The Denver ash borer is actually a type of moth that looks  and acts like a wasp.

The insect harms your tree by planting eggs underneath the bark and having the resulting larvae bore into the trunk creating a tunneling system that causes incurable damage.

The tunneling effect the larvae create harms the tree by ruining its ability to transport much needed water and nutrients  from the roots to the branches and leaves.  This results in a thinning crown, a loss of vigor, an unsightly scar and may add enough stress to kill the tree.

While the Denver ash borer’s favorite host is the European Ash ( or Blue Ash) the lilac and mountain ash are also likely victims.

The first line of defense for these pests is to have a healthy tree.  Insects including Denver’s ash borer prefer stressed trees that have other problems such as but not limited to:

• lack of water.
• over watering.
• lack of nutrients.
• being overgrown.
  
• other insects.
• diseases.
• root damage.
• lack of room to grow (cement surrounding tree).
• physical damage ( bad trimming, hail, lawn mower, etc).

By identifying what may be stressing the tree you may be able to do a relatively easy fix that will make the tree more robust, allowing the tree to defend against attacks by the Denver ash borer.

If the tree is nutrient deficient a deep root fertilization can strengthen the tree against these pests.

Ash trees have  a tendency to become overgrown quickly making it difficult for the tree to process energy.  If this is the case we recommend you get a tree trimming.

Another situation is that the tree is already too stressed and can’t be cured quickly enough.  In this case you may require a ash tree spraying which is the only way to be sure your tree will not become infested.

For this spray to work properly the timing of the spray is extremely important because if the larvae have already bored into the trunk it is too late and the bored larvae will be protected from the spray.

We recommend you spray in April and May when the Denver ash borer is flying.  To identify the insect look for small circular holes in the trunk and curling brown leaves in the foliage.

The Denver ash borer is a problem  for any ash tree owner but with proper care  the tree can flourish making a beautiful addition to any yard!

Having these celebrations at a venue can be an expensive endeavor. That’s why many people are having them in their backyard. They save money and the  money they do spend goes into making their yard look great.

Why rent a beautiful scenery when you can own it for less?

Take a look at this  yard designed for a backyard wedding!

Having your yard standout and look amazing for your occasion is not easy and can take days of hard work. That’s why it’s important to get help when the situation fits.

Some jobs to consider hiring someone for may be:

• Tree Trimming – Your trees may be overgrown or have dead and unsightly branches that are hard to get to and require special equipment.
• Plant Health Care – If one of your trees looks dead or dying a plant care specialist can see if it is curable.  If it is unable to be cured a team can have it cut down for you instead.
•  Bush Trimming – Trim back bushes that encroach on walkways so guests aren’t brushing leaves or needles off their nice suits and dresses. Well trimmed bushes can really make your yard and the ceremony stand out.
  
• Lawn Care Maintenance – A great lawn can give your guests a place to mingle and the kids a place to play while a mediocre lawn can drive the guests inside. Your lawn may need fertilization or a contact weed killer about a week before your event.
  
• Stump Removal – Tripping over a tree stump in no fun. Now is the time to hire someone, with a good stumpr grinder and who cleans up well.
  

By hiring professionals you can be sure the job will be done right and that it will save you much needed time that can be used in other parts of the planning process, such as creating your guest list or deciding what food to serve.

2012 winning picture

The winner of this years “Arbor Day Poster Contest” is Carson Elementary’s student Remy Biggs.  Remy’s poster which depicted how we should Celebrate Trees in our Community is on display at the state capital through April 23^rd.

Along with her poster will be the other 40 posters that won in their respective schools.

The winner was decided by the Colorado Tree Coalition that had judges choose the best poster based on the chosen theme.

From over 750 posters to choose from the judges picked Remy’s because the theme was perfectly depicted by her drawing of an apple tree filled with birds and animals while being surrounded by children loving nature and holding signs depicting a love for trees.  The poster was beautifully drawn with an eye for detail that was way beyond most 5^th graders aesthetic abilities.

Remy’s father spoke to the group talking about how great this contest was for his child and how it brought together two of her passions, art and trees.  He then began to tell a story  about how Remy used to climb one particular tree everyday at school and that one day it was cut down and how devastated she was by this.  Although she loved that particular tree winning this competition will allow the school to plant more trees around the school ensuring a beautiful landscape and a smile on Remy’s face.

Bigg’s poster was recognized in the state capital by her family, city Forester of Denver Rob Davis, Senior Arboreal Inspector Doug Schoch, ArborScape’ss Communications Director Matt Johnson and a handful of  prominent tree enthusiasts within the community.

Over the last two years ArborScape, along side the Colorado Tree Coalition, has sponsored this contest encouraging the arts and the importance of trees in our community.

This Years Winner Remmy Biggs

“It’s (FTPF) a good way to get the community mobilized. It’s a good way to get everybody to learn about sustainability, about environmental stewardship and about botany,” Cern Akin, Executive Director of Fruit Tree Planting Foundation said to USA Today.

“Our goal is to strategically donate and plant fruit tree orchards to areas where the harvest most benefits communities.”

The foundation believes that encouraging organic cultivation and sustainable practices in public space improves public nutrition and community empowerment.

The foundation has been featured on NBC’s The Today Show, PerezHilton.com and endorsed by Maria Shriver and sustainability advocates like Ed Begley Jr.

The foundation has distinct programs suited for school yard orchards, community orchards, Native American reservations and international programs in India and elsewhere.

We are donating $5 for every thousand visitors at our tree care answer engine, Ask An Arborist through the spring of 2012.

“The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation’s groundbreaking work feeds communities in need and greens the environment, all at once. A truly extraordinary, yet simple concept that led to our collaboration to plant fruit trees in the WE Garden in Capitol Park to help our communities for years to come.” –
Maria Shriver, First Lady of California

The foundation has been inundated with applications over the past two years. Projects are chosen based on the most impact to the community.

>>>> Make a direct donation to the Foundation by going to their website.

Finding citizens to do the work of starting and maintaining a community orchard can be challenging.

“People who want to plant fruit trees in city parks must pay for the trees and do the work. First they must submit a planting, harvesting and maintenance plan and get city approval,” Laura Whitmore, Community Relations Coordinator for Madison, Wis. Parks Division.

Fortunately, this can be prevented by laying down a protective spray, in April or May, that stops the beetles from destroying your tree.

If you decide not to apply a protective spray and your tree becomes infested the local arborist will not be able to do much help your tree

This is because there is currently no remedial sprays that defends against a tree already infested by ips beetles or ash borers.

If you own one of these three kinds of trees there are five main reasons why laying down a protective spray may be right for you!

1. Aesthetic Appeal – These insects attack trees that may provide a certain beauty to many homes that can’t be replaced for many years.

2. Cost savings – Depending on the size and location of your tree having it cut down and removing the stump can cost thousands of dollars.

3. Protect Your Home and Property – A tree that has been attacked by these insects is a standing corpse that is hazardous. This is because it could easily fall or catch on fire risking peoples lives and possibly damaging the surrounding property.

4. Prevent Infestation – If your tree is not sprayed it can become home to thousands of insects that spread to other trees in the area causing massive tree loss.

5. Ugly Scars – If your tree is infected it can be left with large open woods in the trunk or large branches killed off ruining the trees natural appeal and leaving a disfigured tree in its wake.

Ips beetles and ash borers usually attack distressed trees that have root damage.

So if your tree is less-than-perfect, then an application of a preventative insecticide is the only way to be 100% percent sure the the tree will not become infested.

Tree spraying when done by our team of qualified professionals is completely safe and will not harm the tree, surrounding plants, ground water or your family. This is simply not true when unqualified professionals and amateurs do the job.

That is why we at Arborscape employ arborists that are certified under the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) to make sure the job is done right!

Although many times our impact is good, such as saving trees from disease, we also leave a large carbon footprint.

We spend over $5000 a month in gasoline during the growing season!

It is the nature of the service we provide to consume gas. 

This is why we at ArborScape have purchased a 2009 Toyota Prius so that we can mitigate the amount of emissions our business creates.  Hybrid vehicle purchasing is just one of our sustainability initiatives.

Although this car is more expensive than the average vehicle in its class we think it is important to do our part in sustaining our fragile ecosystem.

We chose this vehicle because of its 50 mile an hour gas mileage along with it being awarded as the cleanest vehicle in the US by the California Air Resources Board.

This vehicle will travel over 20,000 miles every year saving thousands of gallons of gas along the way.

Our large trucks, mowers and gasoline powered tools are a large part of ArborScape’s business but at the moment these options are limited.

When the manufacturers get around to creating such innovations you will see ArborScape moving towards purchasing greener bucket trucks and PHC vehicles.

For over a decade we have recycled wood and re-using materials and vehicles.

The Prius the logical next step in our Green-it-Mean-It philosophy.

Check out some of our other vehicles that we can utilize to make your project work.

Drew Maestas on the narration. We take our jobs seriously but not ourselves as you can tell by the narration.

Jeff Disler’s on the spray gun.  It takes a pump pushing 800 pounds per square inch (psi) to get full coverage in a 70 foot tree.

This is a dormant oil treatment which has a very high material cost compared to when we do a general insect spray for example.

According to the University of Minnesota, elm scale can cause stunted foliage.

“Mature females are up to 10 mm, oval, reddish-brown with a white, waxy fringe. Blood-like, red liquid results when scales are crushed.

Sap-sucking can cause stunted, chlorotic foliage, premature leaf drop and branch dieback. Associated black sooty mold growth from honeydew secretions on tops of branches gives trees an overall black appearance. Honeydew secretions are also a common nuisance to cars parked under infested elms.”

I understand that you want a one-stop yard service that can do it all.  I want a one-stop marketing agency that can do it all. My daughter wants Santa Claus to be real.

In my experience, none of those exist.

This article is about lawn services that we don’t provide and why.  Effective training, expertise and whether we think something works for a Colorado lawn are all factors we consider before unveiling new lawn care services.

Here are six services we don’t offer and why.

1. Power raking – Power raking takes a lot of the thatch out of the grass. That’s fine in the South and rainier environments along the East or West Coast. We believe it isn’t good for Colorado lawns because it is much drier here.

Power raking strips away the thatch which naturally helps the soil zone retain water. On average, Denver only gets seven more inches of rain than Phoenix.

2.  Overseeding – We pondered offering this service in conjunction with our lawn aeration and lawn fertilization services but decided against it.

The reason is it really can rip up the grass over the short run. Secondly, birds eat a lot of the seeds before they can take root in the soil.

3.  Lawn mowing – Nothing wrong with mowing lawns. Just, there are a ton of mowing guys out there who do it very well. Try Craigslist in Denver for that.

4. Sprinkler work – We did offer this service for our first 10 years in business. But as David, the owner and operations manager was called to manage seven crews instead of three, we in turn lost our best irrigation tech, again David. When we find the right people and right training program we may offer irrigation again.

5. Sod – We have installed sod but we don’t control the watering schedule . It’s really hard to guarantee the sod will get the incredible amount of water it needs to take root.

6. Tree Planting – One in eight newly planted trees don’t make it. Since we don’t source our own trees it made it very difficult for us to live up to our guarantees.

Instead we recommend Jared’s Tree Nursery. We’ve arranged a 5% discount with Jared’s when you mention ArborScape’s website.  They sell high quality trees,  have a good guarantee and a team of tree installers they work with.

So what should you do? Start with a Denver lawn aeration.

It makes everything else including Nature work better.