Arbor Doctor June 2022 client update and latest blog postings
Can you believe it is now summer? Well, meteorological summer at least. While the calendar, based on the position of the sun only, says we have 3 more weeks of spring, those of us in horticulture know we have entered into summer, known as meteorological summer (June, July, and August), based on temperature and climatology.
With the arrival of meteorological summer, summertime pests have also arrived in southern Ohio and their emergence is moving north, including many varieties of scale crawlers, first generation fall webworm, two-spotted spider mites, mimosa webworms, and bagworms. Even Japanese beetle arrival is only days away in southern Ohio.
Even though it is now meteorological summer, and late calendar spring, we are still wrapping up many of our spring treatments. We are also working on Emerald Ash Borer treatments and Dutch Elm Disease treatments. Do not worry if we have not been out yet. We will get to you. If you do have questions, feel free to call and ask for Josh. He does our scheduling.
An active weather pattern evolved across the region during much of the May, offering numerous rounds of showers and storms, leading to one of the wettest Mays on record for many spots in central and southern Ohio. This was offset by above normal temperatures past the first week of May, with summerlike temperatures for the final part of the month.
May 2022 Weather and Climate Summary. Warm and wet
First 21 days of May is officially the wettest ever in Cincinnati’s historical record
Plant Health Care Newsletter
Over the winter I was asked to take over authorship of the Plant Health Care Newsletter for the Ohio Green Industry Association. This newsletter is a subscription based electronic newsletter directed toward plant health care professionals throughout Ohio including nurseries, garden centers, landscapers, arborists, and others. It started decades ago as the PEST Newsletter, authored by Dr. David Shetlar (The Bug Doc) of The Ohio State University. Dr. Shetlar retired several years ago and the newsletter transitioned to what it is today. It is humbling to follow in the footsteps of such a knowledgeable man.
Inflation, Supply Chain and Postal Service Issues
The supply chain issues and labor shortages which are affecting everyone have affected us as well. Besides supply chain issues, things have gotten a bit better with the postal service but we are still experiencing delays. This has slowed receipt of payments and other correspondence. If we call you regarding a late payment even though you sent it some time ago, this may be the reason. It is as frustrating for us as it is for you. We apologize for the inconvenience but it is largely out of our control.
Gas prices, and the prices of everything, are skyrocketing with no end in sight. We are looking at our rising costs and will need to make adjustments accordingly as costs continue to rise. We will do our best to be as kind as possible but with some commodities increasing over 200% there is only so much we can do.
Our team, and Wedding Bells
We have a great core horticultural team this year of Steve Middleton, Wesley Yauch, Josh Pawlowski, and Noah Riggs. Noah is getting married this month to his fiancé, Sydney Carter. Both of them are solidly grounded in the Lord and we wish them many years of happiness.
Mulching Reminder
Mulch plays an important role in regulating soil moisture and soil temperature. To the extent possible recycle fallen leaves back into the soil around the trees and maintain mulch around the trees to a radius of at least 3-5 feet. Keep mulch off trunks. Use a coarse textured mulch. Avoid triple shredded mulch. Aged arborist wood chips, mulched and composted leaves, pine bark, and pine straw are all good. Very finely ground mulches such as triple ground hardwood mulch are not beneficial and may inhibit moisture and oxygen exchange.
Please remember to water…correctly!
Yes, May was wet, and rain is in the forecast, but things can dry out quickly in the heat of summer.
Water once per week, one inch per week, under the entire branch spread, in the absence of rain, May through November. Either rainfall or your watering should equal the one inch per week. Put out a sprinkler and a straight sided soup can or rain gauge and measure one inch per week. Measure the rainfall which falls in your yard. Your trees don’t care what fell at the airport!
To the extent possible recycle fallen leaves back into the soil around the trees and maintain mulch around the trees to a radius of at least 3-5 feet. Keep mulch off trunks. Use a coarse textured mulch. Avoid triple shredded mulch. Aged arborist wood chips, mulched and composted leaves, pine bark, and pine straw are all good. Very finely ground mulches such as triple ground hardwood mulch are not beneficial and may inhibit moisture and oxygen exchange.
Here are updates posted on our blog page over the past couple months. My apologies but they have really piled up!
The Japanese Maple Scale Challenge
European Elm Scale Create Dripping, Sticky Elms
Latent Nodes as Natural Targets
Queen European Hornet Sightings Stir the Pot
Upright, Narrow and Columnar trees
Extra Eyes Needed to Look For Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) During the Upcoming Season
Asian Longhorned Beetle Quarantine Lifted at State Park and Campground
The latest on EAB frequency of treatment
Soil Mining Bees: All Buzz, No Sting
This Symbiotic Organism took a “Lichen” to this Tree!
Lesser Celandine: Greater Problem
The Nation’s Corn Belt Has Lost a Third of Its Topsoil
Recommended small to medium trees and shrubs
Recommended trees, shrubs, and herbaceous perennials for wet areas
‘Flash droughts’ are Midwest’s next big climate threat
Satellite mission finds that Tonga volcanic eruption effects reached space
Recently, one of my connections on LinkedIn shared a post about running a small business and I simply had to share it because I can relate. To be clear, I love people and I thoroughly enjoy my interactions with you, my clients, at least most of the time.
The unfortunate truth of owning and running a business
The truth is that often the demands on my time become great and I have more calls to return than I have time. I do my best. Amazingly, I even make mistakes! I drop the ball occasionally. I am human.
I recently read, and re-read, a fantastic book by Brant Hansen called The Truth About Us: The Very Good News About How Very Bad We Are. It’s a fantastic, and humbling, book and I commend it to you. Brant makes many excellent points, including about self-righteousness. It’s the reason people get on their high horses so often on social media and say awful things. It is also the reason people sometimes call me and say awful things. Not often, but it does happen. And it hurts. And, it is not helpful.
I can promise you that we at Arbor Doctor will do our best to take care of you and your landscape investment. We don’t know everything. Nobody does. Sometimes the truthful answer may be that there is no answer. I can also promise you that I will do my best, but I will sometimes fall short and I will sometimes make mistakes.
To be clear, I sign on to the ISA Board Certified Master Arborist® Code of Ethics and I take that very seriously. I am obligated to answer to you, and most of all I am obligated to answer to God. I will fall short, but I will do my best.
Sincerely,
Ronald E. Rothhaas, Jr.
Principal, Arbor Doctor, LLC.
ISA Board Certified Master Arborist®, OH-5177B
ISA TRAQ, ASCA TPAQ
Member ASCA, ISA, OCISA, IAA, KAA, NALP, ONLA
(513) 661-2673
