Ash trees ash trees save your ash trees Rochester!

This leafy, cooling, pleasing green canopy is entirely made up of ash trees. Can you imagine life on this street without these lovely trees? In about 2-3 years that's just what the residents of this street south of Rochester will face if they don't treat their trees to prevent infestation by Emerald Ash Borer. It's prime time to treat right now in June. Let's act and save some ash!

Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Week May 23-30

How would this street in West Henrietta look and feel without this lush, green leafy canopy of ash trees? The residents are going to find out within the next 3-5 years if they do not act to treat their trees against infestation by Emerald Ash Borer. The beetle has been discovered about 3 miles away in Scottsville, NY which means it has already deposited larvae in these trees. As there is no natural defense, this means certain death for every one of these trees. There are several proven treatments to save ash trees - contact a Certified Arborist today to save your ash!

tree death

I saw this shocking sight in the City of Rochester over the weekend. Someone sure hates this tree and has decided to take matters into their own hands to cause it's death. There should be some kind of penalty for this action.....

fresh mulch = spring

Fresh mulch and sunshine! Both have been hard to come by here in the Rochester area this April. We've had record rainfall this spring which has made it difficult to clean gardens, cut new edges and apply fresh mulch. It sure makes a difference though for freshening up the garden, not to mention weed control and moisture retention!

EAB - the time is coming!

Attention homeowners, citizens and town officials in the Rochester area! Beginning with the warm weather we expect to occur sometime soon, it will be time to inject ash trees to prevent or limit infestation by Emerald Ash Borer. In mid-May, as the leaves of the ash trees are beginning to unfurl, conditions are prime for certified arborists to begin injecting ash trees. Let's work together to save our ash trees instead of cutting them down!

For more information please see the Emerald Ash Borer page on our website: summittreeandlandscape.com

Water! The Fingerlakes! Lake Ontario!

I'm really enjoying learning how to navigate and use Twitter. I'm following astronaut Douglas Wheeler who posted this photo of the Finger Lakes and Lake Ontario from space. What a great place we live! We must take measures to preserve our environment and save our water. How can we help as individuals? From turning off the water when we brush our teeth to using water carefully in the garden by using rain barrels and soaker hoses, we can all work together to keep our water clean. Today environmentalists are travelling to Albany to present their views on hydrofracturing. What are your views?

So sad!

Here is a photo of a park in Ohio where the city has decided to remove these ash trees. They will replace the trees, but it will take many many years for the new trees to achieve this height and provide shade to the park. If they decided to treat these trees they could be saved and the park as well as the environment would benefit.

Trees want to live!

It's hard to believe, but this tree is alive. While it is still winter and the leaves are absent the tree is budded up and ready to go in spring. It is amazing that this tree can live with its roots exposed and so little root mass even in contact with soil! Ah nature!!

Early Garden Cleanup - Don't Risk It

While the first sunny, warm days of spring may entice you outdoors, it may be wise to resist the temptation to start gardening. When the soil in your garden beds is coming back to life, it is best to stay out of them to avoid compacting the soil. Standing or walking in the wet soil compresses the soil and squeezes out the air vital to the plants. This is especially true in clay soil. So, view the snowdrops from afar and wait a little longer to cut back any perennials and grasses or rake away winter debris and leaves. Your garden will appreciate your patience!

Value of Landscaping

According to the Associated Landscape Contractors of America, good landscaping can increase the resale value of a home by 14%! In addition, improving curb appeal may speed up the sale of a home by as much as six weeks! Beautiful landscaping makes a great first impression!

Amaryllis - help it bloom twice

You can coax your Christmas gift, that lovely amaryllis, to bloom a second time! The bloom will be less spectacular but still gorgeous. After the flowers have faded, pinch off the blossoms and remove their stalks. Let the foliage grow for eight weeks and place the pot in a cool, dark place for another eight weeks. Do not water during this time. Bring the pot back into a sunny spot, remove the dead foliage and soak the pot. Continue to water as needed. You can repeat the process for a couple of years!

EAB video

Attention Rochester: http://greatlakesecho.org/2011/02/24/video-invasive-emerald-ash-borer-upsets-great-lakes-ecosystem-economy/
Check out this amazing video!

Winter Pruning

Why prune in the winter? With trees in the dormant state pruning can be done safely. The healing process will begin in spring when the tree comes back to life. The goal? Always keeping the integrity of the tree foremost, remove dead branches, those that cross and rub and correct for mower/sidewalk clearance. How did we do?

Forcing Branches

It's time to bring in your spring-flowering branches for a touch of color in the middle of winter! Cut forsythia, cherry, dogwood, quince, etc including slitting the stems at the base. Add water and in a couple of weeks, viola!

Habitat For Humanity Goes Green From Now On

Habitat For Humanity Goes Green From Now On

The High Line/The Garden Aerial

New York has The High Line (pictured), Rochester may soon have The Garden Aerial!
A new group, Friends of the Garden Aerial, has been formed to spearhead the transformation of Rochester's Pont de Rennes bridge over the Genesee River at High Falls into a planted environment where people can enjoy the experience of the waterfall while sitting under a shade tree or taking in a variety of flowers, grasses and shrubs. Winter will offer a different experience; in extra-snowy New York a snow sculpture contest is under way at The High Line. Stay tuned for more about The Garden Aerial....

Snow in China

Suzhou, China rarely receives much snowfall. This photo, from a friend living in Suzhou, shows how the dusting of snow is removed from walkways. What a pretty scene with the frosting on the trees and shrubs! (It would be nice to know what kind of trees these are, still with their leaves attached in January. Also, it's interesting to see that the trunks are painted white? As a prevention of winter sun scald damage perhaps?)

Green Drinks

It's fun!! Join members of the Rochester Center for Environmental Information and Upstate Green Business Network for Green Drinks - a social event for those interested in anything and everything sustainable! The January 2011, event is the 3rd Thursday (January 20th) at the Flower City Habitat for Humanity ReStore, 755 Culver Road, Rochester NY

Open to the public, ReStore offers quality new and gently-used building materials at a fraction of normal retail prices. Proceeds fund construction of decent, affordable Habitat houses in Rochester. Many affiliates across the United States and Canada operate successful ReStores, some of which raise enough funds to build an additional 10 or more houses per year!

How Will New York State Look in Five Years?

Here is a staggering fact: there are approximately 900 million ash trees in New York State. When the Emerald Ash Borer has moved through, our state forests will be filled with dead trees. Our communities will have to decide whether to remove or treat our private and street ash trees. Treatment will make sense in many cases. Let's encourage our community leaders in Henrietta, Rochester, Chili, Pittsford, etc. to save as many trees as possible!

College Campuses to deal with EAB

College campuses across the country are reacting to the Emerald Ash Borer infestation in various ways. Iowa State University has received a $30,000 grant to remove and replace ash trees. Beginning with those in the worst condition, the university will attempt to cull the existing ash trees to less than 8% of the total trees on campus and replant a tree for every ash removed. Eventually all the ash trees on campus will be replaced with a wide variety of new trees, utilizing many species to create diversity.

Why Monoculture is a bad thing

On this residential street in West Henrietta, NY, each property was planted with at least two street trees. In this case about 99% of the trees planted were ash. Every one of these trees will be devastated by the Emerald Ash Borer in the coming years and, if not treated, will need to be removed. What will this street look like without these trees?