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 fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea) Have you seen webs in the trees this summer?
Do you know what causes it? The offending insect that creates the webbed nests is the larval stage of a moth. After spending a cold winter in the duff, and tired of watching TV in its cocoon (some have wifi), the pupae will emerge as an adult as early as late June to deposit eggs on the underside of leaves. These eggs will hatch within a week, quickly becoming a big family of hungry larvae, anxious to start spinning their silken webs over the leaves upon which to feed (most hardwoods are on the menu).
The name of this moth is fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea) and its webs appear in summer! It looks suspiciously like tent caterpillar – but don’t be fooled. Tent caterpillars are a spring insect, hatched and waiting to feed as the host trees leaves emerge.
What to do? Because fall webworm is a “late season insect” and the trees have had much of the spring/summer to produce food (photosynthate) they really cause little harm. Unlike the tent caterpillar, feeding on the emerging leaves of a hungry tree just awakened from a long winters sleep – fall webworm is an aesthetic nuisance – that’s all.
Do nothing? Doing nothing is an option – fall frost will end feeding, starting the cycle over again and the fall rains and winters snow will eventually wash the offending webs from the tree. You could manually remove the webs from the trees – but this can be difficult in a 50 foot tall cherry tree (a webworm favorite). July treatment with an insecticide will usually suppress this insect – unfortunately repeat applications are often necessary.
High heat and a lack of rainfall is double trouble as it relates to the health of your lawn. Brown grass results in weeks or even days after prolonged high temperatures and an absence of rainfall. So, what is a homeowner to do?
 At this time of year, the best action is preventative. First, ensuring your mower is adjusted to the proper cutting height of 3-3.5” and not mowing during the heat of the day is just as important. Applying slow release fertilizer, lime, or mulched clippings to enhance organic matter is very beneficial. And over seeding with a drought tolerant turf as well. In terms of precipitation, unless you have an irrigation system or a very shaded lawn, browning is as inevitable as bacon in the skillet on Sunday morning. Hmmm, you can just hear the sizzle and smell of the lawn drying to a crispy golden brown!
On a serious note, it’s not the browning of your lawn that is most concerning, but what might eat it while it is brown. It is much more difficult to notice an attack by hungry pests as the lawn may already be discolored. Now is the time to monitor for chinch bug, grub, or sod webworm activity. If you can’t monitor yourself, hire a professional licensed lawn care company.
In terms of watering, anything is helpful but don’t expect that magical green you may see in the spring or fall. Providing an inch or more of water may not even be allowed if there is a ban like many towns have in place here in NH. And since most grass needs about an inch of water per week, anything will help to keep the dormant turf alive as it remains in a hibernation state. High heat will brown out and cause all kinds of blotches and spots in a treated or non-treated lawn setting. Frankly, it is just too hot for cool season grass when the mercury rises above 85 or 90 degrees.  High heat can cause white blotches on the leaf blade and create drought stress appearing as dull blue or purple sections. Additional stress may result in a tan or light brown lawn as the plant shuts down to preserve itself. Remember, grass blades are 99% water, so no water = no grass to grow!
By the way, now is not the time to apply liquid fertilizer or herbicides. The result can be a disaster resulting in what I call “corner to corner grey or brown turf”. A trained eye can easily spot this kind of chemical induced stress. Also, high soluble fertilizers place undue stress on a lawn that may already be on the edge. Mowing during the heat of the day is like lying on your driveway at noon (hot and unpleasant). Any remaining moisture is quickly lost from the fresh cuts as the lawn literally wilts. Massive browning can result in a very short period of time (sometimes hours). Stressed turf is highly susceptible to mower tracks from the weight of a tractor as well.  This is also true when lawn care companies that use perma-greens and other powered equipment to apply fertilizer, lime, or herbicides. A light touch using smaller spreaders should be used to prevent this type of damage.
In short, high summer heat is not “the norm” in NH or VT. However, follow these simple steps to insure a healthy summer lawn:
- Watch out for insect damage
- Water if you can, and what you can
- Don’t mow if you don’t have to (especially from 11am to 3pm). And cut high 3” to 3.5”. Don’t feel obligated to mow when not mowing is really the best course of action.
Take a vacation and have some fun- but make sure you take care of your investment!
 The Meredith News wrote a very nice piece about our Arbor Day planting and dedication ceremony at Prescott Park in memory of Phil French. We are grateful to Bill Collins of Collins Tree Service and the NH Arborists Association, and the Town of Meredith Parks and Recreation Department, for making this event possible. Click on the link below to read the original article.
Arbor Day Planting for Phil French
 May is a great month to help your lawn move forward by aerating and seeding it afterward, often called overseeding. This is normally a great time to aerate because the moisture content in the soil is high, allowing wonderful plugs to be removed by the assistance of deeper penetration by the machine. Dry, compacted soil is very difficult to aerate even with professional grade equipment. While you can rent small aerators, they are not the same in terms of weight, width, and tine health (length of the steel hollow spikes). I maintain new tines on our machines that are key in breaking up the soil by removing 1″ diameter plug up to 3-4″ in depth. Why aerate?
Benefits of Aeration.
- Increases moisture penetration
- Enhances oxygen exchange (important for healthy roots)
- Reduces soil compaction (especially soils high in clay)
- Facilitates penetration of fertilizers and other lawn products
- Increases rate of thatch decomposition
- Enhances root development
Want more turf information? Visit Mr. Grass….
The Green Industry needs your help to plant millions of trees! The Small Business Environmental Stewardship Assistance Act (H.R. 4509) would reauthorize the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) “National Tree Planting Program.” Administered by the SBA, this matching grant program would leverage federal resources to allow state forestry agencies to contract with local nurseries, arborists and landscape professionals to plant trees around retail storefronts, rental housing complexes and community parks. During the program’s brief existence in the 1990s, more than 18,000 companies were employed to plant more than 23 million trees across the country. These projects created green industry jobs, promoted energy efficiency, contributed invaluable environmental benefits and made retail and commercial areas more appealing.
The program is under consideration for funding again, and we need your help! Passage of H.R. 4509 would reauthorize SBA’s National Tree Planting Program at $50 million annually for FY2011 through FY2015. In addition, H.R. 4509 would provide the funding necessary for the costs of administering the program, a past oversight that led to the program’s demise over a decade ago. This is our chance to demonstrate that our industry stands ready to deliver on federal investments in green infrastructure. Congress must hear from you, your employees, your colleagues, your family and your friends to make this bill a reality.
A House version of the SBESA Act, H.R. 4509, was introduced by Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-OR) on January 26. Yesterday, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced a Senate version.
Elected representatives listen to messages from voters back in their states. Contact your U.S. House or Senate Member today and urge them to support Small Business Environmental Stewardship Assistance Act.
Click here to contact your U.S. Representative
Click here to contact your U.S. Senator
 May is the ideal month to think about tick control measures for the upcoming season because the adults are waking up and crawling out in search of food – animals or you! While you may see a typical Dog Tick, you are not likely to see a Deer Tick, a primary vector of Lyme Disease. Therefore, treating your turf around the house and into the perimeter of fields or woods is an excellent means to reduce the adult population before they mate and seek out a blood meal. With the mild winter we just experienced this could be a banner year for all kinds of ticks in NH and VT.
Most tick control products work for 2-5 weeks depending upon the rate and type of material used. In fact, many new products are used in pet supplies and products found at your local pet or farm/garden supply store. If you don’t want to apply over-the-counter products yourself, the key to safety is using a responsible, licensed lawn care company like ours. You must have a license in NH or VT to treat for ticks, even if you use an organic or natural product! If you are targeting a pest, you must have insurance and have the training needed to treat for ticks. So before you try this yourself, you might want some advice from a professional.
Additional recommendations for tick control: keep grassy and weedy areas trimmed, and remove wood piles to reduce harborage for tick hosts. When entering potentially infested areas such grassy pastures, prairies, and woodlands wear long-sleeved shirts and long trousers with tight-fitting cuffs. Wear light-colored clothing because ticks are easier to see on a light background. When you are not adequately prepared as described above, avoid these tick-infested areas and restrict movement of your children and pets in these locations. I know: very hard to do! Enjoy the outdoors, but be sure to always use an insect repellent to help protect your family and friends.
For more information visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ‘Stop Ticks’ page of their website.
 As with many tasks around the home, preliminary planning is the most time consuming part of planting a tree. Once you’ve chosen a suitable tree and spot, it’s time to break out the shovel. Compared to the preparation of choosing a tree and location, planting is a snap. Planting a tree (we’ll assume one with a 1-1.5″ caliper) can take less than a couple of hours once you have the preliminary work done.
Dig The Hole
The saying among home orchardists is “Dig a $50 hole for a $5 tree.” Think of the hole as moving your tree into its new home. First, strip all the sod from an area at least 3 to 4 feet across. Lawn competes with the tree for water and nutrients, and has to be trimmed which risks damage to the tree bark from mowers or string trimmers. With the sod gone into the compost pile, dig a hole no deeper than the container or root ball (loose soil under the tree causes the tree to sink as the soil settles) and three times as wide as the container or root ball, placing the soil from the hole adjacent to the hole. Rough up the sides of the hole by raking them over with a cultivator tool or by stabbing them with the shovel.
Set The Tree
This isn’t much more complicated than plopping the tree, out of its container or wrapping, into the hole. However, making sure that the tree is more or less straight and vertical. In containered or balled & burlapped trees it used to be the specification to make the top of the soil ball even with the ground level outside the hole. However, you will need to find the first significant woody root on the main stem and make sure that it is at grade. This is necessary because potted and balled & burlapped trees are shipped with the proper grade hidden in the root ball (or too deep). Bareroot trees generally have a mark on the trunk indicating planting depth.
Backfill
The soil that came out of the hole is the soil that goes back into the hole. Most cooperative extension services and arborists recommend against using soil amendments when planting a tree, since the root systems may resist spreading out of the small volume of enriched soil into the relatively poorer soil of the rest of the yard. The restricted root structure makes a weaker tree overall. When the hole is halfway full of soil, water thoroughly, then continue filling the hole with the remaining soil. Water thoroughly again when the hole is completely filled to the surrounding ground level.
Mulch
Top off with a 2 to 3 inch layer of organic mulch, such as shredded leaves, bark or compost. The mulch layer should be kept to an inch or less at trunk of the tree.
Post-Planting Tree Care
Staking
Some trees may require staking, something determined for each tree being planted. However, most trees do better without being supported. Pressure from wind encourages development of a stronger root system to anchor a tree, so staking trees unnecessarily weakens them, since they’re not required to stand up on their own.
Watering
Download this pdf we created for more information: Planting After Care Instructions.
Pruning & Training
Most trees require some pruning and training to establish a good branch structure. The specific pruning technique depends on the species. Ornamental trees are pruned to maintain shape, while fruit trees are pruned for shape and maximum production. Training should NOT start at the time of planting – give the tree a year to acclimate and reallocate resources before the pruning process can begin. For tips on proper pruning, check out your county cooperative extension office.
We Support the Community-Building Efforts of Local First Alliance.
Ash isn’t the only problem with volcanoes (or lava) …. Recent volcanic activity in Iceland created a large “no fly” zone over northern Europe this past week but ‘mulch volcanoes’ here at home wreak havoc on our trees. These man made disasters may be responsible for one or more of the following problems associated with trees in the landscape:
- Deep mulch may cause root rot from excess moisture retention
- Piling mulch against the trunk or stems of plants can stress bark and cambial tissues and may lead to insect and disease issues
- Some mulches can affect soil PH and can lead to micronutrient deficiencies or toxicities
- Mulch piled high against the trunks of young trees may create habitats for rodents that chew the bark and can girdle the tree
- Thick blankets of fine mulch can become matted and prevent the penetration of air and /or water and create an anaerobic situation
Properly installed mulch will:
- Remove the need to use the string trimmer or mower near the trunk of the tree
- Minimize moisture loss in dry weather
- Moderate soil temperature
- Reduce soil compaction by bringing the soil back to life
- Reduce weed germination
What is proper?
- Recess the mulch so it sits at grade (see last photo below)
- Limit the depth to a few inches – less at the stem
Weed the mulch annually or remove and replace. Adding layers will eventually create too much depth.
Email me if you have a question about proper mulching techniques: askthearborist@chippersinc.com.
 Newly Planted and Improperly Mulched Trees: An Arborist's Nightmare!  The Wrong Way to Mulch New Trees: Better Not To Mulch At All Than To Do This!
 A Properly Mulched Tree Is A Happy Tree
 Here are three good tree reads, something for every kind of reader….
The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono. This is a fabulous eco-fable for all ages about individual empowerment for changing the world, or at least your little corner of it. Makes a great family read-aloud.
Tall Trees, Tough Men: A Vivid, Anecdotal History of Logging and Log-Driving in New England by Robert E. Pike. Dramatic and engaging stories of ‘The Way Things Were’ in the lumber industry of colonial New England.
How to Plant a Tree: A Simple Celebration of Trees and Tree-Planting Ceremonies by Daniel Butler (available April 15, 2010). So much more than a how-to book (although it is that too) with guidance for commemorating birth, marriage, anniversaries and life with tree planting. Presents folklore, rituals and symbolism of human celebrations involving trees throughout history.
Please support your local independent booksellers and purchase these titles locally!
 What is better for a gardener’s soul than a warm, sunny Saturday out in the garden for early spring clean up? The Garden Conservancy’s Open Days Directory of course! Mine arrived this past weekend and I immediately dropped my Felco’s and rake sat down to explore the gardens I want to visit on June 26. It’s a tough one to think abut now I know. For those of us who are passionate about gardening but who also work during the week, right now while the days are warming it’s hard to fathom leaving your own garden on a Saturday …. but I think by June I’ll be OK with it…. I hope!
Especially since I won’t have to travel very far afield: the Upper Valley is a featured area this year, with open gardens in Hanover, Hartland, Quechee and Windsor on the tour. The Open Days gardens are always chosen for their unique qualities and offer visitors the best of American regional gardens. Some of the gardens are designed by landscape designers and architects, and others are the work of passionate and talented amateurs.
Check out the Garden Conservancy website for more information and to request a copy of the Open Days Directory if you want to plan your visits now. Closer to the Open Days dates some gardens will be listed online.
I always come away inspired by these gardens, and bring with me ideas for a project or two to try in my own garden – or maybe ten projects if you ask my husband or co-workers at Chippers!
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