For Immediate Release – April 6, 2012    

MEDIA ADVISORY                                                                                                                                    

What: Mavs player Brandan Wright to take part in a ceremonial planting of trees as part of the Mavs Trees for Threes program
When: Monday, April 9^th, 4:30 p.m.
Where: Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. 2501 Flora St., Dallas,TX75201

Event is not open to the public, but media is invited to attend.

More Info:     As part of the Dallas Mavericks overall Guard the Planet initiative, the Mavs and PwC US, a Big Four accounting and consulting firm, and Arborilogical Services, Inc., tree care experts, have again teamed up to plant a tree for every three-pointer the club made at home during the regular season as part of the team’s “Trees for Threes” program. This year, the club worked with Dallas Independent School District to plant 240 trees at Francisco “Pancho” Medrano Middle School and Skyline High School, with the help of volunteers from PwC and Arborilogical Services, Inc. 

Wright, with volunteers from PwC and Arborilogical Services, Inc., will help plant the final 27 trees at Booker T. Washington.

Arborilogical Services, Inc. will also be providing tree care service at all the sites for three years to ensure the survival of all the newly-planted trees.

Special thanks to PwC, Arborilogical Services, Inc. for their support of this program.

About the PwC Network

PwC firms provide industry-focused assurance, tax and advisory services to enhance value for their clients. More than 161,000 people in 154 countries in firms across the PwC network share their thinking, experience and solutions to develop fresh perspectives and practical advice. See www.pwc.com for more information.

“PwC” and “PwCUS” refer to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, aDelawarelimited liability partnership, which is a member firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited, each member firm of which is a separate and independent legal entity.

About Arborilogical Services Inc.,

Arborilogical™ Services have provided expert tree care related services in the Dallasarea since 1981. Arborilogical Services is proud of its long standing commitment to improve communities through various types of public outreach.  To learn more visit www.Arborilogical.com.

Mild spring temperatures and abundant moisture have created favorable conditions for Fire Blight.  Flowering Pears throughout North Central Texas are symptomatic, making this the largest outbreak in more than ten years.  Caused by the bacterium, Erwinia amylovora, Fire Blight is a disease that primarily affects Pears, Apples, and closely related plants.  While Bradford and Aristocrat Flowering Pears are known to be resistant to Fire Blight, both named varieties have not been able to escape this year’s outbreak.

Fire Blight is easily recognized by the scorched appearance of leaves, fruit, and stems

Fire Blight is easily recognized.  It derives its name from the scorched appearance of affected foliage, fruit, and stems.  Infected tissue rapidly turns black and leaves and fruit droop from their attachment to stems.  While there may be some leaf drop, most of the damaged leaves remain in the tree canopy.

When Fire Blight infection sites are spread throughout the canopy, disease management by pruning is impractical

Pollinating insects commonly spread Fire Blight from tree to tree, as they travel from flower to flower.  While there is no “cure” for Fire Blight, it can be successfully managed with carefully timed spray applications of bactericides.  Those spray applications will be necessary next spring, just as the flower buds begin to open.  Fight Blight can also be managed by removing infected twigs and branches.  However, pruning is only practical when infections are isolated.  This year’s outbreak has affected most of the canopies of Flowering Pears and much of the interior foliage, making the pruning of infected tissue unrealistic.

Fire Blight symptoms first appeared in North Central Texas during the last week of March and became wide spread in less than two weeks.  If your Flowering Pears are showing symptoms of Fire Blight and need to be addressed, contact the Arborilogical Services office by calling at 866-55-ARBOR, or complete a service request.

Receive updates on Fire Blight by following Arborilogical Services on Facebook.

Native Eastern Red Cedar (left) has proven to be more drought and heat tolerant than it's non-native counterpart, Leyland Cypress (right)

It may be a few years before we fully understand the impact of last summer’s drought and heat on our urban forest.  The immediate effect is quite blunt.  Whether from relentless heat or lack of water, many trees have died.  The most obvious losses include Southern Magnolias, Leyland Cypress, Japanese Black Pine, and other broadleaf evergreens and conifers that continue to retain their damaged brown foliage.  It will be May before we can better assess deciduous trees.

We have made some early observations that could help you in caring for your trees or factor into selecting replacements.  Trees that are generally in good health have not been as negatively impacted by the drought and heat as those already stressed.  This is apparent when comparing mistletoe infested Cedar Elms with their clean counterparts.  The same can be said of Bradford Pears and other trees that are highly susceptible to Cotton Root Rot.

Trees native to North Central Texas fared better than most introduced tree species.  Post Oaks are the first to come to mind.  Even on non-irrigated sites, Post Oaks’ leaves remained glossy and green until fall.  Pecans seem to have fared well, too—some even producing a crop.  The exception to this observation would include Crepe Myrtles.  From the old standards to the latest improved varieties, Crepe Myrtles are proven tree selections.  However, Silver Maples have reconfirmed their place as a poor choice for local landscapes.

Heat and drought damage to many Magnolia trees is severe enough to consider removal

Mulch continues to serve as a tree care staple.  A simple 2 to 4 inch layer of mulch covering a tree’s critical root zone retains moisture and insulates soils.  Both newly planted and well-established trees have benefited from the buffering effects of properly mulched trees.  There is added benefit in the nutrients made available to a tree’s root system when mulch decomposes into compost.

Adequate watering, regular fertilization, and appropriate tree care are practices that have a measurable effect on a tree’s ability to address stress.  Should you have questions or concerns about the trees in your landscape, a Certified Arborist is available to assist you.  Simply call our office or complete a service request.

By MEGHAN SIKKEL - MEGHAN SIKKEL The Dallas Morning News
Staff Writer - msikkel@dallasnews.com - Published: 23 March 2012 02:27 PM

Dozens of volunteers gathered at Francisco “Pancho” Medrano Middle School on Friday to plant 120 trees around the northwest Dallas school.

The event was part of the Dallas Mavericks’ “Trees for Threes” program, which sponsors the planting of a tree for every three-pointer the team scores at a home game.

“This year, we’re planting 267 trees,” said Amol Rana, the Mavericks’ corporate sponsorship activation manager. “That’s what we’re estimating how many threes were going to make.

“We just believe that it’s our job as such a public entity to help educate people of the importance of trees and sustainability.”

This is the second year the Mavericks have partnered with Arborilogical Services Inc. to plant trees in Dallas. Last year they planted 55 trees in Oak Lawn’s Reverchon Park as part of “Trees for Wins.”

“This year, we wanted to do something for the kids,” said Steve Houser, president of Arborilogical Services and supervisor of the event.

More than 80 people helped plant live oaks, red oaks and chinquapin oaks around the school on Brockbank Drive. Volunteers included employees from PricewaterhouseCoopers and Dallas residents from various park organizations.

Next Friday, they will be planting trees at a few other area schools, continuing towards their goal of 267 trees, Houser said.

“We’re starting to green up our schools as well as our parks,” he said, “and we’re thrilled to be a part of it.”

Original Article: http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/dallas/headlines/20120323-volunteers-plant-trees-at-dallas-school-for-dallas-mavericks-trees-for-threes-initiative.ece?action=reregister

BY NEIL SPERRY - Special to the Star-Telegram

When the guy’s ringtone is of a chain saw revving, he might be an arborist.

I had a chance to visit with Steve Houser, owner of Arborilogical Services, a few days ago as his crew worked 50 feet up in my trees. Houser is highly respected by his crews, his clients and even his competitors. He has been instrumental in bringing tree issues to the attention of thousands of local residents. He’s an advocate for North Texas trees, and he’s good at it.

So, there he was in my landscape. What a golden chance to get tree-management tips from one of the top guys in town. He had the time, and I had the tablet. Here are some of his feelings on local trees and how they fared after last summer’s brutal weather.

In Houser’s mind, it wasn’t just the high daytime temperatures that did damage. Evenings when temperatures never dropped below 85 degrees were perhaps even more harmful. The trees were under stress all day and all night, and they never really got a chance to recover. Trees that aren’t especially suited to high temperatures struggled most.

From Houser’s observations, silver maples were among the most impacted. “High-water-use trees like cottonwoods and willows were hurt, and many bald cypress trees went into self-induced dormancy,” he said.

The effects of summer 2011 will continue to be felt for five or 10 years, Houser predicts. Root systems of many trees were damaged. As temperatures rise this spring and summer, those trees will find it hard to get enough water to their foliage, and some will begin to decline. The more time that passes, the more difficult it will be to convince people that this ties back to the record summer. Local soils developed cracks 2 and 3 inches across, and that contracting of the clays did serious damage to trees’ roots. Rural native trees that are not part of urban landscapes were especially hard hit. Houser said as many as 10 or 15 percent of those trees may have been lost.

The best thing we can do for our trees this spring and summer will be to water them attentively, according to Houser. He encourages deep soaking, almost to the point of runoff, then waiting until the soil is relatively dry before watering again. Most of all, he suggests not rototilling and planting flowers near the trunks of trees.

“People water their flowers way too much, and that is not good for their trees,” he said. “I’d much rather see them put mulch or a low-water-consumption ground cover near the trees’ trunks.”

He said he prefers purple wintercreeper euonymus or mondo grass in such settings, but that mulch is still his first choice.

On feeding our trees, Houser says we need to be patient with them after last year, and that we shouldn’t try to promote strong new growth too quickly.

He recommends fertilizing healthy trees twice per year. His company uses organic fertilizers, so timing is not as critical, since the organics work over longer periods of time. For people using inorganic products, he suggests feeding once the trees are fully leafed out in the spring, with the second feeding in early fall. However, he says that if the trees are growing in a landscape setting, nutrients supplied to the turf will also be taken up by the trees, so special applications just to the trees may not be required.

Neil Sperry publishes Gardens magazine and hosts Texas Gardening 8-11 a.m. Sundays on WBAP AM/FM. Reach him during those hours at 800-288-9227 or 214-787-1820.

In disclosure: Mr. Houser’s business, Arborilogical Services, advertises with Neil Sperry’s radio program, magazine and website.

Southern Magnolia showing heat damage on an irrigated site.

Given the current drought and associated water restrictions, important questions arise:  How do drought and heat affect plants?  How do you water and care for plants during an extended drought and the resulting water restrictions?  Before we can discuss watering plants, it is important to look at how they are affected by heat and drought.

Since tree roots in an urban landscape are intertwined with the roots of other nearby plants, a discussion about watering and care should include all the elements of the landscape as an integral ecosystem.  For the sake of brevity, let’s consider trees, shrubs, groundcovers, and turf to be covered by one term:  “plants”.

How does drought affect plants?

• On non-irrigated sites, drought, or the lack of rainfall, causes the loss of smaller feeder roots in the upper levels of the soil as moisture evaporates.  If drought conditions continue, roots at deeper soil levels are lost.  As soils lose more moisture to evaporation at the surface, they shrink by volume–which causes heaving and cracking.  Shrinking soils can cause physical injury to the root system of all plants.
  
  

  Silver Maple showing heat damage on an irrigated site.

• Smaller plants can be affected immediately as the top few inches of soil become dry.  It can take years for the full effects of drought to be apparent in larger plants.  Leaves of affected plants turn brown beginning at the edges.  As the browning moves toward the center of the leaves, the plant expresses a scorched look.  In some cases, primarily in large shrubs and trees, there is not a gradual burning of foliage, but rather a sudden onset of browning on all the leaves.  Trees that may appear healthy may turn brown very quickly many years after a drought.  In Colorado, Aspens, Populus tremuloides, are currently dying in great numbers.  Their loss is attributed to the drought from 2000 to 2004.
• If a disease, insects, or cultural conditions are an existing problem before the drought occurs, plants are more likely to be affected to a greater degree.

How does heat affect plants?

• On both irrigated and non-irrigated sites, extended periods of heat, slows the biological function of plants.  The effect occurs when daytime temperatures are over 95 degrees, regardless of the amount of moisture in the soil.
  
  

  Red Oak showing heat and drought stress on a non-irrigated site.

• Extreme soil temperatures also slow biological function.  In 2011, there were a record number of days with nighttime temperatures never dropping below 85 degrees.  No nights over 85 degrees were recorded during the last heat wave of 1980.  The loss of biological function is why plants, even on irrigated sites, were negatively affected in 2011.  Watering does not shield plants from heat damage.
• Some plant species are more prone to heat damage than others are.  For example, silver maple, Acer saccharinum, is not heat tolerant; while post oak, Quercus stellata, is unaffected.
• Increased air temperatures add to air pollution, affecting plant health.  Studies show that tree health is affected by air pollution.  I suspect that the same is true for all plants.

Unfortunately, the recent extended period of heat and the drought on non-irrigated sites creates the opportunity for insects and pathogens to wreak havoc on our plants for years to come.  Since trees have an energy reserve, they can sustain some damage from insects or pathogens.  Either they overcome the damage over time or they go belly-up.

Post Oak showing no signs of heat or drought stress.

The loss of trees around the state will have a direct impact on us in many ways.  The loss of shade increases energy costs.  The increased urban heat island effect diminishes our air quality.  Neighborhoods will also lose a part of their quality of life, and the erosion of precious topsoil occurs with the loss of foliage.

On the bright side, we have a great opportunity to replace stressed trees with more drought and heat resistant plants, which minimizes the negative impacts to our environment.  Heat and drought tolerant plants reduce water use and maintenance expenses.  They are a much better long-term investment.     

The best defense you have against drought and heat damage is an education that begins with recognizing the effects to your plants. 

Continue to  “Heat, Drought and Trees, Part II”

continued from Heat, Drought and Trees, Part I 

Even our native Mexican Plum tree is not immune to the effects of heat and drought stress.

Last month’s article touched on heat damage but the subject was not covered in detail.  As with the previous article, let’s consider all trees, shrubs, groundcovers, and turf to be covered by one term:  “plants”.

Regardless of the moisture levels in the soil, extended daytime periods of 95 degrees and above slow the biological functions of plants.  This slowing phenomenon, which protects plants by reducing water loss through transpiration, is known as “self induced dormancy”.  Transpiration uses water, absorbed by the roots and transported to the upper parts of the plant, to be released into the air.  This evaporative cooling is much like the piping that emits a mist to cool the air during the State Fair.

Unfortunately, this slowing of biological function also reduces the amount of plant food (sugars, carbohydrates, and others) produced and stored by the plant.  Although fertilizers are often promoted as “plant food”, they are actually elements that are absorbed by the roots and transferred to the foliage.  The foliage, with help from the sun, produces a plant’s actual food through photosynthesis.  The resulting food is stored in the plant’s tissues.  Extended periods of heat reduce the amount of time a plant can produce and store its food.  Given our Texas weather, even a Mexican Plum can be affected.

Reducing the effects of heat

Although some of our native plants were negatively affected by the extended period of heat in 2011, native and adapted plants are best suited to survive and function quite well.  Heat tolerant landscapes contain mostly native plants that are grouped in a natural setting or environment appropriate for the plant.  Including other native companion plants as part of a planting group helps to create (or restore) a natural ecological balance.  Any plant properly placed in a healthy and balanced ecological system will better survive anything that nature can whip up.  When we isolate plants from their normal companions or when the ecology is not in balance, it is much more difficult to keep them healthy.  Grouping species typically found growing together in nature, provides a greater level of protection from heat as well as other forces of nature.

Which species of plants may be native or adaptable to an area is often debated.  However, the late plantsman, Benny J. Simpson, researched various tree species from West and South Texas that are adaptable and heat/drought tolerant.  He was a true pioneer in native plant knowledge and a research scientist at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Dallas.  The trees he planted in test plots off Coit Road, in Far North Dallas, were only watered for the first year or two–purposely.  His research groves are open to the public and still exist today without irrigation as an example of adaptable species that can tolerate both heat and drought.  Although many of these trees are not currently available in retail nurseries, they could be if more folks ask for them in the future, wink…wink. (http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/natives/about.html )

If a smaller plant in your yard is not heat tolerant, covering it with a shade cloth or similar material may help.  Misters that emit water vapor around smaller plants during the heat of the day can help reduce heat damage.  Plants near a white or light colored structure or a glass wall may receive more reflected sunlight, adding to the potential for heat damage.  Also, plants in areas affected by the Urban Heat Island Effect must also be able to withstand increased surrounding temperatures (www.epa.gov/heatisland/).

If it can`t stand the heat, it may not belong in our Texas kitchen. 

January 9, 2012 
  
To:      North Texas Municipalities and Interested Parties 
  
It is the understanding of the below mentioned entities that the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) is considering implementing Stage IV water restrictions at its January 26th meeting.  It is our daily practice to conserve and manage water in all aspects of our industry; and we promote these principles to the end user.  A website has been developed in conjunction with Texas A&M University, the Texas Water Development Board and the Texas Nursery & Landscape Association (TNLA) to educate the public on what consumers should plant so the landscape will be sustainable.  TNLA also publishes a “Best of Texas” book that also encourages the consumer to plant “the right plant in the right spot.”  Educating the consumer is the key to long lasting water conservation and water management.  Overall, plant material and turfgrass personnel are well versed in preserving our natural resource. 
  
In the last legislative session, TNLA and the Texas Turf Irrigation Association teamed up to help give municipalities the tools to fine unlicensed irrigators who are illegally installing sprinkler systems.  Licensed irrigators are professionals who know the proper way to install and retrofit systems that do not waste water.  They use best management practices set by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. 
  
It would be wise to make sure the full purpose of these water restrictions is truly for water conservation and water management.  Different technologies in the irrigation industry should be fully explored.   The use of drought resistant plants in North Texas should also be a part of the solution.  We understand cities are unable to monitor and enforce some irrigation technologies, but let us all make sure the point of the new proposed ordinance is for water conservation and water management and not monetary. 
  
The implementation of Stage IV water restrictions will destroy landscapes ability to maintain or reduce the current urban heat islands (click here for Dallas Urban Heat Island Study) in the north part of Texas.  Stage IV water restrictions will negatively affect the air quality if last year’s plant material is not replaced and new plant material is not added to the landscape.  Ozone is formed in the atmosphere by interactions of volatile organic compounds and oxides of nitrogen.  Sunlight and heat are part of this equation, with higher temperatures often producing higher concentrations of ozone.  By allowing a variance for new landscape installations and at least watering an inch a week, the quality of life people enjoy will be maintained. 
  
Jacqueline Peterson, Assistant Professor of Urban Nutrient and Water Quality at Texas A&M University modeled (WEPP, USDA 2010) the potential for erosion of nutrients and soil from a landscape that has been subjected to irrigation levels that could reduce landscape canopies by half.  If cover is reduced from 90% to 45% under reduced irrigation practices, the rate of soil erosion could double during a normal precipitation event. 
  
“Urban Community Landscape Agriculture mitigates man’s land altering activity to enhance quality of life by improving environmental, economic, and social sustainability of constructed landscapes.” 
~ D. Chalmers’ Professor and State Extension Turfgrass Specialist-Texas AgriLife Extension Service (modification of definition by the Georgia Urban Agriculture Council – 2008) 
  
Besides the conclusive argument for the quality of life, we would also like to refer you to an annual study complied by Texas A&M University, theEconomic Scope and Impact of the Green Industry in Texas. It describes the economic impact our industry has on the state and the Dallas Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA).  In the Dallas MSA, there is almost $2.5 billion in green industry sales and over 34,000 people employed, thus making up almost 17% of the state.  Not only would Stage IV water restrictions do unrecoverable damage to our industry, but it will turn the NTMWD into an increased-ozone-producing area that is hotter and is not as attractive to its residents and tourists. 
  
Hundreds of thousands of homeowners have invested billions of dollars in their landscapes as the area served by the NTMWD has developed. Stage IV would almost ensure that a huge percentage of those dollars would be lost, and we will lose a generation’s worth of landscaping.  This vote of the NTMWD board should not be taken lightly. We join to encourage all city and county leaders, citizens and others to work toward a decision that is truly based on water conservation and management. 
  
We would like to work with you to find a balance between conservation, protecting other parts of the environment and not destroying businesses in your city.  Clean air and the negative affects of heat islands are as important as water.  Give our industries and the consumer a chance to help protect the entire environment (click here to see Earth-Kind, Texas A&M Extension Service).  At this point, the only entity that has solicited our insight and best management practices expertise is the Dallas Morning News. 
  
  
Sincerely, 
  
Amy Graham 
President 
Texas Nursery & Landscape Association 
  
Jim Tates 
President, Southwest Region 
The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company 
  
John Cosper 
President 
Turfgrass Producers of Texas 
  
Amanda Griffin 
Executive Director 
Texas Turf Irrigation Association 
  
Neil Sperry 
Publisher, Neil Sperry’s GARDENS Magazine and WBAP

A cookie walk is not a new dance step–nor is it a bake sale.  But it seemed to be a popular topic in last month’s e-gardens newsletter (related article – Tree Cookies. A unique way to recycle your tree.)  For the sake of brevity, some of the finer details were not included, resulting in a wheelbarrow full of questions.  As you may recall, logs of various sizes can be cut into slices and placed on the ground to form cookie walks or stepping cookies. 

Red Cedar Cookie Walk

Tree Cookies - Bois D Arc Cookie Walk

Red Cedar Stepping Cookies

Here are a few of the finer points about tree cookies.

• Size  The larger the diameter, the more stable the tree cookie.  A 10 to 14-inch wide cookie makes a more stable walking surface than a 4 to 5-inch wide cookie.  Likewise, 3 to 6-inch thick cookie is more stable than a 1 to 2-inch thick cookie.  Soil underneath a cookie, as opposed to mulch, offers more stability in the short term.  In the long term, the mulch offers more stability as it mixes with the soil.  However, the cookies may not stay level.  Thin cookies will crack and split quicker than thick cookies. 
  [photo #4 and possibly #5 of thicker tree cookies]
  

  Thick Cookie Walk

  

  Thicker Cookie Walk – Tree Cookies

• Species  All types of trees can be used for cookies, but avoid using black walnut cookies or black walnut chipped into mulch since they can contain juglone, an organic substance toxic to other plants.
• Longevity  The weaker wooded tree species, such as Willow, Maple, and Cottonwood, which are not sealed or treated, will last a few years.  Untreated hard wooded species, such as Oak, Elm, and Hickory can last three years or more.  The existing soil conditions can also play a role in the longevity of a tree cookie.  Soils higher in organic matter and biological activity will encourage a more rapid decay.
• Wood sealer  Woodworkers often use an end-grain type of sealer or shellac that soaks into the wood fibers.  Or, they may choose a more permanent sealer such as epoxy or varnish.  Materials that soak into the wood will extend the cookie’s durability a few years and highlight the intricate grain patterns.  While materials that seal the wood can extend cookie longevity, just be cautious not to use a material that might leach into the soil and affect nearby plants.  The same is true for wood stains used to expose more of the grain on a lighter color of wood.
• Live or dead trees  Wood from either can be used, but cookies from dead trees may not last as long or look as good unless they are treated, sealed, or wet.
• Oak Wilt  If the tree is in the Red Oak family and died from Oak Wilt in the last year or two, the upper limbs may be used but the trunk section should be burned or buried immediately.  All other oak species are safe to use for cookies.
• Arrangement  Given the many species of trees and sizes as well as the variance in wood color, there are many different potential layout patterns.  A cookie walk with a winding pattern is more attractive and natural than a straight walkway–in most cases.

Tree cookies can be used for many other purposes including coasters, trivets, or even to commemorate your favorite tree.  The various wood grain patterns and colors represent nature’s artwork at its very best.