THE ARBOR DOCTOR

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Generous rains fell on the northern and eastern parts of the metro area last weekend.  Over 4 inches of rain has fallen in Anderson Township this month.  In the meantime, the southwestern part of the metro area is languishing in heat and short term developing drought.  Only 0.96 inch of rain has fallen at my Cheviot 0.9 SSE location in July, compared to 2.40 inches last July.  Temperatures have been 90 or above on 13 days.  Tree and plant stress in those areas is worsening, and lawns are browning.  The heat will continue and may challenge the all time record for consecutive 90 degree days.  Watering in the dry areas is becoming a matter of plant life and death.

Published: Mon, 18 Jul 2011 09:00:08 EDT
The heat wave continues over the central United States and is expected to expand eastward during the week. Heat index values in the triple digits are forecast across a large portion of the Midwest today, making it feel like 100 to 110 degrees or higher during the afternoon hours. The large area of high pressure responsible for the heat will expand eastward by midweek, with temperatures reaching the mid-90s in the Mid-Atlantic states as early as Wednesday. Further out, this dome of high pressure is forecast to dominate most of the eastern and central U.S. — bringing excessive heat to much of the eastern half of the country except for the Northeast and southern Florida — through the end of next week. Details…

For those who have planted new trees or plants in the past year or two, we need to pay attention! 

It is hot out there and many areas haven’t had rain for 10 days or more.  Good spring and early summer rains have given us good soil moisture down deep, but the upper layers are dry in many areas and getting dryer.  Check the soil with your fingers BEFORE watering to be sure it is dry.  In many cases there is still moisture there either at the surface or below.   The biggest water problems I have seen so far are more related to over reaction than drought.  A few properties are being killed with kindness as irrigation systems are run daily and soils are flooded.  Please see this link for tips on good watering practices.

Proper watering, not too much or too little, is imperative for new trees and transplants.  Improper watering can kill plants and trees and void warranties.  Cincinnati soils are particularly difficult since our clay is often poorly drained and wet and dry areas can be found in close proximity.  There are few rules of thumb which are universal, even over the same property.

I call this “China weather”.  July 18 is the 6th anniversary of the day we were handed our adopted daughter in Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.  We were over there for two weeks and it was 90-100 every day with a dewpoint of 70-80. One day it was 78 with a 76 dewpoint and breezy as the remnants of a typhoon passed.  China is a beautiful country, but summer is brutal, as this summer is shaping up to be here.

The current heat wave is an expansion of a large bubble of heat over the center of the country, made even worse by extreme drought in Texas.  One look at the Weather Service home page shows the expansiveness of the heat wave.  Heat indices reached as high as 126F in Iowa on Sunday.  To top it off, much of the Cincinnati area has now only had one good rain in July, and that 10 days ago.  Soils are drying in the top layers and heat and water stress are becoming issues. 

The convoluted thing is that a few areas have had rain, 2.50 inches this weekend in Maysville, KY.  Also, with a very wet spring, many soils remain moist a few inches down so established trees are still mostly OK.  The biggest water problems I have seen so far are more related to over reaction than drought.  A few properties are being killed with kindness as irrigation systems are run daily and soils are flooded.  Please see this link for tips on good watering practices.  Remember, being Earth friendly includes watering correctly, making the most of our water resources while maintaining healthy and vibrant landscapes.

I (Ron) got to visit the Virginia state champion dawn redwoods on the campus of the college of William and Mary. The trees are the twin conical trees on the horizon above the right stone pillar, rising above the horizon despite growing in a sunken area at the end of the green in the photo at this link>>>.  (Photos 1, 6, and 7 in the plant tour link all show the dawn redwoods). 

I had read references to these trees in Dirr’s Manual of Woody Landscape Plants but thought it far fetched to ask about them at the information desk. The girl there had never heard of them but she googled it and came up with the first image.  I immediately recognized the distinctive shape on the horizon and she told me where it was. They were then easy to locate, and what incredible trees they are, at least 120 feet tall and 4 feet plus diameter at the base. A 90 foot California redwood was also growing just 500 feet away.  A great day!

Crime Prevention Alert: Tree Service Fraud

The Wyoming (OH) Police Department has obtained information about an individual representing several tree companies, who targets the elderly by going up to a residence (unsolicited) and telling them that they have some trees that need attention and then inflating and overcharging for the service. Reports suggest that this individual has been very aggressive in his approach.  The “companies” associated with this individual and his crew, have gone by the names of “Trees Unlimited”, “Mid-Ohio Tree & Mulch”, and “Tri-State Forestry”, operating from the Columbus, OH area down through Louisville, KY.  There have been a number of victims of this fraud in our neighboring community of Springfield Township.  

The individuals associated with these frauds are: Jason Johnson, male-white, 28 YOA, and Jeremy Richards, male-white, 29 YOA, with the Johnson subject having active warrants for frauds stemming from his tree cutting service. Both have extensive criminal histories.  A maroon colored 1992 Chevrolet pickup bearing Ohio plate PHA5873 is believed to be associated with these individuals and has been observed in both Springfield and Deerfield Townships.

Tips 

If you need to have work done you should contact the Better Business Bureau for a list of reputable companies and you should obtain at least three free quotes/estimates before having any work done by a contractor.

Soliciting in Wyoming

The following ordinance prohibits soliciting in Wyoming:  

733.01 UNINVITED PEDDLERS OR SOLICITORS

a)     No solicitor, peddler, hawker, itinerant merchant or transient vendor of merchandise, shall go in or upon a private residence, not having been requested or invited to do so by the owner or occupant of such private residence, for the purpose of soliciting orders for the sale of goods, wares and merchandise, or disposing of, or peddling or hawking the same.  (Ord. 501-1959.  Passed 4-20-59.)

     (b)     Section 733.01 shall not apply to religious, charitable or political groups, organizations or individuals.  (Ord. 20-2005.  Passed 12-19-05.)          

If you come into contact with either of these individuals or companies and they are soliciting, or if you have additional questions, please contact the Wyoming Police Department at 821-0141.  
Chief Gary J. Baldauf

Permalink: blog.citymanagerblog.org/2011/07/15/tree-service-fraud-crime-prevention-alert.aspx

Just heard this yesterday (for what it’s worth): We all want to be on a mountaintop, but when we get there we find the soil is thin and the conditions not always as good as we’d hoped. The valleys are never pleasant, but that is where the deepest and most fertile soils are. It is where we have the opportunity to grow the most.  Psalm 23>>>

Paul McCartney isn’t the only beetle (Beatle) coming to Cincinnati.  We have detailed the Asian Longhorn Beetles found in Clermont County, and the Emerald Ash Borer is killing trees at an increasingly rapid pace locally.  Many untreated trees are beyond hope at this point.  Japanese beetles are also becoming quite prominent, especially in cherry trees.  We are treating for them, but if you notice them before we make it out, give us a call and we’ll be sure to come out.  Treatments suppress activity but often cannot eliminate it.