday, April 5, the first annual A Cut Above Forestry High School Scholarship was awarded to local Summit High student, Torrance Lee. The scholarship was established to provide encouragement and financial support to a deserving student pursuing a degree in natural resources or related environmental discipline. Mr. Lee was selected as the recipient based on his future goals as identified through an essay submission and community and school recommendations. Rick and Martha Herwehe presented the scholarship to Mr. Lee at 2010 Scholarship Night, held at Summit High School.

“Torrance is a deserving student and we are so pleased to be able to assist him in his pursuit of a career in the natural resources and environmental disciplines,” said Rick Herwehe, Founder of A Cut Above Forestry. The scholarship was funded by money raised at the Dunk-A-Bug Tank and Beetle-fest and then those funds were matched by A Cut Above Forestry.

Founded in 1983, A Cut Above Forestry initially filled a void in professional tree care in Eagle and Summit Counties and has since become the leading arbor services firm in the central mountains of Colorado. A Cut Above Forestry has been a driving force behind the reforestation efforts and long-range reforestation goals in Summit County. A recent merger with Land Designs by Ellison located in Eagle County increased both the geographic area of service, and portfolio of services. Services offered include arbor services, reforestation, irrigation services, landscape architecture, maintenance and installation. For more information visit www.acutaboveforestry.com or call 970.453.9154.