Walnut trees are dying off right and left throughout the Denver area and along the Front Range due to thousand canker disease.  I was talking on the phone with the city of Boulder, Colorado forestry office and the eastward expansion of the disease seems to be going more quickly than first thought. Missouri and Tennessee have seen 1000 canker infected walnuts this season. Given the thick stands of walnuts in the central and southern Appalachian Mountains regions, this is nothing but a discouraging sign.

Black walnuts are a common ornamental tree in Denver. Yes, it sucks if it dies but ultimately its replaceable.  In certain parts of the South, losing walnuts means losing jobs and disrupting entire communities. Walnut wood is a prime material for the woodworking and furniture manufacturing trade throughout the South. If thousand canker moves aggressively, it could wipe out millions of acres of walnuts in Tennessee and North Carolina disrupting tourism as well.

Boulder is taking strides to have qualified tree contractors remove infected walnuts and deposit them at a holding facility off of Arapahoe Rd.  As late as spring 2009, there was a strategy by a consortium of  Colorado agencies to keep 1000 canker contained  west of I-25. Obviously, new ideas will need to be developed but it could take a miracle to avoid a dutch elm like epidemic of dying walnuts.

Today we published the first of what will be many updates to a tree trimming and tree care glossary of terms. The arborist is in love with accuracy and he may use the most accurate and obscure arboricultural words in diagnosing your tree.  That may leave you in doubt.  You want a tree that looks good and is healthy on the inside, wittout knowing the entire biological process. At the same we thought it would be helpful to start a glossary,  eventually one that is searchable with definitions that make sense to any tree owner.

Our editorial assistant Amanda helped in putting this glossary together. We tried to define these terms in the barest of language. Please let us know if any questions.

Real quick,we are developing a series of pages that address the basics of plant health care by tree species. Aspens, ash, pine, cottonwood and maple are all common to Denver and there are other species as well. Hope this helps you figure out why your tree isn’t thriving. Call us if it doesn’t and we’ll try to diagnose the problem.

Although the 2009 growing season is almost over, fall is an important time in our yard’s calendar. As you sit back and enjoy what is left of warm weather, take a moment to think back to the scorching summer days and yellowing spots of your lawn.

Summer heat and water coverage are often blamed for poor turf performance, but poor lawn aeration is the underlying cause. The lack of available oxygen and proper moisture to the root zone chokes your turfgrass.

Fall aeration captures precipitation and melting snow throughout the dark days of winter giving your lawn a headstart for the next growing season. Colorado’s semi-arid climate makes twice a year aeration necessary so your turfgrass maximizes every drop of precious water that falls on it.

If your from an area of the country that enjoys more rainfall, you may never have had a fall aeration done. However, fall aeration of the turf areas of your yard is the easiest way a homeowner can condition their turf for maximum water retention.

ArborScape provides turf aeration services starting at $38.00. If you have a sprinkler system, it always helps to mark your sprinkler heads to avoid damaging them. For more information or to set an appointment for free estimate, call 303-795-2381.