Official Publication of the Nevada Landscape Association | www.nevadanla.com
SEPTEMBER 2015
Understanding the Basics Before Pruning Page 4
Winterization for Landscapes and Gardens
Page 5
NLA INVITED TO TESTIFY AT THE NV DROUGHT FORUM Page 5
ALERT!
Page 4
Invasive Insects on the Horizon for Nevada Page 6
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You are invited to attend this FREE conference! Learn about the progress of The Network and how we fit into the National Cohesive Strategy. During the conference, you will hear first hand accounts of the emotional and financial costs of a recent wildfire from several different perspectives. November 9, 2015 • 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Atlantis Casino Resort Spa 3800 S. Virginia Street, Reno Why should you attend? Landscape professionals have an important role in helping homeowners and whole communities work towards becoming a Fire Adapted Community. Attend this conference to learn more about this concept and how you can help reduce the wildfire threat.
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Landscape Nevada
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SEPTEMBER 2015
www.nevadanla.com
PUBLISHER Landscape Nevada is published by: Kathy Hess, Just Imagine Marketing and Design 775.746.4138; kathy@justimaginemktg.com
A Letter from the President Dear Members,
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his certainly is an exciting time for our organization! We are coming into a period of economic growth, our industry members are as busy as ever, and our organization is growing. On October 16th & 17th, we will hold testing for the Landscape Industry Certified program. Our Trophy Awards banquet is planned for November 6th at the Silver Legacy. In 2016, we are celebrating our 25th year as an organization, and we will kick it off with the 25th Annual Nevada Landscape Association Trade Show and Conference. With five conference tracks, 24 seminar opportunities and professional CEUs available, this year’s conference promises to be the best in a long time! Maybe you are receiving this issue of the Nevada Landscape Association, and you’re not yet a member. It’s not too late to join us, visit http://nevadanla.com/wp-content/ uploads/2013/03/application.pdf to join. You’re also welcome to join us at our monthly meetings the first Tuesday of the month at the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension office at 4955 Energy Way in Reno. Stay busy and be safe,
Heidi Kratsch
NEVADA LANDSCAPE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Heidi Kratsch, President — University of Nevada Cooperative Extension (775) 784-4848 Pamela Bedard, President Elect — Horticulturist (775) 560-5192 Sara Anderson, Past President — Pyramid Landscapes (775) 224-3309 Christina Volsko, Director — Crop Production Services (775) 358-6166 Robert Kelly, Director — Robert Kelly Tree Care (775) 737-3530 Rick Clark, Affilliate — Omega Environmental Solutions (775) 376-3334 Leslie Lyles, Director — Stewardship Horticultural (775) 849-1215 Steve Churchillo, Director — City of Reno Urban Forester (775) 334-2270 Debbie Jones, Director — Reno Green
(775) 852-8952
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION
ape Association of the Nevada Landsc
Official Publication
Understanding the
.com | www.nevadanla
ning Page 4
Basics Before Pru
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Winteri
LANDSCAPE NEVADA is the official publication of the Nevada Landscape Association, P.O. Box 7431, Reno, NV 89510-7431, phone 775.673.0404, fax 775.673.5828, website: www.nevadanla.com, email: nlainfo@nevadanla.com.
SEPTEMBER 2015
IFY AT NLA INVITED TO TEST
Page 5
UM Page 5
THE NV DROUGHT FOR
ALERT!
Page 4
on the Horizon Invasive Insects for Nevada Page 6
The brown marmorated stink bug is a pest of fruit trees and a household pest. The immature forms (nymphs) feed on the developing fruit of a wide variety of trees. Read more on page 6 about invasive insects on the horizon for Nevada.
QUESTIONS, COMMENTS & SUBMISSIONS Write to Landscape Nevada at the address above or email the publisher at kathy@justimaginemktg.com or phone 775.746.4138. SPECIAL THANKS Leslie Lyles for newsletter submissions and editing. MISSION STATEMENT The Nevada Landscape Association provides leadership by promoting professionalism and integrity within the Green Industry through education, high standards and community involvement. We guide policy and uphold responsible resource management for the beautification and enhancement of our community.
P.O. Box 7431 31 Reno, NV 89510-74
Nevada Landsca
pe Assoc.
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID RENO, NV PERMIT NO. 379
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Understanding the Basics BEFORE Pruning By Leslie Lyles, M.S. Stewardship Horticultural
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ummer is winding down and fall quickly approaching. Landscape maintenance companies are gearing up for fall clean-up, but before sending your crews out with pruners in hand, STOP! The maintenance done this fall can have a significant impact on the health and beauty of next year’s landscape. Cleaning up withered perennials and fallen leaves is an easy task, but pruning requires some knowledge and skill. Fall pruning will determine not only whether there will be any winter interest in the landscape, but also whether there will be any spring blossoms. The single most over-used method of pruning is hedge sheering; it is also the most destructive method of pruning. Unfortunately, many companies use this ‘One-size-fitsall’ approach to pruning. Hedge sheering eliminates the natural form of the various shrubs and turns them into dense geometric shapes, leaving an uninteresting landscape where all plants look the same. Also, when performed at the wrong time of year, shearing can rob the landscape, and thus your clients, of a beautiful display of flowering plants. When hedge shearing is used indiscriminately it destroys the natural beauty of the landscape, often turning into ‘vandalism for hire’ rather than providing a beneficial service to your customers. Over the years I have spoken with a number of maintenance workers who have confessed that they don’t know what they are doing, yet they are responsible for pruning clients’ landscapes. One worker, from a big name company, said he was given instructions to “cut every shrub down to three feet tall” (the following spring there wasn’t a single spring flowering shrub in blossom throughout the community). By following orders from his supervisor his company ultimately lost a major maintenance contract when angry residents flooded the community’s office complaining about the destruction of their landscape.
Before crews head out this fall it is a good idea to review the basics with them, helping to insure that their work is an asset to your clients. Following are the basics that all maintenance workers involved in pruning should know: PLANT PURPOSE – Plants are chosen and placed in the landscape for many reasons. Some may have been planted for their beautiful display of spring, summer, or fall flowers, others to provide winter interest. Many times plants are chosen to provide privacy or to screen an unsightly view. Inappropriate pruning can not only damage a plant, but can determine whether or not that plant provides the purpose it was planted for. PLANT IDENTIFICATION – If your workers can not identify the plants they are pruning, they shouldn’t be pruning them. Identification not only determines the timing of pruning (spring flowering shrubs should be pruned after they bloom in late spring or early summer), but also whether the plant needs pruning or not. Unfortunately, many workers can’t identify a small tree from a large shrub—multiple trunk trees are often mistaken for shrubs. At one commercial site I drive by daily, all the Amur Maples, which is a small landscape tree with a mature height of fifteen feet tall, have been cut down to only a few feet tall. These trees were planted to provide a privacy screen from the street and walking path for the houses downslope, a function they can’t provide when pruned like a small shrub. GROWTH HABIT – Every plant is genetically programmed to be a certain size and shape; the pruning we do needs to be appropriate to the plant’s growth habit. Using a natural hand-pruning technique works with the plants natural form and provides a much more beautiful landscape (bonus—hand pruning doesn’t stimulate the rampant re-growth that shearing does, so the landscape stays attractive longer). In the rush to get landscapes tidied up for winter, don’t forget that the quality of work your workers do now will determine the benefits and joy your clients get from their yards next year. A little bit of training and guidance for your maintenance workers can go a long way in insuring that your company is providing a beneficial service to your clients and in maintaining their satisfaction and trust in your company.
Leaving organic matter to decompose over winter, or top-dressing planting beds with woodchips in the fall: 3 Supplies valuable nutrients to the soil as the organic matter decomposes 3 Feeds earthworms and other biological organisms that help aerate the soil and improve soil texture, thus benefitting the plants 3 Helps retain moisture and lessen soil erosion 3 Helps lessen temperature fluctuations in the root zone, decreasing stress on the plants
By caring for your soil, your landscape plants will be healthier and have fewer stressrelated insect and disease problems. 4
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Winterization for Landscapes and Gardens By John P. Pruyn, High West Landscape Architects
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old weather is coming. Believe it! It is predicted that a warmer/wetter than normal winter is possibly coming to our high desert area and as landscape professionals we must be prepared for heavy snow (sierra cement) that can strip branches from trees and shrubs, cause frost heave, and freeze irrigation systems, generally causing havoc in the garden. The first step to preparing plants for winter is the process of cutting back on irrigation in the fall to encourage ‘hardening off’ of ornamental plant material. This should start in September; reduce watering to about 65% of your normal application. In October and November, water deeply a couple of times a week (if we are not getting rain or snow) and never let the garden completely dry out. One needs to get prepared for winter by first doing a proper cleanup of the garden—dead heading plants, removing annuals, cutting back perennials, adding humus or compost and mulching heavily. Mulch at least 3 inches, and 5 inches is even better with shredded bark, shredded leaves, clean straw or pine needles. Be sure to keep mulch about 6 inches from the trunk or stem of plants. Depending on your area, very windblown areas may not hold some types of mulch, and you may need to use inorganic mulches such as rock mulch. The point is to cover and insulate the root structure, soil and microbes from drying out and being exposed. It is fine for soil to freeze, quite another for it to dry out and be exposed to drought. Rapid change in temperatures, from day to night and a lack of cloud cover, can cause temperatures to drop below minimal survival point for ornamentals that may be close to their hardiness points. This is especially important for younger trees that may develop sun scab, cracking along the unprotected trunk. Using watered down white latex paint is good protection from the low angle sun, but even better is to use tree wrap to protect the bark from the sun and hungry porcupines, rabbits and voles that will eat the bark of trees during the winter months.
Desiccating winds are a major problem in our area and should be watched carefully for damage to plants, especially during extended periods of time without precipitation. Check trees and shrubs at the base of the plant every two weeks during dry periods. If watering is required, water when the temperature is above 40 degrees to ensure that it penetrates the soil before the temperature drops in the late afternoon and can freeze. Fall is an excellent time to maintain your lawn. Cut it no closer than 2” and fertilize with bio-sol fertilizer, in November and top dress with a light layer of humus, about 1/8”. Voles, which are a problem in our area, are said to have an aversion to Bio-sol fertilizer, so it may be helpful to keep them from our lawn during the winter. Fall is also a great time to aerate lawns as the golf courses do, prior to topping with humus. Wrap trees and shrubs with tree wrap tape, I prefer the ½” width or wider so that there are no blow outs during the winter and make sure to use a 3” stake to secure trees in high snow areas. In warmer areas, prepare your vegetable garden with row cover and row cover hoops to extend your growing into the fall and in some areas well into the winter. Finally, it is a good idea to run drip systems through a couple extra cycles shortly before shutting down systems for the winter. When temperatures start to drop below freezing at night, turn off and drain irrigation systems, but that is another article.
Nevada Landscape Association Invited to Testify at the Nevada Drought Forum By Heidi Kratsch, Nevada Landscape Association President
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n July 17, I had the great privilege to be invited to testify at the Nevada Drought Forum on behalf of the Nevada Landscape Association. Governor Sandoval established the Nevada Drought Forum “to bring together the best minds, managers and all interested stakeholders to assess the drought in Nevada, to identify best conservation practices and policy needs, and make recommendations to the Governor regarding next steps.” With the support and guidance of other Nevada Landscape Association board members, I put together a document that addressed the impact of drought on our industry, how we are responding, and obstacles to achieving further levels of water efficiency (visit http://nevadanla.com/droughtresponse/ for a transcript of our testimony). The facts that Nevada is the driest state in the nation, and that over two-thirds of household water is used on the landscape, are potentially damning to our industry in Nevada. My goal was to put these facts into perspective, balancing them with other facts about the known environmental benefits of a planted landscape and the relative inefficiency of many of our old, outdated irrigation systems. Here are the main points we put forward: z Removing small, nonfunctional, hard-to-irrigate areas of turfgrass from landscapes is a positive step towards saving water. z Removing entire lawns and replacing them with hardscape and rock
z z z z
or decomposed granite kills trees, increases home cooling costs during the summer and lowers property values. Turfgrass requires much less water than most people apply. Many of the existing irrigation systems in our urban areas are outdated and inefficient. New irrigation technologies exist that can result in greater irrigation efficiency. Education of our industry and our citizens is critical to achieving landscape water efficiency.
Landscape irrigation is not a waste of water, considering the many environmental benefits our landscapes provide. As the Green Industry, we have a responsibility to not only educate the public about efficient landscape design and irrigation, but also to remind the public, our legislators and the Governor about the value of trees and other landscape plants to the livability of our cities and to the quality of our lives. If we don’t, others with less complete information will, and are, making decisions for us.
We welcome your feedback! Please post your comments online at http://nevadanla.com/drought-response/, or send by mail to the Nevada Landscape Association, P.O. Box 7431, Reno, NV 89510-7431. www.nevadanla.com
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Invasive Insects on the Horizon for Nevada By Jeff B. Knight, Entomologist, Plant Industry Division, Nevada Department of Agriculture
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here are a number of exotic insects that are threatening Nevada’s landscape. Some of these come from within the United States and others are being brought in through expanded commerce. By being aware of what these insects look like and the damage they cause, your help in early detection may allow us to eradicate these pests before they become established in Nevada. The emerald ash borer is native to Asia and like many of the wood boring pests, it was most likely brought into the U.S. in pallets and untreated shipping material. It was first discovered in the Detroit area in 2002. Since then, it has spread throughout the central U.S. and was recently discovered in Boulder, Colorado. This half inch long, bright green insect (Fig. 1) only attacks ash trees and causes damage very similar to the bronze birch borer. The larvae feed just under the bark of the tree eventually girdling the branch or tree. The D shaped exit holes (Fig. 2) on ash are a very distinct indication of this insect. The Asian longhorned beetle was first found in Brooklyn in 1996 and in Chicago in 1998. Since then, it has been eradicated in Chicago but found in numerous other locations in the eastern U.S., adult beetles were also found in a warehouse in Sacramento where they had emerged from pallets. Surveys of the surrounding area showed no signs of an infestation in the trees. These insects will attack a variety of hardwoods. The larvae feed on the heartwood and phloem tissues of the tree, making it much harder to detect. The adults are large shiny black beetles with bright white spots (Fig. 3). They are usually detected either by finding adult beetles in the trees or the large 3/8” diameter emergence holes with piles of “sawdust “nearby. The gypsy moth was accidently introduced in 1869 near Boston. It has now spread throughout much of the U.S. east of the Mississippi River. The hairy, multicolored larvae (Fig. 4) defoliate thousands of acres of trees each year in that area. The adult white females (Fig. 5) have wings, but the “American” variety cannot fly and prefers hardwoods. In the “Asian” variety, the females can fly and they prefer conifers. This variety is not yet established in the U.S. The brown marmorated stink bug (Fig. 6) is a pest of fruit trees and a household pest. The immature forms (nymphs) feed on the developing fruit of a wide variety of trees. In the fall, the adults seek out sheltered areas to hibernate. Once a suitable location is found, the insect releases a pheromone to attract others. These aggregations often result in buckets of these insects having to be removed from houses. It has been found in numerous states around Nevada. If you believe you have found any of the above insects, please contact the Nevada Department of Agriculture at (775)353-3767 or jknight@agri.nv.gov. Samples of any unknown insects or diseases may be submitted to the Nevada Dept. of Agriculture for identification. For wood boring insects it is best to submit live larvae still in the wood. Please visit our website (http://agri.nv.gov/Plant-Industry/) for forms and more information.
Fig. 1 TAYLOR SCARR, ONTARIO MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES, BUGWOOD.ORG
Fig. 2 PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES - FORESTRY ARCHIVE, BUGWOOD.ORG
Fig. 3 KENNETH R. LAW, USDA APHIS PPQ, BUGWOOD.ORG
Fig. 4 TIM TIGNER, VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY, BUGWOOD.ORG
Fig. 5 USDA APHIS PPQ ARCHIVE, USDA APHIS PPQ, BUGWOOD.ORG
Fig. 6 ERIC R. DAY, VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AND STATE UNIVERSITY, BUGWOOD.ORG
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“25 Years of Landscape Excellence” The Nevada Landscape Association is Celebrating its
25th Annual Trade Show and Conference February 18, 2016
24 Seminar Opportunities 5 Conference Tracks CEUs available for: Landscape Industry Certified ISA, GCSAA, and Pest Control Operators for Nevada and California
Save the Date
Celebrate Outstanding work in the Green Industry
Nevada Landscape Association’s 2015 Trophy Awards Banquet @ Silver Legacy November 6, 2015 Cocktails @ 6 pm Dinner @ 7 pm
$50 per Attendee
RSVP
Nevada Landscape Association PO Box 7431 Reno, NV 89510
Event @
Reno-Sparks Convention Center 4590 S. Virginia St. Reno, NV 89510
Nevada Landscape Assoc.
PO Box 7431 Reno, NV 89510 Ph:775-673-0404 | Fax:775-673-5828 Email: president@nevadanla.com
Attendees: _______________________________________________________ Company: _______________________________________________________ Phone: ________________________________________________________ Amount Enclosed: ___________________________________________ Phone: 775-673-0404 | Fax: 775-673-5828 | Email: president@nevadanla.com
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