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Welcome to the 3rd edition of the Big "O" Tree and Lawn Service E-Newsletter. In this edition topics covered are "Being a Landscape Vigilante" and "Organic Weed Control with Corn Gluten". Also, please remember to check on our web site Bigotree.net under Winners of our Giveaway to see if you are a winner in our 3rd Giveaway. You must check on the web site and then contact us within 30 days to claim your prize! We hope you enjoy our newsletters and we welcome any comments,suggestions, ideas, or subjects for future newsletters.
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Be a Landscape Vigilante
It may seem strange to entitle an article about landscape issues “Be a Landscape Vigilante” but this is exactly what we all need to do. A vigilante is one who is watchful and on the lookout for danger and we are seeing danger in our landscape in the form of exotic pests. Over the years we have seen new, exotic, and invasive pests enter our woodlands and landscapes. These pests arrive from foreign lands aboard ships and planes as people and trade items are transported from country to country. Even the best protection systems break down especially when there is such a large influx of trade such as we experience in the USA.
You may be familiar with some of these pests such as the Gypsy Moth, Japanese Beetle, Autumn Olive and Kudzu. These pests can wreak havoc on native plants because of the lack of natural controls common to their place or
origin, but not found here. Every year we learn about a new species which has become established and begins to invade our landscapes. Some, like the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid and the new kid on the block, the Emerald Ash Borer are very specific to the species of plant they infect. Others, such as the Asian Long horned Beetle are more general and affect a larger host range of hardwood trees.
With the high volume of imports and trade it is not possible stop the invasion. This is where your involvement is needed. It was a home owner who first observed the Asian Long Horned Beetle and alerted the authorities. This person was in her landscape and spotted this unusual insect and investigated its name and origin. Because of this one report the battle was begun and unfortunately continues to rage against this
pest. You too can keep your eyes open and be vigilant to new pests. Those of us who are in the industry, either landscapers or Arborists, keep our eyes open but we are not able to monitor every landscape at all times. You know your property, you know what should and should not be there. Since your trees and landscape make up such an important part of your home, being observant and asking questions will
help protect these assets from invasion.
We will be providing information and links to some of the newer pests which are heading our way. This month we will discuss the Emerald Ash Borer.
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Emerald Ash Borer
The Emerald Ash Borer was first found in Detroit Michigan and Ontario Canada in 2002. This pest originated in Asia and was brought to this country as the larvae in the wood of pallets used in shipping. This pest has continued to spread into neighboring states and has shown up in West Virginia, Maryland and Northern Virginia. It travels as the adult by flying from tree to tree as it lays eggs and the larvae are moved in firewood and nursery stock. The infestation in Maryland began when a group of Ash trees were moved from a nursery in an infected area to a planting site in Maryland where it has continued to spread into Virginia. In West Virginia the infestation was traced to firewood imported from another state by campers.
The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) adult is a small (10-15mm long by 3mm wide) metallic green insect which is capable of flight. The larval
stage is a small, white, segmented borer which makes serpentine galleries under the bark of Ash trees. This insect is very specific to Ash and does not affect other trees. The symptoms of the EAB are canopy dieback, decline and death of the tree. Diagnosis can be made by finding the larvae or adults or seeing the characteristic “D” shaped exit holes in the trunk. If left untreated the tree will die.
Fortunately, this pest can be controlled on an individual tree basis. Trees can be protected using systemic insecticides either soil injected or trunk injected (contact us about treatment options). Unfortunately this pest will result in the loss of most of the forest grown and unprotected trees in our state.
The current known range of the EAB is in Northern Virginia but it is expected to spread into our area in the future. It is up to all of us to be on the look out for this pest and to report any found. Look at
www.emeraldashborer.info for more information and pictures about this pest.
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The Big "O" Family News Updates:
On July 29, 2009, our tree climber Jamey Sensabaugh helped to evacuate a burning apartment building in Waynesboro. He was able to awaken a mother and her three children from a top story apartment and help them to safety. Jamey also rescued two cats from another apartment. His training as a wildland firefighter helped him to maintain a sense of calm and reassure those who were being forced to leave their homes. We are proud of our hero!
Our foreman, Jason Pierce and his wife Liz, welcomed their new son, Tate into the world on July 31st..Congratulations to them!
And finally, we say a fond farewell to our climber, Matt Thomas who is able to live his dream of making a living as a musician. Matt will be playing with the Texas based band, Wayne,"the train"Hancock as a guitarist. We wish Matt the best of luck and hope all of his dreams come true!
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ORGANIC WEED CONTROL WITH CORN GLUTEN
Dr. Mike Goatley of Virginia Tech did a great podcast during March 2009 addressing this product. Check out weblogs.cals.vt.edu/lawn garden.
Corn gluten will serve as a preemergent only, having no effect on existing weeds, and will work for about two weeks. Most clients desire a preemergent that works for months, not weeks.
A single application of corn gluten also puts down about 1 pound of nitrogen per thousand square feet. This is awfully high in the spring when nitrogen is recommended to remain at ½ pound or less per thousand! Then if you reapply after the two week window, you will be putting down another pound of nitrogen!
Corn gluten also depends on drought type conditions to work best and excess moisture like spring of ‘09 will be a waste of corn gluten usage! We
trialed this product a few years ago and it was like applying flour to the lawn! It was very messy and did not cover much per bag, so the cost was very, very high compared to conventional choices.
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